It's going to be a big year for Epson. They're pushing their first line of 3D projectors, with the top-end EH-TW9000W wireless model impressing at IFA 2011 in Berlin, while also navigating the murkier waters of budget-friendly projectors with their iPad dock-packing MG-850 HD beamer. Pushing for mass-market appeal as well as pleasing the cinephiles, we caught up with Regional Sales Manager Hans Dummer in Berlin recently to talk about the future of home cinema.

Why now for 3D projectors from Epson?

That's an easy one for us. It's all to do with regard to the 3D content. It's improved dramatically over the last year. There was big hype surrounding 3D at the beginning of last year but the content was very limited. This year alone there will be 45 new 3D movies and dozens of new 3D TV stations broadcasting so I think the timing is better in terms of consumer adoption and acceptance. We've also focused a lot on the simplicity of installation, making 3D projection adoption less of an undertaking.

So Epson's 3D tech has been ready for while, and it's been a matter of the content catching up then?

We've been working on refining the technology; we've spent a lot of time optimising brightness levels, somewhere you often have to compromise due to 3D glasses. But the last year has let us come to market with the brightest 3D projectors you can buy. Our 3LCD technology allows us to do that.

One of the big 3D stumbling blocks so far has been 3D glasses, their price, and how they aren't universal across brands. Explain for our readers Epson's stance on 3D specs.

We're part of a group that allows consumers to choose a variety of different active shutter glasses, not just the Epson ones. We've opted for active technology first, but we're looking into passive glasses at the moment aswell. Education markets have obvious application for cheaper passive glasses. But it's really up to the consumer and their requirements. I'm already requesting that our design teams start looking into glasses for juniors, the little ones in the family. As the technology becomes more adopted we're certain to get requests for these kinds of things coming through. If costumers are calling for red, blue, green framed glasses of all different sizes, we'll try to match that need.

Is passive not the more natural avenue for 3D projectors? Surely the bigger screen sizes that projectors allow naturally serve larger audiences, where inexpensive passive glasses are more attractive? What was the deciding factor in favour of active?

With passive projectors, you have to use stacking, which ultimately results in putting two projectors on top of another, buying two projectors as it currently stands. We're looking at developing that technology and where it's going, and you're quite correct; there are certain markets where it's definitely the way to go, in education for example where many inexpensive glasses are needed. But will schools buy two projectors for one classroom? It's a cost balance you'd have to juggle, but I'm sure our teams will have some solution in the future.

Projector prices are dropping all the time. Are we approaching mass-market price points yet, or will home projectors always be a niche market?

We'd like to see the market go all-in for 3D projection adoption, but the interconnectivity of devices is also guiding the market, and therefore prices. Take our MG-850 HD iPad projector; it's about simplicity. Simplifying the technology and making it more flexible will lead to a rise in adoption. Features like Wi-Fi connectivity in our top projectors will make projectors just as attractive to consumers as LCD panels. We're expecting big things from this year's line-up.

You mention wireless connectivity and the interconnectivity of devices.Why no Airplay in this year's range then?

We're looking at Airplay and the integration of a variety of streaming technologies. We're also looking at Android and the development of the Windows Phone7 environment. You'll see developments from Epson in all those areas in the future. As a neutral projector manufacturer we have to look at our customer requirements, which are key, and as we get requests for Airplay or the docking of a multiple devices we'll listen and look in that direction. I know our colleagues are looking at all these areas currently. We've always had a strategy to bring out products that differentiate from the rest, and products that are technologically ahead of the rest. Just because a year ago everyone was talking about 3D doesn't mean we were going to bring out a "me too" 3D projector. We want to show consumers real benefits when we add functionality.

Have Epson any plans for new pocket projectors? Epson haven't had any big news on that front at this year's IFA. Why?

Pocket, Pico, Nano; all these types of projectors have brightness issues. For us it's a matter of looking at 300 lumens, 500 lumens 1,000 lumens limitations; does the customer actually want that? Yes there is a market there, but it's a very, very small market. Primarily it's because although people want small products, they want strong brightness levels even more. Clarity, quality, it just isn't there. We're looking at that space, but right now it's not a big commitment for us. If you can bring out a projector at 2,000 lumens then things get interesting. It's also about serving gamers too as they are often the early adopters, and they want high resolutions and brightness more than anything else. Do you know what the "WA" factor is?

The "WA" factor???

The "WA" factor, the "Wife Acceptance" factor! Everybody laughs about it, but it's a significant decision making criteria. If you have a reasonably sized device with as few cables as possible, you're not cluttering up the lounge, it's much more acceptable. The future lies in talking to engineers, architects, making sure that when houses are being built provision is made for projector space. Wall inserts, under-sofa plug sockets, that sort of thing. We see it in the business industry already, and if we can bring that into the home you'll see projectors really take off.

Remember the quirky Epson iPod projector we revealed to you at the tail-end of last week? Well, we've now caught it on camera on the show floor of IFA 2011 for your viewing pleasure.

With a pop-out docking station, the Epson MG-850HD projector will let you beam videos from your iDevice onto a wall at massive sizes, as well as having the regular HDMI and PC connectivity of a standard 720p projector.

It's had a mixed reception from the journalists we spoke to at the show, but one thing none will argue with is its reasonable price tag. You're looking at just a £649 asking-price when this one launches a little later in the year.

Following on from our quick-specs rundown of Epson's wireless 3D EH-TW9000W projector (which you can read here) we've now got a preview video of the model to go with it.

It's quite the looker we think, with it's curved white chassis bringing 2001: A Space Odyssey design chic to the projector space. In terms of industrial design it's intelligent too, thanks to front-facing venitlation systems that make mounting the projector in a shelving unit far less likely to cause overheating.

We've now got official confirmation of pricing for the Epson EH-TW9000W model too, makred up at £2962 when they hit UK stores in November.

It's not just high-end, feature-rich projectors Epson are showing off at this year's IFA conference. They're also hoping to pull gamers apart from their control pads to coax them away from their cash with the wallet-friendly EH-TW480 projector range.

HD-ready at resolutions of 720p, the projectors are boasting Epson's latest 3LCD technology for super sharp images at wall-filling sizes far more affordable than their flatscreen counterparts.

Quick response times mean that Call of Duty fanatics can stay competitive using the projector, with contrast ratios of 3,000:1 and brightness levels of 2,800 lumens offering vibrant images even in sunny ambient conditions.

"The EH-TW480 offers a lot of great features without the large price tag. It's slim, lightweight design allows users to easily transport their big-screen experience conveniently, whether to a different room or even a friend's house," says Madlyne Colson, product manager at Epson Europe.

"The quick set up is great for quickly arranging online video games or making sure fans don't miss the start of important sports events, while the lamp's long 5,000 hour lifespan means they can also enjoy their HD-Ready content much longer."

Look for the EH-TW480 models in stores from November 2011.

Ahhh; the old "too many people, too small a screen movie night" party scenario. You can have all the popcorn in the world but you're not going to make any new friends if no-one can see the screen at your "Silverscreen Superheroes" soiree. Epson think they have the solution with the MG-850HD projector. Boasting both an iPad/iPod/iPhone dock and built-in 10W speakers, they're hoping this new model will become the centre piece of late night gatherings in teenage bedrooms and student halls up and down the land.

Another 3LCD screen, the MG-850HD can output 720p video at sizes as large as 300 inches without worrisome distortion kicking in.

As well as Apple device docking connections, the MG-850HD also boasts VGA and HDMI connections among others for a versitile mobile party machine, weighing just 3.9kg with it's pull-out handle.

Image quality promises to be just as versitile, with quoted birghtness levels of 2,800 lumens (strong enough for daylight viewing) and a contrast ratio of 3,000:1. Placing the projector at any angle causes few headaches too, thanks to auto horizontal and vertical keystone adjustments.

"The MG-850HD is a perfect example of Epson's dedication when it comes to pushing the boundaries of innovative thinking with home entertainment," says Madlyne Colson, product manager at Epson Europe.

"The user-friendly menu, for example, has been designed to help viewers navigate with ease, while a unique remote control design features a stylish button layout and backlight for ease of use while watching content in the dark."

Look for Epson's iDevice projector instores from November.

They may not be the first, but Epson are firmly planting their flags in the territory marked "best" when it comes to the 3D projectors they are touting at this year's IFA 2011 conference in Berlin. Getting top billing from their newest models is the EH-T9000W, packing both 3D smarts and wireless technology in what Epson are calling the best home cinema projectors money can buy.

Plenty of new technology has been employed by Epson to back up this claim. As well as the 3LCD Reflective lens tech that Epson introduced last year to push image clarity, they're also showing off refresh rates of 240Hz in 2D mode and 480Hz in 3D mode with the EH-T9000W projector, reducing crosstalk and pushing brightness levels significantly in 3D modes.

Brightness levels of 2,400 lumens and claimed contrast ratios of 200,000:1 are worthy specs in their own right, but wireless tech lets you hook up to a home network and pump videos straight to the projector, meaning a tangle-free cinema room for those who can cough up the cash for this premium kit

A wired model, the EH-T9000, is also available for those who don't care for wire-free frippery.

We were treated to a 20 minute demo session on a 160-inch screen using acive shutter specs and couldn't help but be impressed. Even with the inevitable drop in brightness that occurs when you push what is essentially a home cinema projector up to sizes that serve an audience of 50 people, the new Epson kit managed quite startling 3D visuals. Though we noticed slight blurring at the edges, our short demo period with the projector rivalled the experience you would get with both 2D and 3D digital commercial cinema screens.

Hitting stores from November, we'll have more hands-on info on Epson's EH-T9000 and EH-T9000W models as we go hands in-depth on the show floor at IFA this week.

Bigger isn't always better, but when it comes to movies, we cant help but love seeing them on the most ginormous screen available. Retina display or not, the iPhone screen just can't cut it for us cinematic connoisseurs at Tech Digest. Which is why we're very excited by the prospect of the Optoma pk120 projector.

Supporting iPhones, iPod Touch players and iPads, this Pico projector will beam videos onto your wall at sizes of as much as 70 inches.

Complete with 2GB of memory, it'll also be compatible with 32GB SD cards, letting you take a fair chunk of video content in your back pocket within the 60 x 117 x 21mm, 145g projector.

0.5W speakers deliver audio, while VGA, universal AV and USB inputs can also be used for pushing out projections. No brightness stats have been released by Optoma yet, but contrast ratio clocks in at 2,000:1.

A pity then that the battery life lasts only an hour and a half. Better keep a charger handy if you're hoping on sitting through The Lord of the Rings trilogy then.

Available now, you're looking at around £180 for the Optoma pk120 projector.

Pico-projectors are all well and good when it comes to the portable beaming of presentations and movies when on the go. The problem with many of them however is that an array of video and audio cables are needed to get the most out of them, often with the video connections incompatible with dinky ultra-portable notebooks.

Acer's C110 pico-projector looks to answer that problem. Needing neither a power adaptor or display port, it'll project 100 inch images onto your walls simply by connecting it to a source over USB.

While it isn't HD quality, it's specs put it comfortably at the top-end of the pico-projector market. Running at a native WVGA resolution (854 x 480) and maxing out at WXGA (1,280 x 800), it has a 20,000 hour lamp life, 1000:1 contrast ratio and brightness levles of 50 ANSI lumens.

Tiny at just 110x85x25 mm and 175g in weight, it also employs ColorSafe and DLP technology to ensure colour integrity remains top-notch even after prolonged use.

The projector will hit shelves this August, priced £199.

Sony have thrown out some details today on their latest 3D projector, the relatively affordable VPL-HW30. We say relatively affordable as it's still set to retail at under a pocket-pinching £2,000, but that's a far sight cheaper than the £6,000 its predecessor cost.

So what does two grand bag you then?

A full HD 1080p projector, the VPL-HW30 features a High Frame Rate SXRD Panel that when coupled with Sony's MotionFlow tech, should work well to reduce the amount of blur in fast moving images.

A 70,000:1 contrast ratio and a brightness of 1,300 ANSI Lumens should result in a deep, detailed picture too. Also, a 240Hz panel drive system will reduce the tricky problem of crosstalk in 3D images, while 2D to 3D conversion is also possible for what its worth, considering how poorly these conversion systems usually work.

However, to access the 3D features of the projector you'll have to shell out for a pair of TDG-PJ1 active shutter specs or two, as well as a TMR-PJ1 transmitter, both sold separately.

Keep an out for the Sony VPL-HW30 projector at your local AV retailer from July.

Name: EH-TW5500 (Epson)

Type: Full HD DLP Projector

Specs: Click here for full specs

Price: £749.99

BenQ surprised everyone with the quality of their W1000 projector when it launched in the back end of 2009. Offering superb picture quality for under a grand, it practically single-handedly redefined the the word "value" when it came to home cinema projectors. The BenQ W1000+ is something of a sequel then, refining the features of the first model and slashing the price to an even more attractive low. Is it another bargain offering?

First things first; the BenQ W1000+ isn't much of a looker. Though the "white with silver accents" design in theory should look good, in practice it's a very cheap-looking box, with ugly ventilation strips on the side and sticky control buttons on the top. Focus and horizontal picture-shift dials sit just behind the square lens housing, with this deep recess doing little to help the projector's already messy stylings. It's much better served by its connectivity options however, packing in two HDMIs, D-Sub PC port, component video port, and USB/RS-232 control ports; far more than you'd expect at this price range.

Thankfully, the looks department is one of the only places where the W1000+ betrays its budget price bracket. Capable of throwing full 1080p images out at a maximum size of 300 inches, the W1000+ is capable of superb images despite its bargain labelling.

That's mostly thanks to the refined colour wheel used here. Though the original W1000 projector was a fine offering, it did suffer greatly from the dreaded "rainbow effect" (causing solid stripes of red, green and blue to appear) that many cheaper projectors fall foul of. With a significant speed boost and freshly optimised waveform software in the colour wheel employed here, the BenQ W1000+ has all but eliminated this unsightly problem.

The image improvements over the W1000 model don't stop with the reduced "rainbow effect" either. Colour temperature is markedly better, while the contrast ratio jumps from 3,000:1 to 3,500:1. Upon initially firing up the projector things can look a bit of a mess, but the W1000+ offers fairly robust image tweaking options. Though you're only able to tweak three preset settings (Cinema, Dynamic and Standard) before delving into the advanced menus, doing so gives you full control over minute colour detail, colour temperature, gamma and white balance controls.

Black levels are strong, with the W1000+ retaining great detail even in murkier scenes, with white levels equally vibrant. Black and white images were the worst perpetrators of the "rainbow effect", though in no way as severely noticeable as with similarly priced projectors. Colours, once fine-tuned, can be reassuringly realistic too, though red levels remained stubbornly dominant. For once, we'd encourage using the Brilliant Colour mode: though it can initially be overwhelmingly vibrant to the point of being unrealistic, use the menu screens to tone it down and you'll get a surprisingly punchy image. Fast-paced action scenes do little to rock the projectors motion capabilities too remaining relatively judder-free through a Blu-ray screening of The Watchmen. Overall, full HD images retained a clarity and sharpness rarely seen in projectors that break the £1,000 mark, let alone one that sits some £250 below it.

The projector even comes with a 3W built-in speaker. Now, a 3W speaker is of course in no way a fitting match for an epic movie screening. But in keeping with the projector's budget charms, it does make the W1000+ a far more portable prospect, allowing for modest audio playback if you're to bring this unit around to a pal's house, without the need to lug an audio system around with you too.

Our main quibble come with the auto-keystone functionality. The projector failed to find the natural oblong shape of our 16:9 source material on a flat wall perfectly parallel to the lens. It took an age to reposition the projector and manually tweak the keystone settings before the image was taper-free. Likewise, the 1.2x optical zoom and a lack of an optical vertical lens shift meant positioning the image was far more difficult than it should have been.

Verdict:

At a penny shy of £750, the BenQ W1000+ is an absolute steal. Building significantly upon its already-rather-good W1000 predecessor, the W1000+ offers full HD cinema thrills at a price so competitive it's likely to get the more expensive projector manufacturers quaking in their overpriced boots. While the keystone function and optical zoom range leave a little to be desired, the picture quality is far better than the value-price tag would lead you to believe. An excellent purchase then for the budding home theatre enthusiast.

Name: EH-TW5500 (Epson)

Type: LCD Full HD Projector

Specs: Click here for full specs

Price: £3,573.44 from Epson

LCD projectors have in the past had a notoriously poor black level response, but continued improvements to Epson's DeepBlack system have consistently impressed. However, the EH-TW5500 projector comes with a premium price tag, significantly higher than comparable LCD projectors. Can it justify it?

A sturdy, no-nonsense build, the curved black chassis of the EH-TW5500 is an intimidating 360 x 450 x 136 mm. It's not frilly, but will comfortable sit among most cinema set-ups, be it floor or ceiling mounted thanks to its non-reflective matte finish. Inputs are sensibly rear mounted, with two 1.3a HDMI ports, a component video input, and an RGB PC input among the connections. The long, black remote control was again sturdy and simple, but a nice back-light feature beneath the buttons made it easy to use in a darkened room.

Set up, via a manual 2.1 optical zoom and manual focus and lens shift dials was simple, allowing images from as little as 30 inches to as large as 300 inches to be produced. While we found the manual horizontal and vertical lens shift dials preferable to the sometimes shoddy results motorised units deliver, we were a little disappointed with the way that turning one dial often knocked out the positioning of the other, making it sometimes difficult to fine-tune the projection placement. Two retractable legs below the projector are also offered, should the lens shift not be sufficient.

Menus are again workmanlike, overlayed onto whatever you're watching on screen, but clear and concise, offering colour temperature controls, calibration tests and frame interpolation intensity settings.

If it all sounds a little safe-but-prosaic right now, you'd be mostly right. But fire the projector up and you'll be totally blown away.

Though the claimed contrast ratio of 200,000:1 is probably a little bit generous, there's no denying the quality of black level response on the EH-TW5500. It's astonishingly deep, retaining texture and detail in the Predators Blu-ray we watched, with no wash-out in dark scenes thanks to the dual-layer notched iris design, which adapts intelligently to jumps in light output. Colours were equally well catered for with natural skin tones, and bold, solid bursts when watching Avatar. Extensive scene mode options, including everything from "Vibrant" to "Cinema Night" modes, made the projector usable even in strong ambient lighting. Of course it was quite washed out, but with the brightness setting pushed high we could quite comfortably manage plenty of daytime viewing. It's worth noting that the projector does get reasonably hot at times though; an Eco Mode does well however to counteract this at the expense of brightness, also managing to make the fan system nearly silent at the same time.

Of equal merit to the black response levels is the afore-mentioned frame interpolation settings. Whereas previous Epson projectors have struggled with terrible artefacting when interpolation is switched on the EH-TW5500's system performs admirably, even on the highest settings. Movement is smooth and clean, and scaling it back made for a significantly smoother experience when gaming, with little notable drop in response time.

Verdict:

The Epson EH-TW5500 is one of the finest, if not the finest LCD projector we've ever seen. Superb HD clarity, vibrant colours and black response levels usually unheard of in an LCD projector, it goes a long way to justifying its premium price tag. It lacks the 3D capabilities that the latest wave of LCD projectors are touting, but for a unit capable of almost industrial-level performance, it can't come recommended more highly.

Acer have just revealed details on a new 3D-ready projector, the P5403.

DLP 3D Ready technology is used to transform the flat surface you project onto into a 3D display, with 120Hz refresh rates ensuring smooth movement as well as allowing for 3D imagery.

Comfortably throwing images 300 inches in size onto your walls, it has an ANSI Lumens brightness rating of 3,500 as well as Native SXGA+ (1,400 x 1,050) Maximum UXGA (1,600 x 1,200) and WSXGA+ (1,680 x 1,050) resolution modes.

HDMI, Composite, Analog and S-Video connections are available, with a contrast ratio of 3,000:1 ensuring relatively deep blacks during video playback. Two internal 5 watt speakers mean you won't have to lug around a seperate audio output with the projector, should you be planning on travelling with it for presentations or movie sessions with your pals.

Presentations are made particularly easy to give thanks to the projector's LAN connection and eProjection utility, allowing for remote PC desktop control.

You'll be able to pick the projector up from March, priced £949.99.

Now here's something we're suprised to have not seen more of over the past few months - an iPad projection system.

This one's called the Slice, and it's made by Cinemin. A DLP pico projector dock, it can throw vids out at a max resolution of 854 x 480 resolution, with a brightness level of 16 ANSI lumens.

Now while neither the resolution nor brightness level are anything to write home about, it's a compat and simple solution for making your iPad-housed vids a little more cinema-like, what with it's built in speakers to produce 50-inch plus images (albeit washed-out ones).

Connectivity comes courtesy of HDMI and VGA ports, while we saw the projector manage to throw a picture out 20-odd feet in a well lit room with reasonable success.

Find out more by visiting www.wowwee.com, and be sure to check out our preview vid above.

Ordro are launching their HDV-D350S HD camcorder, which they are claiming is the world's first to feature a built in projector.

Capable of shooting 1080p movies in MPEG4 (H.264) format, the HDV-D350S also features a a 5MP still image sensor, a 3 inch LCD display and up to 32GB of storage via SD/SDHC cards.

It's a shame then that the pico-projector itself isn't anything too special to write home about, with a mere 15 Lumens of brightness at an 854x480 WVGA resolution, but there are sure to be a few amateur film makers out there who will get a kick out of seeing their scenes projected at sizes of up to 60 inches straight after they've been shot.

You can pick the camera up direct from Ordro by clicking here, priced $550.

LG have announced the launch of a trio of new 3D hardware. From projectors to notebooks, it looks as though LG are setting their 3D sights well beyond merely 3D TVs in your living room.

First up is the LG R590 3D notebook. Featuring a 15.6 inch display and Intel Core i7 processor, it also packs in a NVIDIA GeForce GT335M graphics card, with 1GB of dedicated DDR3 video memory. It'll come with a pair of polarisng glasses thrown in for the 3D content (much like the ones used in cinemas) and will feature TriDef real-time 2D-to-3D video conversion software.

Next up is the W63D monitor, aimed squarely at gamers. Full HD, it has a 70,000:1 contrast ratio and 120 Hz refresh rate. It also features a "G-Mode" gaming option, which intelligently controls brightness to reduce eye-strain.

Last up is the CF3D projector. The worlds first polarized glasses 3D projector capable of transmitting full HD 3D images through a single lens, it can throw out images 200 inches in size with a 3D brightness rating of 1250 ANSI lumens (2500 in 2D) with a 7,000:1 contrast ratio. It generously ships with 6 pairs of polarised glasses too, meaning the whole family can get in on the 3D action.

The LG R590 3D notebook is launching first in Japan, with a global release in the next few weeks. The other two items should be rolling out in the near future.

Optoma are launching their brightest pico projector, the PK301, in the UK. First spotted at January's CES event, the 120 x 70 x 30mm unit can throw out images up to 120 inches in size.

A MicroSD slot allows for up to 32GB of removable storage space with the PK301, whilst connectivity options include mini HDMI, VGA and USB.

Whilst the WVGA (854 x 480) pixel resolution is nothing to write home about, the tiny size and 250g weight make it a perfect portable device for those regularly travelling to make presentations.

"The Optoma Pico PK301 is probably the most impressive Pico projector on the market today," commented Product Manager, Richard Stamper.  "With impressive resolution and brightness the PK301 is an essential business tool, brilliantly handling and projecting highly professional looking PowerPoint ® slides, photo and video files.  After work, you'll be watching movies at up to 120 inches using the HDMI input or the built in memory."

Available from selected UK retailers and online stores from June 2010, you can pick up the PK301 projector for £349. For more info, visit the Optoma website.

Sanyo are to add a brand new model to their range of short-throw, short-focus projectors, the PDG-DWL2500J. Not content with being able to produce images as large as 110 inches across, Sanyo's latest light box can produce 3D images too.

That short-throw technology is pretty impressive on its own merit too, producing 3D visuals from a distance a little as 2.4 centimetres.

In terms of connectivity, the projector features a HDMI port and Ethernet socket alongside a 10watt speaker, while the bulb throws out 16:10 aspect ratio images with 2,500 lumens of brightness. The resolution is a bit of a let down though, only at WXGA natively.

It'll cost a pretty penny when it launches next month in Japan for 450,000 Yen (£3,295 circa), but home cinema enthusiasts are probably looking at a glimpse of the future here.

Who needs a 3D TV when you can bag yourself a 3D projector for around half the price? That's what ViewSonic's PJD6531W 3D ready projector offers. It's out this month and comes in at a cheap £649.99.

So what's to get excited about here? Other than the price tag and the 3D capabilities via a firmware update later in the year, this short throw projector can produce widescreen images up to 60 inches across from a distance of just 1.9 metres.

Images are beamed with 3,000 lumens of brightness, which means day-time viewing shouldn't be half bad. An eco-mode will also save the bulbs life expectancy, promising 6,000 hours of constant usage. There is also a HDMI input and PC display inputs, making it handy for gaming, Blu-ray viewing and presentations alike.

If there's one shortcoming however it's that the images have a max resolution of 1280x800 WXGA 720p, rather than the superior 1080p. If that isn't a problem for you however, this projector is definitely worth getting in for the World Cup.

Samsung have just unveiled their new AMOLED Beam projector phone. The successor to their previous Haptic Beam projector phone, the handset will go by the name of SPH-W9600.

The handset sports a 3.3 inch WVGA AMOLED display, a front facing VGA camera and 5 megapixel back-mounted camera, 11 GB of storage expandable by microSD cards and, of course, that projector.

The SPH-W9600 can throw images up to 50 inches onto walls direct from the phone, though a mere 9 lumens of brightness might make its usefulness limited only to cave dwelling folk.

Aimed presuably at presentation-giving business types most of all, the phone will also have Microsoft Office and DivX codec support to make projecting files and videos as painless as possible.

A Korea only release for the time being, either expect heavy import fees or wait patiently for further news of a worldwide release date.

Epson have announced two new projector deals to coincide with this years 2010 World Cup, and they looks very tempting indeed.

Customers who pick up a EH-TW 450 projector will receive a complimentary 80 inch Epson portable screen, worth £157. Those who go instead for a EH-TW3500 will pick up a free Philips BDP2500 Blu-ray player instead, worth £99.

Both projectors, particularly the EH-TW3500 (pictured) are very capable pieces of home cinema kit, while that Philips Blu-ray player isn't to be scoffed at either. Click here for details on the EH-TW3500 and here for info on the EH-TW450.

Graeme Davidson, Marketing Development Manager, Epson UK, commented: "With an Epson projector, football fans can now bring all the excitement of the game into their homes. With these two projectors, Epson offers a HD, widescreen experience that can be shared by friends and family."

The offer runs from today until the 11th July 2010.