Pico Projector Frequently Asked Questions...

Q1: How do I save presentation files so I can play them back directly from my PK102, PK201 & PK301 projector.

A1: If you are running PowerPoint, you can save the presentation as a series of jpeg image files contained in a folder. Do this by selecting File?Save as?Save as type: JPEG File Interchange Format. PowerPoint will save your presentation in a folder with the same name as the original file. Move that folder to your Pico’s memory via USB and you will be able to play the individual slides back as a photo slideshow from the “Photo” icon. Do not choose “Presentation”.

If you are running Keynote, you can also save the presentation as a series of jpeg images. Create a folder on your Mac with the title of your presentation. Select File?Export?Images and save all the slides in the JPEG format to the folder that you created. Move that folder to your Pico’s memory via USB and you will be able find the folder and play the individual slides back as a photo slideshow from the “Photo” icon. Do not choose “Presentation”.

Q2: How do I save my image files so I can view them from my Pico’s internal memory using MacOS?

A2: All the Picos with on-board memory can play most jpeg and bmp files directly, so typically you can simply move the image file to the Pico’s memory through the USB connection. View it by choosing the “Photo” icon on your Pico and then selecting the file.

Note: Photos of 848x480 best utilise the Pico’s native resolution without scaling and formatting changes. The Pico will support over 12 megapixel files with direct playback of jpeg and bmp.

Q3: How do I give PowerPoint presentations from my iPod/iPhone/iPad through my PK101 or other Pico with an Apple connection kit?

A3: You can save the presentation as a series of jpeg image files that correspond to each of your slides. Do this by selecting File?Save as?Save as type: JPEG File Interchange Format. PowerPoint will save your presentation in a folder with the same name as the original file. Make sure that folder is included in the photos that are synced to your Apple device through iTunes. Then give your presentation as a photo slideshow from your Apple device!

Q4: How do I connect my Mac to display directly from a PK102, PK201or PK301?

A4: Most Macs use either a Mini DisplayPort or DVI to send video out to an external display device. All the current Picos,( except PK101) have a VGA input that can be adapted to either of these connections. Confirm which output you have on your Mac and purchase the appropriate VGA adapter from an Apple retailer. (Most newer MacBooks use Mini DisplayPort and most newer desktops have both DVI and DisplayPort.)

You can then connect the adapter to the VGA input cable provided with your Pico.

Note: Set the output resolution of your Mac to no higher than 800x600 for the PK102 and no higher than 1280x800 for PK201 and PK301.

Q5: How do I display content from my Apple iPad through my Optoma Pico projector?

A5: The Apple connection kit that is included with the PK102, PK201 & PK301 will allow you to display certain content from your iPad.

Note: The iPad will display all the photo and video content in your iTunes library and certain apps like YouTube. We will continually update this page with more applications that the iPad can display via the video connection in addition to other methods for displaying content.

Q6: How do I get a movie from my iPod to fill the whole projected image area of the Pico?

A6: If you are using the iPod kit set your iPod to “wide” in its video settings. Change the source of the Pico to the “composite video” in so you can see your movie. Bring up the Pico’s setup menu and go down to the image size indicator which is second from the top. Move to the right until your image fills the screen.

Note: Resolutions up to 720x480 in the H.264 format are supported with 720x480 being optimal. Files up to 2GB in size are supported. Please see Q8 if you need assistance in doing this.

Q7: How long will the LED light source in my Pico last and can I have it replaced?

A7: The Optoma Pico projectors do not use a typical projector lamp. They use a set of Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) to create the illumination for the projector. The LEDs have a much longer life span the conventional lamps. Pico LEDs are estimated to have a lifespan of 20,000 hours. That’s over 18 years if you use it 3 hours per day. The LED module is not replaceable.

The LED lifespan is dependent upon many factors including brightness mode, usage, environmental conditions and more. LED brightness can decrease over time.

Q8: How do I convert video files to play from the memory of my Pico PK201, PK301, if I am running MacOS and can’t use the Optoma MediaConverter software?

A8: The supplied Optoma video encoding software only runs on Windows XP, Vista or 7. Most video files do require conversion to a specific file format that the Pico can recognize. “Handbrake”, a piece of freely available software, can help you do this from your Mac notebook or desktop. You can download the appropriate software for your particular MacOS and processor from this site:

Once you’ve downloaded the software and run it, the application window will look like this:

You can choose a video file to convert by selecting “Source” and browsing your Mac for the desired file. Once you have selected a source file, make sure that you select “Apple > iPhone & iPod Touch” from the list of presets. If you do not see the list of preset configurations, select “Toggle Presets” and it will appear to the right.

Now select “Picture Settings” and the window will appear as below:

Make sure that the width is set to no more than 720 and the height to no more than 480. Close “Picture Settings”.

Select the destination where you would like to save the output file. You can save it to your desktop and move it to the Pico later or save it directly to the projector by finding the Pico’s memory drives. When the Pico is on and connected to your Mac via the supplied USB cable, the internal memory will appear as “PK201” or “PK301”. If you have a MicroSD card installed this drive will appear as “No Name” until you assign a name to it.

You are ready to convert the file. Select “Start” to begin the conversion. If you have saved the output to your desktop, you will need to move the file to the Pico’s memory the next time you connect it to your Mac via USB. Now you can play the video right from your Pico by selecting the “Video” icon from the OSD.

For advanced users, you can optimize the settings of “Handbrake” for the Pico by following the steps below. They can be saved as a new preset.

  1. Select the “iPhone & iPod Touch” preset.
  2. Set output format to “MP4 file”
  3. SetVideo codec to “H.264(x264)”
  4. Set Video Quality to “Average bitrate(kbps): 1500”
  5. Set Advanced B-Frames to “0”
  6. Disable Advanced CABAC Entropy Coding
  7. Set Advanced Motion Estimation Method to “Uneven Multi Hexagon”
  8. In “Picture Settings”, select a maximum width of 720 and height of 480 and set Anamorphic to “None.