The Mini Projector Selector #5

Hi there, back again for episode number 5 where you get to choose just how portable you want your AV life to be.

All mini projectors need power to run them or charge their battery, unless you have one of the really early models with a candle and a reflector. Or maybe even 2 candles.

The higher the number of Lumens that the projector produces, the more power it draws. The more power it draws, the bigger the battery that is required. The bigger the battery, the less portable the projector becomes. This is why most mini data projectors over about 300 Lumens don’t have an internal rechargeable battery. It adds size and weight and reduces portability, which after all is one of the main reasons you want a mini projector, so you’re not carrying a couple of extra house bricks around in your kit.

A A lot of business presenters and educators won’t need batteries as they are generally presenting in environments where power is readily available, but battery does add a level of flexibility. There are a few things to be aware of with projectors powered by batteries, whether internal or external.

• External Power - most, if not all mini LED projectors with internal batteries will run on power as well, so if you need it for more time than the manufacturers spec indicates, ie watching a movie, put it on power from the start.
• Peak Lumens – usually quoted as the Lumen output when the projector is running on DC power, often reduces when projector is running on battery. Check this with your projector supplier.
• Economy Settings – many mini LED data projectors have economy settings which reduce the number of Lumens and in doing so, reduce the power draw BUT improve battery life. It’s a good thing to know whether your projector has ECO settings; if your light conditions are good, ie on the dark side, you probably won’t notice a lot of difference between the Full setting and the ECO setting.
• 5 Volt projectors – many of the lower Lumen projectors up to around 100 Lumens are powered and re-charged with an input of 5 volts, the same as tablets, iPhones, smartphones, iPads etc. Thus they can be run or charged from your laptop USB port or external powerbank, also your car power-thingie (previously known as the cigarette lighter) as long as you have a USB to projector connector. Some are standard, some will take a bit of searching but it’s useful to keep in mind when you are sifting through the options.
• External Batteries – there is a range of external batteries and powerbanks available, most aimed at the mobile device market and so only useful with a 5 volt projector. Many higher rated projectors are powered by anywhere from 9 volts through 19 volts. There is a limited range of laptop batteries which have variable outputs, such as the Energizer XP18000. This can provide up to 3 hours of battery power to some of the more powerful projectors, again depending on use of Economy settings. The XP18000 also has a “Tips for Life” program where you can usually find a tip to suit your laptop or projector. These higher end powerbanks are not cheap but they’re portable and can add a lot of time and convenience when you are presenting by eliminating a lot of cables.

So if Pull, Point and Present are important factors to you, your portability will be enhanced with a battery-powered projector.

But wait, there’s more…… Next edition! Keep an eye out.

Mini Projector is the leading supplier of mini LED data projectors in Australia with the latest technology suitable for business, education, home cinema & the creative arts.