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Dear Santy Claus/Hanukkah Harry/spouse,
I know this letter is a little early, but I just figured out what I want for Christmas/Hanukkah this year. It’s the Epson MegaPlex MG-850HD, a high-definition home-theater projector with built-in speakers and an iDevice-compatible dock.
In other words, I can plunk my iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad on the MegaPlex and enjoy all my videos–including those streamed from the likes of Crackle, Hulu Plus, and Netflix–on a screen as large as 100 inches.
Of course, the projector also has HDMI, VGA, and component/composite inputs for connecting other video sources, so I’m not limited to Apple gear. An Android phone with HDMI-out, for example, will fare just as well.
Interestingly, it can project video from a PC or Mac via a USB connection, which promises plug-and-play simplicity. (I can even plug in a flash drive to show off a slide deck, no PC required.)
The MegaPlex is a 3LCD, three-chip projector capable of pumping out 2,800 lumens (that’s mighty bright). It features built-in 10-watt stereo speakers, meaning I can turn just about any location into a theater (so long as I have a whitish wall on which to project). Or I can skip the video altogether and use the MegaPlex as a speaker dock.
Albeit a pricey one: the MG-850HD has a list price of $799. Sure, the similar MG-50 is $100 less, but it tops out at 540p resolution and 2,200 lumens. Obviously the MG-850HD is the smarter choice.
And something I would love, love, love to find under the tree/menorah. Wouldn’t it be great to cross me off your holiday gift list so early? Hey, just trying to make your life a little easier.
Totally believing in you,
Rick
