One of the most overly zealous showings of CES was in the Sands Expo at the Venetian and had two things I like: projectors and cartoons. In fact, I was physically pulled out of the slow-moving crowd and right into the CINEMOOD booth to check out something a little different and – admittedly – neat presented by the crowd-funded upstart.
The CINEMOOD Handheld Projector isn’t your typical projector; its minuscule with cube dimensions of 3.15” x 3.15” and rounded edges, ideal for a projector designed for active families and their children. This is a handheld projector that was able to blast a 50-inch HD picture without a hassle at the booth, and should do fine whether its at sleepovers, parties, or just a simple and fun family night.
The image quality was good for a scalable projector of this size, and has the advantage of durability thanks to swappable rubber covers — all of which give the CINEMOOD a unique kid-friendly appearance.
The CINEMOOD is also about learning with its emphasis on content and edutainment in one unit. I was told that relevant material would preloaded to start off while additional content could be distributed digitally, or connected to the cloud. Media compatibility wasn’t limited either since you bring your own stuff via USB for video (mp4, avi), audio (mp3), illustrated books (pdf), and photos (jpeg, png). There’s even an Android app in the works for remote control and sharing for increased functionality.
Other details such as content providers were kept close as CINEMOOD has some work ahead of them for North American release. Right now they’ve secured a partnership with animation studio ToonBox and are looking to do the same with numerous companies for either existing or original programs. As far availability goes, the initial launch of their latest model will be handled through an Indiegogo campaign this March that’s expected to include more services and extensive parental controls.
The excitement was infectious and even had me engaged by the idea of what the The CINEMOOD Handheld Projector is aiming for. Fortunately, we should know a lot more in the spring and will keep tabs on this enthusiastic brand.
