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Gigabyte Brix Projector Combines Mini PC With DLP Projector In a 4.5-Inch Cube
MojoKid (1002251) writes "The PC market is changing rapidly as tablets supplant some laptops, new players such as the Chromebook disrupt the old WIntel model, and innovations in processors and graphics allow for ever-smaller PCs such as Intel's NUC (Next Unit of Computing) PC. Gigabyte recently introduced a rather unique product that combines the tiny 4.5-inch square form factor of Intel's NUC PC platform together with a mini DLP projector. The Gigabyte Brix Projector measures 4.24 x 4.5 x 1.93 inches (WxLxD) but manages to fit in an Intel Core i3-4010U (1.7GHz) processor with built-in Intel HD 4400 graphics and support for up to 16GB of 1600MHz RAM. Finally, an mSATA slot inside the chassis also supports up to a 256GB SSD. The system's DLP (LED backlight) projector itself offers a resolution of 864x480 with an aspect ratio of 16:9 and a purported image size of 7 to 85 inches. It promises 75 ANSI lumen brightness, a contrast ratio of around 900:1, and 3LED (RGB) technology. It's not an HD setup but the potential use cases are interesting. A follow-on version capable of 1080p output would be even more useful for gaming and HD video."
What a terrible projector. 75 lumens? That has to be a joke. You can get 3000 lumens for $300 brand new nowadays. 900 contrast ratio? Yup, the $300 projector has it beat. 864x480? The $300 projector will beat that (not by much, but it will). FWIW, those cheap projectors are typically pretty darn small nowadays, about the size of a decent dictionary, and only weigh a couple of pounds.
75 lumens is so bad the projector is literally worthless. Remember those sharper image projectors you can get for $5 at a garage sale? Those were 50 lumens. They don't work worth a damn even in a photo lab dark room. 75 lumens just isn't enough to even deal with the reflected light.
Garbage product.
The ideal use for mini projectors is when you need to give a presentation and don't want to deal with the hassle of setting up a projector and then connecting a laptop to it. The ideal projector has a USB port for a thumb drive on the back and automatically starts whatever powerpoint is on there. Add another USB port for the presenters remote and you're golden.
Business people don't like having to worry about cables and configuring multiple monitors. Heck, I don't either when I'm crunched for time and there's an audience staring at me and waiting for me to get it all working.
So lets pretend that we've just completed writing this code, as opposed to having just completed sabotaging it -Altera
The one purpose i can see something like this being used for is as a HTPC. Thank god all of the movies i'd download or rip come in 864x480 pixel resolutions.
Really cool idea, but sheesh -- up the form factor just a wee bit to make it more useful?
The rapid increase in processor speed is running out of steam but fortunately processors are now fast enough and cheap enough to do most things reasonably well. Now we are seeing many more low cost small computers with more integration.
Cheap flat HD TVs killed the projector market (if there ever was one). Putting a low resolution projector in a PC will not help.
If I need to view content from my PC, I use Chromecast (and there are probably dozens of this type of devices within a year). Simple and easy, and no need for a white wall to project on and to dim the room lights.
Swallow it and you'll end up shitting Brix.
For all intensive porpoises your a bunch of rediculous loosers
IMHO, cooling is the first reason to keep them separate. Projectors generate a lot of heat compared to a low-end CPU, and then you'll need a lot of extra cooling to keep the CPU happy. The projector itself would be OK at a somewhat higher temperature, and the computer alone wouldn't need much cooling.
Also, there is the usual argument about bundling computers with appliances -- the computer gets obsolete much faster. So this can only fill a very limited niche.
Escher was the first MC and Giger invented the HR department.