The Optoma TS526 is an exceptional all around projector.
It's got a native resolution of SVGA (800 x 600) but it can sync up with more than three dozen PC and Macintosh resolutions, offering the kind of flexibility needed when you don't know where and with what kind of computer the projector will be used next.
But you can use this projector for more than just a computer display. Despite its low price the TS526 can project not only 720p high definition programming but 1080i and 1080p too.
Can a projector offer a lesson in International Relations? If it's possible, the TS526 can. Its 100 – 240 volt 50/60 Hz power supply lets the projector work in almost any country with electricity. And its ability to project programming in the NTSC, NTSC 4.43, PAL B, D, G, H, I, M, N and SECAM B, D, G, K, K1, L standards means it'll work in just about any country that has television.
If you do take it beyond American shores chances are it will charm its hosts with its knowledge of their language. The TS526's onscreen display (OSD) offers a choice of 23 languages. The hard of hearing and those learning English as a second language will appreciate the Closed Captioning the TS526 can display from programming that provides it.
No matter where it is, the TS526 projects a bright, vivid (2800 lumens) and sharp (3000:1 contrast ratio) image thanks to its Texas Instruments 0.55" Digital Light Processor Digital Micromirror Device (DLP DMD). TI's DLP panels form images from not only the primary colors red, green and blue but also their complements, cyan, magenta and yellow. The result is what many authorities agree is the finest color reproduction possible.
With the TS526 saving you money isn't a onetime deal but an ongoing process. Use it in STD (standard) mode instead of Bright mode and energy use is 10 percent less and lamp life soars from an estimated 3000 hours to 4000 hours. And with its DLP DMD image engine there are no filters that have to be periodically cleaned and replaced. When you're ready to go you can pack it into its included carrying case and tote it off to its next assignment immediately, thanks to its rapid on/off feature. But don't be afraid to keep it in standby mode in between classes or presentations. In standby mode the TS526 sips less than a single watt.