If you've ever thought it would be cool to project movies or sports onto the side of your house during an evening barbeque, Epson has now devised the ideal tool to do it.

The company unveiled the Epson EH-DM3 all-in-one projector at a press launch in Auckland today, and apparently it's designed to be used both indoors and out. The DM3, due to hit stores in November, has an integrated DVD and DivX player, virtual surround sound speakers and a built in carrier handle to make repositioning and moving it around easier.

Epson Visual Imaging business manager Bruce Bealby said the DM3 was ideal for families because of its relatively low recommended retail price of $1,599 and its ease of setup.

"All you need to do is plug it in. It's great for families that just want a big screen every week to watch the big game or a movie."

The projector had HDMI input and could produce a 540p resolution. Epson said it was ideal for watching sports or concerts around a barbeque, holding a karaoke party in the lounge using its built-in microphone jack, or gaming on its "giant sized screen" which was up to eight times larger than a 40-inch flat panel screen.

Other consumer home-theatre projectors due for release in New Zealand before the end of the year include the flagship EH-TW4500 model and the general use EH-3500 model.

Bealby said the TW4500, capable of producing a 1080p picture with a 200,000:1 contract ratio, was aimed at "purists and people with dedicated home theatre rooms". It would be released next month with a recommended retail price of $6,399.

The EH-TW3500 model, which could display a 1080p picture with a contrast ration of 36000:1, was released this month with a recommended retail price of $4,499.

Both the TW-3500 and TW 4500 used energy efficient lamps, Bealby said.