Epson EMP-DM1, Entertainment in a Box

Projectors are often thought of as office equipment. Well, Epson's DM1 plans to change all that. The DM1 is not meant to be mounted on a ceiling. Instead, you can carry it around and it even has a built in handle. It is a little larger than usual, but that's because it has built-in speakers (enough to watch a movie and not be straining to hear) and a built in DVD player. Not only does the slot loading DVD player play audio CDs, VCDs, picture CDs and DVDs from all regions, it also plays Xvid/DivX files either from a CD/DVD or using the USB port.

The supplied remote control is used for both projection and DVD functions. While watching a movie, you'll find that operation is just like a regular DVD player. An added bonus is the electronic zoom. While the zoom is optical, you don't have to rotate a ring to change size; you can do it using the remote, without getting up from your chair. Colors are bright and sharp, but since the pixels are larger, you'll see occasional pixel gaps, especially in larger screen sizes and while watching moving pictures.

Though a DVD player is built-in, it still has VGA, Component and Composite video inputs. And if you want more sound, the DM1 also offers audio out, so that you can connect external speakers. At the current price, it's a toss up. You can buy a projector with a higher resolution, higher brightness and better contrast ratio for a lesser price (For example, the BenQ mp620c), but you won't get the convenience of having a DVD player built in. I think the DM1 is meant for a SOHO user, where dual nature of the projector can really come into play. Or it can come in handy if you want to move it from room to room regularly.