This is more a first impressions post than a full review. I'll give a basic comparison of what I was using to this PJ, realizing this is about a 1K more expensive unit.
The View Sonic 4:3 800 X 600 LCD pj I own is a nice little entry pj. It has some really nice functionality about it. For example, all the buttons on top have backlighting so you can see them easily in the dark. Not a big thing if your use the remote most the time anyway. However, the power on and off is just in front of the power LED,so it's still easy to find with the lights low really.
Size wise, the 2HD is about 1/3 larger in overal size. A little wider, a little taller, more substance. This can actually be a benefit for table mounting, as it makes the pj more stable with the additional weight and size.
The menu system isn't quite as easy to use as the View Sonic. Why? The View Sonic allows you to cursor across the menu almost identical to how Lexicon does it. The 2HD requires you to arrow across to what you want, then press a separate "select" button. Ok, it's just a 2 button sequence vs 1. A small thing. However, the remote on the 2HD has the 4 primary keys lighted with the press of a button on the side. This does make it fairly easy to use, and it's a nice size. Not to small, not to large.
Getting to real function. I can see the power of this PJ in the menu. There's a lot of settings there! I have not began to tweak it at all at this point. I simply took it out of the box, connected it up and used the alignment settings to get things going.
1. There's a scroll wheel for up and a scroll wheel for down on the lens control. This means elevating the feet on the pj becomes more of a moot point. It's just not that necessary with the full vertical control of the beam.
2. The lens is a two piece mechanism. Hold it "deep down the throat of the lens, and you adjust the zoom (in and out for fine size adjustment). Turn just the outter rim of the lens and you adjust the focus. That's easy enough.
I had to do a bit of leveling, adjust the zoom and focus, then a small keystone adjustment to get things pretty well aligned. Quick and easy. I never even referenced a manual.
Initially, I turned on 5th Element Superbit just to see what this thing was really capable of. It immediately impressed me with it's black levels. They just seemed so much richer than my View Sonic. Increased contrast was apparent from the get go. Bruce Willis became almost 3D in his apartment. Colors were vivid, detail excellent right down to the acme scared complexion of the laboratory scientist that rebuilds Lee Lu. Details on the wall etchings in the temple were extremely detailed, as was the hair on the Professor as he leaned over examining the hyroglyphics.
It's sharp and it's crisp, Make no mistake, you need a great source to see this projector in it's full glory. Inferior sources will be shown for what they are, due to the heavily detailed nature of the image. In short though, the contrast, blacks, and excellent resolution of 480p makes this projector image rival what you might see on a high end RPTV quality wise, but still have an image that's in my case, 84" wide.
The fan is so quite on this projector as to be almost non existent. Excellent. Lens cover slides down easily over the front, and your good to go. You don't get a lot of cables or accessories with this projector. Frankly, my ViewSonic came with a soft case like a computer case, almost completely full of cables. But then, I didn't want cables here, I wanted a top notch projector, and I believe I got that.
More later, just wanted to get something on paper as starters. Oh yeah, I am running Tigress component video as my connection. Though it does have DVI. I may have to try a DVI cable someday, to investigate building them. As well, I can check out some of this technology since I do have 2 displays that accept DVI, and at least one source to deliver the signal. (DTV box)
Lex
Cable Guy DVD Collection
The View Sonic 4:3 800 X 600 LCD pj I own is a nice little entry pj. It has some really nice functionality about it. For example, all the buttons on top have backlighting so you can see them easily in the dark. Not a big thing if your use the remote most the time anyway. However, the power on and off is just in front of the power LED,so it's still easy to find with the lights low really.
Size wise, the 2HD is about 1/3 larger in overal size. A little wider, a little taller, more substance. This can actually be a benefit for table mounting, as it makes the pj more stable with the additional weight and size.
The menu system isn't quite as easy to use as the View Sonic. Why? The View Sonic allows you to cursor across the menu almost identical to how Lexicon does it. The 2HD requires you to arrow across to what you want, then press a separate "select" button. Ok, it's just a 2 button sequence vs 1. A small thing. However, the remote on the 2HD has the 4 primary keys lighted with the press of a button on the side. This does make it fairly easy to use, and it's a nice size. Not to small, not to large.
Getting to real function. I can see the power of this PJ in the menu. There's a lot of settings there! I have not began to tweak it at all at this point. I simply took it out of the box, connected it up and used the alignment settings to get things going.
1. There's a scroll wheel for up and a scroll wheel for down on the lens control. This means elevating the feet on the pj becomes more of a moot point. It's just not that necessary with the full vertical control of the beam.
2. The lens is a two piece mechanism. Hold it "deep down the throat of the lens, and you adjust the zoom (in and out for fine size adjustment). Turn just the outter rim of the lens and you adjust the focus. That's easy enough.
I had to do a bit of leveling, adjust the zoom and focus, then a small keystone adjustment to get things pretty well aligned. Quick and easy. I never even referenced a manual.
Initially, I turned on 5th Element Superbit just to see what this thing was really capable of. It immediately impressed me with it's black levels. They just seemed so much richer than my View Sonic. Increased contrast was apparent from the get go. Bruce Willis became almost 3D in his apartment. Colors were vivid, detail excellent right down to the acme scared complexion of the laboratory scientist that rebuilds Lee Lu. Details on the wall etchings in the temple were extremely detailed, as was the hair on the Professor as he leaned over examining the hyroglyphics.
It's sharp and it's crisp, Make no mistake, you need a great source to see this projector in it's full glory. Inferior sources will be shown for what they are, due to the heavily detailed nature of the image. In short though, the contrast, blacks, and excellent resolution of 480p makes this projector image rival what you might see on a high end RPTV quality wise, but still have an image that's in my case, 84" wide.
The fan is so quite on this projector as to be almost non existent. Excellent. Lens cover slides down easily over the front, and your good to go. You don't get a lot of cables or accessories with this projector. Frankly, my ViewSonic came with a soft case like a computer case, almost completely full of cables. But then, I didn't want cables here, I wanted a top notch projector, and I believe I got that.
More later, just wanted to get something on paper as starters. Oh yeah, I am running Tigress component video as my connection. Though it does have DVI. I may have to try a DVI cable someday, to investigate building them. As well, I can check out some of this technology since I do have 2 displays that accept DVI, and at least one source to deliver the signal. (DTV box)
Lex
Cable Guy DVD Collection
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