Toshiba debuts ultra-short throw wide projector

As one of its multiple announcements on Tuesday, Toshiba unveiled one of its most flexible projectors ever: the TDP-EW25U includes a unique DLP projection system that casts a usable 41-inch picture from as close as 1.6 feet, and scales up quickly to a 60-inch picture at 2.4 feet. When ceiling mounted, the unit actively eliminates visible glare and prevents shadows from the projector itself from falling on to the screen, Toshiba says. A 100 percent optical offset makes this possible and also makes it an ideal fit for unusual presentation angles at work or movie viewing at home. The EW25U's native 1280x800 resolution also helps in both situations, accommodating many widescreen notebooks as well as 720p HD video feeds.

The projector can also operate completely independent of traditional cabling with 802.11g Wi-Fi; with at least Windows Vista Ultimate's "Meeting Space" feature, notebook users can wirelessly stream presentations and photos to the projector without needing a display connection. A USB port also connects any flash drive and displays JPEG photos. The 2,600 lumen, 2,000:1 contrast ratio projector includes dual VGA connectors and should be available now from Toshiba for $1,899.