Acer squeezes a Chromecast dongle into the H7550ST projector
Acer says the H7550ST is the world's first to arrive with built-in support for Google's Chromecast dongle
Acer has kicked off its CES 2015 announcements with the H7550ST, a short throw projector with “world’s first” built-in support for Google’s Chromecast streaming dongle.
Right out of the box, you’ll be able to stream video, pictures and other content from an Android smartphone or tablet, PC or Chromebook without needing to connect your device physically to the projector. You won’t need to worry about forgetting to bring a dongle with you either, as the adapter is built into the body of the projector.
Chromecast streaming isn’t the H7550ST’s only wireless party trick, either; the optional Acer WirelessHD kit lets you stream Full HD video at 60Hz, even in 3D, without having to run cables from your AV cabinet to the projector. It supports bluetooth audio to compatible headsets, soundbars and speakers, too, so you would potentially only have to plug the projector into a mains socket to watch films or play games on a big screen with room-filling sound. There are two 10w speakers on the projector itself if you don’t have external sound.
Otherwise, the H7550ST looks like a fairly standard short-throw projector: it can project a 100in image from just 1.5m away from a wall or screen, which should make it ideal for small living rooms, classrooms or meeting rooms where space is limited. If you’ll be placing it on a coffee table, it should mean you won’t have to move furniture to get a big screen image. There’s a 6-segment colour wheel and 3,000 lumens lamp inside, which produces 1,920×1,080 resolution Full HD video with a 16,000:1 contrast ratio. It supports 144Hz 24p 3D video playback with two pairs of bundled glasses.
Expect the usual array of video and audio inputs on the back, but lens zoom and focus control appear to be manual rather than electronic.
The H7550ST will be going on sale in the UK from March onwards, with an expected RRP of £999. We’ll be taking a closer look later this week when CES 2015 kicks off, to see whether picture quality is equally as impressive as its media streaming capabilities.
