Mitsubishi WD380U-EST Ultra Short-Throw Projector Review

There are dozens of portable, ultra-short throw projectors available these days. Yet, there was a time when finding an ultra-short throw projector that was also portable was near impossible. The Mitsubishi WD380U-EST was one of the first available with an ultra-short throw, that was packaged in a lightweight body. It quickly became a popular, modestly priced projector for business and classroom audiences. The interest in the projector made sense too. It had an ultra-short throw. The projector is capable of displaying a 100-inch image from just 30 inches away. Plus, the projector had a feature-set that was rare for budget-friendly […]

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Sharp PG-LX2000 Data Projector Review

The Sharp PG-LX2000 was released in the U.S. in 2012, and at the time, it received high marks for performance, image quality and price. It was a budget-friendly, sub-$1,000 projector that cast brilliant data images. Plus, it was equipped with an HDMI connection – which wasn’t as common then as it is today – and it was lightweight and super portable. Currently, the PG-LX2000 is out-of-production, having been so for about a year, but yet, it remains an intriguing, no-frills set-up that’s still available used and new from resellers. As a piece of hardware for the conference room or classroom, […]

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ProjectionDesign F80 WUXGA Projector Review

Since ProjectionDesign released the F80 WUXGA projector in 2009, quite a bit has changed. For starters, Barco acquired ProjectionDesign in 2013. Plus, the projector has since been replaced by the Barco F85. So not only is the company no more, so is the projector. Even so, in 2009, ProjectionDesign’s WUXGA large-venue projector was an intriguing, and very expensive, piece of hardware. The projector was equipped with 3-chip DLP technology that delivered 8,500 lumens of brightness combined with an unprecedented contrast ratio of 15,000:1. It was a powerful, top-of-line projector widely used for simulations and industrial design, and one of the […]

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Dell 1610HD WXGA Projector Projector Review

Although it was launched five years ago, the 1610HD remains a staple in Dell’s line-up of projectors. There is a lot to love about the 1610HD. It delivers substantial brightness, 3,500 lumens; it’s light and portable; image quality and color performance is accurate and without minimal distortion. And it’s priced just right: The projector starts at $749 from Dell. One thing to consider: the Dell 1610HD is a WXGA resolution (1280×800) projector. That’s an improvement from many data projectors in the XGA resolution, but it leaves something to be desired when projecting Full HD (1920×1080) content like video and images. […]

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SMART 600i6 Interactive White Board System Projector Review

The SMART 600i6 is the merging of two technologies: A SMART 600 series interactive white board and the SMART UF70 or UF70W projector. This projector and white board are widely used in education institutions, particularly K-12 classrooms, and SMART is a favorite manufacturer of white board systems around the world. The reason is that SMART has developed a system that is interactive, easy-to-use, and that delivers great multimedia performance. The 600i6 board/projector set-up is an upgrade compared to previous 600 series iterations. For starters, the UF70 is an ultra-short-throw projector, with a throw range of just 25 inches. That throw […]

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Panasonic PT-EX16K Auditorium Projector Review

For an XGA resolution projector, the best-in-class Panasonic PT-EX16K boasts some powerful specs. Its quad-lamp design achieves 16,000 lumens of brightness – more than enough to provide bold, brilliant images in the largest venues. It’s capable of projecting an image up to 600 inches diagonally, and with Panasonic’s Pure Color Technology, the color saturation in these massive images is near-perfect. Plus, durable construction, flexible installation and long lamp life are other reasons this is a premium projector. So why isn’t this the world’s most popular XGA projector? For starters, this Panasonic comes with a premium price tag. When it was […]

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NEC NP-PE401H Full HD Data Projector Review

Launched in 2013 as the first in NEC PE series, the NP-PE401H is billed as an “entry-level” data projector. That means it’s fairly affordable, starting at $1,999, while delivering high-impact performance. For presenters, the PE401H is a solid projection tool. The projector provides a 4,000-lumen, Full HD image, in the 16:9 aspect ratio (compared to the typical 16:10 for data projectors). That alone is one reason the projector stands out, but there’s also a wide range of functionalities and features. For instance, the NP-PE401H delivers up to 3,300 hours of lamp life – which is above average for Full HD […]

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Hitachi CP-X8170 Projector Review

The CP-X8170 is Hitachi’s top-of-line, large-venue projector, and as such, it carries quite the price tag. The CP-X8170 is available starting at around $8,000. Even so, the CP-X8170 provides plenty of benefits. The image is vibrant and bright, rated at 7,000 lumens. Its vertical projection capabilities and range of optional lenses provide installation versatility. And the advanced networking and security features are useful for education institutions, churches and conference venues. In the large-venue category, the CP-X8170 is a formidable competitor. The projector can be stacked, to enhance brightness or create immersive environments, and the images are crisp and clear. The […]

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Acer X1140 SVGA Projector Review

Acer launched the line of X1 series projectors more than a half-decade ago, and in that time, we’ve seen a number of capable, durable and low-cost options. The X1 series is primarily Acer’s entry-level, ultra-budget set, with current iterations like the X113PH and X123PH starting at $299 and $399 respectively. The Acer X1140 is now out-of-production. Yet, it shares a lot of commonalities with today’s X1 series projectors, including high contrast, powerful color technology and 3D capabilities. The biggest disadvantage to buying a used X1140 is price. With the similar X113PH starting at $299, it makes sense to buy new. […]

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Projector Review: The Cloud-Connected Barco iCon H600

When the Barco iCon H600 hit the market in 2005, it was one of the first truly cloud-connected projectors. The H600, since retired, could display up to four data images, video or streaming media from any device or website connected to the network. The Barco projector offered a glimpse into the future of cloud-connected A/V, and as such, it carried an eye-popping price tag of $34,999. Flash forward to today, Barco is continuing to expand its advanced cloud-connected projectors, but it’s clear that the iCon H600 laid a strong foundation for Barco’s current line-up. For example, the iCon H600 enabled […]

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