# A projector for my iPad? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 23, 2010, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-projector-for-my-ipad/544182 "2010-06-23T00:01:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-projector-for-my-ipad/544182/1 "2010-06-23T00:01:53Z")
I thought “A projector for my iPad. What fun!” Then I went looking (on the internet). Criminy sakes, what a jungle. Has anyone used their iPad to show a video, or even a movie? Also, the apple AV to doc doesn’t get very good reviews on the apple site. Is there something better? Should I ask this in GQ? Sometimes them meanies yell at me! :eek: Thanks mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![TimeWinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-projector-for-my-ipad/544182/2 "2010-06-23T02:20:30Z")
The AV connector (I’ve used it) will connect to any ordinary projector via the VGA adaptor. It works for what it does, but relatively few iPad apps support the “second screen” (Keynote does, though, since it’s designed for presenting). If I had a thousand bucks to blow on one, though, I’d get this: a [pico laser projector](http://www.microvision.com/showwx/), laser basically blows away the brightness of the other ones (although I suspect it has a fair amount of speckle, if it’s like the others I’ve seen). ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-projector-for-my-ipad/544182/3 "2010-06-23T12:46:26Z")
> [@TimeWinder](#): > > The AV connector (I’ve used it) will connect to any ordinary projector via the VGA adaptor. It works for what it does, but relatively few iPad apps support the “second screen” (Keynote does, though, since it’s designed for presenting). > > If I had a thousand bucks to blow on one, though, I’d get this: a [pico laser projector](http://www.microvision.com/showwx/), laser basically blows away the brightness of the other ones (although I suspect it has a fair amount of speckle, if it’s like the others I’ve seen). Yeah, that’s what I want. Only I want it for 70-80 bucks. I think I’ll buy the connector and borrow a projector from work and see how it does. The description on Apple’s site does say “movies”, for what that’s worth. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-projector-for-my-ipad/544182/4 "2010-06-23T13:32:56Z")
> [@mangeorge](#): > > Yeah, that’s what I want. Only I want it for 70-80 bucks. > I think I’ll buy the connector and borrow a projector from work and see how it does. > The description on Apple’s site does say “movies”, for what that’s worth. I don’t think you’ll find _any_ projectors for 70-80 bucks. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-projector-for-my-ipad/544182/5 "2010-06-23T14:48:50Z")
> [@bouv](#): > > I don’t think you’ll find _any_ projectors for 70-80 bucks. I was joshing. Forgot the ;). ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-projector-for-my-ipad/544182/6 "2010-09-16T01:13:44Z")
I got [this ad](http://www.jr.com/3m/pe/_3M_MP180/?JRSource=chemail.3M.09152010) today in my email. Looks pretty good to me. It has bluetooth and wifi and such. And a 2 hour battery. I don’t know enough to evaluate the specs though. Mostly I want to watch movies and play games on hotel room walls, etc. That, and impress my grandkids. 😉 I can’t find any reviews. Too new I guess? Any opinions? Peace ---
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-projector-for-my-ipad/544182/7 "2010-09-16T02:00:26Z")
I have the VGA connector, and used it to make a presentation in a class yesterday. I know Keynote and YouTube work, but I can’t vouch for other apps. The projector seemed to “forget” that the iPad was connected and I had to reconnect it once or twice, and the graphics on my slide didn’t port from Keynote on the Mac. Not to mention the embedded audio didn’t work, either. It wasn’t a huge loss though and it went pretty well. Next time I’ll use a Bluetooth controller, though, because I had to change slides by touching the iPad… ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-projector-for-my-ipad/544182/8 "2010-09-16T13:00:21Z")
> [@Hippy\_Hollow](#): > > I have the VGA connector, and used it to make a presentation in a class yesterday. I know Keynote and YouTube work, but I can’t vouch for other apps. The projector seemed to “forget” that the iPad was connected and I had to reconnect it once or twice, and the graphics on my slide didn’t port from Keynote on the Mac. Not to mention the embedded audio didn’t work, either. It wasn’t a huge loss though and it went pretty well. Next time I’ll use a Bluetooth controller, though, because I had to change slides by touching the iPad… Which projector were you using? ---
**Author:** ![FordTaurusSHO94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f07891/32.png) [@FordTaurusSHO94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FordTaurusSHO94)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-projector-for-my-ipad/544182/9 "2010-09-16T15:21:54Z")
I don’t know anything about iPads, but I’ve got an Optoma HD65. They have been discontinued, so you can sometimes find them brand new for less than $400. It’s a very nice projector for the price. I use it for HD movies, TV shows, Video Games and Star Trek Online. ---
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-projector-for-my-ipad/544182/10 "2010-09-16T15:46:14Z")
> [@mangeorge](#): > > > [@Hippy\_Hollow](#): > > > > I have the VGA connector, and used it to make a presentation in a class yesterday. I know Keynote and YouTube work, but I can’t vouch for other apps. The projector seemed to “forget” that the iPad was connected and I had to reconnect it once or twice, and the graphics on my slide didn’t port from Keynote on the Mac. Not to mention the embedded audio didn’t work, either. It wasn’t a huge loss though and it went pretty well. Next time I’ll use a Bluetooth controller, though, because I had to change slides by touching the iPad… > > Which projector were you using? I couldn’t tell you… whatever my university has in the classroom. It’s mounted upside down on the ceiling. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-projector-for-my-ipad/544182/11 "2010-09-16T16:50:51Z")
> [@Hippy\_Hollow](#): > > > [@mangeorge](#): > > > > Which projector were you using? > > I couldn’t tell you… whatever my university has in the classroom. It’s mounted upside down on the ceiling. We have those too, in all of our meeting rooms. ---
**Author:** ![TimeWinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-projector-for-my-ipad/544182/12 "2010-09-16T17:02:52Z")
> [@mangeorge](#): > > I got [this ad](http://www.jr.com/3m/pe/_3M_MP180/?JRSource=chemail.3M.09152010) today in my email. > Any opinions? > Peace Light perception (well, flux, but let’s call it perception) is measured in lumens, one of which is roughly equivalent to a candle. (Yes, I’m blurring some optical physics here: nitpick only if it makes a difference to my point here). Anyway, “real” projectors have ratings of about 1000-2000 lumens, which is enough to project in a room even with minor lights on. That has a rating of 30 lumens, which probably isn’t bright enough to see unless you’ve pretty much blackened your room. I certainly wouldn’t try and use it in a room with a window, even a covered one. If you’re planning to do it in an interior room, it might work fine (color saturation and the like are limited by the light output, so don’t expect miracles).