Beambox Evolution R-1 Pico Projector

http://gallery.techarena.in/data/513...orfeb20091.jpg

You may recall Beambox as the company that brought us the very tiny Beambox Pocket Projector. Well, its newest model, the just-announced Evolution R-1 is not quite as compact (though it's still pretty tiny), but it looks like it will pack a lot more punch than its predecessor. The R-1 will boast an LCoS chip, a brightness of 30 lumens, with a 200:1 contrast ratio and VGA (640 x 480) resolution, and will be capable of projecting an up to 100-inch image. The little guy will also have up to 4GB of onboard Flash memory, plus a microSD slot. The pico -- which weighs in at 175 grams -- is expected to ship around March 20th. It looks like the projector is going to run you £250 ($360), and be available in black, red, silver and white. One more shot after the break.Source-Engadget

Hello, I Read that Whilst the first shipments are likely to begin on the 20th March 2009! The BeamBox Evolution R-1 has a competition beating 30 lumen brightness rating and is battery powered. Boasting 1GB of built in flash memory and up to 8gb expansion via the Micro SD slot, the R-1 is as versatile as it is lightweight (at 175g) and small. Featuring USB connectivity, AV out and a 3.5mm audio out jack, the R-1 is sure to please everyone. Colours to be available are black, silver, white and red. To be priced at £250, $360, 300 Euros!

Here the Complete Specifications Sheet

Tech Specs

Evolution R-1

• Resolution
  
  • 640 x 480(vga)
  • Via LCoS Chip
  
  
  
• Bulb Life Expectancy(Min)
  
  • 30000 hours
  
  
  
• Weight (Grams)
  
  • 175g
  
  
  
• Power Consumption
  
  • 15W
  
  
  
• Lumens
  
  • 30
  
  
  
• Contrast Ratio
  
  • 200:1
  
  
  
• Projection Distance
  
  • 40" @ 1.5 metre
  • Up to 100" above
  
  
  
• Built in Memory
  
  • 1gb
  
  
  
• Expandable Memory
  
  • Up to 4gb via Micro SD
  
  
  
• Connections
  
  • Mini-USB, AV out,
  • 3.5mm Audio Out
  
  
  
• Size (mm)
  
  • 59(w) x 28(h) x 108(d)
  
  
  
• Power Source
  
  • AC Adapter or Battery
  
  
  
• Other
  
  • 1W Speaker
  
  
  
• Supported Formats
  
  • MP3,MP4,MP5, AVI/MPEG1/MPEG2/MPEG/
  • 3G/WMV9/VC1/ASF/RM/RMVB/

Hello, I have a little knowledge about These kind of Projector .but how would these perform when used for watching movies? I was actually thinking of buying one of these and not buying a TV (for purposes of portability). Of course it wont tune cable signals but I can connect it to my laptop for viewing tv, games and movies (I view tv on my laptop right now). Any suggestions on this or any other brands??Also, whats the mini-USB port for?