Acer unveils C110 pico projector with DLP technology

Acer has added to its pico projector range with the introduction of two portable devices aimed at travelling business users.

The C110 projector is touted as a companion device, as it operates only when connected by a USB cable to a laptop or tablet.

With dimensions of 110x85x25mm and a weight of 175g, the C110 is only slightly larger than smartphones such as the iPhone 4 and the Google Nexus S.

The C110 incorporates digital light processing (DLP) technology developed by Texas Instruments. An LED lamp has been used as the light source, providing around 20,000 hours of use, according to Nick Walter, business development manager of the audio-visual unit at Acer.

The device has a brightness of 50 ANSI Lumens, a native resolution of 854x480, and a contrast ratio of 1000:1, and can display images between 12in and 100in.

Additionally, the C110 has an 'instant' startup time and incorporates Acer's SmartFormat technology. This allows the projector to support a wide range of PC formats, and means that users do not have to manually adjust resolution when connecting the device.

However, the C110 can be used only when it is connected to another device via USB. There is no standalone AC adaptor connection, so the projector is going to eat the battery life of the device it is connected to, which could deter potential buyers.

Walter estimated that the projector will provide one to one and a half hours of projection when connected to a fully charged tablet.