Portable Digital Projectors

For business users, office projectors have mostly taken the place of the overhead projectors of yesteryear. Mobile professionals hook up a projector to a laptop, projecting an image on a large screen or wall for presentations. The DVD player in your computer or a component DVD player can project movies or video demonstrations. Most business-oriented projectors weigh between two and ten pounds and usually come with a carrying case and wireless remote control. Some remotes have an integrated laser pointer. Some portable digital projectors have an integrated speaker for sound, and more expensive portable projectors have security features such as locking cables and security PC-card start-up. A few office projectors hail back to overhead days with PC cameras that can project an image of a hard copy or other 3D object.

For business uses, brightness -- measured in lumens -- is a major consideration. Since many presentations are given in conference rooms with standard office lighting, the image needs to be bright enough to be seen. For smaller boardrooms, a brightness of 1000 to 1500 lumens should be fine. For larger rooms or small auditoriums, look for 1500 lumens or higher.

Contrast ratio refers to the difference between the darkest black and brightest white in a projected image. For data and graphics projections, editors at Laptop Magazine say a ratio of 400:1 is sufficient. If you want to play video and DVDs, however, a contrast ratio of more than 1000:1 means that dark scenes will be darker and more cinematic. Keep in mind that manufacturer brightness and contrast claims are almost always inflated, but they do give you a way to compare digital projectors.

Portability makes a big difference to business users. The lightest office projectors weigh two or three pounds, but they are more expensive than heavier digital projectors.

Portable digital projectors use lamps that must be replaced periodically. Average lamp life is about 2,000 to 3,000 hours, and replacement lamps cost $300 or more. A few office projectors have long-life lamps rated to last longer. Although business projectors have warranties of up to three years, lamps are usually only under warranty for 90 days.

Three technologies: LCD, DLP and LCoS

There are currently two main projector technologies on the market: digital light processing (DLP) and liquid crystal display (LCD). Historically, DLP projectors offered better contrast and black levels, while LCD projectors claimed better color saturation with less fan noise and lower operating temperatures.

Thanks to improvements in both technologies, those differences have narrowed significantly, but there are still some distinctions between the two that could make one or the other more suitable for your purposes. DLP digital projectors are subject to what is known as the rainbow effect, due to the fact that they use a color wheel to generate an image. Because of this, a small percentage of viewers see occasional flashes of solid color. The effect is minimized, but not eliminated, in DLP projectors that use faster color wheels. In addition, many DLP digital projectors are finicky about where they are placed relative to the screen, making placement trickier than with LCD. On the other hand, LCD projectors tend to suffer from what is known as the "screen door effect" -- images sometimes look as they would if you were viewing them through a screen door. Experts say DLP still has the upper hand in black levels and contrast, therefore producing the most cinematic image. LCD projectors hold a slight price advantage over DLP projectors.

A third technology is liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS) which first debuted on top-dollar theater projectors and is now available on some sub-$3,500 business projectors. While there are still relatively few LCoS models, they generally do very well in reviews, thanks to their outstanding picture quality and freedom from both the rainbow and screen door effects.

SVGA, XGA or Widescreen

Portable digital projectors come in a variety of resolutions and aspect ratios. SVGA (800 x 600 pixels) and XGA (1024 x 768 pixels) digital projectors display images in a 4:3 aspect ratio, the same as most computer screens.

While you might be inclined to think more pixels are always better, there are some good reasons you might go for an SVGA model over a pricier XGA office projector, especially if the projector will only be used for business presentations. PC Magazine's editors say it best: "If you are showing a slide that has text so small that an SVGA projector cannot display it but an XGA projector can, then the text on your slide is too small for your audience to read comfortably." Since the majority of business projections are PowerPoint sales presentations and training slides, editors say a cheaper SVGA business projector can be just as adept as an XGA projector at displaying the dozen or so lines of large text on your typical PowerPoint slide.

On the other hand, if your presentations include graphics, software demonstrations or full web pages, XGA is a more suitable choice, and it is a much better match for current PCs and laptops. As noted by Art Feierman of ProjectorReviews.com, most modern graphics adapters support at least XGA resolutions. "Ideally, budget allowing, XGA resolution is where you should be shopping, as it will give you clean crisp data on any sized text and graphics," he adds. In addition, the price gap between SVGA and XGA is rapidly closing.

There has been an increase in the number of widescreen portable digital projectors (capable of displaying an image with a 16:9 aspect ratio) equivalent to that of widescreen movies and HDTV. These digital projectors are offered in a number of native resolutions. Projectors with WVGA resolution (854 x 480 pixels) match the full resolution of DVD movies, so you get every ounce of a DVD's image quality. WXGA is actually a "non-standard" standard and includes several different resolutions. Some WXGA projectors have resolutions that match 720p HD (1280 x 720 pixels). Other WXGA projectors actually have a native resolution of 1280 x 768 pixels. Those digital projectors can display either widescreen HD images (1280 x 720 pixels) or XGA images (1024 x 768 pixels) in their full resolution without cropping or scaling. Resolutions of 1360 x 768 pixels and 1366 x 768 pixels, which correspond to the native resolutions of most 720p LCD TVs, are also classified as WXGA. Finally, a few digital projectors offer a native resolution of 1400 x 1050 pixels (SXGA+), which matches the display of many widescreen computer monitors and larger (17-inches and up) widescreen laptops.

Best portable digital projectors

If you don't need a resolution higher than 800 x 600 pixels, an SVGA digital projector remains the most economical choice. In our last update, the Dell 1200MP office projector was rated best. Positives included high brightness, an impressive contrast ratio and a relatively light weight (less than five pounds). Dell has recently replaced that projector with the Dell 1201MP (*est. $770). The two digital projectors appear to be virtually identical, right down to the weight, size, brightness and contrast ratio specifications. Unfortunately, we did not see any professional reviews or user feedback on the newest Dell 1201MP, so we can’t place that new Dell projector in ConsumerSearch Fast Answers for now. Instead, we give that honor to the Epson PowerLite S4 (*est. $600) , which reviews say is a very good SVGA projector in its own right and costs a bit less.

Given its low price, reviewers at Laptop Magazine and ProjectorReviews.com agree that the Epson PowerLite S4 office projector is an impressive performer. In the default presentation mode, brightness is around 1,500 lumens, which is bright enough for all but the largest meeting rooms, and other modes are available that boost measured brightness above Epson’s claim of 1,800 lumens. The Epson S4 projector also handles multimedia well, and does a better job with video than the Dell 1200MP. Reviewers say that colors are rich and accurate, although contrast is not particularly good -- a common problem with LCD projectors in this price class. Another common LCD shortcoming -- screen-door effect -- is also apparent, but not overly objectionable, according to critics.

Since is the Epson PowerLite S4 an entry-level portable digital projector at a rock-bottom price, it doesn’t offer much in the way of bells and whistles. There is no optical zoom, but a 1.35:1 digital zoom is provided. However, like all digital zooms, the trade off is slightly poorer image quality when the digital zoom is engaged. You also won’t find a digital input (DVI or HDMI). The S4 is not particularly petite, but at 5.7 pounds, it isn’t as heavy as some. Another positive is the remote control, which lacks a laser pointer but otherwise meets with approval from reviewers. Laptop Magazine also liked the S4’s password protection option -- as well as the "prominent sticker" announcing its presence. The two-year warranty is another a plus.

While an SVGA digital projector can be an acceptable choice for many office applications, reviewers say that an XGA business projector offers much more flexibility and performance. In addition, the cost difference between XGA and SVGA is rapidly narrowing.

The Dell 2400MP (*est. $1,200) receives the most positive notices of any portable digital projector. Critics say this office projector far outperforms its price, with class-leading brightness (measured at 2,350 lumens by the ProjectorReviews.com; Dell claims 3,000), excellent color handling and very sharp images. Even Peter Putman at HDTVExpert.com, a site more given to looking at high-end home-entertainment gear than business-class projectors, is impressed. He notes that while buyers should not expect high-quality video performance from a projector designed to handle business graphics, the Dell 2400MP is an excellent value.

For those on tighter budgets, there are a few less expensive DLP-based XGA digital projectors that do very well. The Optoma EP719 (*est. $815) has a good contrast ratio of 908:1 as measured at Laptop magazine. The magazine's testers measured the brightness at 1,793 lumens, which is just short of the manufacturer's claim of 2,000. Shortcomings include a stripped down remote control that doesn't include a laser pointer. But overall, reviews say images are sharp, the price is low, and the 4.6-pound weight makes it moderately portable.

There are also a few XGA LCD projectors that get fairly good reviews. While the image quality of the Epson PowerLite 76c (*est. $710) is called merely "pedestrian" by Richard Jantz at PC World, its features and value compensate to the point where it is the second-highest-rated projector by the magazine (and the highest currently available option). Among its features is a quality remote that includes digital zoom and a picture mode button for cycling through the projector's various image presets. The remote's built-in laser pointer offers three different shapes. Jantz adds that the projector is easy to use and starts up in less than four seconds. In addition, an Instant Off feature eliminates the need for a lamp cool-down period at the end of a presentation.

In contrast to the review at PC World, the Epson PowerLite 76c isn't the highest rated projector at PC Magazine, but reviewer M. David Stone still found a lot to like about this model, including its price. Among the positives noted is good image quality that was marred only by some slight flicker and some minor video noise. At a measured brightness of 1,305 lumens, it's bright enough for most rooms, but contrast ratio is on the low side at 126:1.

While it costs more than most XGA LCD business projectors, the Wi-Fi-capable Epson PowerLite 1715c (*est. $1,870) is feature rich, very bright and ultra tiny -- its 3.7-pound weight makes it lighter than the budget projectors above, making it very portable for presentations on the road. According to PC Today, the Epson 1715c further distinguishes itself from the competition with its excellent connectivity, highlighted by its wireless capability. The 1715c is 802.11a/b/g-compatible, and as long as you can maintain a wireless connection at 54mb or higher, you can wirelessly send full-motion video and more to the projector. You can also connect to the projector via USB, and an Ethernet module is offered as an extra-cost option. You can also connect a digital camera, USB thumb drive or external hard drive to the Epson 1715c for viewing photos or files directly without a PC. Standard video connections include S-video, composite video and analog RGB.

Reviewers are impressed with the Epson 1715c’s brightness of 2,700 lumens, but at least one review says it may actually be too bright for a small room. Other operating modes let you drop brightness down considerably, adding lots of life to the lamp. Contrast is good, but experts say that video is not the Epson 1715c's particular strength.

Some digital projectors try to bridge the worlds between business and home theater. Most are not that successful because of the different expectations of home theater and business projector users. One that does a better job than most is the Mitsubishi XD460U (*est. $2,075) . First and foremost, the Mitsubishi projector is clearly designed for business. While video quality is said to be great in reviews, the XD460U is a 4:3 projector in a world where most demand a widescreen aspect ratio for movies and high-def TV. Also, while the throw angle is great for use on a conference room table, it limits installation options in a home theater setup. Brightness in the presentation mode is measured by Projector Central at a respectable 1820 lumens, and a theater mode for use in a darkened room dials light output back to more typical levels for movie watching.

So why would you even consider this projector for home theater use? Experts say the electronics stand up well to the best home-theater projectors, including use of Texas Instrument’s DarkChip 3 DLP processor, which produces some of the deepest and richest blacks of any technology, and BrilliantColor, which makes it easy to adjust the color characteristics of an image. While the projector lacks an HDMI input, an HDCP-compliant (copyright protection) DVI input is provided for HD signals. In the end, all of this means that the XD460U handles video much better than most business-oriented projectors. However, that ability comes at a price, since the Mitsubishi XD460U is also more expensive than many other business-oriented DLP projectors.

Widescreen digital projectors

XGA projectors deliver a standard 4:3 aspect ratio image. Widescreen (16:9) business projectors with WXGA and WSXGA+ resolutions are also available. Both resolutions are capable of showing all of the detail in a 720p HDTV image.

Among DLP digital projectors, the widescreen WXGA Boxlight Broadview (*est. $1,600) has generated some positive notices. However, even though the Broadview is capable of displaying 720p HDTV in full resolution, it does not make for a great home-theater projector. The contrast falls short of DLP digital projectors designed for home theater use, and fan noise is described as noticeable and potentially objectionable. You also won’t find an HDMI input, and while a DVI-I input is provided, it is not HDCP compliant (which means it won't work in the future for copy-protected high-definition content).

On the other hand, the Boxlight Broadview is a pretty good widescreen business projector. Most widescreen projectors are fairly heavy, but the Broadview weighs in at just 4.4 pounds, making it a good traveling companion for a laptop. Despite the small size, light output is fairly impressive and is measured by Projector Central at 2060 lumens. While that doesn’t quite measure up to Boxlight’s claimed resolution for the projector, it’s still plenty bright enough for most business applications and to generate an image that’s as big as 240 inches (measured diagonally). Brightness can also be dialed down for use in rooms with less ambient light, and color performance is described as good in such situations. Image sharpness is excellent. PC Today notes that while the Broadview has a throw distance of up to 23 feet, some image degradation is seen at the far end of its range. The magazine also reports that image scaling cannot be turned off, although you can select a 4:3 XGA resolution.

While the Boxlight Broadview is a good WXGA option if your interest is strictly business, reviews say that the Optoma EP1690 is a better WXGA option for those looking for a projector for both business and home. It's considerably less expensive than the Broadview digital projector and more widely available, but it weighs considerably more (7 pounds). Like all crossover projectors, the Optoma EP1690 makes some compromises, but Clint DeBoer at Audioholics.com says that this projector deserves serious consideration for those looking for something for both work and play.

Image quality of the Optoma EP1690 -- including color, black levels, contrast and more -- is good for a business projector, but not quite up to the best that home-theater specific projectors (most of which cost more) can deliver. Brightness at the maximum setting is fairly high -- about 2,000 lumens as measured by ProjectorReviews.com. However, that site’s Art Feierman reports that the best image quality is obtained at light outputs that are closer to those of home theater projectors.

The Optoma projector's remote control includes a laser pointer and mouse controls. The projector can accept HD signals from home entertainment equipment like high-definition cable and satellite boxes via its HDCP-compliant DVI input (although an HDMI to DVI cable is required). The DLP wheel is slower than on most home theater projectors, but faster than on many business projectors. (A faster DLP wheel means fewer DLP rainbows.) The electronics include Texas Instrument’s DarkChip 2 processor -- the same found on many entry-level home theater projectors, and a step up from the image processing circuitry found in many business projectors. The lens-offset angle is similar to that found on home theater projectors, which can make using the projector on a conference room tabletop difficult (the image will be projected too high). In the end, Feierman and DeBoer say that despite compromises like these, price and performance make the Optoma EP1690 one of the better options for someone looking for a projector for both home theater and business use.

High-end LCoS digital projectors

LCoS is the third major technology used by business projectors, and reviewers say that it produces the highest quality images of all. However, LCoS projectors remain relatively expensive, and only a few business-oriented models are currently available. One is the non-widescreen Canon Realis SX50 . The Canon digital projector has the added advantage of being one of the few native SXGA+ (1400 x 1050 pixels) projectors currently on the market. Other projectors offer 1400 x 1050 as a maximum resolution, but results fall well short of those that offer it as a native resolution.

Reviews say that due to the high resolution and LCoS technology, the image is smooth and pixels are invisible. PC Magazine's M. David Stone measured brightness at 1,428 lumens (Canon claims 2,500), so the image is more than bright enough to handle brighter than normal lighting situations. While the 99:1 measured contrast ratio is low, the projector's rich, saturated colors keep images crisp.

Note that while the Canon Realis SX50 business projector has found some admirers among home-theater buffs, ProjectorCentral.com's Evan Powell says that the projector was not designed for that application. He adds that it does not excel when handling video material, including standard and high-definition TV signals. On the other hand, Powell says that when it’s paired with a computer source outputting SXGA+ data and graphics "the SX50 performs better than any other projector we've seen anywhere near its selling price." For video applications, Canon has introduced the Canon Realis SX60 (*est. $3,850) . While that model is very similar to the SX50, it is optimized to serve the home theater market.

If you want the benefits of LCoS, but can get by with XGA resolution, Canon’s Realis X600 (*est. $2,400) projector is a good and less expensive option according to reviews. PC Magazine's M. David Stone really appreciates how the X600 avoids the pitfalls of DLP and LCD and delivers a first-rate image for business applications and occasionally entertainment use. Benefits include high brightness and a crisp image with good colors. The contrast ratio isn’t great, but Stone says it does not unduly harm the image quality. Like many LCoS projectors, the X600 is on the heavy side, weighing in at around 10 pounds, so it's not the best for portable use.

The Canon Realis X600 has a number of nice features. The reviewers at PC Today really liked a spotlight mode, which dims the image except for a user-defined area so that viewers can zero in on an area of interest. They also enjoyed the easy setup -- pressing a single button takes care of a host of settings, including focus, keystone, input selection, color compensation and more. There’s no HDMI input for HDTV, but the DVI input is HDCP compatible.

Important Features: Portable digital projectors

Here's what experts say to consider when buying a business projector:

• Remember to figure replacement lamps into long-term cost. All projectors use replaceable lamps. Average lamp life is between 2,000 and 4,000 hours, and replacement lamps are not cheap. Most cost $300 and up.

• Experts say the image quality gap between DLP and LCD projectors has closed. DLP projectors suffer from an artifact called the rainbow effect in certain images, but that's a phenomenon that reviewers say can only be seen by a small percentage of people, and better projectors use a faster color wheel that reduces it further. LCD projectors are prone to the screen door effect, which means certain images may appear as if they are being watched through a screen door. That's less of a concern for data and text than moving images, and some projectors use technology that minimizes the effect at normal viewing distances.

• Consider the resolution you need. SXGA+ (1400 x 1050 pixels) is currently the highest resolution available for portable projectors, but these cost considerably more than other projectors and many PowerPoint and video presentations don't need such a high resolution. More common are XGA (1024 x 768 pixels) and SVGA (800 x 600 pixels). Widescreen versions of SVGA and XGA have more horizontal pixels to achieve a 16:9 aspect ratio. While most such projectors target the home-theater consumer rather than the business user, a few WXGA projectors aim to capture both markets.

• Measured in ANSI lumens, screen brightness refers to the light thrown out by the projector. Taking into account that manufacturer specs are nearly always higher than actual performance, experts say 1,500 lumens is fine for a small room with a lot of ambient light. For larger rooms, you'll want 2000 lumens or more. For dim rooms, you can get by with less.

• Contrast ratio refers to the difference between the darkest black and brightest white in a projected image. Again, manufacturer specs are often very different from tested performance, partly due to vague standards by which that measurement is taken. In general, business users can get by with a contrast ratio of 400:1.

• Make sure you have all the connectors you need. VGA connectors are a minimum for an analog connection to a laptop or PC. DVI connectors keep the connection all digital for improved signal quality. Composite (good), S-video (better) or component (best) video connectors are used to connect to a component DVD player or another video source. HDMI or HDCP-compliant DVI inputs are used by more and more HD components; look for these if you expect your business projector to see any double duty in a home-theater set up. See our Comparison Chart for input listing for each projector in ConsumerSearch Fast Answers.

• Smaller and lighter is better. Weight and size are important issues if you travel frequently.

• Most projectors come with a zoom lens, a speaker and a remote control. Projector speakers are usually unremarkable, but most include audio ports so you can plug in some speakers.

• You'll get the best image if you buy a projection screen for your projector. A wall works too, but most reviewers prefer a screen. Of course, this can add as much as a few hundred dollars to the cost and is one more thing to lug around when you travel.

Image size and brightness

Manufacturers usually specify a minimum and maximum screen size for their projectors. It’s important to realize that these are theoretical numbers and often have little to do with how an image will actually look. Typically, at the high end of the scale, the image will not be bright enough to look very good, while at the low end of the scale, images might actually be too bright.

For a projected image to look first rate, it needs to have "sufficient brightness," which is defined by the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) as between 12 and 22 foot-Lamberts (fL), with an ideal of 16 fL. That recommendation is for a dark room such as a movie theater or a home theater room with good to great light control. You’ll of course need a much brighter image for a living room or conference room with more ambient light -- figure 35 fL or more.

Image brightness is determined by a number of factors, most notably projector brightness, screen gain, image size and the distance between the projector and screen (the throw distance). Fortunately, there are a number of good calculators on the Internet that tackle the math and make specific recommendations on optimal screen size. One of the best we’ve seen is at Projector Central: http://www.projectorcentral.com/projection-calculator-pro.cfm

That calculator includes a database of essentially every past and present video projector. You can add information about the grain of your screen, aspect ratio and the application (movies, data, games or presentations), then see the recommended screen size and throw distance. The calculator lets you easily experiment with different throw distances and diagonal screen sizes to see how the two interact to influence screen brightness. It also reports other important information such as maximum room lighting levels for the intended use, recommended seating distances from the screen and more.

As an example, we used Projector Central's calculator to figure optimal screen size and throw distance for the Epson PowerLite S4 in ConsumerSearch Fast Answers. In a room with lots of ambient light, an image size of between 45" and 85" will look best. Over that, the image may not be bright enough in conference-room lighting. By comparison, the Dell 2400MP is a brighter projector, and in the same ambient light situation (19 fL ambient room lighting), a 95" image would have similar brightness as a 73" image with the Epson (according to Projector Central's calculator).

Our Consensus Report shows how many times products are top-ranked by reviewers included in our
All The Reviews Reviewed chart.

# of Picks	Model (with retailer links)	Details from Amazon.com
4	Dell 2400MP (*est. $1,200)	details
3	Optoma EP719 (*est. $815)	details
2	Mitsubishi XD460U (*est. $2,075)	details
2	Epson PowerLite S4 (*est. $600)	details
2	Canon Realis SX50 (*est. $3,425)
2	Canon Realis X600 (*est. $2,400)	details
2	Epson PowerLite 76c (*est. $710)	details
2	Optoma EP1690 (*est. $1,200)
2	Boxlight Broadview (*est. $1,600)	-
2	Epson PowerLite 1715c (*est. $1,870)	details
1 each	Canon LV-X6 , Hitachi CP-RX60 , InFocus LP70+ , InFocus LP120, Mitsubishi XD205U , NEC NP60 , Optoma EP739, Panasonic PT-P1SDU , Panasonic LB60NTU , Plus Vision V-339 , Sanyo PLV-80 , Sony VPL-CX76 , Toshiba TDP-FF1AU , ViewSonic PJ458D

Most of the business projectors top-ranked by experts appear in ConsumerSearch Fast Answers. The Dell 2400MP is an XGA projector that's capable of producing very bright images. The Optoma 719 is a lightweight budget XGA projector that's a good fit for those who travel frequently. The Epson PowerLite S4 is a low-cost SVGA projector. The Optoma EP1690 is a WXGA projector that works in the home or office. The Canon Realis SX50 produces high-quality images at its native SXGA+ resolution.

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