14 DAY TRIAL // As tablets, laptops and smartphones have become the main means to share multimedia content these days, projectors have slowly been pushed into the shadows.
In order to revamp this product category, most device manufacturers have tried hard to shrink down these devices, thus creating a new type of gadget in the process – the pico projector (or mini projector).
The latest in the bunch to grace us with its physical presence is the LG Bluetooth MiniBeam projector. The device is quite small – small enough that it can fit in your palm.
The MiniBeam measures just 6.5 x 4.6 x 1.6 inches / 172 x 117 x 40 mm in size and weighs a meager 20 oz / 580 g.
The LG projector is small but it is not as tiny as other products like the Allcam CP1, Pocket Project or even the Samsung Galaxy Beam projector slash phone.
However, even if the MiniBean is not the smallest one you can find out there, it still excels at something.
It can project images measuring up to 63.5 to 254 cm / 25 to 100 inches onto any surface. By contrast, other pico projectors can only handle 127 to 152 cm / 50 to 60 inches.
The projections coming out the MiniBean will boast a brightness of 700 ANSI-Lumens, a 100,000.1 contrast ratio and a 1280 x 800 pixels resolution. To achieve this, the little device uses an LED light source.
MiniBean will ship out bundled with USB, HDMI, RGB, Component and AV inputs supporting WiDi and Miracast.
But that’s not all – the system is also equipped with Bluetooth 3.0 so users can stream audio wirelessly to any Bluetooth-enabled audio system or even headphone located in the vicinity.
If you don’t have that kind of equipment lying around, you might as well use the 1W embedded speakers the projector comes with.
Since the IFA tradeshow kick starts in Berlin in less than two weeks, LG will be present there to show some of its products and will be displaying the Bluetooth MiniBeam during the event, as well.
The company will start selling the device on the European market first, and you can expect to see it arrive this September.
After which, the device maker will launch the product in markets like Asia and the Middle East, but if you’re located in the States, you might not have the chance to pick up this tiny projection module.
