Optoma Technology PK301 Pocket Projector
Optoma not only makes great projectors, they love to see how small and powerful they can make them. Consider the Optoma PK301 Pocket Projector. It's a little bigger than its older brother, the PK102, but oh boy, what they've done with a few more inches and ounces.
When it's plugged into the wall you can get 50 lumens of projection power at a 2000:1 contrast ratio. On battery power the PK301 still puts out a respectable 20 lumens. And to think our customers gave the PK301's predecessor, the PK102, rave reviews at just 10 lumens.
Also, you should know that human brightness perception is logarithmic. That means to perceive a doubling in light output you'd have to increase brightness by a factor of ten. Or to put it another way, you'll perceive the PK301 as half as bright as a 500 lumen projector.
The imaging panel is a Digital Light Processor from Texas Instruments and the lighting is an LED panel that's rated to last 20,000 hours. If you used this projector eight hours every weekday, 50 weeks a year (not recommended for the projector—or you for that matter) you're talking about 10 years of life.
Resolution is improved too. Your PK301 can do WVGA (854 x 480) natively and it can handle signals of up to WXGA (1280 x 800) resolution.
It's always good to have a nice clean screen to project on but your PK301 can handle pretty much any surface in a pinch. And it can project an image from 5 to 120 inches across diagonally. Remember, though that the smaller the image you project the brighter it will be. It's best to stick to about half or less of the theoretical maximum size. But you could still throw a white tarp over your car's windshield and tell the kids it's drive-in movie night without ever starting the car. (And you won't need those smelly anti-mosquito coils.) Be sure to remove the tarp before you go anywhere.
Speaking of going anywhere, this is one projector that can. It's compatible with both the NTSC and PAL video standards and it weighs only a half a pound including the standard battery. It's a little lighter without the battery and a little bit heavier with the optional higher capacity battery.
But wait! There's more! Order in the next 15 minutes and we'll include 720p and 1080i high definition capability! (Oh heck, we'll include it even if you order tomorrow or next week or next month. Optoma built in the feature, after all.) But it is amazing isn't it? This mighty mite can actually project high definition video.
How do you get the HD into the tiny titan? With its Mini HDMI port of course. It's also got a VGA port for PC-based presentations and a USB port.
We've had a lot of fun with the PK301 but don't let our joking mood throw you off. This really is a serious business tool too. It's got 28 MB of internal memory and it can accept MicroSD cards up to 16 GB. The free Optoma Video Encoder software (PC compatible only) can take your PowerPoint files, BMPs, JPEGs, AVIs, MOVs, MP4s and 3GPs and turn them into a format your PK301 can project. Your PK301 is ideal for mobile business presentations.
It's a good thing the Optoma PK301 Pico projector is so small and light. With all the fun you can have with it and its solid business credentials you might end up bringing it to the office every day and taking it home every night.
- Texas Instruments DLP imaging chip.
- Maximum 50 lumens of projection power.
- 2000:1 contrast ratio.
- Full assortment of I/O ports including HDMI, VGA, USB and video allow you to connect to most analog and digital sources.
- Accepts and projects 720p and 1080i high definition video.
- NTSC and PAL compatible.
- Included standard li-on battery works for about one hour per charge. (AC power adapter also included.) Optional extended power battery lasts over five hours.
- Free Optoma Pico Video Encoder converts JPEG, BMP, PowerPoint, AVI, MOV, MP4 and 3GP formats into a Pico-friendly format. (PC compatible only.)
- Lightweight and tiny at eight ounces (227 g) with included battery and measuring only 4.7 x 1.2 x 2.7" (120.1 x 29.7 x 69.8 mm).
- The PK301 is a powerful business presentation tool that's also easy and fun to use on your own time.
| Image Display | |
|---|---|
| Projector Display System | DLP |
| Native Resolution | WVGA (854 x 480) |
| Number of Pixels | 409,920 |
| Lumens Brightness |
50 ANSI Lumens in Bright Mode 21 ANS Lumens in STD Mode |
| Contrast Ratio | 2000:1 Full On/Full Off |
| Aspect Ratio | 16:9 (4:3 Compatible) |
| System | NTSC, PAL |
| HDTV Compatibility | 720p, 1080i |
| Lens System | |
|---|---|
| Lens | Not Specified By Manufacturer |
| Focus/Zoom Adjusting | Manual/None |
| Lens Shift | None |
| Recommended Projection Size | 5 – 120" |
| Features | |
|---|---|
| Keystone Correction | None |
| Ceiling Mountable | No |
| Rear Screen Projection | No |
| Projection Tilt Option | None |
| Built-in Speaker | 0.5 Watt x 1 |
| Input/Output Connectors | |
|---|---|
| Input Terminals |
Mini HDMI x 1 AV (Composite Video And Stereo Audio) x 1 Micro USB x 1 MicroSD x 1 24 Pin Universal Port x 1 |
| Output Terminals | Audio (3.5 mm Mini Jack) x 1 |
| File Formats |
Still: BMP, JPEG, PowerPoint Video: AVI, MOV, MP4, 3GP (Files converted using Optoma Video Encoder software, which is not Mac compatible.) |
| General | |
|---|---|
| Lamp (Bulb) |
LED 20,000 Hours Estimated Life |
| Fan Noise | Silent |
| Remote Control | Optional |
| Power Requirements | 100 – 240 V AC, 50/60 Hz Auto Switching |
| Dimensions (WxHxD) | 4.7 x 1.2 x 2.7" (120.1 x 29.7 x 69.8 mm) |
| Weight |
8 oz (227 g) With Standard Battery 5.6 oz (158 g) Without Battery |
REVIEW SNAPSHOT®
by PowerReviews(based on 30 reviews)
Ratings Distribution
100%
of respondents would recommend this to a friend.
Pros
- Easy to setup (17)
- Interfaces well with TV (7)
- Intuitive controls (7)
- Energy efficient (6)
- Good remote (4)
Cons
- Poor sound quality (5)
Best Uses
- Smaller rooms / apartments (16)
- Living room (10)
- Movies (9)
- Large rooms (5)
- Reviewer Profile:
- Practical (11), Tech savvy (8), Movie enthusiast (4), Technically challenged (3)
- Was this a gift?:
- No (26)
Most Liked Positive Review
Versatile and truely amazing!
I'm a videographer in the U.S. Air Force, and I'm currently deployed to Afghanistan. I talked my wife into letting me purchase this for hosting a Movie Night every week with my co-workers. ...Read complete review
I'm a videographer in the U.S. Air Force, and I'm currently deployed to Afghanistan. I talked my wife into letting me purchase this for hosting a Movie Night every week with my co-workers. The previous guy used a PK201 via VGA and external speakers for movie night. The PK301 is much brighter, and get's just as hot as the PK201. But the PK301 has an internal cooling fan to help reduce heat and circulate air through the projector. The LED bulb is amazing, it's bright and you can definitely get 120" of throw out of it with a great picture.I'm looking forward to using it for the real reason I bought it when I get back home, movie night in my backyard with my wife, kids, and friends. With an external power source it should also make an excellent addition to camping trips and travel. The projector itself is very simple and user friendly. It comes with software (loaded to the projectors internal memory) that you can load to your computer to convert your files to be played from a MicroSD card. You may have to play with the settings to get a file size to suit your storage needs. My only real complaint is the battery life, but you can't complain. You have to expect it's going to drain a battery dry with the brightness and resolution you can get out of it, along with the cooling fan running while it's powered on.All in all it's worth the [$] I paid for it, [...]
VS
Most Liked Negative Review
good projector
I bought it mainly for watching movies and stuff. No complains except the clarity could have been a little better but again it is not meant for videos as such. Remote would be a ...Read complete review
I bought it mainly for watching movies and stuff. No complains except the clarity could have been a little better but again it is not meant for videos as such. Remote would be a good add-on to it since it is a little tough to go press buttons when the projector is running.
All in all, it is a great product for this price.
REVIEWS
Reviewed by 30 customers
Sort by
Displaying reviews 1-20
Previous | Next »
Pros
- Easy To Setup
- Energy Efficient
- Intuitive Controls
Cons
- Poor Sound Quality
Best Uses
- Living Room
- Smaller Rooms
Comments about Optoma Technology PK301 Pocket Projector:
I use this for one on one presentations and it is amazingly simple to operate. Immediate picture, no cool down time, exceptional clarity. The only downside is the built in volume. I purchased an Ihome speaker and it works great.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easy To Setup
Cons
Best Uses
- Larger Rooms
- Living Room
- Smaller Rooms
Comments about Optoma Technology PK301 Pocket Projector:
I am using this little marvel for Bible Studies and Homeschool presentations. This is actually my second one, as the first one was defective and I returned it and it was replaced without any questions. Fantastic service and a fantastic projector. I can hardly wait for my next opportunity to put it to work. The 'on-board' memory is even greater than I had anticipated.
Highly recommend it!!!
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
- Living Room
- Movies
Comments about Optoma Technology PK301 Pocket Projector:
Is excellent.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easy To Setup
- Image quality
- Interfaces Well With TV
- Intuitive Controls
Cons
- Heats quickly
- Short-life battery
Best Uses
- Larger Rooms
- Living Room
- Movies
- Smaller Rooms
- Television Shows
Comments about Optoma Technology PK301 Pocket Projector:
It's important to own a tripod and a remote control... It's connectable to many sources (including mirco SD).
+ Small and powerful, good image for its size
- Short life battery, heats quickly
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Energy Efficient
Cons
Best Uses
- Smaller Rooms
Comments about Optoma Technology PK301 Pocket Projector:
LED light source shows wonderful color gamut eapecially red color is vivid and natural,,,
I want to recommend this product to mt collegues.
- Was this a gift?:
- Yes
Pros
- Easy To Setup
- Interfaces Well With TV
Cons
Best Uses
- Living Room
- Movies
- Smaller Rooms
Comments about Optoma Technology PK301 Pocket Projector:
Very good product, the problem is that doesn't work with iPhone
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easy To Setup
Cons
Best Uses
- Smaller Rooms
Comments about Optoma Technology PK301 Pocket Projector:
I bought this unit for a small home theater in my tent for when I go camping.
I am using it on 60 inch pull up screen and looks great.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easy To Setup
- Energy Efficient
- Good Remote
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Optoma Technology PK301 Pocket Projector:
When I have to show my desktop I use it.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Convenient portable Size
- Easy To Setup
- Very good price
- Works on battery
Cons
- Mini-HDMI and mini-USB-to
- Needs pretty dark room
Best Uses
- On the go
Comments about Optoma Technology PK301 Pocket Projector:
Not the perfect projector, but it's absolutely perfect for what you pay. I like the idea of having a portable projector that can work on battery so much to connect to you cell phone for example and use it on the go for short presentations. If you are going to use it in a pretty dark room for not very big screen size I think up to 60" it would be fine. Again, do not expect the performance of over $1000 projectors.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Intuitive Controls
Cons
Best Uses
- Smaller Rooms
Comments about Optoma Technology PK301 Pocket Projector:
Really usful and portable. Ideal for my needs without sacrificing quality.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easy To Setup
Cons
- Poor Sound Quality
Best Uses
- Smaller Rooms
Comments about Optoma Technology PK301 Pocket Projector:
I have used this guy with a PS3, DVD player and a computer.
Great quality for the size and price.
Built in speakers are not great.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Bright for small unit
- Easy To Setup
- Reasonably good resolutio
- Runs off battery or mains
Cons
- No zoom
- Recommended tripod poor
Best Uses
- Architectural design
- Scale model work
- Theatre design
Comments about Optoma Technology PK301 Pocket Projector:
We design set and projection for theatre, musical and opera shows, and now build these little projectors into set models. They are exactly the right size and brightness for this purpose. The only improvement from our perspective is that they would benefit from a wider throw and/or a zoom lens of some description. One other downside is that the tripods recommended with these models are not suitable - they don't even stand up with the projector attached as it is totally top-heavy. We have since bought other tiny tripods designed for compact cameras, and these are much more effective.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easy To Setup
- Interfaces Well With TV
Cons
- No remote
Best Uses
- Darkened room
- Movies
Comments about Optoma Technology PK301 Pocket Projector:
I've been wanting to buy a large screen tv for a while now just for the odd movie or to give the kids a "theater-like" experience, but I could not justify the $1000 plus price. With this little projector I can do just that. It's quite affordable, versatile and fun. You do give up a bit of clarity for size but it's not really that noticeable, then again how long would I have to wait to get a 100" tv for this price. Plugged it to PS3 to watch a LIFE BBC documentary. How cool is it for kids to have a huge humpback whale swim across your living room wall?? Just make sure you anchor it well (tripod etc), as it is small and lightweight enough to move if the cable is crimped or hanging. Do recommend it!!
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Energy Efficient
- Great image
- Great Value
- High quality image
- Super portable
Cons
- Hdmi cable not included
- Remote not included
Best Uses
- Living Room
- Movies
- Presentations
- Smaller Rooms
Comments about Optoma Technology PK301 Pocket Projector:
this is a really surprising piece !
at the beginning i was very suspicious about it's capabilities but i had a really good surprise when i used it for the first time !
get such a 3m (120") quality image out of this small thing is magic to me !
(i haven't check the built in player nor the audio out - so review is only about projector when connected to a PC)
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easy To Setup
Cons
Best Uses
- Smaller Rooms
Comments about Optoma Technology PK301 Pocket Projector:
I bought it mainly for watching movies and stuff. No complains except the clarity could have been a little better but again it is not meant for videos as such. Remote would be a good add-on to it since it is a little tough to go press buttons when the projector is running.
All in all, it is a great product for this price.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Micro SD card
- Small size
Cons
- Difficult To Setup
- No real instructions
- Poor Interface
Best Uses
- Living Room
- Smaller Rooms
Comments about Optoma Technology PK301 Pocket Projector:
Too bad it doesn't come with a manual to explain features in detail.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Comments about Optoma Technology PK301 Pocket Projector:
Good item and cheap price.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Optoma Technology PK301 Pocket Projector:
Surprisingly good resolution in this little package, although at distances greater than those proscribed, image darkens with a slight dark halo around it. The software is not Mac compatible so you have to use 3rd party software-Handbrake-to convert files for the micro SD cards that it takes. There are actually jpegs on the Optoma site to guide you through the process, but unfortunately they are illegible. You have to speak to someone at tech support. The projector can be connected by DVI to a Mac, however, to play .mov, .avi and even .dv files directly from computer. I wanted this projector for video installations in galleries, but the lack of remote capabilities makes this difficult. You can purchase a remote as an accessory, but it will only turn the projector off, not on! Seems like an oversight.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easy To Setup
- Great image in small set
Cons
- Poor Sound Quality
Best Uses
- Movies
Comments about Optoma Technology PK301 Pocket Projector:
Amazing product. I am a pro photographer and was blown away with the image quality. The sound is terrible but if you hook it up to a Bose docking station it's great I know a lot of people are saying the image quality is not that great but trust they don't comprehend current technology. For the size it has great image quality of course it won't look like a 1080p 55 inch but it's not far.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Optoma Technology PK301 Pocket Projector:
The projector was great, its lumen output fabulous. Connectivity wise the projector is unmatched by any competitor, also it is affordable and best of all pocket sized!
The only regret I have, is not purchasing a mini HDMI to full HDMI cable with the projector!
Thanks BHPhoto Video!
Sam (AUSTRALIA)
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Displaying reviews 1-20
Previous | Next »
Screens
- Price: $45.50
Mounts
-
- Original: $24.95
- Save: $2.49
- Price: $22.46
What's in the Box
- Power Adapter
- Rechargeable Li-on Battery
- Male USB Cable
- Standard A/V Cable (RCA to 3.5 mm Mini Jack)
- Universal to VGA Cable
- Carry Bag
- User Manual
- 1-Year Optoma Limited Parts and Labor Warranty, 90-Day Warranty on Battery
Why Shop at B&H
Make your online shopping trip personal with our online Live Chat representatives. You can easily reach an in-house expert while browsing our site for your shopping needs. We have the most highly-trained staff in the industry who are pros in their fields, and their professional expertise will help you get the most from your purchase.
Place your domestic order with us for shipment via any UPS, FedEx Economy, or FedEx Priority shipping methods by 4 PM ET Monday through Thursday or 11 AM ET Friday and your order will be shipped that day. Visit our Shipping Delivery Times page for further details. Delivery times are subject to payment verification.
We appreciate your purchase from us, and we understand that sometimes the products you buy don’t turn out to be the right choice for you. We guarantee your peace of mind with our 30-day return policy. With no standard restocking fee and few restrictions, you’ll enjoy a return process as easy as shopping with us. Please visit our Return Policy page for further details.
We’ve made iPhone and Android mobile apps available for your service and shopping convenience. Use filtered search to find and purchase almost any item we sell and ship worldwide. Download product manuals and guides for many popular items. See high-resolution product images in close-up detail. Manage wishlists and view order history. Visit our Mobile Apps page to download.
See sample Newsletter
Help
Company Information
B&H Resources
