InFocus X2 Multimedia DLP Projector
By: InFocus Average Rating: 3.5 Total Reviews: 22
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 On: 2007-12-07
I bought my X2 in June of 2004. It has a good picture, and I like the projector for ease of use. However, after 1.5 years, and 700 hours, the bulb blew. I was disappointed, but figured the bulb blowing less than half its estimated life was just bad luck. I paid $300 and got a new bulb. It just blew on me after less than 500 hours. For the price they charge, they need to stand behind their bulbs! A 90 warranty? Are you kidding me!? If they cant give their customers more than 90 days on a $300 bulb, they should lose their customers. I will never buy Infocus again! Oh, and in case anyone is wondering, I never move my projector around or miss treat it. I also always let the fan run for hours after I use the projector to make sure the bulb is cooled completely.
 On: 2007-08-01
As a K-12 librarian in Menasha, WI, I need to make presentations to classes. In Sept 2005 I bought a brand new Infocus X2. It did a fantastic job. Two months later the school got two projectors so I brought mine home to use as a home theater. For a year my family watched television and movies on the big screen and it was great. When the bulb went out, the cost of replacement lamps sent me into shock. $300 for a bulb? I decided to purchase a 42 inch flat screen TV instead. The projector sits as a possible back-up, if I ever buy a bulb.
On: 2007-07-18
I too have an X2 for the past 2 years and have now started seeing a verticle shadow on the right side of the screen, as well as the bearings making the "buzz-saw" sound until it heats up. Im glad I saw this review since I have not been able to find any information about this shadow issue. I had no idea it was due to parts being glued in the hottest part of the device! Yikes! It gets great picture and has been a really good projector for our home theater until this issue. I wont buy another Infocus item because of the service issues and the BBB rating of the company. But it was a great intro home theater projector for the price at the time. Saved us 2 years worth of movie tickets at least. Steer clear of this brand if you want to get more than 2 years of average use out of it.
 On: 2007-06-24
This projector provides a good, bright, clear picture. But Ive had two bulbs blow out after only about 300-400 hours each. Thats about $1 an hour! For this reason, I wouldnt recommend it.
On: 2007-06-21
I have the X2 for about 2 years now, and it was an excellent idea to purchase this projector. For the past two years i was using the composite connection to display DVD, until yesterday - when i purchased the M1 to component cable adaptor (thanks to tigerdirect.ca). let me tell you it was a night and day difference! I couldent believe the picture quality. The whites were brighter blacks darker, and color was beautiful! So make sure you invest in the M1 to component adaptor(SP-M1-ADPT). My only wish item for this projector is the 4:3 native resolution - wish it was a 16:9 native resolution. The other thing is the fan. Its a bit loud, but after a while my surround sound covers that up. Other than that amazing projector for the price!
On: 2007-05-15
i have not gotten my theater system finished completely yet, but from even just projecting images onto my living room wall, i am amazed at the clarity of the image. its a great product, im very happy i got it. the shipping was quick too. im am very please. i will consider more business in the future.
On: 2007-05-11
InFocus will tell you that this is not the projector for movies or TV. Its for presentations. It has another projector similar to the X2 that IS made for movies and TV, and because of this it does cost more.
I chose this as my full time TV, and Ive had it for 2 years. I purchased an extra bulb just to have with me, but at 2150 hours, I have not needed to. I run it in low power mode (1100 lumens), and I dont expect HD quality video. The video is BETTER than a rear projection TV, but cant touch a plasma or even an LCD tv. It wasnt even meant for this purpose. Given its price however, It is certainly well deserving of better reviews than people give it. If you have the money, and your a quality buff, step up to a projector made for movies and TV. If your doing powerpoint presentations all the time or just want a big screen, higher quality picture than your old TV, then this is an excellent option.
 On: 2007-05-11
My first complaint started when I realized that I couldnt get more than a 1000 hours out of a bulb. At $300 a piece this is a pretty big deal. I clean the air filters regularly but it still doesnt seem to make them last.
These projectors are known for having problems with the bearings on the color wheel as well as a poorly built light tube. The light tube has a number of issues, the biggest problem seems to be that pieces are glued into place. Using glue on a precision instrument in a high heat environment sounds like a pretty bad idea to me. The glue holding the pieces to the light tube started melting and now a block vertical shadow is starting to take over my screen starting from the far right side and slowly working its way to the left. I checked the forums for this issue and it turns out to be quite common. Infocus will replace the optics with a completely new set of equally poorly built optics for $450. Fan-Freaking-Tastic! Ive already purchased 3 bulbs for this stupid thing and now the only way to keep using it is to pay $450 for another 2.5 years of use.
The color wheel that has a bad bearing sounds like a circular saw from time to time. Infocus will happily fix this too for a large chunk of cash.
Im thinking about starting a pool on what will kill my projector first. The color wheel failing or the shadow making it across so much of the screen that its unusable.
[...]
On: 2007-02-20
I love my X2. i use it for power point presentations and also have watched a movie using the X2. I did research before my purchase and have never had any problems.
On: 2006-11-25
Ive had the X2 for roughly 14 months. The X2 was used for watching movies (about once every 2 weeks) and big sports event (NCAA/NFL finals.. etc). The unit worked up to about 1200 hrs, then the lamp blew. I was hoping to get to at least 1500 hrs before the lamp went out.
Good picture quality for the price (799) but short lamp life (get extended warranty). Check other units first.
On: 2006-11-07
Rated as 3000 hour bulb life when purchased, today they claim 4000 hours.
Bulb lasted only 900 hours. Service at "unfocused" does not care about creating a satisfied customer base. Would not replace bulb even on a prorated basis.
On: 2006-06-25
I have to rate this product and this company as horrible!!
I purchased the X2 in 12/2004. Everything was fine. In 6/2005, the lamp blew. Less than 300 hours on it!!! I called the company. They said sometimes it happens. I questioned the projector. They said I just needed a new lamp. $300.00 later.....oh, you can only get the lamps from them. You can only get service on the X2 from them.
I get the new lamp. It just blew again-about 700 hours-half of what the life should be. Additionally, the fan died-which may be why the lamp blew. Maybe there was a problem with the fan a year ago (when it was STILL under warranty but they wouldnt look at it!!!) No. They say no.
The projector was ceiling mounted and never moved since it was first put in place. The projector was blown clean on a regular basis. This projector was not mistreated or misused.
Infocus says "sometimes this happens".
They, for $250, plus $30.00 shipping, will fix the fan. I also need to buy a new lamp-another $300. The company keeps saying-"It is out of warranty", "sometimes this happens", "1400 hours is just what some lamps get", etc., etc,. etc.. They will not accept that perhaps this was a defective product.
I will get a new projector-I can buy a new one for what they want to charge to maybe fix my current one. My new projector WILL NOT/WILL NEVER be an Infocus product.
They have failed to stand behind their product. Their service is overpriced and their technical support and customer service is nothing more than drones citing manuals and warranties.
Dont buy Infocus!!!!
On: 2006-03-31
Very good image quality from DVD player, lots of good functions.
But cant connect to my laptop. Though I tried to use (VGA to DVI to M1) adapter and cables, eventually failed.
So, returned it.
As my laptop does not have DVI port. I did not test whether DVI to M1 can get it work.
The S-video connection from laptop to projector works, but terrible image quality.
On: 2006-03-02
I purchased this multimedia projector on behalf of a local non-profit organization after comparing its specifications with other projectors with similar prices. Several comparable projectors are available currently, and I chose this one because of good experience with its previous model (the X1) and slightly better specs.
Our initial experiences with this unit have been completely satisfactory. The controls are easy to use, the output is bright and sharp for an audience of around 40 people. I was disappointed, however, to discover that it has only one adjustable leg toward the front of the projector. That leg is used in tilting the projected image upward, but we had to use found materials to level the unit. Two legs would be better!
On: 2006-01-14
Good product, forget about service. I e-mailed InFocus about my faulty projector 8th January 2005
it is now 7th January 2006 and I still do not have my projector. Thats right, its been ONE YEAR since
my projector stopped working, I have given up on it being repaired (it was under warranty) and am now
struggling to get it back so that I can repair it out of my own pocket. Check this companys record at
the Better Business Bureau, it is deemed to be unsatisfactory due to unanswered complaints.
On: 2005-10-16
If you only want to use this projector to watch sports in HDTV, then I suspect you will be quite satisfied. In a dark room with HDTV it can be truly breathtaking!
Keep in mind that you will not get a good picture until you have eliminated almost all surrounding light. But, the "rainbow effect" makes watching movies almost painful. Whenever the movie has a bright light mixed with a dark background you will not see a white light, but a fast-moving rainbow. I have not seen this when watching sports.
Normal analog TV channels do not look very good on a projected screen like this. Even digital channels look grainy. But HDTV looks awesome! There is not really a "screen door effect" in HD to speak of. I get a huge 100" picture at about 14 feet away. At $700, I consider this projector to be a bargain.
Even though this projector seems to be ideal for HDTV sports, I am concerned about the ability to view future HDTV signals because this projector is not compliant with the HDCP stanard that may govern future HDTV broadcast. If that happens in the US, like it has in Europe, this projector would become worthless.
The noise level of this projector is higher than I expected, but once the sound is on you hardly notice.
On: 2005-07-26
I read the comment about the "rainbow effect", and decided to by the projector anyway, because it seemed like such a good deal, and I never noticed this artifact on any other projector. It definately has a beautiful picture, and makes watching movies a lot of fun, but about every twenty minutes when I blink or move my eyes there is a bright white imagine on the screen I notice a flashing stripe of red, blue and green on the borders of the white part of the image. It doesnt ruin the movie, but it is kind of distracting. Also, the fact that I can make this happen by moving my eyes quickly creates a distracting temptation. My girlfriend and roommate dont notice this at all (except when they intentionally move their eyes quickly around the screen). Its not a huge deal, but if I had to make the decision again, I would probably buy a different projector. I have never noticed this effect on other projectors, so I think there is something wrong with this one.
On: 2005-05-05
EXCELLENT IMAGE FOR LITTLE MONEY!
I bought the Infocus X2 to replace a worn out and broken $15,000.00 "high end" CRT projector. My budget would not allow for a more appropriate replacement. While the X2 could never satisfy the true videophile, who usually spend anywhere from $10,000 to $30,000 dollars on a projector, it was never intended to.
That being said, I will say that the Infocus X2 when being shown on my Stewart 100" screen is projecting an impressive image that is pretty close to the $15,000 unit it replaced! A true videophile will certainly see the difference, but your average person will not. With my limited budget, I am quite satisfied with the very good image quality. DVDs are sharp and clear, TV is quite satisfactory also.
If you are looking to enter the big screen front projector market, and you dont want to spend more than a thousand dollars, here you go!
But seriously folks, even though it works, stop shining your projector on a wall.... get yourselves a screen. There are special reflective properties in a screen that a painted wall doesnt have to really bring your image to life.
On: 2005-03-05
Bottom line - best major purchase I have made since I bought a home with a finished basement!
I got the projector and mounted it on the ceiling in my basement projecting on a light-brown wall. I expected that I would need to paint the walls white, or get a screen, but was shocked by the amazing picture quality. Here are the details:
1) Comcast Cable with HiDef Box. Hidef program is so amazing it makes me want to cry. Sports programing blows the mind away. I even enjoy watching boring hi-def shows with the wife, like the Oscars, just because I am so amazed at how crystal clear the picture looks. You feel like you are there! Regular TV looks surprisingly great too, but setting it up right is critical. Make sure to change the aspect ratio back to Native (vs 16:9 when watching hi-def channels). Ensure that the HDTV cable box has the following settings:
Aspect Ratio (controls regular programming) = 4:3 letterbox
Output Type (controls High def programming) = experiment with 720P vs 1080i
4:3 overide (controls regular programming)= 480p.
I am also using the expensive $99 monster DVI cable to connect to the cable box. This is essential to make regular TV look great vs grainy. Get the DVI to M1 connections, wires and adaptors - you MUST budget this into your overall budget or the projecter will not be a great buy (see my "problem" section below).
2) X-Box. I purchased the Hi-Def cable/wire from Microsoft for $20. Once you buy the cables, you can go into the Xbox dashboard settings to allow for 720p and 1080i. Most games are in 480p and 16:9 format. The few Games in highdef look fantastic! You can check hdtvarcade.com to see the exact resolution of every game.
3) DVD player: Since the Xbox only outputs in 480i, I wanted to try the upconversion DVD players. I first tried the Denon 1910. That did NOT work when using a DVI cable!!! It might have been because it was refurbished or possibly it was because the Infocus X2 is not HDCP compliant?? Im not sure, but the 1910 warns against non-HDCP compliant units and InFocus says that x2 is non-compliant - so thats my best guess. Next I tried the TOSHIBA SD-5970. That worked, and I hooked it up using the $99 Monster HDMI to DVI cable. Im not sure if it was worth it, because DVDs look great, but NOT Amazing compared to HiDef Comcast programming. The verdict is still out, but I have never seen any of the DVDs like Finding Nemo that supposedly look MUCH better with progressive scan DVDs. I cant tell much difference between when DVD is set to 720p vs 1080i HDMI output.
Once again, everybody that comes over, including the sceptic wife, is shocked by our basement - they all say its like a full-scale theater, much bigger and clearer than a regular big screen TV and I dont even have surround sound yet - thatll be my next big purchase. Infocus X2 is highly recommended, but be sure to check out the problem section below:
Problems
1) My InFocus X2 does not have any component inputs. That means to get premium quality, you must come through the M1/DVI input. If you have a DVD, Cable box and Xbox like me, it is a real pain to switch the cable in the back (especially with a ceiling mount). I got myself a step ladder to make it easier. The DVI switcher for 4 DVI cables is TOO expensive, almost $400.
2) Be prepared to spend at least $3-400 after you get your InFocus to purchase DVI cables for the cable box, possibly HDMI cables if you buy a progressive scan DVD player, as well as adapters to connect your DVI cable to the M1 computer port... Its definitely worth it, but just be prepared. In my opinion, the progressive DVD player is optional (saves you approx $150), but the cables are mandatory.
3) No way to turn off unit with remote (and yes it is still a little noisy in whisper mode, but once the movie starts you cant hear it anymore). I have it set-up so that after it cools/powers down I just turn off the entire unit on the wall switch since it is ceiling mounted.
 On: 2005-01-27
The de-interlacer chip is unneaded as long as you use all progressive sources.
In fact when you input HDTV it uses the same scaler as the X1 and H30 projectors.
The image quality is great. Just dont try and watch TV on it, youll claw your eyes out.
I cant push that enough, the projector is awesome, as long as you use NO interlaced sources.
On: 2004-07-29
I did a lot of homework before buying this product (my first projector). If youve done the same, youll know this is a great projector for home theatre use - with all the right features and a lot of bang for the buck. This is all true.
I sampled projectors with better/higher features and saw nothing worth twice the price. There is no doubt (unless money truly is NO OBJECT) that this is the projector to choose for home theatre.
ALL THAT BEING SAID, and having read and been warned by at least a dozen reviews (of the X1) which marginalized the rainbow effect I MUST SAY THAT THE RAINBOW EFFECT IS A INSURMOUNTABLE SORE POINT and my review will focus on exactly that. I dont know if any projectors exist in the world without this problem, but here it is in a more understandable form:
It seems that the picture is made of RGB images that alternate faster than the eye can notice (in other words, that there is a red image followed by a green image and then lastly a blue image - each a few dozen times per second). If you wave your hand infront of the projector very fast you can see the image break down on different fingers as different colors.
A similar effect manifests when your eye moves accross the screen very fast, or if a high-contrast, highly-bright image moves across the screen very fast. You will notice three objects instead of one (red, green and blue). For example, in a largely dark scene, a light bulb will seem to have three colors if you move your eyes fast around the screen. I suspect the scene with dueling light-savers in Star Wars to be the perfect example of a bad scene for the rainbow effect - its mostly dark and has small bright features that move fast.
For me this is almost a deal breaker and I regret dropping a grand for a few features I probably wouldnt miss with an inferior projector. The problem is: I dont know what projectors there are out there that wont have this problem and have anywhere close to the performance of this one (adjusted for price).
On: 2004-07-28
I did a lot of homework before buying this product (my first projector). If youve done the same, youll know this is a great projector for home theatre use - with all the right features and a lot of bang for the buck. This is all true.
I sampled projectors with better/higher features and saw nothing worth twice the price. There is no doubt (unless money truly is NO OBJECT) that this is the projector to choose for home theatre.
ALL THAT BEING SAID, and having read and been warned by at least a dozen reviews (of the X1) which marginalized the rainbow effect I MUST SAY THAT THE RAINBOW EFFECT IS A INSURMOUNTABLE SORE POINT and my review will focus on exactly that. I dont know if any projectors exist in the world without this problem, but here it is in a more understandable form:
It seems that the picture is made of RGB images that alternate faster than the eye can notice (in other words, that there is a red image followed by a green image and then lastly a blue image - each a few dozen times per second). If you wave your hand infront of the projector very fast you can see the image break down on different fingers as different colors.
A similar effect manifests when your eye moves accross the screen very fast, or if a high-contrast, highly-bright image moves across the screen very fast. You will notice three objects instead of one (red, green and blue). For example, in a largely dark scene, a light bulb will seem to have three colors if you move your eyes fast around the screen. I suspect the scene with dueling light-savers in Star Wars to be the perfect example of a bad scene for the rainbow effect - its mostly dark and has small bright features that move fast.
For me this is almost a deal breaker and I regret dropping a grand for a few features I probably wouldnt miss with an inferior projector. The problem is: I dont know what projectors there are out there that wont have this problem and have anywhere close to the performance of this one (adjusted for price).
by: Anonymous On: 2004-06-09
There is no Faroudja DCDi processing in this new device. So please change your information about the machine.
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