Never mind using a projector for home theater. Gaming, that's where the action is--at least, in the eyes of projector maker Boxlight. The company is now offering a $1399 projector named the Raven, aimed squarely at Xbox gamers.
"We'd been looking at the gaming market for some time," says Boxlight president Bill Lawrence. "We had an opportunity to approach Xbox to create a projector that was especially optimized for gaming. They thought it was great idea. This gives gamers larger-than life, 6-foot images on the wall."
Boxlight is selling the Raven on its Web site, with a special "intro" price of $979 for Xbox users. The company plans to expand its availability in the coming months.
The projector is styled in a black chassis that matches the Xbox, and weighs 4.3 pounds.
Gaming Projector Tweaks
This DLP projector's specs are modest, and not all that different from Boxlight's SD-650z, a standard business projector: SVGA resolution, 1600 lumens brightness, HDTV-ready. Both projectors have a 2000:1 contrast ratio.
However, the company says lamp life has been boosted for frequent, heavy-duty use. By default, "it's set to optimize lamp life, so we've powered down the lighting," says Lawrence.
"The lamp will have an average life of 3000 hours, instead of the usual 1500 to 2000 lumens. Replacement bulbs will be $249," he says. By contrast, the SD-650z's lamp life is only is rated for 2000 hours.
The company has made some other adjustments to the standard spec as well. Some of the software presets have been optimized for game play. And, says Lawrence, "We're also including an extended, 20-foot cable, so the projector and Xbox can be separated by distance, to optimize viewing pleasure."
