CES 2013

In one of the weird niche products LG showed at CES, the HECTO is a laser-based projector with a fixed throw distance. That distance? 22-inches from the lens.

As you can see in the photo, the HECTO is designed to nestle up nearly to the wall, and project a distortion-free 100-inch, 16x9 image.

A few more details after the jump.

Few details were announced, other than a 25,000 hour expected lifespan on the laser light engine Inside is a DLP chip. LG is claiming a “10,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, only proving that they can dim the lasers to at-or-near total black. It’s even smart TV features and built-in Wi-Fi.

The picture quality, on the brightly-lit show floor, seemed fine. Which is to say, there didn’t appear to be any obvious distortion caused by the close placement. At least one curved mirror is in play, and I presume some extra processing. I imagine there are some concessions to pixel-perfect performance given the optical Twister going on, but until I see one in a controlled environment with known test materials, “fine” is all I’m saying.

A few years ago InFocus tried to sell a wall-mountable rear-projection TV that was about 7-inches deep. My guess is similar methods are being used here.

While the HECTO is certainly a niche product for the US market, in Asia and Europe where the rooms are typically smaller than their American counterparts, this projector offers a larger screen than what might have been possible.

The price is $10,000 and it should ship in March.