Review: Optoma Pico Projector

With the whole world going mobile, and considering the sheer bulk of many projectors, it makes intuitive sense that a more compact projector would be a big hit. But before you buy an Optoma Pico, we’d suggest you take a moment to size up the advantages and disadvantages the line represents.

Optoma's Pico Projector

Pros - In our testing with the Pico, it size and form were huge pluses. A Pico is about the same size as an iPhone, although thicker, so it can be carried in your pocket or briefcase quite easily. The device comes with a few cables, but it seems that, especially with Apple products, extra connectors are needed. That having been said, the Pico seems to have a decent battery; but if you have a longer presentation, you’ll probably only be stuck carrying two additional cables. Not bad, especially considering the space you save.

Cons – But once you get past the Pico’s portability, you start to run into limitations. Unlike many larger projectors which allow you to adjust the height of the front, and so display your presentation more effectively, the Pico lacks front “legs.” So if you want to project the image higher, you need a stack of books, a turned over coffee mug, etc. Not as convenient as we’d hoped.

The crucial shortcoming of the Pico, however, is the image it displays. The projector gives up a lot of power in exchange for its small size, and it really shows in the image. If you’ve become accustomed to projectors that provide enough power to overcome the lighting in your average conference room or tradeshow, then you’ll be disappointed with the Pico; it really requires a darkened room to project well.

In addition, it can only project a fairly small sized image, with clarity which really doesn’t support presenting anything with text. The Pico seems better suited to projecting a video or images.

All in all, for the average business user, we’d highly recommend trying the projector before buying it. Our hope is that later versions of the product will deliver on the vision of the Pico.