Thinking Of Buying a Projector for gaming?
Whether it's connected to the PS3 or the xbox 360 it produces a great, clear picture and kicks out a fairly decent sound.
Let me start at the beginning, out of the box, this projector is easy to set up with your chosen console. Simply because all you need is the mains power and an HDMI cable - that's it - so simple! It's got a little foot at the front underside which can be turned to raise or lower the projector, I would've preferred to see feet at each corner so that's it's more maneuverable, but overall it's stable and the foot at the front does well. Focusing the projector is also very easy - there's two roll dials which adjust the picture to perfection.
We tested the image with a variety of games and the PJD7820HD handled the colour well across the board.
The obvious benefit to gaming on a projector is the size of the screen you can have - according to the stats it can go up to 300" but I guess you'd have to have a fairly large room in order to do that. We had it up to about 120" from one side of the room to the other. With ultra-short throw projectors coming onto the market, it'll be nice to keep a watch on ViewSonic to see if they bring out a projector for gaming at close range. Generally we sat at the dining table with the projector and console on it and we were able to get a good sized image while having the device about 3/4 metre from the wall.
My daughter has always been more of a handheld gamer, but using the projector has encouraged her to play MineCraft on the Xbox 360 more often then usual and my son, (who has a gaming loft) wants to move the projector up there, but unfortunately I have to keep reminding him it's only on loan!
So here's the technical stuff - it's full 1080P HD resolution, like I said it really does give a crisp, clear picture that actually beats my ailing Philips TV. The colours are bright and clear - this is because it uses BrilliantColor technology (so the specs tell me), whatever that really means.
It's only downside is that it does use a bulb and this means it does have a fairly short life span - despite also having what it calls ECO mode,which adjusts the brightness to increase the lamp life - it still only says the bulb will last up to 8,000 hours and when you're a full on gamer playing 8-12 hours a day that results in a 2-3 year life span, which is not ideal!
It does have speakers and they're fairly powerful - however it would be better if it had additional HDMI ports so that sound bars etc could be added if required. There is a bit of an issue when it comes to headset connection though. Because the Xbox 360 headset plugs directly into the controller, the sound still comes out of the projector and because there's no bluetooth capability you can't use wireless headsets with it. We tried to connect several headsets using a variety of wired methods, but ended up in a tangled mess of wires, so you're better off using this projector somewhere where you don't mind the sound being played to the room.
The PJD7820HD isn't just for gaming though, we gave it a go attached to the Sky box and again it did a bloody good job. We had a fiddle with the settings - it got them for TV, Gaming, Sport etc but we didn't notice too much differentiation from the the original out of the box setting. It does say it is 3D ready, but we don't have a 3D Blu-ray player, glasses or content to test this.
Looking at prices on the net, you can get this projector for about £700, which is comparable to a HD TV - the obvious benefit though to owning a projector, is that while the wife and kids watch TV you can still game away in another room.
What I will say, is that if you're looking to invest in a projector for the home then the ViewSonic PJD7820HD should certainly be an option. It does what it says it does and it does it more than well. You won't find a HD projector out there at this price point I wouldn't suspect (but let me know if you do). Overall verdict, go out and buy a projector for gaming and other uses and really, seriously consider the ViewSonic PJD7820HD.
No comments:
Post a Comment