Optoma’s ML500, WXGA, 500 Lumen, Mobile LED Projector
Click here for best purchasing options for the Optoma’s ML500, WXGA, 500 Lumen, Mobile LED Projector
Incredible Power and Efficiency in a Compact Package
Mobile professionals and on-the-go presenters alike will appreciate the compact
design and vivid LED performance of the Optoma ML500. Delivering 500 lumens
of brightness and WXGA resolution, this projector creates crisp, clear
widescreen images of up to 120 inches on most surfaces. Built-in media and
Microsoft Office document viewer allows for playback of videos, presentations,
documents and images directly from the projector’s memory, while HDMI
provides quick connection to the broadest possible range of devices.
Features
·Truly portable at under 3 pounds
·Project large widescreen images of up to 120” diagonal
2000:1 contrast ratio for detailed images
· LED light source lasts over 20,000 hours while producing excellent color
· DLP Pico imaging technology
· Direct playback of movies, photos and Office files
· Directly display through USB
· 2GB on-board memory; SD card slot allows for memory expansion up to 32GB
· VGA and HDMI inputs – Connect to laptops, Blu-Ray players, and game systems to display content
Click here for best purchasing options for the Optoma’s ML500, WXGA, 500 Lumen, Mobile LED Projector
Specification
Projection Type: DLP
Resolution Native : WXGA (1280 x 800)
Maximum Resolution : WXGA (1280 x 800) through VGA, 1080i through HDMI
Brightness : 500 ANSI Lumens
Contrast Ratio : 2000:1 (Full On/Full Off)
Light Source : LED (RGB)
Estimated life of over 20,000 hours
Throw Ratio 1.4:1 (Distance/Width)
Image Size (Diagonal) 17” to 120” (16:9 native)
Projection Distance 21.7” to 127.2”
Aspect Ratio 16:10 Native; 16:9 and 4:3 compatible
Offset 105%
Memory 2GB On-board memory; SD slot supports up to 32GB SDHC
Displayable Colors 100% NTSC Color Gamut
Pre-Launch Datasheet – ML500
Audio One 2-watt speaker
Computer Compatibility WXGA, XGA, SVGA, VGA, VESA,
PC and Macintosh Compatible Video Input Compatibility
NTSC, PAL, SDTV (480i), EDTV (480p)
Video File Compatibility H.264 (AVI, MOV, MP4, 3GP), MPEG4 (AVI), Xvid (AVI), MJPEG (AVI)
Image File Compatibility JPEG, BMP
Office Viewer Microsoft PowerPoint, Word, Excel, .txt, Adobe pdf
Audio File Compatibility AAC, MP3, PCM, ADPCM, WMA
User Controls
Complete On-Screen Menu
Adjustments in 10 Languages
I/O Connectors HDMI, VGA-in, Composite Video, miniUSB, USB, SD slot
Projection Option Front, Rear, Upright, Inverted
Weight < 2.5 lbs.
Dimensions (W x H x D) 8.7’’ x 1.7’’ x 6.7’’ (220mm x 42.5mm x 170mm)
Operating Temperature 41° to 95°F (5° to 35°C)
Noise Level : 38 dB
Power Consumption 120 Watts max (Bright mode with multimedia function)
Warranty 1-Year Limited Parts and Labor
Standard Accessories AC Power Adapter Cord, USB Cable (Type A to Mini
USB), Bag
Optional Accessories : TBD
UPC : 796435 41 721 5
Click here for best purchasing options for the Optoma’s ML500, WXGA, 500 Lumen, Mobile LED Projector
Review
Exciting,
I am used to spending in the $300-$350 (refurbished or not) range for lower-end not-completely-home-theater-grade projectors (such as my past two Infocus projectors, the X1 and the IN24+), but my firm decision to stop doing the “projector shuffle” (buying projectors in that price range and realizing that once the bulb goes, it’s only $50-60 more for a whole new projector!) and get on the LED bandwagon led me to the FAVI Entertainment RioHD-LED-4 XGA (1024 x 768) Portable Projector – which is just not QUITE good enough for home theater. For one, it has a “0% Offset” – meaning that tthe projector must be DEAD center of the screen to get it to not use keystone correction…and the keystone correction takes the nice XGA resolution down to something that looks like SVGA (800×600) or worse. In other words, avoiding using fuzzy keystone correction is the exception, not the rule.
So…with a heavy heart, I decided to stop being quite so cheap and sprung the extra two hundred eighty bucks for this unit. It is somewhat bigger and significantly heavier (thought still lighter than my old Infocus X1 or IN24+ projectors), and let me tell you – with good source material, it’s stunning!
Obviously nowhere else are you going to get this large a screen in this high a quality for this price. I am even thinking (based on recent trips to Target, Walmart, etc.) that you can’t even get a smallish television at 720p that looks this good (WITH excellent source material, mind you…garbage in garbage out as ever, and that rule applies here).
Material that is heavily encoded/compressed to begin with is going to look flatter and less alive.
But proper 1080i/p or 720p material that has been encoded with care and high quality can look just stunning (for a cheaper projector).
As others have noted, the reds are quite eye popping.
I watched a bunch of 720p and 1989p torrent BR rips with mixed results. Some look good but not amazing, and a few (like the well-encoded copy of World War II In HD that I got, bluray rip) are at times eye-popping. Again – garbage in, garbage out, so make sure you feed this thing the best, because I have been stunned by this thing thus far on SOME material. It is capable of greatness, you just have to feed it great media.
Anyhow, still disappointed in the fan noise, people say in eco mode it’s “barely noticeable” (yes, maybe with the volume cranking), but I really wanted to be able to use it while listening to hi-res 24 bit / 96khz music files and let the silent sections be silent…unfortunately, not ideal, but oh well. Maybe a fan mod will come.
In any event, I am very happy with this unit and would STRONGLY urge anyone looking at the current lineup of Favi RioHD projectors to aim just a little higher. For example, we put in The Dark Crystal, and the opening scene on this projector was far richer, more vivid and detailed than on the Favi RioHD-LED-4 – unfortunately. Putting that projector in “KTV” mode (whatever that means) made it brighter, but it still lacked depth and magic…this one lacks depth and magic of a $1900+ Home Theater projector, but to a lesser extent. I think this is the current sweet spot (or some of this projector’s clones), so really consider just spending the extra two bills and enjoying your picture, instead of agonizing over it (or it’s placement).
In this comparison, it’s a case of the old adage “when you buy quality, you only cry once.”
