Can't go wrong at this price!
Written: Feb 13 '03
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Pros: Versatile, inexpensive entry level projector meets most home and small business needs
Cons: Limited resolution (SVGA)
The Bottom Line: Great entry level projector for home or small business
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| memobug's Full Review: InFocus X1 Multimedia Projector |
CHOOSING A PROJECTOR
Buying a projector can be a difficult prospect because it's so hard to find a retailer that carries several models that can be compared. Also, new buyers may not even know specifically what is needed for their applications.
Without having the capability to view two projectors side by side, you are left looking at specifications that don't seem to make much sense. This makes it important to choose a retailer that has a generous return policy in case you make the wrong selection, and discover for example, that your unit is too heavy or too dim to meet your needs. Always check out the unit fully if you can, even if it means renting one for a day so you can be sure it will meet your needs. You might also find it useful to check out discussion forums for more information and good questions to ask. One that I frequent is called AVSFORUM.COM
HOW WILL YOU USE IT?
The first question to look at is: What's your intended use?
Projectors need to have sufficient resolution, brightness and contrast to meet your application. Will you be showing Powerpoint overheads in an office environment? DVD movies at home? Bigscreen broadcast or digital television? Will your system be portable for visiting customers, semi-permanent or permanent?
A WORD ABOUT PRICE:
A few years ago it was unusual to see projectors of any quality below a $5000 price point. The idea of a $1500 projector like the X1 is exciting for the consumer, because it puts it beneath the price of many big screen TVs, and well below the price of a large plasma display.
Looking at projectors, you'll see a wide variety in pricing. Really, it comes down to image quality, which is a function of the device's resolution, brightness, contrast and color accuracy.
Resolution (most begin at SVGA-800x600 and go up from there. The X1 is an SVGA projector, so you'd consider it an "entry level" model.
Brightness - determines how big an image can be projected, and under what conditions of ambient lighting. X1 has 500 and 1000 ANSI lumen modes. The 500 lumen mode has better color and is preferred for movies. The 1000 lumen mode is called "presentation mode" and can be used whenever true color isn't as critical, like with your marketing slides.
The X1 is rated at 1000 ANSII lumens, which is in it's presentation mode. That's intended mainly for overhead presentations of slides and photographs. When you're showing movies, you'd want the FILM mode, which has about 1/2 the output.
It's important to remember that the intensity of the projected image drops rapidly as the size of the screen increases. While the X1 can project images up to many feet diagonally, the room will need to be very dark to make the presentation enjoyable. If you have a smaller screen, you can enjoy the image in moderate indoor lighting.
CONTRAST
Contrast determines how the brightest detail compares with the dimmest, and how dark the unilluminated areas appear. The X1 has an impressive contrast ratio of 2000:1. Low contrast devices can have difficulty with shadow details in dark scenes, and the "black" projected may be greyish.
ASPECT RATIO
Display Aspect Ratio (4:3 is standard television /computer perspective. 16:9 is a typical widescreen DVD)
RESOLUTION
The X1 has a native SVGA resolution, which means 800x600 pixels arranged in a 4:3 (horizontal to vertical dimension), much like standard television or your computer monitor. It has a display mode your DVD that changes sthe output to 16:9 too, so you can enjoy your favorite movies in widescreen format.
REMOTE CONTROL
The X1 has a remote control that can be used to change device inputs and also, by connecting a USB cable between the projector and your computer, you can use the remote control to drive your mouse around the screen.
BULB LIFE
The X1 has a rated bulb life of 3000 hours. Shortly before 3000 hours have expired, the projector will flash a warning and after 2000 hours have passed, it won't power on. Replacement bulbs are about $300. That said, the lamp is WARRANTED for only 90 days or 500 hours, but the X1 itself is warranted for 2 years, parts and labor, plus, through the end of March 2003, Infocus is offering registered purchasers a free upgrade to a 5-year warranty!
MOUNTING
The projector can be used on the tabletop, with the projector at about the height of the bottom of the screen, or it may be mounted inverted on a ceiling or shelf mount, with the projector mounted at a point about equal to the top of the display screen.
A WORD ABOUT SCREENDOOR AND RAINBOWS
Two terms you will often hear to describe artifacts in the display of data projectors are "Screendoor" and "Rainbows". Screendoor is a term used to describe the mosaic appearance of pixels projected onto the viewing screen. When viewed up close, the individual pixels can give the appearance of a mosaic image, like lines on your TV set appear up close. The difference is that the projector's image is broken not just into the horizontal TV lines, but also the veritical columns of the display, giving it the appearance of viewing the image through a screen door. Different projectors exhibit this artifact to varying degrees. Increasing the viewing distance or defocusing the image slightly can help reduce the effect.
Rainbows are a motion artifact that can be perceived by some observers, and not others, to varying degrees, particularly with DLP technology projectors. DLP technology is based on a monochrome image that is tinted by a spinning color wheel. The wheel revolves very quickly as the image is drawn in each primary color, resulting in a composite image that appears to the eye to be a full color image. When objects displayed in the projected image move location, or the observer changes his viewpoint rapidly, the colored projections misalign briefly, giving the appearance of a rainbow trail. This artifact is troubling to some, and others can't even detect it when they look for it. Projectors with color wheels of progressively higher rotational speeds are more immune to the effect. LCD technology projectors do not produce this artifact.
MAKING A DECISION
I made the decision to purchase an X1 based on its image quality and the versatility it has in being able to serve as a data projector for technical slides on the weekdays and still being able to serve up entertainment on the weekends. I also appreciate the 2/5 year warranty. Although it is only an SVGA projector, it produces a great image and the interpolation of larger resolution XGA images (1280x1024) is very good. It also has a great DVD mode.
SPECIFICATIONS:
GENERAL
Aspect Ratio: 4:3 standard; 16:9 wide
Brightness: 1000 max ANSI lumens
Contrast Ratio: 2000:1 full on/full off
Data Compatibility: SVGA, VGA, XGA, Macintosh®
Display: DLP™ by Texas Instruments: 0.55" SVGA DDR DMD
Image Size (diagonal): 2.7’ to greater than 21.6’ (0.8m to greater than 6.5m)
Light Source: 150W SHP/ 3000 hours
Native Resolution: SVGA (800 x 600)
Projection Lens: Zoom lens with manual focus and manual zoom adjust
Projection Methods: Front, rear, ceiling
Video Compatibility: NTSC, PAL, SECAM, EDTV, HDTV (1080i and 720p RBGHV)
Maximum Projection Distance : 32.3’/ 9.8m
Minimum Projection Distance: 5’/ 1.5m
Zoom Ratio: 1.2:1
PHYSICAL
Dimensions: 9.8" (W) x 12.5" (L) x 4.2" (H)/24.9cm x 31.8cm x 10.6cm
Weight: 6.8 lbs/ 3.1kg
INPUT
Input Sources: Computer (VGA 15-pin HDDSUB female); video (S-Video 6-pin mini DIN, component RCA through S-Video adapter, and composite video RCA); audio (3.5mm mini-jack)
OUTPUT
Audio: 2.5-Watt mono speaker
Brightness: 1000 max ANSI lumens
Number of Colors: 16.7 million
H-Sync Range: 31.5 – 80 kHz
Lamp Warranty: 90 days or 500 hours, whichever comes first
Operating Temperature: 5° to 40° C at sea level (0 to 10,000'); 41° – 104° F
Power Consumption: 200-Watt (typical); 250-Watt (maximum)
Power Supply: 100V-240V at 50-60Hz
Ships Standard with: Soft carry case, Lens cap, Wireless Conductor™ Remote Control (including batteries), color-coded cable straps, standard VESA 15-pin analog computer cable, 3.5mm computer audio cable, Component video input adapter cable, power cord (national and regional variants), SCART adapter (EMEA Only), Projector System CD includes: multi-language projector User Guide, projector Quick Start Card, URL/service information/accessories after market, user manual (printed version, Quick Start Card (printed version)
V-Sync Range: 50 – 85 Hz (85Hz at XGA only)
Warranty: Two-year standard warranty on parts and labor
List Price: $1699.00* *Price listed in USD
Recommended:
Yes
Purchase Price (if leased, monthly payment): 1499
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Epinions.com ID:
memobug
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Member: Matt Chroust
Location: Santa Clara, CA, USA
Reviews written: 22
Trusted by: 0 members
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