Product ReviewsOptoma Pico PK301 DLP Projector

Low Cost Powerful Projector

It's a discontinued unit now but if you can get one in the $100-120 range it's a good deal.

Works flawlessly with my Android phone or PC over HMDI to project movies for my kids at home or when traveling. Project size is best at about 60 inches since the unit isn't full HD but I've had it up to 100 inches before outdoors at night for an 'outdoor movie night'.

One thing you definitely need is an external speaker (plugged into the unit audio out or PC speakers) because the audio is weak.Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: pazzo1010

Quality product but needs good source and connections for best results.

I bought this product because I liked the idea of portability which I would give it top marks. Also I wanted a quality picture which this is I would say on a scale of 1 to 10...It's worth an 8.0 which I have only put through a normal dvd played through a hdmi connector. This does make noticeable difference compared to normal vga connections. I have yet to try it out on Blu ray which should show a even more improved picture. The sound quality is very tinny with no bass at all which funny enough I didn't notice after a while after being amazed at the huge picture that was being produced from such a tiny unit. The power adapter in really essential if you want the best from this unit especially when going BIG on the picture scale and also the picture comes to life in low to zero light conditions. One thing I have heard people complain about is the cooling fan noise when plugged in to produce 50 lumes . I must either be deaf people are moaning about nothing at all. My son has a larger LCD projector which I would say has a annoying level of cooling fan noise to be honest.

To sum this product up then would be as follows.

What,s Good ....Size, weight, portability, build quality, connections, image quality given what,s being asked of it for it's size.

Dislikes are....Needs a remote to save having to not move the unit when pressing menu buttons for volume etc. It also really needs a tripod to help with positioning and to help with cooling. Picture ultimately lacks real sharpness which is noticed with computer text etc but the connections I believe limit the quality. It was the best through hdmi and a upscale dvd player (No blu ray tried as of yet)

Would I recommend it to anyone....Hell Yes!! as long as you understand that the main attraction is it's portable with a pretty decent picture as long as it's given a good source and just as important, use the hdmi connection when ever possible.Read full review...

Superb little projector.

I'm a big gadget guy, and I've been wanting a pico projector for quite some time. I was finally able to justify purchasing one when I got a job as a teacher. It's a relatively small school, and not every class room has a projector, but I often have multimedia I want to show the class.

This fits that purpose pretty well. The most obvious advantage is its size. It fits well into my coat pocket, so I can carry it around casually, and whip it out to share pictures should the opportunity arise. It also lends itself well to tripod mounting- something I always wanted for my old clunker of a projector. It's small and light enough to mount to the cheapest, flimsiest tripods, which makes positioning a piece of cake. No propping up and adjusting feet trying to line up your screen with whatever table's available, or fiddling with keystone settings. For presentations, the high contrast ratio of the projector compensates well for the low 50 lumen output- text is much more clear than on my old 800 lumen LCD projector with moderate ambient lighting. For things like movies and photos, there needs to be little or no ambient lighting however. As an example, I wasn't able to properly black out the windows for a video today, which made for a washed-out, barely visible image, except for a few times when the sun was blotted out by clouds.
Another point I like about it, though most people might not take note of, is it takes 12VDC power, and a 2.5 inner/5.5mm outer diameter plug- working perfectly with my portable solar power pack, which on a full charge could keep my projector running for days. It should be a hit the next time I go camping. Note that using it with anything other than the supplied power cord (or Optoma's optional battery pack) may void the warranty.

It does have some drawbacks. On my unit at least, the color is very uneven. The left side is quite blue, which is immediately noticeable when displaying a white background, and somewhat noticeable even on white colored subtitles in a movie. Setting it to the movie color mode helps somewhat, but it doesn't completely remove the problem. Second, and perhaps I shouldn't blame the projector for this, but most video cards do not support output to the projector's native resolution (854x480). This means either losing a few pixels and the 16:9 aspect ratio by sending 848x480, or keeping the 16:9 but losing some clarity by sending it 720p and letting it downscale.
The next issue is the lack of a bundled remote, which is self-explanitory. Last, while it has many input options, it doesn't come with the proper proprietary connectors for all of them.

Overall, it's a great little projector. The color issue is my main reason for subtracting a star, but even if the color issue was worse than it is, it would still be worth buying. It's many times better than the older pico projectors I've had a chance to play with, and nearly stands up to my old 720p clunker in video quality.Read full review...

does what is supposed to do pretty well

I use it as a projector to watch short presentations and movies during our Bible Study classes. Works great with dvd player/computer at short distance 5 to 7 feet and additional powered speakers. Brightness satisfactory at dim lights and resolution/sharpness minimal at that distance. Bare bone and small size projector, that one can use battery powered or plugged. Did I mentioned the small size? First time I can ride my scooter with all my Bible Study materials in the compartment under the seat. If you do not have to have perfect quality picture for large auditorium this would be my choice and really is.Read full review...

pk301- A technology marvell. get one, now.

I had quite a few pico projectors, the PK301 being the last in line.
I switched from the Mpro120 to the aaxa P2 to the pk301, every time because it "wasn't good enough"
the mpro120 was dim, the p2 had washed out color, and finally, the PK301 has it all.
It has good contrast, enough brightness to get a crystal clear 80" picture in a dark room (and even more, it's small, and has every input option needed. I use it on a 60" 16:9 projection screen for a mini-home theater setup in my room.
on 60" the image is bright, crisp, it handles dark colors well, every movie or game feels 10 times epic with a larger size.

Optome really hit it right. Aside from the battery time which is pretty much a joke (45-50 minutes if you're lucky), everything is great. It's even not as noisy as most other 30+ lumen pico projectors.
The only downside- it gets HOT when connected to the power grid, but as long as it's properly ventilated, you don't have to worry.Read full review...

Awesome projector for it's size. Great color and blacks.Strongly Recomended

The projector works so well I'm shocked. I though 50 lumen would be dim but it was the best pocket projector I could find. It turns out to be a very good product! Plenty bright enough that it is usable in a room with artificial back lighting or during the day with curtains closed.

If you are expecting big projector results don't bother because they are much brighter, More resolution, and the list can go on. This it my primary video watching device now and I am enjoying it! It sure beats my 15" laptop screen and it fits in the bag with my laptop! The Color is right on and customizable settings let you setup the image to meet your needs.

I'm using it to project a 45" screen because that's my biggest wall space till I make a screen to hang. My beginning tests on the side of my travel tailor were very good at 80 to 90 inch display at night so that's the plan for the screen.Read full review...

I have 120 inches in my pocket

All your friends braggin about their big screen tv? Reach in your pocket and blow them away. This thing is just a little bit larger than my camera which is pretty small yet it projects a screen of 120 inches diagonal which basically is almost an entire wall of an apartment or regular house. Set up is easy and while a tripod gives you a bit more flexability it is not needed, a couple of books work fine. While the battery life definetly needs tweeking your never really going to run on the battery that much anyway cause once you use it your going to want to use it all the time. The picture is bright and clear even in a room with a little sunlight. We all know that projector lamps are expensive but with a life of 20,000 hours you won't have to worry about that for some time, like 6 years if you use it 8 hours a day. Plug your computer into it to and with the adapter, you IPOD Touch or IPHONE to show off your videos or pictures. There are alot of features for this puppy so you need to see OPTOMA'S website. All of this being said I will be buying another one for the bedroom so I can watch programs on my ceiling before bed, so long trying to prop myself up to see the tv.Read full review...

Worth the price of admission

I have had 5 projectors prior to purchasing the Optoma. It would be my second Optoma projector. The thing is so tiny and with all the various options for connectivity its a dynamo for the traveler or backyard viewer with visions of of large images. I have used it several times and just recently purchased all the cables for viewing any way I see fit. It wont replace your 10,000 lumen can watch during the day projector, but it performs phenomenally for the price and size. You need a relatively darkened space and its not meant for long periods of use (more than 5 hours). If you present to smaller groups, enjoy night time backyard movies, or travel and like larger than your laptop images buy; this thing. The speakers work but I would deffer to any computer speaker system if possible. Mine was refurbed and so far no complaints. If your on the fence on the model to buy go big dont get the pk101, pK102, or the pk201. happy buying and using.Read full review...

Smart product but !

After received the package and opened it from the box. All the accessory were unwrapped, no plastic bac covered at all. no manual which i thought it was normal for new products in these day market and we needed to download from their website. Ater that;

I have used it for 4 times;
1st turned on to check if it worked or not for less than 1 min.
2nd after fully charged used about 10 minutes to learn and followed the download manual by using it with Ipad and Ipad VGA connector. It worked well and I really like it very much concerning how small it is.
3rd showed the cartoon movie to my kids by projecting it to the ceiling. They love it so much. we used for around 30 minutes.
4th time, I made presentation to Sheik from GCC country in the meeting. After 5 min I started to see some small white dots on the edge of the 4:3 frame, then the spots came much more and more, luckky me the presentation was end.

After consulting with Optoma Techician from the US. I have to send it back for repairing. There must be something wrong with the chip screen or something in side it. The ad.- said it can be used for 20,000 hours-but my case was not. I live in the other side of the US. then I have to fill up the RMA form, send it to request the RMA number, provide the address in The US which I have to ask friend of friends to do so. send the registered package to the factory. waiting for fixing then have it sent to my friend house before he send me back to Bangkok! that will be my experience with this lovely tiny Pico Projector.Read full review...

Buy this projector if you want a great product under $300

I haven't hooked this little guy up to my ps3 yet but I have used one on an XBOX and they are awesome. It is small and literally will fit in some pockets.

Pros: Size, display, price
Cons: No keystone adjustment.

Great product for the money.Read full review...