BW Gaming World
ViewSonic introduced the display tech market to its X1 LED projector recently and in this review, I am going to give a detailed breakdown of what makes this 1080p projector one of the best ones in its league. This ViewSonic X1 review will have a breakdown of the features, how well it performs and whether it is worth buying or not.
What’s In The Box?
The projector comes in a cuboidal box containing,
- The X1 FHD projector,
- two power chords,
- the manual,
- the remote control
Features
The Projector offers feature features such as –
- Resolution of 1920×1080 (FHD)
- Contrast of 3,000,000:1
- 3,100 Lumens of Brightness (1,300 ANSI Lumens)
- Screen size of 60-inches to 150-inches
- Throw distance of 8.5 feet
- 2 built-in Harman Kardon 6-Watt speakers
- Connectivity options – HDMI, USC-C, Audio Out (mini jack), RS232 port, WiFi,
Performance
Display
The Display is extremely bright and there is no doubt about it. Now, with 3100 lumens of brightness, one would imagine that there would seldom be a moment where there is a need to dim the lights, right? Wrong. The ANSI lumens of the X1 is 1300 (divide the 3,100 lumens by 2.4). Now 1,300 lumens is not bad at all but the projector will face problems in ambiently lit rooms.
The shorter 8.5 feet throw distance translates into a 100-inch display screen. This also means that the X1 projector can be used in smaller spaces as compared to standard lamp projectors that have throw distances of more than 10 feet.
The thing that impressed me the most was the picture quality. The Viewsonic X1 comes with the SuperColor+ technology offering a 125 per cent Rec. 709 colour space. There is rich contrast in the picture making the colours vibrant. For those who are unaware, Rec. 709 is the industry standard for colour production for TVs, monitors, projectors and other displays. The X1 exceeds that with a surplus of 25 per cent. HDR10, of course, adds to the dynamic range and overall image quality.
The X1 projector has a sliding panel that gives access to the focus and zoom rings. It also supports four-way keystone correction. The projector comes equipped with a 1.3x optical zoom lens, which is more than enough in my opinion. Last but not least, it also has a 10 per cent vertical lens shift.
Resolution
As far as resolution is concerned, this is probably the only downside of the X1 projector. The maximum resolution in this projector is 1080p. However, surprisingly, that does not affect the overall performance much. Unless you’re someone who lives for 4K resolution, you won’t feel the difference. The SuperColor+ technology helps. That, along with 125 per cent Rec. 709 colour results in superb image quality.
Built-In Audio
Built-In Audio is the industry norm. A good projector will have built-in audio and the ViewSonic X1 is no different. The projector comes with built-in dual Harman Kardon Bluetooth speakers. Most projector speakers do not offer pretty good audio quality. Obviously, you cannot expect features like surround sound and roof-shattering bass but they are decent. however, the X1’s dual Harman Kardon speakers are different and are enough to fill out the entire room.
The brand does claim 360-degree sound but one should expect too much out of in-built projector speakers. The audio is good but it still does not do away with the need for a good soundbar.
Verdict: Is It Worth It?
It is a yes from me.
A thing of beauty. That’s how I see the Viewsonic X1 projector. This 1080p LED projector has almost everything, barring a few things. For whatever reason, ViewSonic is not the first name yet when it comes to projectors. However, this feature-rich projector is the complete package.
- It has an LED light source
- It claims to last for 30,000 hours,
- Amazing colour quality thanks to a 125 per cent Rec. 709 colour gamut and HDR10 (leading to true blacks),
- Crisp and vivid image quality and a rich contrast thanks to SuperColor technology,
- In-built audio by Harman Kardon
Now, the fact that the X1 is not a 4K projector is a drawback. It should have been. However, it doesn’t affect its performance in any way. It is a versatile and lightweight projector that gets the job done.
The competition in this field is high. Brands such as Optoma, BenQ and Epson have some products that are in direct competition with the ViewSonic X1. So, while there are pros to the X1 such as embedded WiFi, fantastic colour gamut, better projector life and great built-in audio, there are cons as well (no in-built streaming module, only 1,300 ANSI lumens brightness and price).
Like all underdogs, the ViewSonic X1 too is a gamble. It does have its shining moments, however, not without a few drawbacks. In this battle between the pros and cons, the pros are worth a chance.
