Pixa DHT-100: this all-in-one mobile projector solves one very important mobile business problem--but it still has a few problems of its own.

Portability isn't always just a matter of weight and size. The Pixa DHT-100 projector, for example, weighs just more than 8 pounds and won't fit in your average laptop bag (it's just too big), but it includes an attached DVD player and every A/V connection imaginable, plus a flash memory card reader, making it suitable for road warriors who want to bring the "kitchen sink" of projectors with them and play presentations right from a DVD.

Unfortunately, this kitchen sink has a leaky drain: The image quality is sometimes noticeably blurry (even after adjusting the focus several times), the overall construction and design looks and acts like it's just two separate products bolted together, and the internal speaker is almost completely useless. Unless you really need to use the attached DVD player for business meetings, most digital light processing (DLP) projectors will serve you better for work or play, although none will come close to the connections and A/V options available.

Design and connections Measuring roughly 14x12

inches, the Pixa DHT-100 is a bit on the big and boxy side for mobile professionals. The metallic enclosure doesn't have the curved bubble-shape you find on most modern DLP units, and the DVD player looks flimsy.

Still, the DHT-100 certainly is loaded with connection options. You can connect to a computer in the boardroom using SVGA, play videos from a VCR, send the projector video out to an HD-TV television (over a High-Def cable), and connect the audio to a surround-sound system for after-work business gatherings (using a unique digital optical-out connection).

There's a six-in-one card reader that supports everything from memory sticks to compact flash cards. It's all plug-and-play: The unit will search for available connections and switch to that mode automatically. This is helpful in a business setting because you can just plug in a connection without fishing around for the remote. However, there aren't any DVD chapter advance buttons or even play or stop buttons on the unit itself; and to pause, you have to press the select button, which isn't very intuitive.

Pixa includes a TV tuner in the DHT-100 that supports both standard and HD broadcasts. Unfortunately, my test unit didn't come with a standard coaxial cable connection on the device, so I wasn't able to test this unusual feature. In terms of the wide variety of connections, the Pixa DHT-100 is ahead of the pack, but the device is hampered by some serious flaws, especially for mobile business users.

Quality

It's the image projection that you (and your audience) will first notice as a problem. From a computer, slides looked gray and dull compared to projectors in the same US$2,000 price range. The Pixa should have looked better: The 1000 ANSI rating and a contrast ratio of 1800:1 should be more than adequate for PowerPoint presentations and the latest Mel Gibson blockbuster. I asked Pixa about the quality issues and they told me the projector defaults to "Eco" mode, which weakens the bulb so it lasts longer. As instructed, I pressed the "Boost" button and noticed a slight change.

Another problem is that the audio from the unit itself croaks and squeals as though the sound is coming from two small headphones, underpowered for anything but monotone speaking. It's no surprise: The internal speakers run at only 2 watts. Pixa offers a 25-watt and 50-watt wireless speaker set that works with the DHT-100, but those speakers weren't available for testing.

No matter for home entertainment enthusiasts: Once you send Dolby Digital audio out to a home stereo system, the sound is perfect for popcorn movies. But, for presentations, the quality is annoying at best. It's worth mentioning that the device does include audio cable connections (using computer-oriented RCA cables) for surround sound, but that's not too helpful for on-the-road presentations.

And, to top off all these problems, there's also the overall impression I have of the device. The projector piece and the DVD piece seem bolted together, almost as though they could come apart if you were too rough with them. Pixa should consider making a device where the case for the projector also houses the DVD drive.

UpShot

The DHT-100 is an all-in-one projector that solves a common problem when it comes to remote-site sales meetings or industry conferences: Not knowing what you will need in terms of a media player when you get there. Because the DHT-100 is a self-contained unit, there is only a small chance that you won't be able to play just about any kind of media, from JPG slideshows to movies to PowerPoint presentations. If only the quality was better, this would be a projector for just about any purpose.

ADVISOR[R] EVAL[TM]

Business Benefits

You can't beat this projector's Connection options and ability to project any kind of media. Unfortunately, there's a tradeoff.

+ Connection options

- Image projection

- Size

- Speaker quality

Pixa DHT-100

http://www.pixainc.com

$1,999

DIMENSIONS: 14.5" wide, 11.8" deep, 3.5" tall; 8.36 lbs

RESOLUTION: 800x600

CONTRAST RATIO: 1800:1

BRIGHTNESS: 1000 ANSI Lumen

IMAGE SIZE: Minimum 37" diagonal; maximum 285" diagonal

LAMP: 250W/2000 hours life; Eco-mode 200W/3500 hours life

AUDIO: 2-watt built-in speakers

John Brandon is a freelance writer from Buffalo, Minnesota. Before starting his writing career, he worked as an IT manager with a large consumer electronics retailer. His areas of expertise include handheld computers, notebooks, smartphones, wireless technology, displays, and any other computer-oriented device.