ViewSonic Outs Portable PLED-W500 WXGA Projector

ViewSonic announced just recently that it has expanded its product lineup with a new compact projector, known as the PLED-W500, which is aimed at users who require such a highly portable device for on the road presentations.

Just as its name implies, the PLED-W500 is built using the LED projection technology and ViewSonic claims that thanks to this approach its creation can achieve lower power consumption and greater lamp life than DLP and LCOS solution.

In fact, the company says the PLED-W500 offers a 50% power consumption advantage as well as five times the lamp life delivered by traditional projector technology.

These benefits are paired with support for full WXGA resolution (1200x800 pixels) as well as with a high contrast image and 500 lumens of brightness.

Furthermore, the PLED-W500 also boasts a host of connectivity options, including the traditional analogue connections, HDMI video input, a USB port and a multi-format card reader.

Used together with the integrated media player and Microsoft Office document viewer, the two latter connectivity features, enable owners of the ViewSonic projector to display presentations and other media files without requiring a computer to be connected.

The PLED-W500 measures 11.4x10x5 inches, including the built-in stereo speakers, and weights about 2.9lbs.

"The PLED-W500 has a greater contrast ratio which enhances the 500 lumens putting it on par with higher lumen traditional lamp technology,” said Trevor Holt, European product manager for Projectors.

“We have taken our time to develop LED illumination technology so that it meets the standards our customers expect of a ViewSonic projector, concluded the company's rep.

The PLED-W500 comes as standard with a comprehensive 3-year European warranty. The projector is available right now in the UK, but there is no word yet about a worldwide release. The retail price is set £499, which roughly translates into $788.