Отзывы о Проектор Viewsonic PA503W 1280x800, 22000:1, 3800 лм, DLP

7/25: Update - Star Rating unchanged.

I thought I would share one feature that might be helpful in your buying decision. I was looking at the ViewSonic short throw projectors because they can create a 2x image size at the same distance of the regular projectors. However, the ViewSonic short throw projectors do not have a zoom feature. What this means is that you have to physically move the projector to control the size of the image - not really possible in a home-theater configuration. The non 's' ViewSonic projectors seem to be the way to go in case you need to be able to adjust the image size.

*~*~*~*

This is my second ViewSonic projector. It is an upgrade to my current ViewSonic PJD5123 SVGA DLP Projector 120Hz/3D Ready, 2700 Lumens, 3000:1 DCR. ViewSonic makes great light-weight, high-lumen, multi-use (office & Home), affordable projectors.

The PJD6235 is a 1024 x 768 XGA projector - which means that its native format is 4:3. It falls a little short of 16:9 720 HD (1280 X 720) resolution. What does this mean? Well, if your video sources are 16:9 720p HD or 1080p HD, the projector will downscale the resolution to its max capability - 1024 x 768. This lower resolution does not bother me even though I spend about 80% of my viewing time on 55" 4K Ultra HD LED TV. The large image size and great color reproduction make it a different kind of enjoyment when viewing or gaming on this projector. One caveat though - when watching 16:9 programming, you will see a faint outline of the 4:3 native resolution.

I like ViewSonic multi-use projectors because they are smaller and lighter than regular home theater projectors. Their small footprint makes them extremely portable and they fit in the smallest of places. It is barely noticeable on the small shelf behind my bed. Another reason I like these non home theater projectors is that these bulbs have a greater lumen output which makes viewing possible even in bright rooms.

The advanced DLP, 15000:1 contrast ratio and 120 Hz refresh rate provides brilliant colors, deep blacks and crystal clear, razor-sharp images with smooth motion. Audio is a little problematic as the speaker leaves a lot to be desired. It is easily remedied with any portable computer speaker.

The PJD6235 offers a variety of source inputs (1 x HDMI, 2 x VGA, 1 x Component and 1 x S-Video) with auto source detection. This is helpful as the projector will scan for active sources.

I am not sure why Viewsonic confuses their customers with two lumen ratings. I confirmed with Viewsonic that this projector has a 3000 lumen output, but even on their Amazon title they have mentioned the 2800 lumen brightness inaccurately. The bulb life is a huge 2x improvement over the previous generation - from 5,000 hrs to 10,000 hrs.

I have not tried out the 3D feature as I do not have the required 3D Active Shutter Glasses.

Definite Recommend.

Pros:
* Small footprint projector performs multi-use duties at work, school or home.
* Advanced DLP projector with 120 Hz refresh rate provides brilliant colors and display quality
* 3,000 ANSI lumens with 15000:1 contrast ratio for clear, razor-sharp images
* 1.1x Manual zoom lens
* Screen size - 24 in. - 300 in. (3 ft - 37.2 ft). I get a 105" 16:9 image at 15 feet.
* Projector works well even in bright rooms
* Multiple source inputs with auto source detection (1 x HDMI, 2 x VGA, 1 x Component and 1 x S-Video)
* 3D Blu-ray ready with HDMI
* Projector will automatically downscale higher resolutions to fit in max projector capability
* Long 10,000 hours lamp life
* LAN control for centralized remote management
* 3 years limited warranty on parts and labor, 1 year on lamp, and free 1st year Express Exchange service
* Small footprint & light weight permits easy portability
* Integrated speaker

Cons:
* Pricier than previous generations
* Projector is not HD
* Projector's auto-source scanning sometimes has a mind of its own. Will go into search mode even when displaying an active source
* No short throw available (larger screen size at shorter distance)
* Integrated speaker is not sufficient for presentations or movies

I found this to be an average offering; perhaps even a bit sub-average given the price. For my testing, I compared the ViewSonic to my personal Epson H430A. I also took the ViewSonic to work and to my church to both compare it to the projectors there and to see how it performed in different environments. Adding all of that to my review of its features has lead to this three star review. It is not horrible, but I think you can do better for the price.

Pros:
* It claims to have 3000 lumens, and comparing it to some other 3000 lumen projectors, I'd say it's at least close to that.
* It is relatively quiet. The fan and DLP rotor noise are not objectionable.
* It has decent contrast, but not outstanding.

Cons:
* Claims to be able to do 3D movie projection, but it does not have DVI or HDMI inputs. It just has VGA. Hmmm, I don't recall seeing any BluRay players with VGA outputs. They expect us to always use a PC that can send the 3D format via VGA? I immediately want to say this is more or less bogus. It's technically correct, but practically a lie. I want to be able to avoid using a PC to see movies on my home theatre.
* It is not really intended to be moved around at all. I think they actually believed we'd want to mount a projector that only has VGA inputs (well, it has composite video too … ugh!) to our ceiling for our retro home theatre. It's not that it's big or heavy, it just has almost no portable features.
* No case
* Thick and clunky form factor vs. shorter slimmer for carrying. So, not meant to be carried even though it's light enough.
* Only one direction of keystone adjustment (vertical). My cheaper Epson has two, both H and V.
* Artsy but harder to use diagonal. flush mounted buttons. You have to look at the labels to use them vs. the clearly marked and ergonomically laid out controls on the Epson.
* $100 more than the Epson, but no better picture and worse controls and flexibility.
* The Zoom is so short as to be worthless except for minor adjustments in a fixed setup.
* If the projector is sitting on a table, and the front elevation foot is all the way retracted, the picture is aimed high. In fact, it is too high. On other projectors, you would not get the picture this high on the wall without extending the front elevation foot all the way out.
* The front foot has no quick release button. You have to unscrew it until it is the right height and then reverse the process when you go to put it away. Of course, since there is not case, maybe that doesn't matter? :-0
* The back feet do not adjust at all. So, if your table or stand is leaning left or right, you must put crumpled paper or something under the projector or the table to take out leveling issues.
* From the above, I am gathering that this projector was not made with tables in mind?
* No HDMI (did I say this already?) input.
* No DVI input (I did say that already).
* No lens cover. The Epson not only has a nice sliding door that not only covers the lens, but shuts the lamp off and puts the unit in standby.
* No style - it looks so 1998 ….

OK, so maybe I'm being harsh, but there is no way I'd pay my own money for this (It's a Vine sample). As I said before, I own an Epson and am very happy with it for $100 less than the ViewSonic. I get an equal or better picture, two directional keystone, lens cover with automatic standby mode, better ergonomics for the controls, and on and on. My home unit has VGA inputs, but then again I use it for presentations and not movies. Epson did not make big claims like ViewSonic about what it can do, either.

So, this projector did work OK in day lighted rooms. The ambient light still needs control, but the ViewSonic was still contrasty enough to be easily seen in both our church and in a well lit conference room at work. It is still not a miracle, however.

We bought a ViewSonic PJD5134 SVGA DLP projector and returned it after watching half of a movie (yay Amazon returns department). My girlfriend and I were seeing rainbow flashes in the light spots of the movie. Her kids didn’t seem to notice. I turned to the interweb (thanks Al Gore) and found that this is called rainbow effect and that only a minority of people see it. My girlfriend and I both saw the rainbow effect and it gave us both headaches. The great and powerful google said that DLP projectors have a single light source with a spinning color wheel that changes the colors. If the spinning of the wheel isn't fast enough and if the viewer is sensitive enough then you have rainbow effect. The picture quality and brightness of the ViewSonic were awesome but couldn't overcome leaving us feeling like we were driving into the sun for 4 hours after 30 min of viewing. The interweb told me there are several alternatives to DLP projectors, the most cost effective being a 3LCD projector.

I ordered an Epson Home Cinema 730HD 3LCD projector the next day. A 3LCD projector has 3 light sources and therefore has no rainbow effect (so sayeth google). Google was right. The picture quality and brightness of the Epson aren’t quite as sharp as the ViewSonic, but the fact that it doesn’t make us sick is a real plus. We also Really like the wide screen aspect ratio of the Epson. The Epson also has a lens cover (awesome with 2 boys in the house ages 6 & 9) and the ViewSonic does not (come on man). The Epson also has horizontal keystone which the ViewSonic does not. Very handy since I mounted the screen to the ceiling at the distance for the ViewSonic (no zoom) and the Epson doesn’t have enough zoom to be that far from the screen. So I have to mount the Epson to a side wall instead of the back wall.

The potential downsides to a 3LCD projector are that the projection looks like an LCD laptop monitor instead of like a HD movie projector, which some people do not like. And that in very rare cases one of the LCDs could go out of sync and ruin the picture and the whole projector would need to be replaced. But I was assured that is VERY rare.

We have now watched several movies on this projector hooked up to one of our 13” Macbook Pros. We have streamed Boxtrolls on Netflix and played Jurassic Park on DVD and it works well. The picture is plenty sharp and bright enough for our needs (streaming non HD media and renting standard DVDs). We will not be returning this projector!

…(unless it breaks or otherwise stops working)

…(then we’d return it)

…(but we’d get another one)

…(for sure)

Working in a small office, I don't really fit the "Home Cinema" description but I was looking for a new projector to replace my existing Panasonic projector which is definitely showing signs of age. Although I'm familiar with Viewsonic monitors and have used them for years with both my office and gaming PCs, this was the first time I had looked at their projector range.

Image: I was impressed with the colour and the ability of the projector to cope with the fluorescent lighting in the room, which can have the tendency to make images appear washed out and dull. I will admit that I didn't adjust too many settings out of the box but I know that it is possible to adjust the brightness of the lamp to compensate for different lighting levels. Before purchasing this projector I did read other reviews online that commented on "rainbow" effect that DLP projectors can suffer from but I haven't seen any artifacts in the few days I've been testing the system. Action movie fans or FPS gamers may notice some issues as the fast-moving imagery is often a trigger for "rainbow".

For my application, the image is sharp and clear. I mainly use it for viewing product presentations, promotional videos and spreadsheets with our sales team in the office.

Audio: I don't really intend on using the built-in loudspeakers too often but it is nice that they are available should I need them. I tested them the other day and was surprised by the sound but if I was considering installing this for a home cinema application then I would prefer to connect to a 5.1 or 7.1 system for some additional low end reinforcement. This is not a criticism of the speakers, but there is a limitation on the amount of bass response you can get from a small driver.

Conclusion: This is a great little projector for the money. It's a great alternative to the cost of large format displays which often run into the thousands for a 75+ inch display.

Additional comments: The black carry bag is a nice touch for those that might like to use this as a portable projector.

First off, let me say that this is a great projector. You simply cannot beat the price!
I use this projector as an in home theater projector for movies, tv, and video games.

Let me start with the price. For $350 (what I paid) I haven't come across many other projectors that have as much value. It is a good buy. It is also very compact and small as well.

Most importantly, the picture. The picture on this thing is great. I use an HDMI cord to view my Blu-Ray player, Xbox 360, etc. (I'll get into my set up later) The resolution on this projector is SVGA. So that is 800x600, which sounds like a complete downgrade from your 1080p television or even 720p television. Yes, it kind of is when talking a strictly tech sense and those numbers can be scary. But let me tell you that the image quality looks fantastic. The aspect ratio is 16:9 and that is just widescreen. So, what you are normal to if you have bought an HDTV that is rectangular instead of the old square dinosaur TV's from the past, (to put it into easy terms). It also depends on how big your screen is and how far away you sit. I will put it into perspective for you. I am an absolute entertainment nut, I am obsessed with electronics, big screen HDTV's, etc. I always want the best picture possible. But on my budget I cannot always afford top of the line. Conclusion: This projector has great picture, you will not be disappointed watching. Movies: I don't believe that you are going to notice any lapse in picture quality, same goes for normal TV. Sports: maybe a tiny bit compared to a very nice 1080p televisions by the name brands with 120hz plus refresh rates, but not a whole lot, and trust me the huge screen you will be watching it on more than makes up for it. I used it to watch the NBA Finals and it was awesome to have people over. Let's talk gaming. I love games, I own an Xbox 360 and play everything from Call of Duty to Madden to Forza car games to Batman to Assassins Creed. I will say that they look excellent on this projector. I would say first person shooters look absolutely amazing, and for those hardcore gamers that worry about "lag" or "time delay" on the screen. I can honestly say that it had no effect on my gameplay whatsoever because I did not notice any lag at all.
I have used this projector on a bare white wall to watch movies and play games, in part because when I first got it, I was so excited to use it I just couldn't wait for my actual screen, and it looks fantastic. It looks even better when I purchased an actual Elite Screens screen. There are a number of screen options. You can go pull down (which is what I went with because price), automatic or motor powered drop down, or you can even just use a wall and border off the screen area. They even have special paint to use, but I found that normal white works just fine.

So to sum up the picture quality it is great! I am sure most of you on here have searched vigorously through other projectors specifications and customer reviews to see which is better and so forth. I am also sure that most of you have noticed that most of the home theater projectors cost A LOT more than this projector and can range from $550 and well into the thousands. This ViewSonic PJD5134 for the price is the best deal, and you will not be disappointed with the picture quality.

Now let's talk Features. You can use the keystone to adjust the angle of the screen (say if you have it mounted up high and angled down) this feature works great. You can also adjust the brightness, contrast, etc. You can zoom in slightly with the zoom 1.1 feature but I did not find that this held any purpose for me. To focus this projector in, you manually scroll the dial above the lens. It is very simple and easy to make it crisp and sharp. If you have read the product description you saw that you can put it in economic lamp mode. This just means it slightly dims the display to save lamp life. Now, the remote has a button labeled "my button" so what I like to do is set this button to switch back from normal and economic mode. So if I am just watching TV I will click it and put it on economic and it slightly touches down the brightness. If I am playing games or watching sports, boom I just tap my button and it boosts it up a bit. It is a really nice feature. But you can set this button to whatever you find convenient or like the most.

Now let's discuss sound and setup. Yes this projector does have a speaker built in, but if you plan to use this projector for home theater use, you'll need to hook up your sound system. What I have done is run all of my equipment through HDMI cords for the best picture possible. So, I have an Xbox 360, Blu-Ray Player (with surround sound system- Samsung HTEM45), and High-Def Cable Box all going to my projector. For many people this will pose a problem because the projector only has one HDMI input. Simple. I bought an HDMI splitte

Overall it is an all rounder HD projector.

Hooked it all up & fired up some Blu Ray movies. WOW it was crystal clear at 110", and for less than I'd have got a decent 50" TV. No ghosting or crosstalk whatsoever. Given I was buying a budget HD/3D Projector, I was mainly motivated by price and specs.

Blacks are good you can get good blacks with settings and colour (Note: your screen is pure white / white wall then non of the projector will get you pure blacks. I suggest silver screen rather than a white wall)

Colour is Amazing and very handy settings for picture modes. I recently bought Sony 4kTV but i am more happy with this lol

In-built speaker better than Laptop speakers if you play from lappy and it has speech mode and entertainment mode which is very very useful (it will cut bass and mids in speech mode), Note: if you pass signal from MBP retina the audio wont pass to Projector i tried with two MBP retinas and different HDMI cables. may be its OSX behaviour, in bootcamp with windows works audio perfectly).

I haven't tested VGA ( but i see there is PPT mode and a laser light in remote which is quite useful)

There is a preset graph to test the focus, make sure you all use that to set the crisp letters from PC/mac.

No notice of any Rainbow effect or blurry images so far.

Bright in daylight, just close the windows with curtain and lights off.. acceptable image in day light.
-1 star is > a) Fan is a little noisy, but to be honest once the film/tv/games are running, you don't notice it at all - this is symptomatic of any projector and worth bearing in mind. b) would prefer the second HDMI at back as if you are not using chrome-cast then a wire should pass from front of the projector to use two HDMI ports. c) There is no cap for the lens as it was very handy to touch the bag.

First, let me say, this is a good projector for the price---it is the reason I rated it a 4/5. Would I buy this again? Yes I would. Would I recommend to another person? Yes I would.

Now, with that out of the way, let's talk about what could be better. One, most new computers these days won't even display in 800x600. This makes viewing an extra challenge, because you have to override the computer's display settings, and select the unsupported 800x600. Two, the manufacturer claims Blu-ray ready, which it is, except the DPI is closer to high quality DVD, rather than Blu-ray. I would say, just by eye-balling the quality, it's somewhere just below 480p. Of course, if you don't have a problem with that, this projector is definitely for you. The projection is bright, however, some people claim they can leave the blinds/curtains open and watch it; they are wrong---you need a dark room. The features are good, including keystone, brightness settings, sleep, and an eco feature. I wish I could control the sharpness setting; that feature is locked out. The unit does get hot (like most projectors), so I setup a small, quiet fan just behind the projector to reduce internal heat (this seems to work great). I also find it hard sometimes to get text to focus perfectly...but, it could just be me. I have hawk vision and perceive any blurriness as a defect. Hey, ViewSonic, if you know of any ways to sharpen the focus, or increase my viewing experience, please let me know!

This projector would be above average for any office, but because I bought it for home, it could be better on the things I named.

So, let me give an overall summary.

Audio (I have speakers hooked up): 9/10
Overall Video (projected on a white wall): 7/10
HD 1080p: 5/10
HD 720p: 7/10
HD 480p: 9/10
Colors: 8/10
Black: 8/10
Features (missing a couple important settings): 7/10
Value (cost): 9/10
Weight (very light): 9/10
Video Connections: RCA, HD, S-Video...missing component connections though.
Would I recommend?: Yes
Would I buy again?: Most likely
Did I buy the warranty: Why, yes I did.

UPDATE
Okay, I've put some use on the projector. Everything is still working great. I would like to change my 480 rating from HD 480p: 9/10 to HD 480p: 10/10. I hooked a newer laptop, and noticed that the image did improve slightly. So, if you're not happy with the image, try other devices with perhaps better video cards.

I'm going to list some background before I rate this projector to give some insight into a different situation.
-This is the first projector I've bought.
-I've had it for about a month so far.
-I'm a college student who lives in an apartment.
-I bought the more expensive version.

SCREEN
-Right now my screen is at a 90" screen. (Diagonal)
-The projected screen is much bigger, however I had to tilt the projector to get it to shine on the wall, therefore I had to adjust the keystone to account for the slant.

PICTURE QUALITY
-Right now the image is projected on a whitish wall. The wall does have a few scuff. With that said, the picture looks incredible. I don't know if you could call it 1080p quality, but it's definitely close. It's very hard to tell a difference between this and my vision 1080p with a 60hz refresh rate. I have noticed that really bright colors and lighting sometimes gives a "wavy" tone. Other than that this picture quality is outstanding.

LIGHTING
-With lots of ambient lighting you can still clearly see the picture. Darker movies/shows you will have to turn up brightness IF you've got a lot of sunlight and/or lights. At night, the projector lights up the room by itself so it's never actually dark in the room.

FEATURES
-The sound is probably the most lacking. The built in speaker is almost useless Unless you're right beside it. Whenever I hooked in a sound system through the aux ports, I couldn't get it very loud. I don't know if it's my error or how the projector is made. Because of this, I have my sound system hooked into the devices that produce the sound (Xbox via optical cord). Works perfect like that.
-there is only 1 hdmi port, however I picked up an hdmi hub with 5 inputs for like $15 or less on here. Works like a charm.
-I have not tried any other connections.

OTHER
-The fan puts out quite a bit of heat, so make sure it can breathe and I wouldn't leave anything beside it. It is a little noisy but not noticeable when you have something playing.
-Games look great on it, and I believe it's given me an edge because I can see so much. Two player is not a problem.
-Movies on Netflix look superb, as do Blu Ray.

SUMMARY
If you're looking for a budget buy, I believe you should buy this. From what I've seen, it's great for the money. I'm a broke college student and I was able to afford it. We have already had many movie/game nights. It's not a $1000+ projector so don't expect it. However everyone is surprised when I tell them I only purchased it for $420.
-highly recommend. Just buy it and quit looking.

I can't say enough good things about this projector. It is an amazing value and delivers a superb theater experience in my living room. Just a little background in my home theater experience... In college, one of my buddies had an old auditorium projector in his dorm room. We fashioned a screen out of a grid of computer paper on his wall so that he could still open his door haha. When we got an apartment together during our senior year, we made a screen out of a California King sheet. We stretched the sheet tight and made a border out of black duct tape. We enjoyed a year of movies and shows on our 155" screen.

Fast forward to now. I wanted to take my home theater experience to the next level and this projector was the perfect way to do it! Here's a brief outline of key features and my impression of them:

Resolution:
The three biggest features most people look for when talking about projectors are resolution, contrast ratio, and lumens. The resolution of this projector is SVGA 800x600. This is far from full HD, which is the majority of content I'll be viewing, but the picture is astounding! I'm a stickler when it comes to picture quality. I have a 42" 120hz 3D tv in my bedroom. I ALWAYS buy the blu ray version of new movies and I stream HD all the time on Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime. I care deeply about picture quality to say the least. That being said, this projector blows me away in picture quality. I watched Star Wars on blu ray last week on my tv and watched it again this weekend on the projector for comparison. Although the picture was slightly better on the tv, nothing compares to watching Star Wars on a big screen. The picture was very sharp. Absolutely amazing.

Contrast Ratio:
15,000:1 contrast ratio. What can I say, the shadows were very dark and the highlights were very bright. I don't have a proper home theatre with dark walls and such so there was a lot of reflected light but I was blown away again with the high contrast image.

Lumens:
It is important to know the lighting conditions in your theater when choosing a projector. Rooms with higher ambient light will need a higher lumen projector to overpower the ambient. With the shades drawn, I have no problem watching movies with this projector during the daytime. Of course, wait until night with complete darkness and the screen is incredibly bright and vivid. This projector beyond bright enough for my conditions.

Inputs/Outputs:
Okay so now onto the fine details. The Viewsonic has multiple inputs for a wide variety of devices. I run an HDMI cable from my bedroom to the living room for my theater. The projector takes an HD signal and converts it to the proper resolution. I then use the 1/8" audio out to run to my sound system.

Placement/orientation:
This is the only gripe I have with this projector. I have a relatively long living room. My screen is 110" diagonal and is located at one of the far sides. I wanted to be able to mount the projector and the other far end, high on the wall for convenience. Unfortunately for me, the distance was too great to fit the picture on to my screen. The projected image was about 6" too big on all sides. I was upset but this was not the projector's fault; I had a limited mounting options (I live in an apartment so no ceiling mounts) and I had a fixed screen size. My issue with the projector came in when I tried to place the projector on a table towards the back of the room. The image beam from the projector comes out in four ways: Front ceiling, rear ceiling, front table, rear table. The "rear" refers tor rear projection. All of these settings have an angle pitch that is a little extreme. The keystone adjustment offers a little correction but not enough. I had to put little pieces of cardboard under the back feet of the projector to properly line up the image. So, more options for the angle of the lens elements would have been nice but this all is not a deal breaker by any means.

Bulb life:
Rated at up to 6,000 hours. I have no clue how long this will actually last me. I imagine during the first several weeks/months I will use the projector very frequently but then may ween off a bit in order to maintain the magic of the viewing experience each time I use it. One helpful tip is to use to projector as a treat or special event. Don't watch Judge Judy or American Idol on it or it will quickly lose that "wow" factor. Instead, use it for social gatherings, the season finale of The Walking Dead, the Super Bowl, gaming tournaments, etc.

Bottom line:
I use this projector for both video and gaming. It provides a stunning picture even for a videophile like me. If you are looking into setting up a home theater, take a serious look at this projector before considering spending much more money on an HD projector. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

UPDATE: I made a video review but wasn'

8/12/14: This projector is holding up very well. I have had it for about a month when I wrote this review and while its not exactly intuitive adjusting the picture it’s not rocket science either. Once I finally got the picture unblurred I have been quite happy with this projector. I initially looked at it as a way to do presentations at my family reunion using powerpoint and videos. While trying to decide between this projector and a couple others in this price range my wonderful 1.5 year old 50 inch LG plasma bit the dust. At a repair cost close up $250 I decided to buy this projector since it had all the inputs to connect my tv, dvd, computer and wii.

It is bright very bright! It works well projected onto a white wall in my living room with the curtains open during the day and at night with 6 ceiling canned lights hanging above and on. The only interruption is of course us walking by. I need to mount this baby on a shelf or ceiling! I am considering purchasing a screen but its not really needed except for the fact that I would like to put some pictures on my living room wall. I am considering using a white black out shade. I currently have a bluray player, wii and Directv receiver connected. I also use with laptop.

Now for the sound I haven’t used it, honestly. I also purchased an under $100 sound bar with amp at the same time. I saw the other reviews and didn’t want to chance it with my reunion which was the 1st use of the projector.

The warranty is what really sold me on this projector. It has a 1 year bulb and 3 year general warranty. At the current price of just over $300 if the bulb dies after the first year I would just buy another. Most other projectors come with 3-6 month bulb warranties and 1 year general. After my bad tv experience that died from a bad The 3D option is also great although I have not bought the glasses yet.

1/6/14: I have still been using this for our main living room viewing. I like so much I decided against buying a 50 inch on Thanksgiving at the PreBlack Friday sales. We don't use everyday or even for 4+ hours a day but it works really well and has a great picture. I am nervous about the bulb blowing after so much use but again it does have a warranty and it wasn't really that expensive. Its also going to work great for my family reunion and other events where I want to share pictures, a presentation or watch a movie. I do wish I had splurged and bought the one with the USB connection

All their useless marketing aside ("colors 3x brighter with Epson!"), you just want to know one thing: is this the best projector for my money? Having tried a number of projectors in this price range, here's a rundown of your best options: (all prices at time of writing)

$330: The Epson VS230. Amazing for the price. Bright enough for lit rooms. The only thing it lacks is resolution - it handles movies and PowerPoints pretty well, but if you plan on anything else (detailed diagrams, smaller text, etc), you should consider one of the $400 options, which are 1280x800 pixels, vs 800x600 pixels. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GMGDFPI/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00GMGDFPI&linkCode=as2&tag=dan010f-20

This, the $350 Epson PowerLite 500. "Contrast ratios" aside, movies look better on this than on the VS320. On the other hand, it is visibly dimmer. If you want an inexpensive home theater, go for this. If it's meant for presentations, I'd go for the VS320.http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00D29Z1TQ/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00D29Z1TQ&linkCode=as2&tag=dan010f-20

$350: The ViewSonic PJD5134. It's a bit brighter than the Epson VS320, but that'll almost never matter - either is bright enough for daily use. This sacrifices some of the Epson's image quality for a lot of mostly unnecessary features like 120Hz refresh rate and 3D support (why would you watch a 3D BluRay on a low-res projector?). I recommend the Epson over this.

$420: The Optoma DW326e. My favorite projector for under $500, it's a tad brighter than the Epson VS230, but WAY sharper. It's basically the difference between SD and HD TV. Highly recommend: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GGM6G9A/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00GGM6G9A&linkCode=as2&tag=dan010f-20

$420: The ViewSonic PJD5533W. Basically the same as the Optoma, but not quite as sharp. However, the prices of the two projectors has varied by up to $100 in the past, so I'd recommend just going for whichever is cheaper: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00511ITEM/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00511ITEM&linkCode=as2&tag=dan010f-20

There you have it - a quick rundown of your best options. Hope you found this helpful!

Easy to install in my Viewsonic pjd5533w within the existing housing (although be careful taking the housing apart to put the bulb in correctly) . I can't tell the difference so far in brightness, resolution, color, contrast.... even though it was about 1/6 the OEM cost. I got 6600 hrs from my OEM bulb that seemed to still work well when I kept getting annoying messages to replace it. Since this bulb contains dangerous chemicals, I didn't want it burning up and damaging the projector or exposing harmful chemicals to my living room since the projector is mounted on my ceiling. Still paying almost new projector price for the retail OEM bulb seemed a ridiculous despite however difficult these bulbs are to make. So I will say this bulb indicates it needs changing about 3000 hrs (so did my last one). If it lasts 3000 hrs I will leave it 4 stars. If it makes it less than the OEM bulb I will decrease my stars, or increase if it lasts more. Still I could by 6 of these for the one OEM bulb for hrs of use.

I bought this projector just under 4 months ago. Today it powered down on its own and will not power back up. Up until this point I have LOVED this projector, and I may amend my review as this return process plays out. My disappointment is more so with Amazon. Apparently they wash their hands of us after 30 days. I was told by Amazon that I need to contact the manufacturer for warranty; which I have done. I have been a long time Amazon advocate that has converted many family members and friends to use Amazon. I have been a Prime member for years and purchase(d) as much as I could via Amazon. In the past the very infrequent times that I had a product fail Amazon was quick to send a replacement and I would send the original back, that customer service has changed greatly. Now I am sending this projector back to ViewSonic at my expense to hopefully see my projector back in 7-10 business days. ViewSonic was very nice and quickly got me to the person I needed to talk to with minimal hold time, so that side of this experience has been pleasant.

I will update this review as the process unfolds. And as I said I loved this projector up until it's demise. It work wonderfully as an HD projector for movies. It does lack clarity when projecting a computer screen. Type is hard to read when it is projecting a computer screen.

I hope that once I get the return completed that the projector will last longer than 4 months

Lives up to the positive reviews. Image is sharp and vivid. Really impressed with it.

Only downside is the fan is pretty loud. It is placed above our sitting area and requires us to turn up the receiver volume because of the fan noise.

Been using for over six months occasionally to watch movies and sports in our theater room (garage). We made a 100" screen out of blackout shade cloth from fabric store stretched over 1x3 wood frame. We use it in a dark room with no windows and small lamp in the corner for a refreshment table. Will work with the garage door open if the screen is blocked from direct light but it is pretty washed out. Have not used outdoors yet.

Would recommend especially at this price. Get a theater sized image at a great price. Audio out of unit speaker is okay if you are close to it, but fan noise overpowers it a bit.

Highly recommended! If on the fence just try it out. Most folks I think will be pleasantly surprised. We tested it with a bed sheet when first received it and knew it could only get better from there.

Pretty freakin good. I was looking for a lower end projector with a solid picture. I almost got the cheap no name brands but decided to spend the extra 80 and im glad I did. This picture is bright and clear from a distance. It's not 1080p but the 720p resolution is damn good. I'm very happy with my purchase and give this 5 stars. This is SVGA so don't expect xga or wxga quality. Picture looks amazing from 6+ feet away, but you can see pixels on text if you're close. Again amazing projector for those looking to get their first quality one without breaking the bank.

Ive included a picture of the projector on my wall from about 12 feet away. I took the picture from about 4 1/2 feet away so you can see that the pixels are a little apparent when up close, but further back it looks great.

I was in the market for an 80" tv for a home theater when a friend asked me if I ever considered getting a projector. At the time the thought had never entered my mind but I decided to give it a shot. I tried this model because it was affordable and I just wanted to see if they were worth investing in down the road. Although this one is not perfect, it is pretty amazing for the price. I have hooked up a PS4 and the games look absolutely amazing. I have streamed videos and watched bluray movies as well as watched Directv. I read someone complain about seeing the Viewsonic blue screen pop up every time they change the channel but I do not have that issue. I'm sure that varies with cable providers. For this base model I am blown away. I did purchase a 100" 16:9 widescreen screen and I mounted the projector 11ft away. I also added my logitech speakers with subwoofer and it's like I am at the Drive-in movies. It is currently in my finished basement with no windows which is ideal for a projector. If you want that Drive-in feeling for under $400 bucks you can't go wrong with this model. If you expect to see blades of grass like you do on your HD or 4Ktv then this model is not for you. I've attached pictures of what I see with the lights on and off. Mind you the pictures where taken with my phone but you get the idea. I will be investing in a more expensive model down the line to get full hd but as I sit here typing this with Transformers playing...I'm in no rush.

Some of the best computer monitors I have ever used were ViewSonic monitors so I was very interested in trying out the ViewSonic PJD5232L projector and seeing if the company is also capable of making good projection equipment. I have an excellent proving ground – the sanctuary of a small church with a retractable screen as well as access to the computer there, which is the kind of environment where one might use this kind of projector. So far I have been very pleased though I have not used this projector very long at all.

First things first – I was a little surprised at how light this projector is. I expected to be a bit heavier and therefore harder to manage when moving it or mounting it somewhere. The lighter weight means that mounting it from a ceiling-suspended rack or on a wall shelf requires less anchoring and reinforcement right out of the box. This is a very good thing.

This particular projector supports inputs from two computers as well as S-Video and composite plugs. What is missing is newer input standards like HDMI. This means that this is the wrong projector if you are using it with a system that does not support the older inputs unless you use an adapter. This may or may not be a big deal depending on the specific setup but it does mean that with the most modern computers it probably will not connect right out of the box. Keep this in mind.

The resolution is 1024x768 which is not considered “high-definition “ by today’s measure but it is fine for putting presentations up or for watching a movie. To move up to a higher resolution will cost a lot more. The color and clarity of images this projector puts out are excellent. I have used other projectors where the colors diffuse into drab or washed-out hues but this projector seems to suffer less from that than some of the others.

One of the great aggravations that has bothered me about projectors is the short range and uselessness of the remote that come with them. A remote control is not helpful if it requires being a foot away from the projector to work. This remote is better, giving better range than some that I have used in the past, and it is also fairly self-explanatory. Now with that said, it would have been nice to have better documentation with it.

Overall, this is a very nice projector and ViewSonic has done a nice job with it. It projects bright, colorful images and it is very lightweight which makes mounting easy. My main complaints are the lack of modern input options (and no adapters) and sub-par documentation; otherwise, this is a 5-star projector worth its asking price.

My wife finally persuaded me to purchase a projector as age & eye site issues have made it increasingly hard to watch sport on our TV. After a lot of online research I finally decided on this model & have not been disappointed. The product was delivered on time & I found it very easy to set up with simple HDMI connection to our Sky HD box. The picture quality is excellent even allowing for our open living room & when viewed at night with the curtains shut is outstanding. I have also been more than impressed with the sound quality coming from the projector & personally do not see the need to buy a surround sound system which many websites recommend. Currently I have the product positioned on a coffee table but am so happy with the product I am in the process of arranging for it to be ceiling mounted

Overall a 5 star performance from both the projector & Amazon

I get a good 60" image on the chimney breast in a small room. The built in speaker is great but for movies I would probably recommend a TV soundbar or a proper 5.1 surround sound system. It was really easy to set up. Perhaps there could be more rear HDMI ports but I knew this before I purchased and just swap over if I need to. I use a chromecast dongle and power it off the projectors USB port. This works very well.
Overall, it's good for watching HD content as a TV replacement. As with other reviews online, I'm sure you could get a better 'home cinema' experience if you pay more, but for my main purpose watching HD sport, it's good. Top marks for the easy picture setup and including a carry bag. -1 star for needing a small screwdriver to open the HDMI port on the front.

Bought this one mainly due to the price and reviews. It is our first projector. So far I have it mounted high up about 15 feet from the screen. I am able to get a 16 9 image that measures 101 inches diaganaly. I'm sure it could go bigger but that's as far back as I can mount it and zoomed to the max. Still fits the screen I bought pretty good. It is very bright ootb and is viewable in out lr with a lamp on and the door open. Image....I have it connected to my pc with a gtx 750ti(overkill for this pj) and the text is a bit blurry but images and video look fantastic for a starter projector. It is a downgrade from the 50 inch 720 plasma I had but the size makes up for the standard def resolution. It reminds me of watching a crt tv with a vhs....sorta but with a huge image. Only downfall of this is its dlp. I chose this instead of lcd because I was worried about dead pixels and whatnot from lcd pjs. However apparently I am the only one in the family that sees the dreaded rainbow effect. That said its only certain movies and scenes that affect me. Cartoons, animation movies, screensavers... ect have no rainbow effect whatsoever. Just fast moving bright on dark. It almost makes some movies unwatchable for me. Bottom line I like this pj and will keep it for outdoor things but will upgrade to a nice lcd with at least 720 capability. Would recomend for someone starting off, on a cheap budjet but please make sure you are not dlp rbe sensitive before you buy this perticular one.

Wow! I did a lot of research on projectors and I was hesitant to buy this one since it's not full HD and I was worried it would be blurry. Plus the price was so low..

I use this in my living room and was going to buy a 62 inch flat screen but always wanted a projector. I could save a ton of money going with a projector and have like a 110 inch screen! So I decided to try it.

Let me tell you.. I am never buying a normal big screen again for the living room. You get so much more bang for your buck with a projector!

This projector honestly is fantastic. My friend has a full HD projector and it does look sharper and if you put them side by side I'm sure it would look night and day. However, he also paid WAY more than me. And to be honest, no one has ever known this one is not full HD not even my buddy who has a high end projector.

This thing gets the job done and looks awesome. For the price, you cannot beat it.. period. I use it during the day with blinds open and it looks great. I blew it up to 110 inches without a screen and just a white wall. It looks badass.

If you want a cheap projector that is going to look awesome for Movies, Shows, Computer or Gaming. This is the one. Stop searching and buy this baby! You will love it.

Best TV related purchase I have made in the past 15 years. The price to value here is insane. Go for it!

This projector is used primarily for outdoor movies on a 144" screen. When used for 3D playback and the 3D is fantastic but the colros are very washed out. This often happens with 3D but there's little too compensate with the available settings that can be adjusted.

As for 2D playback, well, this is where the projector can be wildly inconsistent. While it handled "Twister" reasonably well as most CG animated films, things crashed and burned with "Mad Max: Fury Road". The color palette on this particular film can be a bit challenging for many displays but the 5134 really struggled. Explosions and fire often appeared as a big messy blob, skin tones were often oversaturated and brighter scenes were often washed out with blues and whites that would blend and lack definition. Ironically, the image overall tends to run a bit dark.

It'll do the job but there are likely better options for projectors that are a bit more versatile.