Acer H5350 review

The H5350 is one of the cheapest HD projectors we've ever seen. Its small, boxy chassis won't win any design awards but its low weight and bundled carry case make it ideal for portable use.

Given the tiny dimensions, it's no surprise that the H5350 uses DLP technology. It has a respectable 2,000:1 contrast ratio and a 1,280x720 native resolution. We found that it produced vibrant colours - if a touch too vivid at times - and respectable levels of detail. However, the images weren't quite as detailed as those from the Panasonic PT-AX200E. We had no trouble getting Windows running at the projector's native resolution, and the desktop showed crisp text.

It has all the inputs you'd expect on a home cinema projector, including an HDMI socket. What you won't find is extras such as a SCART input for connecting a Freeview box. A small remote control is stored in a slot on top of the main unit. Be careful not to lose it, though, as there are no controls on the projector itself.

The small size means there's no room for large fans, which is probably why it's a little louder than bigger LCD projectors. Acer claims that the H5350 produces 32dB normally and 28dB in eco mode, which is noticeably more than the PT-AX200E's 25dB in eco mode.

It may be easy to carry to a friend's house, but the H5350 is not the most convenient projector to set up. Not surprisingly for a projector of this size and price, there's no lens shift for positioning the projected image. What's more, its tiny zoom range provides a throw ratio of only 1.56:1 to 1.71:1 - so there's little flexibility in how far you can position this projector from the screen. Without engaging the zoom, you'll get a 58in image at a distance of 2m. Both the zoom and focus controls lack resistance, making them hard to adjust precisely.

It may not have the most flexible optical system, but the bright 2,000-lumen lamp will let you use the H5350 under most lighting conditions. It didn't quite equal the Panasonic PT-AX200E for brightness, even though both are rated at 2,000 lumens, but you can certainly use the H5350 with the lights on. It has a 1,600-lumen economy mode too, which is easily bright enough to use under subdued lighting.

Acer claims the lamp will last for an impressive 3,000 hours at full power, and 4,000 hours in eco mode. Despite this, it's not a very cheap projector to run, as replacement lamps currently cost £266 including VAT, which is more than half the price of the projector. It works out to just under 7p an hour in eco mode.

If you want a projector you can use with the lights on, but you don't want to spend a fortune, the H5350 is a great choice. It's a worthy winner of our Budget Buy award, but don't forget to check that its throw ratio is suitable for your living room.

Author: Seth Barton