Digital Cameras Ratings: AAXA Technologies P2 Pico Projector Multimedia Handheld Projector Review

Average Reviews:
3.4 out of 5 stars

(More customer reviews)AAXA's P2 is the best art projector I've used. For that application, it deserves five stars. With the P2 positioned over my desk, I can essentially turn my entire drafting table surface into a computer screen. The P2's 33 lumens are bright enough for a satisfactory image with room lights on. Like any other projector, the image needs to be shaded from sunlight, but the room does not need to be dark.

The P2 is generally marketed for business/PowerPoint presentations. Any shortcomings there are likely due to variable environments, but the projector is terrific in a controlled studio. I've used an inexpensive microphone stand to suspend the P2 over my work table. I wrapped black electrician's tape around the mini-tripod's legs for a secure attachment to the end of the microphone boom. The P2 can be pointed straight down toward a flat table or angled to match the tilt of a slanted drawing board. At 30 inches over the table it projects a bright 15x12 inch image with room lights on. At 66 inches over the surface (the full extent of my stand), the projected image is a clear 30x22 inches with subdued room lighting. The P2 produces a vivid image over six feet in width in a darkened room.

I get the sharpest image from the P2 when I set my laptop PC to 800x600 at 60Hz refresh rate. The auto-detect settings on the PC wanted to use 1024x768 resolution. While that works, the projected image is somewhat blurred. When I first switched to 800x600, my PC wanted to run at 70Hz refresh rate, but the P2 couldn't decode the signal. I had to use the graphics adapter's advanced settings to force a 60Hz refresh rate. The PC graphics adapter can also easily switch to portrait mode or mirror the image so I don't need to reposition the projector.

I prefer the PC as the source because I can easily pan and zoom the image, but my Zune also generates a clear image with the P2. Apparently, Microsoft's Zune software automatically resizes images when they are loaded on the Zune player, making them near perfect for the P2. Unfortunately, the Zune AV cable from AAXA is ridiculously short (12 inches), and so the player has to be suspended from the overhead boom with the projector. That makes it hard to reach the Zune player when I'm sitting at the table.

The P2 reads jpg files from internal memory or a micro SD card, but to get a clear image you need to manually resize picture files to 800x600 pixels or smaller before loading them in the projector. That's a hassle. As noted below, controlling internally stored pictures is also difficult when the projector is overhead.

There are a couple annoyances with the P2 design. Since the P2 projector's IR sensor is on the back edge of the unit next to the VGA connector and pointed at the room's ceiling, the P2's remote doesn't work when the projector is overhead. That's not much of an issue when I control the picture with the PC. Also, the projector's fan makes a hissing noise sort of like an overhead air vent on a jetliner, but I don't notice it when concentrating. The fan noise doesn't interfere with playing music on my audio system while I work.

Compared to traditional art projectors (huge, hot, heavy things that produce dim images by reflection off a paper source) the AAXA P2 is a wonder.

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Product Description:
AAXA Technologies is pleased to introduce the AAXA P2 Pico Projector - the brightest pico projector on the market. Designed for the professional user, the AAXA P2 micro projector employs an ultra-efficient optical engine design, new LCoS chip, and high-power LED to achieve a stunning 33 lumen output at 800x600 resolution. The AAXA P2 projector brings true business presentation capabilities to the micro projector market. With its ultra-efficient optical engine, the P2 can produce excellent quality images even in less-than-dark environments.* When used in darker environments the P2 can produce spectacular images up to 80".Professional features include a direct VGA connector supporting up to 1280x720 resolution for laptop connection, an infrared remote control, dual 0.5 watt stereo speakers, and on-board gamma correction. Additional features include AAXA's popular MP4 player capable of decoding of video, audio, and images (MP4, MP3, WMA, AVI, WMV, JPG, GIF, TXT), 1GB onboard memory, and a microSD slot capable of reading up to 4GB cards.The P2 is packaged into a pint-sized unit measuring 4.3" x 2.3" x 1" and weighs in at only 260 grams(**). The P2 projector easily drops into any pocket or brief case and is fully portable and battery powered for true business flexibility. Additional accessories allow the P2 to connect to Apple iPhone/iPod, Microsoft Zune, Sony Playstation Portable (PSP), and a wide range of cellphones from Nokia, LG, Samsung, and HTC.Battery life is rated at 35 minutes, with optional 70 and 180 minute batteries available. The included AC adapter allows for unlimited run times

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