This is the cheapest projector we tried out in our mini group test, and our first impressions certainly supported that fact.
The small and boxy chassis certainly wont win any awards, but its tiny 2.3kg weight and the supplied bag make it easily portable. This makes it ideal for taking to friends houses for an evenings entertainment.
Unfortunately its not the easiest projector to setup. Theres no lens shift capability (like on the Epson and Panasonic projectors), the zoom lens has a very small range, plus the focus dial is awkwardly positioned.
Youll have to place it in just the right position, and then fiddle with it a while, before filling your chosen wall with HD loveliness.
Pocket rocketOnce you get it up set up though, youll be instantly impressed by the brightness and sharpness.
We didnt think it quite lived up to its 2,000 lumen rating, with the Panasonic besting it in direct tests, but its easily bright enough to use with a lamp on. Colours were vibrant, but not the most lifelike weve seen. And while there was plenty of detail in HD sources, the overall effect was a touch softer than the Mitsubishi.
There are all the inputs youd expect on a home cinema projector. Though it lacks luxuries like a SCART input for connecting a Freeview set top box, and theres only one HDMI input.
A small remote control can be stored by slotting it into the top of the main unit, be careful not to lose it though as there are no other controls.
Cheap dateAcer claims the supplied lamp will last up to 4,000 hours in the 1,600 lumen eco mode. This should make this projector very cheap to run though replacement lamp prices are currently unavailable. One downside of its small size and bright lamp is that its rather noisy when in use.
If you want to use your projector with the lights on, and dont want to spend much money then this is a good choice. However, the Mitsubishi HC1100 has better image quality, while the Panasonic PT-AX200E is far easier to integrate into your living room.
Author:iGizmo
Copyright 2009 Dennis Publishing All Rights Reserved.
Acer H5350