The instant cinema has arrived

Stan Beer
Wednesday, 02 March 2005 19:00

Your IT - Entertainment

Name: HP Instant Cinema Digital Projector (model EP9012)

RRP: $4999

Web: www.hp.com.au/entertainment

Summary: The only instant cinema projector around

Rating: 5 stars

How's this for a spectacularly unique, world-first product? HP have launched a home cinema quality projector with a built in virtual surround 2.1 speaker system (the .1 means it includes a sub woofer) and a built in DVD player!

Plug it in, pop in a DVD, point it to the wall or to a regular projector screen and voila! Instant Cinema. It's got a nifty handle that lets you transport it from room to room in your house, whether indoors or out. You can even take it to a friend's place to watch movies or the big game there – you'll be so popular they'll want you to stay so they can keep on using your projector!

While it is geared towards movies, it's also a fully featured digital projector, with inputs for all of the usual AV equipment as well as your PC or Mac. Composite, S-Video and component sockets are standard, as is a digital DVI port for computers. If your computer doesn't have a DVI video card, you can plug an adapter into the socket so it will accept regular a VGA cable. Like most other DVD players it can also be used to display CDs full of JPEG photos in the typical slideshow format.

Besides the cutely shaped remote control which matches the sci-fi inspired UFO style design, the unit is a real talking piece. All your friends are sure to be jealous! If you're in the market for a digital projector, this one has some unique features that make it a very strong competitor to the plethora of digital projectors in the market.

ALEX ZAHAROV-REUTT