Pico Projectors Are Picolicious…Or Is It Jubblingicious?

“This is for Allah. And it’s goin’ way out there, sucka.”

Ahmad Abdul Rahim
Bad News Bears (1976)

Maybe overselling a technology like Pico projectors is not a good idea. However, pushing the Jubbling may be the best way to see Pico projectors get traction in the marketplace. Pico projectors have been commercially available since 2006 and were designed to be a super-portable presentation tool and typically weigh in around 5 or 6 ounces. Lit by an LED lamp, these front-pocket worthy devices connect to computers, DVD players, cellphones/pda’s and will project a 36″ – 60″+ diagonal image on any light colored surface without the need for a dedicated power source. That’s because they can run off of a battery for up to 4 hours depending on the model. The Jubbling is obvious – limited hardware, low power needs – now here are some tips for making your audience buy into a Pico based presentation:

Lower your audience’s brightness expectation – After Ahmad Abdul Rahim made his statement, he laid down a bunt. For a Pico Projector based presentation with brightness in the range of 10 to 30 lumens, it would make more sense to threaten a bunt so you can deliver a single.
Not a computer projector – Whatever you do, please do not hook a Pico projector up to a desktop or laptop computer to drive your presentation. The Pico models available now will connect but at a resolution not seen on a computer since 1993.
Leverage the technology – Make a statement like “Excuse me while I whip my Pico out”, and then reach in your front pocket and do just that. Your audience will be wincing at first but will then look in awe at your Pico projector and how small it is.
Present to smaller groups – Staying with the ‘small’ theme, keep your presentation short and to the point and present to smaller groups of 25 or less. Pico projectors are fanless so you don’t have to compete with the noise of a typical projector based presentation.
Emphasize the Jubbling – Pair your Pico projector with a cellphone and you’ll be full-on Jubbling. No outlet needed. That is when you point to the Jubbling t-shirt you’re wearing and tell your audience that it’s a website dedicated to making better choices. To get them to visit the site, tell your audience that the estimated lamp life of a Pico Projector 20,000 hours (10x lamp life for standard projector).

Microvision Laser Pico Projector

The fun you can have with a Pico projector doesn’t end there. At home, Pico projectors are great for watching movies on any wall, ceiling or shirtless person with a wide, pale back. I’ve had the best luck watching movies with a DLP Technology based Pico projector (Optoma PK-101 or Optoma PK-102) and choosing a model with a built-in speaker is a definite must.

Already, Pico projector technology can be found in cellphones and digital cameras and soon, you’ll be able to buy handheld gaming devices and portable DVD players with integrated Pico projectors. In addition to DLP driven Pico projectors, you can also find LCOS and laser driven models that are also Jubbling.

Try before you buy and forget about what you’ve seen in normal presentation projectors. Pico’s are not going to be for everyone so a 30 day MBG will give you some time to test and adapt your presentation to your new projector. And don’t forget to emphasize the Jubbling.

Some Pico projector models to look at: