Real small — that's a good way to describe the Toshiba TDP-FF1, the company's "ultra-portable" mobile projector. Take it on the road to give presentations and then party with it back in your hotel room. Play some video games, then watch a DVD or take it outside for a pool party. A major presence in the small-projector market, Toshiba certainly understands portability. This mobile projector approaches a few things differently than the big ones do, but you expect a few compromises in a projector so light on its feet that it can vacate the premises on a moment's notice. Let's take a closer look…

You can carry and play this projector anywhere — really anywhere. Small (just 5 inches wide) and truly portable, the FF1 runs off a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that keeps the projector going for 2 hours (recharges in 3 and a half). The battery is removable, and with it attached, the Toshiba weighs just 1.7 pounds (1.1 without), making it smaller and lighter that a brick. If there's an outlet available, just plug it in for unlimited projection time. Conclusion: this projector is definably made to go.

The Toshiba's rated 1,500:1 contrast ratio is respectable, and it projects images with resolution of 800 x 600 pixels. Not bad, but the 400-lux brightness spec means it's definitely not the brightest projector on the market. The darker the room, the better, and with a dark environment you'll have a decent image and good color. In a really dark room you can project to a picture size up to 68 inches (though 58 is much better). But when there's ambient light, the picture gets washed out. To prevent that you'll have to project smaller.

The FF1 isn't as bright as larger projectors and that's because its light source an energy-efficient LED (light emitting diode). LEDs, in general, last longer than normal projector lamps. They also run cool, so there's no need for a fan, and that helps this little guy stay small and quiet.

A 22.5-inch collapsible screen comes packaged with the projector — good enough for a small group to huddle around. While the screen isn't the cleanest solution, it works well and actually improves picture quality when the lighting Gods aren't cooperating.

The TDP-FF1 is a DLP projector so you may see the dreaded rainbow effect — smeared colors that arise from the spinning color wheel inside the chassis. Unfortunately, the LED lamp will make it even more obvious. Not everyone is eagle-eyed enough to spot the rainbow effect, though, but if you've ever seen it before, on any set, you can bank on seeing it on the FF1.

There's not a lot to choose from in terms of inputs: You get a connector for your PC/laptop (VGA port) and one for a video source (composite video). This projector has a built-in 0.5-watt mono speaker that's pretty weak; sound goes in through an stereo minijack input. There's also a headphone jack that can double as audio out if you want to hook up a separate speaker (which I'd recommend). A truly key feature is the USB input letting you slide in a USB flash-drive. Any video, pictures or presentations you load on USB flash drive can be projected — nice.

I took the Toshiba FF1 home to watch movies. I was annoyed by the 4:3 aspect ratio and had to run the DVD's sound out of the DVD player directly into my sound system. Then I had to connect the DVD player to the FF1. The result was disappointing to say the least. But to be fair, this guy isn't really supposed to compete with normal home-entertainment gear so I brought the little thing to bed. Lying in bed, watching movies on my ceiling, I realized that small can be beautiful. And the next day, the FF1 helped me deliver a killer presentation.

If portability is paramount, the FF1 is certainly the product to consider. The ability to give presentations straight from a USB drive and without a wall outlet in sight is extremely useful. Throw in the collapsible screen, and it's a go-to item in almost any situation. Based on this alone the FF1 is a winner, but if you want to rely on it as a gaming or home theater device, you'll find it lacking — unless you're projecting on the ceiling. — Ken Sander