3M MPro110 Projector - Competitors

Posted on October 28, 2009 by Art Feierman

The 3M MPro110 is only the second of the pico projectors we have looked at.

After I finish the review of the Aiptek V10 Plus, (which is in the works as I write this), I plan a comparison piece between all three.

3M MPro110 vs. Samsung

Still trying to lay my hands on a demo of the Samsung device. That's all I'll say for now.

3M MPro110 vs. Optoma Pico PK101

The Optoma's noticeably smaller, but likely not enough that anyone cares. Lighter too, but the real difference is that it's about 30% brighter.

The Optoma however only accepts a composite video source, although you can do presentations using software to convert presentations and other files to jpg images and run it with a slideshow program. They won't be as sharp as the 3M with a real computer feed (VGA). The 3M can also accept a composite video signal, like the Optoma Pico.

The other big difference between these two, besides the type of inputs, is sound. The Optoma Pico has it, the 3M does not. Without some solution to play your sound, you can pretty much scrap the idea of using the 3M for YouTube, or your own videos, and who wants to watch a movie or TV program without sound.

Thus, the big trade-offs between the two are sound for the Optoma and VGA for the 3M.

Both get just about one hour on their rechargeable batteries, but Optoma provides a spare, and they are easy to change out. The 3M comes with one, and you need to remove a very small screw, to open the battery case. 3M does sell a spare battery for $29.95.

The Optoma is less expensive, at $299 compared to the 3M's $359.

All considered someone who wants/needs a computer input, will pick the 3M. For those that don't need the computer input, the Optoma is almost certainly to be a much more popular choice.

3M MPro110 vs. Aiptek V10 Plus

Although I've just started playing with the Aiptek V10 Plus, it seems to be of the same manufacture as the 3M.

As with comparing the 3M to the Optoma, there are some real differences. The V10Plus lacks the VGA input, but for other purposes, it's the most advanced of the three. It has a built in multimedia player, so it can do presentations, slide shows, and videos without needing another device such as a cell phone, laptop, or digital camera.

Here's the interesting thing - the V10 Plus not only has a composite video input, but also has an SD card slot on the side!

Like the Optoma, the V10 Plus has sound, in the case of the V10 Plus, two .5 watt speakers (the Optoma has one).

Brightness of the Aiptek V10 Plus that I am reviewing measures 8.3 lumens, a half lumen less than the 3M. That's not enough difference to be significant in any way.

The V10 Plus is $40 more than the MPro110.