Projectors have been one of the silent players in the world of audio-visual technology. Most people see them as a luxury and seldom tend to be aware of how far their technology has come today. No matter how their perception may be, brands have been working day in and day out to perfect their products, as there still is a demand from the people to get their hands on the best there is. ViewSonic, a brand that is known amongst the folks of the PCMR for its monitors and displays, also has a few projectors in their lineup.
ViewSonic’s X2 showed up at the Digit Test Centre in Mumbai some time back, and I spent a LOT of time trying out different kinds of content on it. From games to TV shows, the whole shebang. And it was a pleasurable experience for the most part. Priced at ₹1,42,999, it brings a number of features to the table and performs well. However, amongst all these hits, there were a couple of misses which bothered me. Not deal breakers, though; these things would only catch the eye of someone critically analysing its performance. Here’s my account of using the ViewSonic X2, and what I thought about is performance.
ViewSonic X2: Specs at a glance
Projection System: 0.65″ 1080p
Native Resolution: 1920×1080
Brightness: 3100 (LED Lumens)
Contrast Ratio: 3000000:1
Light Source Type: LED
Lens: F=2.6-2.78, f=10.2-11.22mm
Projection Offset: 105%+/-5%
Throw Ratio: 0.69-0.83
Throw Distance: 0.92m-2.2m
Keystone: H:+/-40° , V:+/-40°
Audible Noise (Normal): 31dB
Audible Noise (Eco): 27dB
Local Storage: Total 16GB
(11GB available storage)
Connectivity: HDMI: 2, USB Type C: 1, Audio-in (3.5mm): 1, Audio-in (Bluetooth): 1 (BT4.2), USB Type A: 1, Wifi Input: 1 (5Gn)
ViewSonic X2: Build and Design
ViewSonic X2 brings the quality one would expect from a ₹1.4 lakh rupee gadget. The materials used in the build of the outer casing of the projector are robust, the mounting points feel secure, and the projector lens is also resistant to scratching. I did not test the scratching bit, so don’t worry, ViewSonic, the projector is safe. What I mean is, during day-to-day use and maintenance, the lens did not pick up and scratches and scuffs. The feet at the bottom also carry the same robust build and quality as the rest of the projector.
The only gripe that I had was that instead of giving adjustable feet, ViewSonic went with a small flap, which you can deploy if you want to angle the projector. It does not give the user as much of freedom to experiment with the angling of the projector and engrained a sense of insecurity in me that if it breaks, I will not be able to angle my projector without sending it for repairs. That aside, there is nothing else to complain about here. The feet also held the projector well in place when I was watching shows, and the volume was pegged to the max.
As for the design, as most people going for a product would be looking at how it fits with the aesthetics of their conference room or home entertainment setup, let me assure you that it will blend in like salt in water. Thanks to its solid and sleek industrial design in my opinion, the best way to describe it is this – If you are planting it on your ceiling, then it will look like a small AC unit, and if you are putting it on a table, surround it with a couple of books, and people will pass it off as a speaker unit. To add to the second illusion, you also get the Harman Kardon branding as well!
Also Read: XGIMI Elfin – Powerful package in a budget
ViewSonic X2: Features and Performance
For most other products, I would keep features and performance as separate sections of their own, but with this, they converge so well that it is hard to talk about them separately.
One of the most heavily advertised features of this projector is the “3rd generation LED technology with a 30,000-hour lifespan”. Now, there was no way for me to verify the claims made by ViewSonic. However, given what I have known about their products, you should expect the projector to hit these numbers with ease. The metric that I could measure was the brightness. I used our Lux meter to check whether the projector hit the claimed 3,100 LED Lumens of brightness, and it came pretty close. At about 1 metre, in an almost pitch-black room, the brightness readings were around the 3000 lumens mark, which is pretty impressive.
The colour reproduction was also great for the naked eye. In some brightly lit scenes, I did notice a slight loss in detail of the background. I tried it over and over to verify my findings, and they stood the same. As I prefaced in the introduction, this is something that someone looking at it with a keen eye would notice. For most people looking at presentations or watching their shows on this projector, the loss of detail would not be a deal breaker. And, if you are unhappy with the colour reproduction of the projector, then you can use ViewSonic’s vColour Tuner utility to make sure that you get the colour quality you like.
In terms of playing back HDR content, at least the kind that is provided by OTT services, the projector had no problems. The speakers, as claimed by ViewSonic, have been custom-built by Harman Kardon for this unit. And, being someone who has been working with sound systems for some time now, I was fairly impressed with what this projector brings to the table. If you are sitting right next to it or within like a 5 feet radius, you will not have to worry about the sound quality. The dialogues are clear, and the detail in the sound meant that it wasn’t an issue watching a variety of content on this projector. The bass was a bit lacklustre in some scenarios, like explosions in movies, but considering the size of the package, I can give that a pass. The remote, with its backlit keys, also shined through.
While gaming, there was a bit of an input lag in games like F1 23, which require precise inputs. However, if you are someone who enjoys MMOs and RPGs, where that level of input lag can be considered passable for casual play, you will have very little to complain about.
Also Read: Optoma CinemaX D2 Laser Projector: Comes at a cost… but it’s awesome
ViewSonic X2: Should you buy this projector?
When you are spending around one and a half lakh rupees on a gadget, you will expect nothing short of the best that amount of money can get you. And the ViewSonic X2 as a package is just that. The features, build, and performance come together to make for a great deal for the price. If you are a hardcore gamer, look elsewhere. However, if you are planning to make this projector a part of your home entertainment or conference room setup, then I do not think that you will have many issues with the X2. There are some offerings from brands like BenQ, ViewSonic themselves, and Optoma, which might entice you. However, considering the fact that this projector comes with its own sound system, the cost offset by that tilts the scales in favour of the X2.
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Satvik Pandey
Satvik Pandey, is a self-professed Steve Jobs (not Apple) fanboy, a science & tech writer, and a sports addict. At Digit, he works as a Deputy Features Editor, and manages the daily functioning of the magazine. He also reviews audio-products (speakers, headphones, soundbars, etc.), smartwatches, projectors, and everything else that he can get his hands on. A media and communications graduate, Satvik is also an avid shutterbug, and when he's not working or gaming, he can be found fiddling with any camera he can get his hands on and helping produce videos – which means he spends an awful amount of time in our studio. His game of choice is Counter-Strike, and he's still attempting to turn pro. He can talk your ear off about the game, and we'd strongly advise you to steer clear of the topic unless you too are a CS junkie. View Full Profile
