This pocket projector from Sapphire is handy yet limited

A 3D ready projector offering great price and performance

A projector with basic features, but the price is right

Can a projector designed for life on the road still offer good image quality?

A smart design for a good all-rounder from Epson

A large, feature-rich data projector

The Optoma EP728 stands out from the competition because of its small size and weight. When packed in its carry case it is half the size of most rival projectors, which will be welcome news to anyone who has to take a projector on the road. Despite the small size, this is a regular DLP projector with an XGA resolution that can be resized to a widescreen image of 1400 x 1050 pixels.

ViewSonic has built its PJ551D around a 0.55-inch DLP chip that offers the same native resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels as the other projectors in this group. It lets the side down slightly as the maximum resolution can only be stretched to 1280 x 1024 pixels, rather than the widescreen 1400 x 1050 pixels that is offered by the more versatile Acer and Optoma projectors.

InFocus takes the prize for 'heaviest contender', as its IN2104 tips the scales at 3.1kg. Its slabby looks add to the impression of a bulky projector, despite it having the same dimensions as many rival models.

As one of the developers of LCD technology for data projectors, Epson doesn't offer any other type of machine.

In a similar move to laptop prices, data projectors are now more affordable than ever, and the Dell Projector 1800MP (£586 inc. VAT) is a great example.

The Acer P1265 is a smart DLP projector that has a black casing with some neat styling details that lift it above the average

Viewsonic sent us its PJ758, which is typically the sort of data projector that you install in a meeting room or lecture hall, as it is rather too large and heavy to carry around. The 3.5kg chassis is large, but it also manages to host the widest array of ports of any machine here.

This data projector comes in a tiny box and is a very light 1.4kg. It's so small the tiny carry case has a compartment for the cables that is almost as big as the section for the projector itself.

If you're looking for a real budget-priced data projector, the InFocus Work Big IN24+ (£310 inc. VAT) has to be the perfect machine for you. It's incredibly cheap, so you won't be surprised to learn that InFocus has cut a few corners, starting with the SVGA resolution.

Hitachi has put a low price on the CP-RX70 and in return you get a package that is minimalist in the extreme

The design of data projectors hasn't changed in recent times and the InFocus IN10 (£800 inc. VAT) sports a similar design to the machine it's replacing. However, what has changed are its internal controllers and the overall picture quality

Last month we turned our attention to a pair of portable projectors, and declared one of them 'eminently luggable'. While we would still be happy to sling that model around our necks, we'd be far more inclined to take this one on the road.

If the Optoma DX733 was judged on looks and styling alone it would be a hands-down winner. The casing is two-tone silver with a curved bulge to accommodate the lens housing, while the control buttons are neatly and logically laid out

The InFocus IN26 plus is an amended version of the IN26 which has the brightness rating boosted from 1700 to 2200 ANSI lumens.The styling is very boxy, with a flat top that has the 12 control buttons set into the surface

The BenQ MP611 stands out in a number of respects. For one thing, it is dark blue in colour, which is certainly unusual, and the nine metal control buttons look stylish and smart

The Acer is a chunky projector that is based around a bright DLP chip that works well even in a sunny room. It's got a row of connections that give a choice of DVI, VGA, S-Video and composite, plus an audio connection, USB for the mouse and a VGA output

Apparently, sub-£2k DarkChip3 DLP projectors are like buses: you wait a lifetime for one, then two come along at once. What's more, this new Optoma is a whole £400 cheaper than its DarkChip3 rival the InFocus IN78

The AX100 is fairly large by budget projector standards, but is still reasonably easy on the eye thanks to a fetching white finish. Connectivity is functional. That's to say, you get solitary examples of the key HDMI, component and VGA PC inputs

What exactly is Sony doing so right? There have been some hardware misses, of course - we shudder whenever we think of its painful DRM-ridden MP3 players - but this projector is a sign of everything that is right with the electronics giant