Sony has announced its entry into the mobile projector market with its new MP-CL1. This is a mobile projector – which you can see above – and it’s tiny, but still uses a bright laser light source to deliver HD images (1920 x 720) with high contrast, using any available surface as a screen. The MP-CL1 is designed to be used both on the go and at home, and can project from just under 3.5m to create a virtual screen up to 120″ across. With a built-in 3,400 mAh battery, I’d expect some serious projection time; definitely enough for a movie or maybe two, but we’ll soon see!
Connectivity is delivered via a standard HDMI connector, or via MHL allowing the use of smartphones and tablets for a truly mobile experience. You can also mirror screen content from a phone, tablet or PC over WiFi as well. Unlike most projectors that I’m familiar with, the MP-CL1 has laser assisted auto-focus, meaning you just point it at a wall and turn it on, and it’ll do the rest, though there is a manual keystone correction to make sure your image is the right shape once it’s focused.
Sadly, the MP-CL1 won’t be available in Australia until just after Christmas, but it’ll be priced at $699 when it arrives online and in stores in January 2016. We’ll be onto Sony for a review unit so we can tell you what we think.
