ViewSonic's On The Right Road With The PJD2121 Projector
With street pricing just above $400, the PJD2121 was built with mobility in mind. There's mostly good news here, but some aspects of the device we would have preferred to be better. All in all, though, the value proposition is a strong one and reviewers find this a product that we can recommend for enterprises with a focus on leveraging the entire scope of presentation capability for mobile workers.
Built with a form factor of 8 x 2 1/2 x 4 1/2 inches, and weighing in at 2 pounds, 2 ounces, the PJD2121 is about the size of a paperback and weighs less than most notebooks.
Running the portable projector in our lab, it never got that much warmer than most laptops would get--and never uncomfortable to the touch. For a projector, that's noteworthy.
The device supports both 720p and 1,080i HD formats; it provides images at what ViewSonic says is 400 lumens and a contrast ratio of 1,800 to 1, while including Texas Instruments BrilliantColor technology.
According to ViewSonic, BrilliantColor technology "delivers stunning all-digital clarity with lifelike color, sharp graphics and outstanding video." The five-segment color wheel enhances the yellow color performance for vivid color reproduction, according to the company.
Its outer case is glossy black, with a simple one-touch on/off function that we'd like to see in other projectors. It supports standard VGA and video and audio input, and was straightforward and simple to set up out of the box.
In keeping with the idea of true mobility, we tested the PJD2121 using a Dell Inspiron Mini 10 netbook running Windows XP. Installing the DisplayMate suite of software-based display calibration tests, the PJD2121 made it through the entire testing process needing no adjustment or calibration. In general, though, we've seen much brighter and clearer projectors this year--though not in a compact form factor--for about the same price, so ViewSonic delivers a product that does one thing very well: carries along with you so you can deliver mobile presentations.
ViewSonic lists the throw distance of the projector at between 28 inches and 10 feet, and we tested it 3 1/2 feet from the screen--right in range. The netbook's graphics were set at the 800-by-600 resolution (recommended by ViewSonic). While the PJD2121 displayed a PowerPoint presentation just fine for a small gathering in a small room, for large audiences of a dozen or more in a larger room we believe a more standard projector should be considered--even at the sacrifice of some mobility. Where the PJD2121 is a hit in scenarios where projected presentations wouldn't even be considered until now: small gatherings for one or a few others that could be done with no hassle. For many scenarios, that could more than justify the price and comparative sharpness of the display.
Following are the accessories that ViewSonic lists on its Web site to accompany the PJD2121 compact projector, of which it says "leaves nothing behind but the weight:"
• Extended Express Exchange, which is second- and third-year Express Exchange and recycling disposal for all of ViewSonic's PJ2xx and PJ3xx projectors.
• Replacement lamp (Model Number RLC-052).
• A Universal Ceiling Mount Kit (Model Number WMK-005)
• Wireless Presentation Gateway (Model Number WPG350), which lets users wirelessly connect to any projector or display with an available VGA output.
The bottom line: ViewSonic has been clearly focusing on mobility and ultra-mobility in a number of different areas--not just with displays but with a new set of PCs the company announced earlier this year. Technology manufacturers can't just snap their fingers and produce small form factor PCs or projectors--it takes substantial investment and resource. ViewSonic has clearly spent that time and effort, and delivers a product that can have an impact in business meetings where presentations may simply never have before been considered.