The Twenty Smallest Portable SVGA Projectors

Sanyo PLC-SU10N (also Boxlight CP-10t)

The Sanyo SU10N (and its private label edition, the Boxlight CP-10t) is unique in this list of twenty in that it is only unit that has a built-in PCMCIA card slot that can eliminate the need to carry a laptop computer along with it. At this writing, though the SU10N has a current MSRP of $6,995, it is heavily discounted and selling for around $3,000.

When considering a 600 lumen machine in the $3,000 price range, its features and functional performance need to be compared to the Sony CS1 and the Proxima SV1.

The Sanyo has two distinguishing features that are advantages over the CS1 and the SV1. First is the on-board PCMCIA card slot. This enables the user to load a presentation into the projector and run it in a free-standing mode without a computer. The benefit is that you can travel with just the projector and leave the laptop at home, which can save a lot of weight and bulk. For presenters who do not want to travel without their laptops, this benefit is of marginal value. But for those who would just as soon leave their computers at home, the Sanyo offers an attractive alternative.

The second unique feature of the Sanyo is that it has a 1.6:1 zoom lens whereas the others have only a 1.3:1. This means that you can up- and down-scale the image size by 60% on the Sanyo, and only 30% on the Sony and Proxima. This gives you more flexibility in placing the projector at greater or lesser distances from a given screen. For mobile presenters that are confronted with a variety of projection environments, this is a definite advantage. The Sanyo products and their private label equivalents are the only projectors among the twenty that have the 1.6:1 zoom ratio.

The SU10N has power zoom and focus. To those who prefer power zooms, this may be viewed as an advantage over the Sony and Proxima units. However, power zoom and focus is not as much of a benefit as it sounds. In practice, manual adjustments are much quicker and more precise. Also, there are fewer components to fail with a manual zoom. So for many mobile presenters, power zoom and focus is actually a disadvantage.

Other than the PC card slot and the 1.6 zoom, the rest of the SU10N's features are typical of the group. At 600 lumens, the SU10N is one of fourteen models in the 500 to 700 lumen range. It will take an XGA signal like all the others, but not an SXGA. It has a 120-watt, 2000-hour lamp like many of the others. However, the downside is that it is 8.6 lbs and 453 cubic inches, making it the heaviest and one of the largest of the twenty projectors in this group.

Thus the PC card slot is the major competitive advantage of the SU10N. For mobile presentation use, if you can take advantage of the PC card and leave your laptop at home, you eliminate the laptop from your carrying weight. In this case, the size and weight of this projector become non-issues.

On the other hand, if you are going to travel with your laptop regardless of the PC card feature, then the Sanyo becomes a relatively unattractive option. It represents extra weight and bulk that you are not going to take advantage of. This is really the only issue in determining whether the SU10N is the right product for you. At a current street price of $3,000, this product is a good value for those who will use the PC card slot. For those who will not, we suggest you look elsewhere.

Boxlight CP-10t

Boxlight private labels the SU10N as the CP-10t. At its current retail price of $3,599, it is about 20% higher than the street price of the SU10N. Furthermore, Sanyo offers a 3-year warranty as compared to a 2-year warranty from Boxlight. Boxlight may offer additional accessories and services to justify the incremental price. They can be contacted at 1-800-884-6464.