HP projector has DVD player

HP chose a bar in Sydney's Kings Cross last week to showcase what it claims is the world's first all-in-one home cinema projector.

The giant IT products and services vendor displayed the HP ep9012 at Kings Cross' Iguana Bar, showing a recent State of Origin playoff between New South Wales and Queensland to attract journalists.

"Distinctly different from any other product in the industry, the HP ep9012 contains an integrated DVD player, sub-woofer and 2.1 surround sound," HP said in a statement.

The new all-in-one projector is a large, somewhat bulbous, two-tone affair. HP was incorporating a huge fan in hopes of keeping the HP ep9012 cool, an HP spokeswoman told CRN.

HP said in a statement that the ep9012 aimed to offer the "convenience and luxury" of big screen cinema at home. The projector could be plugged in and used with a white wall or portable screen but was small enough to be portable, the vendor said.

It played DVD+R/RW, DVD-R/RW, CD-R/RW, JPG files and MP3 audio and had DVI and PC inputs, using its inbuilt DVD player with DTS audio and Dolby 5.1. It offered 2.1 stereo sound via a 30W subwoofer.

The ep9012 was HDTV-ready with widescreen and standard formats in picture sizes from 0.94 to 2.8 m. The lamp was advertised as lasting 4000 hours and noise level was 34dbA, HP said.

HP said the projector could throw an image effectively from one to 10 metres away. It also had a one-year limited hardware warranty, carry handle, footless base and integrated sliding lens cap. It was expected to retail for around $4999.