ViewSonic PJ400 review

It may not look it, but ViewSonic's PJ400 is a budget projector.

At 285x73x202mm, it's smaller than most in its class, and at 2.2kg it's fairly transportable. That said, a few compromises have been made - the native resolution of 800x600 is lower than you'd use on an average 17in flat-panel monitor, so although the image on your wall may be bigger, it contains less information than you'd normally see displayed on-screen. This needn't worry you too much - it's fine for playing games and movies, or displaying PowerPoint presentations.

The PJ400 throws out a bright image, rated at 1,600 ANSI lumens - enough for a clear picture even in a well-lit room. But like all projectors, you'll get better results if you turn the lights down. This is particularly true if the PJ400 is used in its quieter and low-power 'whisper mode'. The whisper mode cuts the output to around two-thirds of its full power, and extends the lamp's expected lifespan from 2,000 to 4,000 hours. This might not seem like a big deal, but given that a replacement bulb will set you back more than £350, it will save you some money in the long run.

As well as hooking up to your PC's analogue D-Sub monitor connector, the PJ400 accepts S-Video and composite video inputs, so you can connect it direct to a DVD or VCR player. The projector is based on LCD, rather than brighter and higher-contrast DLP technology, but it casts a vibrant, sharp image with smooth transitions though greyscales. Its pixels reacted fast enough to avoid irritating 'smearing' during DVD action movies, and the PJ400 had no trouble with our graphically intensive test presentation.

At its maximum projection distance of 7.4m, the PJ400 projects an image just over 5m diagonal. At 3.5m - the kind of distance you'd expect to project in your home - the image measures 2.5m diagonally across. You'll need to think carefully about the positioning of the PJ400, as it lacks an optical zoom, so moving the projector forward and backward is the only way to adjust image size. If you plan to mount the projector on your ceiling, you'll be able to position it perfectly before fixing it in place. But if you don't want to make the PJ400 a permanent fixture, you may need to rearrange the furniture every time to accommodate it properly.

The PJ400 is as cheap as projectors come, but you get a lot for your money. It casts a bright, clear and colourful image and is smaller, lighter and easier on the eye than the competition. For this price, that's pretty good.

Author: David McKinnon