Acer has just announced a powerful and portable new ultra-short throw projector that boasts surprisingly high brightness considering its very affordable price tag.
The Acer PD1520Us might not have the catchiest name, but it makes up for that with its impressive capabilities and a level of mobility that appears to put it out in front of similarly specced models such as Optoma’s Photon Go and the Samsung Premiere 5.
One of the most notable details is the claimed 2,000 ISO lumens of brightness, delivered via an LED light source that has a lifetime of 30,000 hours. Acer also talked up the simple set up experience, enabled by its autofocus and automatic 2D keystone correction feature. That light source can project a maximum Full HD image of up to 100-inches onto any wall, and because it’s a UST projector, it only needs to be placed a few inches away from the projection surface, meaning it’s ideal for smaller rooms with minimal space.
Acer said it has designed the PD1520Us to be portable so it can be moved “from the lounge to the bedroom” with ease, and also for “U.K. homes where space is at a premium.” There’s an integrated battery that’s good for around two hours too, which means it can also be taken outside into the garden or camping, though that may necessitate also bringing a projection screen.
The company also mentioned “4K support,” but considering it only outputs images at 1,080p resolution, we assume that means it simply takes the 4K signal and downscales it to Full HD.
Just like the Samsung Premiere 5, the Acer PD1520Us is extremely flexible. Users can stand it upright and project a 23-inch "interactive surface” onto a tabletop, or even the floor, although users must purchase an optional touch module for this to work. Apparently, there’s also a variant of this projector that comes with a touchscreen module built-in, though the company is only planning to sell that model via “commercial channels.”
Other features include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and screen-mirroring for connectivity, and there’s a smart TV operating system of some description that provides access to Netflix and YouTube. However, the software appears to be some kind of proprietary offering, although we’d imagine it’s based on Android TV.
The Acer PD1520Us is on sale now, priced at a very competitive £550, or £650 for the business-focused touchscreen model, putting it solidly below the aforementioned Samsung Premiere and Optoma Photon Go models. If you’re looking for a UST on a budget, it’s going to be hard to beat that price.
