InFocus X1 Video Projector
By: In Focus Average Rating: 4.5 Total Reviews: 26
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 On: 2007-05-08
Ive owned this projector for about 2 years now and I keep it in the family room where it is used daily. Like others have posted, its an excellent projector... until that noise kicks in.
We are deciding whether or not to pay $350 for it to be fixed by our local service dealer or to buy a new HDTV.
I would say, if you buy an Infocus projector, get the X2 since this is not manufactured anymore.
That said, image quality is quite good, especially HD. For computers, it only goes up to 1024x768. When it was working, it "Wow"d anyone who saw it and was an awesome addition to the home theater.
 On: 2007-01-05
I did my homework before buying the projector and the x1 came up on top of the list. Right price, amazing picture quality and great reviews. I was impressed! So I went ahead and bought it, Jan. 2004 ($999). First bulb lasted 2000 hrs (not bad I thought), picture was great. The best deal I made! I thought. Then the noise came, a horrible grinding noise coming from the unit started right after the warranty expired. Coincidence??? Who knows! Base on what Ive been reading lately it seems like more and more people are coming out with the same problem. The noise is now so loud and annoying (table-saw cutting wood) I had to stop using the projector. I wrote to Infocus but they want $259.00 without even seeing the unit. I dont think Infocus will fix it right anyways so I guess Ill be shopping for a new projector next week and it sure wont be an Infocus this time. Fool me once shame on you, full me twice shame on me. Thanks Infocus, Im now the proud owner of a $1000 dead bat hanging on my ceiling!
On: 2006-01-01
After a lot of research we bought an X1 in July 2003 for home theatre use. For the price, you couldnt complain - we watched TV as well as movies and loved it so much that we recommended it to a friend who purchased one. About 3 weeks before the 2 year warranty expired it started getting noisy, but the problem would come and go so (regetably) we didnt act on it straight away. As it got worse we contacted Infocus who refused to do anything about it because the warranty period had expired. The noise was created by a problem with the fan that cools the colour wheel. The fan itself is probably a $20 part, but the bad design of the projector meant that you couldnt just replace the fan, but had to replace the whole colour-wheel assembly - at a cost of $1000 for the part!!! (more than the cost of the projector). A few months after the noise started the globe exploded. Needless to say, we are now in the market for a new projector and its not likely to be an Infocus model.
 On: 2005-10-31
Anyone who is considering buying a projector but doesnt want to spend their life savings should definitely look into the X1. The faroujda processor is used through the S-video and composite connections and makes even the most modest DVD player look amazing. for an SVGA player, this machine is absolutely amazing. Dont waste your money buying a more expense projector, unless you are an absolute perfectionist you wont notice the difference. By the way, firmware for the Infocus 4800 can be downloaded onto the X1 for greater availability to adjust the picture (dont send in your projector with the different firmware though or they will void the warranty).
SD cable will look good, but it is definitely worth it to kick down a couple bucks to get HDTV. WOW! what a picture
 On: 2004-09-16
Im planning to get this projector but I found out Infocus repackaged this x1 for the consumer market called the "Screenplay 4805", its basically the x1 with newly added upgrade extra features. The best place you can get is not online but at Costco for only $1300 with a FREE 72" screen included....what a steal...where can u get a projector with a free screen....wow!
-DJ
On: 2004-09-15
After having replaced a fine 55" Mitsubishi HDTV with this projector, everyone who has viewed movies in my home theater cant believe the X1 sells for under $1000. Sure, it has no NTSC tuner nor any sound system worth mentioning, but thats precisely the point. All that stuff is outboard for even the most modest home theater enthusiast, and thus is redundant and unnecessary (as well all more costly) when purchasing any other type of monitor. The 7200 and 7205 are truly fine machines, but they are not worth the thousands of $$$s more than the X1, unless you are a fanatic. I still dont believe this unit performs as well as it does. DVDs explode into life and even Directv looks pretty sensational. Finally, remember the X1a and X2 do not include Farjouda processing. Big difference from my perspective. With the X1 you cant go wrong.
On: 2004-08-18
The X1 projector is a great addition to my home theater. I ordered the composite adapter and DVD watching is superb. I also watch VHS tapes via the S-Video input and depending on the quality of the VHS tape, the results are unbelievable. I sold my 56" HDTV Monitor and bought the X1 and was skeptical about the claims made here at Amazon as well on the Home Shopping Network. Now that I have been using the X1 projector for the last 60 days and have gotten used to it, I dont ever plan on spending $2300 for a TV that is measured in inches and that weighs 300 pounds. I have my X1 setup in a light controlled environment in my semi finished basement and the presentation is approximately 10x 11" diagnal, you cant get closer to the movie theater experience than that. I am using a Panasonic DVD player and a JVC amplifier for DTS, Dolby Surround, Surround 5.1 sound and 10 speakers for the audio. Like the one persons comments, Im not a tech nut either but I know great video when I see it. There is a reason that merchandise stores display 100 TV sets on the main floor as soon as you enter the doors and hide the projectors in the back corner. Because once you have experienced the projector you will never want to spend more than twice the money on a TV that is limited in size as well as warranty care. My X1 was too easy to hook up to my DVD player, VCR (for TV channels), RCA video for the kids Play Station 2 and amplifier. I am no longer a skeptic and when friends see the quality and size of the video of this light weight powerful unit they cant believe it. Some TV channels such as ESPN, MSNBC, TLC etc, I can watch in moderate light without any problem. I downloaded the latest software update from the http://www.infocus.com website simply by connecting my X1 to my computer and was done in no time at all. You need one of these if you enjoy home theater and for the price you cant go wrong.
On: 2004-07-25
I bought the X1 as a business projector as well as home viewing of DVDs.
On the DVD front, this unit really really shines. I used my laptop and connected via the included vesa cable, selected the Film preset, and projected about a 70 inch diagonal image on a glass-beaded projection screen. The images were well saturated and gorgeous, as good as any movie screen.
I took the sound from my laptop headphones out jack and attached them to some Sony powered speakers and got great sound.
You will not be dissappointed with the DVD video quality of this unit, not for a moment.
People talk about seeing weird effects with the DLP processor. If you really try to analyze the heck out of the image, you might notice a little bit of slowness in the ability of the processor to keep up with fast moving images (like a person jogging across the screen). But basically, if you relax and go with the flow, you wont notice anything about the DLP image except how fantastic it looks.
Try watching "Under the Tuscan Sun" with this baby and youll know what I mean. My girlfirend and I cant imagine what it used to be like watching movies on a normal (ie. 32 inch) tv screen. Once youve gone 70 inch diagonal (and greater, if you have room for a larger screen), you cant imagine watching video on those 40 or 50 inch little pooper screens.
As for business presentations, definitely pick another preset like Presentation. The presentation quality is good but not amazing. Probably better off with a non-DLP unit if presentations are your main bag.
Anyways, dont think a second about it. Get the X1 and never watch a DVD on a puny screen again.
On: 2004-07-25
This projector is great for a set-up in a smaller room in which you are able to control the ambient light completely.
I bought this and use it in a studio apt. with bay windows, connected to my computer (which has a DVD player). The things I dont like are that my room is a little over 20 FT., and that makes the picture too big (you cant control the size of the image that much, its based on distance to the wall), unless I pull the unit further into the center of the room. I originally wanted to mount it on to the ceiling, but the distance is too great.
So I would recommend using it in a smaller room, about 15 ft or less.
The image quality is great for DVDs, just adequate for computer work (Im farsighted and wanted a large screen to work on- its just not high enough res. for that.) Also, the image from a TV is not good and shows jaggy lines with the standard video in jack. I havent found any resolution for that.
So, know what you are getting. A great home DVD theatre, but just not enough light output for daytime use, and not very good with standard TV signals, and not great for doing anything beyond simple powerpoint presentations. I would not hesitate to get a unit twice as expensive if the lumens were twice as much, there was more play in the ability to control the image size, and greater resolution than 800x600.
But again, that being said, Im in no rush to stop inviting people over to watch movies in my own makeshift theatre!
On: 2004-07-24
This projector is great for a set-up in a smaller room in which you are able to control the ambient light completely.
I bought this and use it in a studio apt. with bay windows, connected to my computer (which has a DVD player). The things I dont like are that my room is a little over 20 FT., and that makes the picture too big (you cant control the size of the image that much, its based on distance to the wall), unless I pull the unit further into the center of the room. I originally wanted to mount it on to the ceiling, but the distance is too great.
So I would recommend using it in a smaller room, about 15 ft or less.
The image quality is great for DVDs, just adequate for computer work (Im farsighted and wanted a large screen to work on- its just not high enough res. for that.) Also, the image from a TV is not good and shows jaggy lines with the standard video in jack. I havent found any resolution for that.
So, know what you are getting. A great home DVD theatre, but just not enough light output for daytime use, and not very good with standard TV signals, and not great for doing anything beyond simple powerpoint presentations. I would not hesitate to get a unit twice as expensive if the lumens were twice as much, there was more play in the ability to control the image size, and greater resolution than 800x600.
But again, that being said, Im in no rush to stop inviting people over to watch movies in my own makeshift theatre!
On: 2004-05-21
I am writing this, because i made my decision mainly over the others opinions and i will be very happy if i can help others with their decision. I am not an expert but i can tell you that i am very hapy with the result. My wife was very pesimistic about the idea of buying a projector but now she is also accept that result is impressive. This is my first projector and i dont think i need an upgrade for a while. Iam using it mainly for dvd. I have a 100" screen. Colours and contrast are very good but there are minor problems with dark scenes. If you want to use X1 during the day you have to have a light control because this is not a projector you can use it in a bright environment. Seting up X1 is easy. Component video is deffinitely giving the best result but s video is also not bad. For component video you have to use a special adaptor and it was difficult to find when ý bought the X1. If you can not find it you can use a VGA to 5BNC cable (like me). It can accept progressive signals but you should decide whether your source or the procectors video processing is better. X1 has a Faroudja video processing and it is very good. I know the rainbow isue is a problem with DLP projectors (Specialy projectors with 2X color wheel like X1). But i am at the lucky side. I have more than 300 hours on the lamp and neither me nor My wife or any of my friends see any rainbows yet. I think, if you dont see the rainbows you can not go wrong with this projector. Result is perfect for the price. I think this was the best 950$ i spend for my home theatre. PS: you can find lots of useful information about X1 at http://members.shaw.ca/technut/x1faq (unofficial X1 FQA page)
On: 2004-03-31
I was looking for a projector to use for my home theater as well as something I could rent out(to recover my cost). About a week of research lead me to the X1. I was originally looking at the Epson Powerlite S1, but after reading several reviews on it about how pixelated it looked..most reviewers reccomended the X1 over the Epson. This led me to start looking at Infocus X1 reviews. I checked around several places and here at Amazon as well and all of them were very good. As youve probably already read, the main complaint everyone has had is the "rainbow effect". I probably wouldve never noticed it if I hadnt been looking for it when I got it home. You mainly notice it if you move your head after youve blinked. I know this sounds crazy, but thats when Ive noticed it. It is not that big of a deal and most of your friends that you bring over to watch a movie will never even notice it! I havent gotten the screen yet, had to order it, but even on my white wall it looks very nice even with some lighting on. It was much brighter then I expected! I have tried it with my PC connected to watch a DVD and also with my Sony DVD Home Theater system connected up with S-Video cable. The picture is about the same. I have ordered the adapter for the composite signal so that should make the picture even better. Hope this helps! I would definately reccomend this projector to anyone looking for a low price projector.
On: 2004-03-15
I spent WAY too much time trying to pick a projector as a first time home theater guy. I am definitely glad I picked the X1.When I first turned the projector on, connected it to my Apple Powerbook, and projected an image onto a DaLite High Contrast Matte Screen ($90), I was blown away. The image quality far exceeded my expectations. When I watched my first movie (Fellowship, played off of my Powerbook G4), I was again totally impressed. And I was being hyper critical because of the warnings of "rainbows." These are misnamed. There ARE brief, noticeable flashes of RGB color bands around some high contrast objects on some scences of movies, but it is not a problem. Believe me. I was annoyed ONLY because I wanted it to be perfect, but the image quality overshadowed any of the RGB issues. And others cant even see what Im talking about unless I point it out to them. If your room is really, really bright, you will be disappointed, however. After all, this is why they turn out the lights at the movies!
On: 2004-02-26
I have logged about 350 hours on my X1 and am still impressed by what I see. I thought that DVDs looked amazing with s-video in, but Hi-Def is even more incredible, almost 3 dimensional.Slight rainbows from the 2x color wheel may or may not bother you. I am a broadcast professional and highly critical of image quality, and although I notice them, they are not a deal breaker, and seem to diminish the more I watch. If I were buying today, Id give serious consideration to the newly announced Screenplay 4805. Although it looks like the X1, it is "enhanced" in many ways. For another $600 you get DVI in with HDCP (trust me, your gonna want this when HD-DVD hits the market), a 25% brigher bulb (the X1 when set-up for video without the white wheel segment, is less than 500 lumens), a default calibrated set-up for video out of the box, and a 16x9 image panel instead of 4:3. Instead of 800x600, its 854x480. This means no vertical scaling on DVD material down to 800x450 (should be much sharper and should be markedly sharper using DVI for input from the new DVD players. Basically were talking about digital pixel for pixel imaging right from the DVD) and no gray bars on the top and bottom when viewing 16x9 material. As a further home theatre bonus, theyve added a 12v screen trigger for electronic pull-down screens. Of course, its got the proven Faroudja DCDi processor as well. The X1 rocks and is cheap, but if you primarily want to view movies, check out the 4805 which should ship sometime this spring.
by: Anonymous On: 2004-02-24
I love this video projector....for an incredible price its turned my family room into a movie theater! When I put CHICAGO in the DVD player and saw it projected by the InFocus X1, I KNEW I had what Id wanted all my life....my own theater!! The clarity and color were absolutely amazing on my 84-inch diagonal screen.
On: 2004-02-21
I bought the X1 a few weeks ago and have had the opportunity to spend some time playing with it. I have to say, its great value for money. The picture quality is good and the contrast/brightness is acceptable even in a relatively bright room. I though I would have had to seal all the windows in the living room to be able to watch a movie, but thats not necessarily true. Also, the fan is fairly quiet and the built-in speaker is good when on the move. Overall, I am very satisfied with it both at home and when making presentations. The only two negatives are the following. First, if you start thinking about the "rainbow effect" too much, you will see it everywhere (although in a very mild form), and thats a bit distractive. My suggestion is: dont look for it! Second, I have had trouble setting up the picture at home to be perfectly rectangular. I still have to spend some more time trying to fix this problem, but at the moment its a bit of a hassle to fit the picture perfectly onto the screen.
On: 2004-01-10
After reading the reviews here and elsewhere, I took the plunge and got this around Christmas. Heres my observations based on my initial temporary setup.
I set this up in a converted lower level room showing against white painted sheetrock. I have four windows in the room. Set the projector up temporarily on my entertainment center approximately 12 feet from the wall. (Audio through a home theatre audio system)The unit does not come with the component adapter which I recomend
as almost essential for viewing DVDs. So you need to add that cost ($25) and the component cable costs if you dont have one (radio shack...$50) to the cost of the unit. First of all, you need very dark area for the Film presentation setting. This is not really a problem in my setup because I have light tight window shades. I have not bought a screen yet so part of my problem may be the lack of brightness due to the white sheetrock. In any case,
normal TV viewing with the lights on is not particularly satisfying. Before I got the adapter, I viewed DVDs through S-Video and found them okay, but definitely saw some screen door effects. (Especially noticeable in the "Finding Nemo" DVD. S-Video connector is okay, but the difference between that and component video is night and day. I put the Nemo DVD in after I hooked up the component cables and it just blew me away. No screen door problem. Only small problem I saw was some slight blooming of blues in the high saturation range (such as Dorys body). Not that noticeable and I was looking at it with a hyper critical eye. A lot depends on the DVD compression and such....Lawrence of Arabia Superbit version looks great compared to it;s poorly produced predecessors. Xbox games were okay on the big screen...I have to fool around with the settings some, but the lack of brightness does make it feel a bit shadowy compared to TV CRT viewing. In any case I bought it for DVD viewing and for that its just great. Recommend it highly.
On: 2004-01-04
if you want to play XBOX games in HDTV modes, the Xboxs config screen wont appear on the InFocus X1. The Xboxs config screen is 480i and not 480p resolution. So the 480p games will appear in high resolution but you wont be able to see the config screen unless you connect the Xbox to a regular TV. The X1 supports 480i out of the s-video port but not the svga port. If it werent for this annoyance, I would have bought this projector last year.
On: 2003-12-09
Hi everyone,
Each year around this time, your old friend Sam gets into high tech gear and explores the latest gadgets out there. This year I wanted to add big screen video to our bedroom to take advantage of watching more of the many, many DVDs I have amassed in the past few years. Why watch lousy TV programs when you can see a good feature and see it movie size?
Well, I had NO IDEA what a REVOLUTION has occurred in video processing technology at a price ANYONE can afford right now. Those of you who have seen my eight foot projected picture at home will appreciate what I am about to tell you....you can have close to that great quality for DVDs, Cable TV or High Definition, or other sources for only $999.99 and all you need do is go to Circuit City and buy the INFOCUS X1 projector. Infocus is one of the leading manufacturers of projectors for industrial use and their sets are now being tailored for home use. Their products use the DLP technology (Digital Light Producing) and the latest Texas Instruments chip. This baby is smaller than a typewriter (about 5 by 10 by 12) and weighs only six pounds. The bulb will last for up to FOUR THOUSAND hours and is relatively cheap to replace. The brightness and contrast specs are actually better than my two year old six thousand dollar Sharp XV-9000 projector. It has lower resolution than some higher priced machines, but still enough punch to make any DVD look great for picture sizes up to nine feet. It even has a small speaker and amp built in so you dont need to hook up a sound system, which is especially handy if you want to carry it out anywhere. It has a zoom lens that allows you to adjust picture size and a handy remote control that provides all the choices for any adjustments you need.
Right out of the box, and without making any adjustments, the picture on "Annie Get Your Gun" (an exceptional DVD!) looked beautiful. I hyped the brightness, color, and contrast a bit and was even more pleased. Truly, this projector is just unbelievable and it is a thrill to share this review of its great performance with you.
You dont even need a screen to enjoy the picture, as it will work on a white wall or even a sheet. A cheap screen will be better, however. Anyone with at least a five foot throw distance can enjoy this baby in a darkened room. I had mine about fifteen feet from the screen for an eight foot picture. Even with light on in the room, the picture can be enjoyed.
This projector was introduced at $1,600.00 and was recently lowered in price because a newer model is coming out next year...BUT the new model will not include the fine Faroudja processor that is built into the unit. This processor is great at cleaning up imperfections in video. Jagged edges, video noise, and more will be smoothed out.
As usual, I did much research into this and compared other models and read countless reviews to find the best bang for the buck right now. There are a few other models that average a couple hundred more and will probably give similar performance, but I dont think any other machine will come close for this price.
So, if a big beautiful video experience is what you have been waiting for....go get one and enjoy! Just hook up your cable box or an inexpensive DVD player and you are in business. BOTTOM LINE: People who are going out and buying those huge rear projection TVs that are heavy and take up a lot of room paid from two to three thousand dollars and sometimes much more. You can have a picture double their size, that will have no "burn in" problems, take up no space, and almost certainly will have a superior picture....for a third of the price. The projector also has a THREE year warranty.
I think Santa Claus came early this year...because it feels like Xmas here today!
best to all,
Sam
by: Anonymous On: 2003-12-07
This unit is just amazing.Although the rating is 800x600, you can display 1024x768 with excellent result. If no one told you, you would not know that 1024x768 is not the native resolution. It is very light, and comes with a remote that doubles as a mouse for your computer, which enables you to deliver presentations in a very professional manner. Although the rainbow effect that plagues early generation DLP projectors is present at time with this unit, I am not bothered by it. You can only see it if you look for it, but is non-existant if you are captivated by the movie or show you are watching. Other points:
- 1 composite video in
- 1 s-video in
- 1 vga in
- 1 audio in
- manual focus (thats a minus)
- electronic lamp hour usage tracking
- 4:3, native, or widescreen (16:9) display modes
- digital keystoning
- It is as loud as a standard computer. So, at night you will notice it when all other sounds are muted. That noise is usually covered up by the movie or tv sound or during the day by daily noises. Finally, there are two extra bonuses when you get the unit.
- the bulb now lasts 4000hrs instead of 3000hrs as advertised
- It is 1100 luminen instead of 1000 as advertised
- the bulb price is down to 299 bucks, which makes it very economical
On: 2003-11-28
I just got the Screenplay 4800 from Sams Club. It is a newer version of the X1. The only difference is it comes with a remote and is fine-tuned for home theater instead of data video. For ~$1250 I got the projector and a 76" widescreen screen. The lower grade DLP does show some "rainbow" effects, but its not that bad in my opinion. I am very picky about all A/V products I buy and this has passed the test. TV out from my VCR looks awesome and DVD through the component video out looks absolutely amazing. I have not seen a decently priced projection TV that looks even a fraction as good as this projector.
On: 2003-11-20
I have been enjoying the Infocus X1 for about a year now. Everyone enjoys it. I use ALL of the input modes. Here is a list of uses so far. :-}- NTSC Composite from VCR
- NTSC S-Video for standard Comcast Cable service
- HDTV 1080i from Comcast Cable service. Needed special cable that converts Y/Pr/Pb to RGB. Even though it needs to use image compression to change res. from 1920x1080 to 800x600 the projector displays a supurb image.
- SVGA 1024x768 compressed for most computer stuff but is still sharp and clear
- My favorate! Counter-Strike! VGA 800x600! Players are lifesize!
- LotR Two Towers Special Addition is amazing! Save your money! If you plan on paying more than $1000 for a TV or Plasma. Buy an X1 instead! -Egbet the Destroyer
On: 2003-11-10
This projector has exceeded our expectations in terms of image quality. It is very easy to use as a home theater setup. You can also use it for business purposes on the road. The new software increases the bulb life to 4000 hrs(from 3000) and the price of the bulb was reduced $100(to 299). The night time viewing is incredible. There is some washout during the day in a brightly lit room, as expected with this technology. Watching little nemo is awesome. My kids love it. Best thousand bucks spent.
On: 2003-08-18
Great Projector. Exceed my expectation. The picture quality of this projector is better than my []Sony GrandWega 60XBR800. I think the best combo is a Plasma TV for TV and daytime watching and the projector for DVD movie watching. I am really happy with it. My kids also love this projector. I brought it with me and hooked up to my laptop to watch movies for the kids while on vacation.
On: 2003-06-10
This is simply an amazing product for the price. Dont let the SVGA resolution fool you, the images are crystal clear and since its DLP there is virtually no visible pixel structure, as is common on LCD projectors. I couldnt be more pleased with my purchase. Just go to a local home theater store and view another DLP projector with a 2x colorwheel speed and make sure you dont see rainbows before you buy it, because if you see them youll just end up returning it. If you dont see rainbows, it will be the best thing you ever buy, unless you just bought a porsche or something.
On: 2003-04-27
I myself have to purchased this projector for home theater use. I have it and another InFocus projector, the ScreenPlay 7200. InFocus seems to make the best projectors around. Ive had several and my friends and family all have them as well and we just cant seem to find better projectors than the InFocus and thats after trying about ten different brands between all of us. Some of the other brands like Sony and Epson are pretty bad actually.Anyway, this one is for the kids and the ScreenPlay 7200 is for the adults and you wouldnt belive how comparable they are. Great light output, great colors, PERFECT contrast and the resolution is perfect for video. Honestly, the 7200 does have have a better picture but not by much really. In fact, the contrast I mentioned with the X1 is visibly better. We have a plasma in the kitchen and had some big screen televisions years ago and I cant see why anybody would ever use either with the option of an InFocus projector. Youll get better clarity and a bigger image with a projector and theres no burn-in like we are already experiencing with our 1-year old plasma. This particuar projector defnitely gets a thumbs up from me.
On: 2003-04-26
I myself have to purchased this projector for home theater use. I have it and another InFocus projector, the ScreenPlay 7200. InFocus seems to make the best projectors around. Ive had several and my friends and family all have them as well and we just cant seem to find better projectors than the InFocus and thats after trying about ten different brands between all of us. Some of the other brands like Sony and Epson are pretty bad actually.Anyway, this one is for the kids and the ScreenPlay 7200 is for the adults and you wouldnt belive how comparable they are. Great light output, great colors, PERFECT contrast and the resolution is perfect for video. Honestly, the 7200 does have have a better picture but not by much really. In fact, the contrast I mentioned with the X1 is visibly better. We have a plasma in the kitchen and had some big screen televisions years ago and I cant see why anybody would ever use either with the option of an InFocus projector. Youll get better clarity and a bigger image with a projector and theres no burn-in like we are already experiencing with our 1-year old plasma. This particuar projector defnitely gets a thumbs up from me.
On: 2003-01-07
I purchased the X1 just before Christmas (delivery in 36 hours!) to be the video source for my Home Entertainment system. I use a computer to supply DVD input and for computer games. The Xbox and game Cube are connected through the s-video input. I am projecting on a 84 inch diagonal white screen. Viewing distance is about 11 feet. DVD movies look perfect. There is no visible pixilation and blacks are close to true black (in film mode). Part of this is no doubt do to using a computer for the DVD input. I believe a direct s-video input may not be as good (I have not tried this though). The video game systems also look great. Four player Halo on a big screen has to be seen to be believed. I also have a TV tuner (Hauppage)in the computer and astonishingly, the TV image (at about 65 inch diagonal)is excellent. The only reservation would be that the light output is not great (especially in film or video mode) so you need to use it in a room that can be fully blacked out. The picture is much better than any rear projection HDTVs I have seen (of any size). For the money I doubt you could by a better picture for TV or DVD viewing. The native resolution is SVGA so Text is slightly ragged, especially when displayed in XGA mode. Again due to the SVGA native resolution computer games do not look as good as on high resolution monitor. I would therefore not recommend the projector as your only computer monitor or for large amounts of web surfing.
Definitely recommended.
On: 2003-01-06
I purchased the X1 just before Christmas (delivery in 36 hours!) to be the video source for my Home Entertainment system. I use a computer to supply DVD input and for computer games. The Xbox and game Cube are connected through the s-video input. I am projecting on a 84 inch diagonal white screen. Viewing distance is about 11 feet. DVD movies look perfect. There is no visible pixilation and blacks are close to true black (in film mode). Part of this is no doubt do to using a computer for the DVD input. I believe a direct s-video input may not be as good (I have not tried this though). The video game systems also look great. Four player Halo on a big screen has to be seen to be believed. I also have a TV tuner (Hauppage)in the computer and astonishingly, the TV image (at about 65 inch diagonal)is excellent. The only reservation would be that the light output is not great (especially in film or video mode) so you need to use it in a room that can be fully blacked out. The picture is much better than any rear projection HDTVs I have seen (of any size). For the money I doubt you could by a better picture for TV or DVD viewing. The native resolution is SVGA so Text is slightly ragged, especially when displayed in XGA mode. Again due to the SVGA native resolution computer games do not look as good as on high resolution monitor. I would therefore not recommend the projector as your only computer monitor or for large amounts of web surfing.
Definitely recommended.
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