Pacific Media Associates (PMA) measured the worldwide market for pico projectors to be about 830,000 during the first half of 2011, more than tripling from 270,000 during the first half of 2010. The high-growth pico projector category includes all battery-powered or battery-powerable models, whether companion (standalone) models or optical engine models embedded in other devices.
As the market continues to grow rapidly, Pacific Media Associates is readying their fourth annual survey of the pico projector ecosystem. PMA will shortly be inviting manufacturers around the world who make components (e.g., imager chips or illumination systems), optical engine modules, and complete pico projectors to quantify (1) which features, functions, and prices pico projectors should have, (2) which applications are expected to be most popular (i.e., the use model), and (3) which groups of potential buyers to target as the future unfolds.
“Last year’s survey provided a wealth of actionable findings about the emerging pico projector market, that are available nowhere else”, said Dr. William Coggshall, president of Pacific Media Associates. “For example, in 2010 the survey respondents expected a dramatic improvement in average brightness of companion pico projectors, to nearly 35 lumens by 2012 and over 47 lumens by 2014. They also expected considerable improvements in resolution, with 80% of companion pico projectors having WVGA or better by 2014, including 32% offering 720p or 1080p.”
“As time passes, manufacturers of pico projectors have increasingly realized that the professional market (i.e., organizations) is willing to pay relatively high prices for professional-grade models, but in the 2010 survey these manufacturers still forecast that 58% of units sold in 2012 and 71% of units sold in 2014 will be to individual consumers,” continued Coggshall. “Relatedly, presentations are expected to account for 23% of application volume in 2014, second only to live TV/video at 25%.”
