Summary:
With its low price, reasonable weight and relatively
powerful imaging system, the Toshiba TDP-SW80U is a good entry point
into the world of wireless projection.
Target Users:
Corporate presenters, educational presenters, AV professionals, AV installers
What It Costs You:
$1,499 MSRP
What’s Cool:
Compatible with 802.11b and 802.11g standards, brightness rated at 2000 ANSI lumens, 2000:1 contrast ratio, separate VGA output
What’s Missing:
Broad support for other manufacturers’ 802.11g cards
RATINGS: Products are rated for features, performance, ease of use and overall value on a scale from LAME, OK, SOLID, SWEET to HOT.
Specs
Brightness: 2000 ANSI lumens Contrast Ratio: 2000:1 Native Resolution: SVGA (800 x 600) Wireless Technology: PC card slot for 802.11b or 802.11g LAN card Noise Level: 35dB Digital Keystone Adjustment: + or - 15 degrees Projection Lens: 1.2x manual zoom/manual focus Dimensions: 11.7 x 10.8 x 4.0 inches Weight: 6.4 pounds
Web site: www.toshibadirect.com
Wireless video projection? Seems like it’s always just around the
corner, or too expensive for mere mortals. Fortunately, two trends are
making this a real possibility. Prices have fallen dramatically for
projectors with a brightness rating of 2000 ANSI lumens, which is the
minimum needed to withstand moderate amounts of ambient light. And
low-cost wireless LAN adapters have smoothed the transition from the 11
Mbps throughput of the 802.11b standard to the 54 Mbps throughput of
the 802.11g standard. In theory, you can now send video from your
computer to your projector without a physical connection.
Access to the last 90 days of content is always free. Paid subscribers can access older stories as part of their membership.
Control Panel: You could set up your e-mail address for notification of a system error, such as a non-functioning lamp.
PC Card Slot: Use the back-mounted expansion slot to add an 802.11b or 802.11g wireless LAN card. Or add a flash-based PC card for playing back stored presentations.
35dB Noise Level: That’s reasonably quiet. To reduce it even more, you could mount the projector on the ceiling and wirelessly stream your content.
2000 ANSI Lumens: That’s the bare minimum needed if you want the projected image to stand up against a modest amount of ambient light.
The controls are recessed into the top of the
unit, which offers some protection when traveling. But that’s mitigated
by the eject lever for the PC card slot, which protrudes from the back
of the projector.
We’re starting to see inexpensive
projectors that accept 802.11g cards, just as we’re seeing new notebook
computers equipped with built-in 802.11g capabilities.
