Raise your hands if you have ever taken a business trip with your carry on, your laptop bag AND a video projector. In this day and age of snazzy Powerpoint presentations, the humble video projector has become an invaluable tool. Sadly not everywhere you travel has their own projector, so you’ll often find yourself carrying an extra 20lbs of stuff.

That is where Projector123.com can help you. They ship projectors anywhere in the US and can get them delivered as early as 8:30 am the next morning.

The best way to see if they can keep their promise is to try them out, so I put in an order for their 2000 lumen projector for a 10:30am delivery.

10 am the next morning, my FedEx guy showed up with what looked like the kind of plastic case you see in gangster movies, though this one wasn’t handcuffed to him. The projector ships with signature confirmation, so someone will have to be present to sign for it.

Inside the case is the projector (a Dell 1800MP which is rated excellent by Cnet). You’ll also find the remote control, a quick setup guide, all the cables you  could possibly need and a FedEx prepaid return label.

Everything is extremely well packaged; the case has excellent padding and all the cables are clearly labeled.

The included cables are: power, VGA, S-Video, Composite, USB and audio. They are all several feet long, and certainly long enough for most presentations.

The projector itself is perfect for a partially darkened room, 2000 ANSI Lumens (the brightness) means you’ll be able to give your presentation without having to keep every bit of light out.

Projector rentals start at $99 a day, with around $30 extra for the 2 way shipping. The 3000 ANSI Lumen projector starts at $149 a day.

Personally, I find the price to be very reasonable. Spending $130 to save the hassle of dragging a projector to and from the airport is a pretty low price to pay. And don’t forget that you reduce the risk of damage or loss (or a clumsy TSA agent dropping your own projector). Once the projector has been picked up by FedEx, it’s in their hands (and their responsibility).

The rental rates are also much cheaper than most hotels charge for renting a projector from their AV department, though that often includes setup and installation (a 5 minute job). A quick Google search also shows that Projector123 is also cheaper than most other projector rental firms.

With their weekend rentals you could even consider renting a projector if you want to watch "the big game", or plan to have a "Wii-off" with your friends. 

The projector has inputs for a computer, or most home entertainment devices, including gaming consoles.

All in all, the rental experience with Projector123.com was great. You place the order online, pick the date you need, the kind of projector, and how early you need to receive it. To learn more about their service, check out the Projector123.com FAQ’s, or their main page for information on how to order a projector rental.