Insight Media releases its 2011 Stand-alone Picoprojector Report which covers stand-alone picoprojectors with and without embedded media players.

"It is critical to understand how end-users have used these picoprojectors," noted lead analyst Matthew Brennesholtz. "They have not, in fact, been used the way the manufacturers of the early units anticipated. Understanding the features desired and used by the end users is the key to expanding the market for these systems. We foresee sales of tens of millions of these products."

"Projectors have been sold for some time to professionals and home theater enthusiasts, but picoprojectors are a new consumer category. Sales will be made to consumers who had never previously considered a projection system," observes Insight Media president, Chris Chinnock. "Entertainment content is especially important for picoprojectors and will be a key driver in their adoption, especially as TV replacement products in various parts of the world."

Go 2011 Picoprojector Stand-alone Report

Acer launches its H9500 projector, now with a number of technologies the company says should enhance the living room movie experience even further, including improvements on its images' blacks.

The projector features DyanamicBlack technology, which Acer says fine-tunes scenes' black levels while making sure images remain bright, with contrast ratios reaching as high as 50000:1.

The company's True Motion technology supposedly enchances the projector's MEMC (Motion Estimation/Motion Compensation), which creates and inserts new frames to reduce motion blur in fast moving scenes. A wall-colour compensation system allows for accurate projection on coloured surfaces, with simple setup through the OSD menu.

It displays images of up to 1080p resolution in 24 fps, with 2000 lumens' worth of brightness. Acer also says that its projectors use ColourSafe II DLP technology (alongside its own colour compensation systems) to make them "virtually immune" to colour decay.

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According to the latest data from Pacific Media Associates, Acer reached (for the first time) 3rd in the worldwide projector market in Q1 2011 with a 7.2% market share.

Acer closed last year with a 6.4% market share and increased its share to 7.2% in Q1 2011, with 19% YOY growth, and achieved 3rd position in the worldwide ranking for the first time.

Acer also confirmed 2nd place in the EMEA ranking, registering 13.8% market share and 4% YOY growth.

Despite showing a Q4 2010 vs.Q1 2011 decline, if we consider the YOY performance, the global projectors market is growing with a 13% YOY growth.

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Draper's Clarion and Onyx screen ranges get curved frame versions, which the company launches at InfoComm 2011.

Vel-Tex covers the screens' extruded aluminium frames, which Draper says help offset the pincushion distortion horizontal expansion lenses cause. Curved images are also subject to less reflected ambient light while reflection projector light more accurately.

The company's standard radius comes at 40', while it also offers custom radii.

Curved Onyx screens come in sizes up to 19' wide, and curved Clarion are available in widths up to 13'. Custom sizes are also available.

The screens also include mounting brackets.

Go Draper Curved Screen Clarion and Onyx

Pacific Media Associates (PMA) reports the WW pico projector sales for Q1 2011 show 116% Y-o-Y growth, reaching totals of 235000 units (compared to Q1 2010's 109000).

The analyst also predicts the market segment will show 93% CAGR through 2015, to reach over 17.2m units-- figures including both standalone units and embeddable optical units found in a number of devices, including smartphones, digital cameras, notebook computers and tablets.

Many companies are investing in pico projector technology-- something the market is clearly demanding. Current pico technologies use combinations of different imager chips (such as DLP, LCOS and MOEMs scanners) with illumination systems such as lasers and LEDs.

Go Pacific Media Associates

Elite Screens launches a portable free-standing projection screen ideal for customers making use of pico projectors-- the PicoScreen.

The PicoScreen carries Elite's Maxwhite 1.1 gain matte white projection screen material, which the company says has a wide viewing angle.

Stability comes through rotating base feet, while a self-locking cross riser and scissor-back design allows one to pull it out of its metal casing and easy setup.

It comes in 4:3 aspect ration in either 25", 35" or 45" sizes, in a package that also includes a durable fabric carry case.

Go Elite Screens PicoScreen