“A picture is worth a thousand words” some people say, but, in some cases, a few spoken words will do the job of even 1000 pictures. That's especially true in the case of the TLP-X200U projector from Toshiba, launched in November 2008, a device capable of providing operating instructions and even system alerts by using voice technology.

Thus, the device from Toshiba will actually be able to provide voice guidance regarding its various functions and even inform users when something has gone wrong by using the built-in 1 W mono speaker.

Unfortunately, the aforementioned voice guidance system is pretty much the main selling point this product has to offer, since its other features will not exactly stand out from a crowd. The display solution uses 3LCD technology, but the maximum resolution it can attain is just 720p (1024 x 768 pixels). The other features are also pretty mainstream, whether we're talking about the 16.7-million colors, the 600:1 contrast ratio and 4:3 native aspect ratio.

Now, for the projection-related features. The TLP-X200U can create images with maximum diagonal sizes of up to 300 inches at distances of up to 35.9 feet (which translates into a throw ratio between 1.48 and 1.77:1) and uses an 180W lamp, which generates up to 3000 ANSI lumens for up to 2000 hours. The projector lens is a standard lens (F = 1.6 - 1.76, f = 21.5 – 25.8mm), but, for easier usage, the device also supports 1.2x manual zoom and manual focus.

The “mainstream” or “standard” terms can also describe pretty well the connectivity area of the TLP-X200U projector from Toshiba. And that's because the device comes equipped with a D-sub 15-pin (shared as Component Video) interface, RCA for composite video, S-Video, HDMI, stereo mini-jack, RJ-45 networking terminal and an USB port, just to name the most important connectivity options. Additionally, it also features a built-in IEEE 802.11 b/g module, which allows it to be easily added to a wireless network, thus making presentations a lot easier.

Despite of the features it can provide, the TLP-X200U is not what one might “insanely” expensive. Thus, the device sells for an estimate 1,800 US dollars, which is a rather average price point, at least as far as business-grade projectors are concerned.