The “New Era” of Projectors

In the 1997 movie "Starship Troopers," the military goes to battle against an army of alien bugs. The bugs are all alike – same size, same capabilities, same general appearance – and there seems to be no end to them. It’s a lot like going shopping for a portable projector. There are so many identical-looking products out there that sifting through the myriad projectors that look the same, have the same performance specs, and sell for the same price can overwhelm even the most battle-hardened businessperson. "The projector business is grid locked, and most manufacturers must change their approach or die a slow death," says William Coggshall, founder and president of Pacific Media Associates (PMA), global market information experts on large-screen displays. "The ‘Old Era’ of nearly identical products, distribution channels, and targeted customers – with competition based mainly on price – will have to give way to a ‘New Era’ marked by less-conventional thinking and a willingness to take some risks."

That’s good news for consumers looking for something more unique than the same old projector. There are now some more creative, unconventional products coming onto the market. For sales people on the go, Coggshall recommends keeping an eye on these two trends:

1. Wide-screen projectors. One of the key trends in the projector industry is a growing interest in wide-screen projectors. The reason for the interest is twofold, says Coggshall. First, the number of wide-screen laptops being sold is growing phenomenally. Forecasters predict the fraction of wide-screen laptops sold will exceed 50 percent of the laptop market sometime this year. Coggshall says we can assume this increasing demand for wide-screen laptops is driving demand for corresponding projection. A second likely reason for the growing interest in wide-screen projectors is that more and more consumers are buying wide-screen TVs. Thus as more people become accustomed to the wider, 16:9 aspect ratio, the traditional 4:3, nearly square aspect ratio is starting to look old-fashioned to many people. If you want a new, updated look in your projected image, a wide-screen projector might be the answer.

2. Pocket projectors. Pocket projectors typically weigh about a pound, are relatively dim by typical front projector standards, and are designed for individual or small group viewing. They run on batteries, which usually last about two hours. Currently, there are only three pocket projectors on the market and only one – Mitsubishi’s PocketProjector – is sold in the U.S. With only about 20 ANSI lumens of brightness (compared to about 2,000 lumens on the classic business projector), you can’t rely on these palm-sized devices to wow a roomful of prospects, but they’re great for ad hoc, one-on-one situations. For instance, Coggshall says executives are using these mini-projectors to give presentations over lunch. With your presentation on your PDA and a projector that fits in your pocket, you might find there are many opportunities for an impromptu presentation.

PMA vice president for front projectors, Michael Abramson, says PMA has identified this emerging market as one poised for rapid growth in the next few years. Abramson says he envisions pocket projectors going through three stages of development. "Currently, they are seen as stand-alone products, to be connected to other devices such as PDAs, cell phones, iPods, and hand-held video games," he explains. "By 2008, these projectors will be modules designed to attach directly to such mobile business and consumer devices. By 2010, the projector will become an integrated part of the devices to provide large imaging capabilities for hand-held, battery-powered units." He adds that pocket projector unit sales are forecast to reach about 20 thousand units in 2006, and then rapidly increase to more than 1.5 million units in 2010.

For more information on the front projector industry, visit PMA at www.pacificmediaassociates.com.