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, the PG-LX2000 holds its own. Backed up by DLP-chip technology and a 2,800-lumen brightness rating, the projector delivers detailed and striking data images in the native XGA resolution, with passable video.
Bottom line: If you can find a new or lightly used PG-LX2000 at a great price, the projector is worth your consideration.
Key Features and Specs: Sharp PG-LX2000
- Data Image Quality: The PG-LX2000 does best as a data projector, and as such, the data images it creates are crisp, clear with nearly non-existent rainbow artifacts. In other words, if you need a projector for presentations, this one delivers great images. Plus, it’s 3D ready and does accommodate HD video, although the image quality from these sources suffers a bit.
Sharp PG-LX2000 Rear Inputs - Useable Video: The Sharp PG-LX2000 displays video from a variety of sources, and the HDMI connection makes it possible to hook up a Bluray player. Yet, it is an XGA resolution (1024×768) projector, and as such, any HD video must be scaled to fit. In other words, this isn’t suitable for regular video use – a Full HD projector makes more sense – but video quality is OK for incorporating clips into presentations.
- Long Lamp Life: In standard operating mode, the PG-LX2000’s lamp achieves 3,000 hours or life, and it jumps up to 5,000 hours in economy mode. What’s more: The PG-LX2000’s replacement lamp and module – Part No. AN-LX20P – costs about $200, keeping maintenance costs low.
- Contrast Ratio, Brightness Rating: With a contrast ratio of 2,000:1 and 2,800 lumens of brightness, the PG-LX2000 is right in the middle of the pack for similarly priced projectors released in 2012. Yet, the image is bright enough to handle spaces with ambient light, like a boardroom or classroom, and the contrast provides great black-and-white clarity. Thus, for multimedia presentations and the occasional video, the projector is more than capable.
- Low-Quality Audio: The projector is equipped with a 2-watt built-in mono-speaker. Unfortunately, that leaves a lot to be desired. The audio works nicely in quiet environments like the board room. But in noisier spaces, like a classroom full of kids, the audio just doesn’t cut it. Plus, the projector doesn’t have an external audio jack, so external audio must be synched with an external audio player.
- Dated Design: The PG-LX2000 is boxy in shape. It’s a little clunky, and almost resembles an original Nintendo hardware system. Fortunately, the projector is lightweight at just 5 pounds, and is thus, extremely portable. That’s OK though, as the look of the projector isn’t often at the top of business’s and school’s list of priorities.
If you need a workhorse data projector for in-class or business presentations, the PG-LX2000 is a useful piece of hardware. What it lacks in advanced features, the projector makes up for in data image quality, lamp life and price. Compared to similarly priced projectors, the PG-LX2000 offers just a bit more in way of features – and even today, it’s worthy of consideration.