Projector Review: ViewSonic PJD7820HD

Released two years ago, the ViewSonic PJD7820HD is a solid performer in the budget data projector class. The projector’s Full HD resolution (1920×1080) delivers crisp, detailed data images. Text, both small and large, is clear, and it’s capable of handling multimedia. Yet, it’s not the most reliable cross-over projector – it’s an excellent data projector, but just OK with home entertainment.
Initial reviews of the ViewSonic PJD7820HD revealed that the projector’s video performance was average. Color performance is decent, with some rainbow artifacts present. It can handle video, gaming and 3D content, but it’s not perfect. This is more of an entry-level home entertainment projector, which makes sense considering the price. On the other hand, as a data projector, the ViewSonic performs well, and with a starting price of $599, it’s one of the most affordable Full HD presentation projectors on the market.

• Extended Lamp Life: In standard mode, this single-chip DLP projector achieves 4,000 hours of lamp life – above-average in terms of performance. In smart economy mode, though, the lamp life is boosted to 7,000 hours. Plus, with the PJD7820HD replacement lamp and module – part no. RLC-079 – costing $274.99, maintenance costs for this projector remain low.
• Image Brightness: When it was released, the PJD7820 was one of the brightest Full HD data projectors available. The lamp is rated at 3,000 lumens of brightness, which suits well to small- to mid-sized spaces and moderate levels of ambient light.
• Native Resolution: Not only was the PJD7820 one of the first Full HD (1920×1080) data projectors, it was also one of the most affordable. With a Full HD resolution, it’s nearly double the WXGA format and nearly three times more resolute than XGA projectors. That makes it possible to draw out better contrast for small images. With XGA, smaller text becomes more difficult to read; that’s not the case with Full HD.
• Portability: The projector weighs just about four pounds, and its dimensions (3.3×10.6×8.7) make this an extremely portable projector. Thus, it’s ideal for presentations on the go, as well as for moving between venues, i.e. office and home.
• Color Performance: One disadvantage is the color performance. It performs about average, with some calibration, but yet, rainbow artifacts are present, particularly with video. This isn’t one of the better projectors for video, and that’s why, if you need only a home entertainment projector, you might want something that provides better color quality and saturation.

• Connectivity: There are a range of ports, including an HDMI, USB Type B, S-Video, VGA monitor out, and two VGA-in ports. The HDMI, which supports HDMI 1.4a, enables the projector to connect directly to a Bluray player. One disadvantage, particularly for business presentations, is that it doesn’t have a Type A USB port, which make it possible for the projector to read data directly from the USB port. The Type B port only accommodates a wireless mouse and similar applications.
• Audio Performance: The projector is equipped with a 2-watt speaker; that’s below average in terms of performance, with similarly priced projectors available with 10-watt speakers. Yet, the audio is capable, ideal for small rooms or if your audience will be sitting near the projector.
  

  

The Bottom Line: Is the ViewSonic PJD7820HD Worth the Investment?
As a data projector, there’s a lot to like about the PJD7820 – most importantly though is the price. When it was released it was one of the – if not the most – affordable Full HD data projector available. These days, there are similarly priced options, but yet at $599, the PJD7820 is a very good value. Plus, data image quality is crisp, it can accommodate a number of different sources, and it’s lightweight and portable.
At that price, you can’t go wrong for data projection. WXGA projectors are similarly priced, but the images aren’t as resolute. So this is a suitable piece of hardware for the office. At home, video performance is just OK, so if you’ll be using this more for home entertainment, it might be wise to invest in a projector with a more robust video feature set.