The 2.0-pound InFocus LP120
is about the size of a
carton of cigarettes, yet it
can fill a small wall with
vivid computer and video
images. Image quality is
very good (especially
considering its size), and
you won't have to pay up for
such miniaturization: The
$2,800 street price is
competitive with other XGA
(1,024-by-768) projectors.
The remote control that
comes with the projector has
forward and back buttons for
presentations, a status
button, and a red laser
pointer. That's a fairly
limited set, so you'll need
to use the projector's top
panel controls—with buttons
that light up,
thankfully—when you set up
the projector. (InFocus
sells remotes with more
features if you desire). One
unexpected touch, given the
unit's size, is the presence
of a zoom control along with
the lens focus.
The LP120 uses a single
DLP micromirror panel from
Texas Instruments. We tested
using images generated by
the Display mate utility (www.displaymate.com).
Overall, image quality was
very good. The projector has
excellent focus throughout
the image. Gray scale
response was strong at both
ends of the spectrum, color
ramps were smooth, and color
tracking was excellent. The
contrast ratio measurement
of 294:1 was excellent for a
projector of any size.
The projector also did
well with video images, and
while the internal sound
system is not particularly
loud or of great sound
quality, it's fine for a
small audience around a
conference table. Even
better in tight quarters,
the cooling fan is
relatively quiet.
The image quality wasn't
perfect, however. The
LP120's test image did show
the muddy yellows common to
single-panel DLP projectors.
Another weak point was the
projector's brightness.
Rated at 1,100 ANSI lumens,
our evaluation unit measured
just 649 lumens using our
more rigorous test
procedures. This is
considerably less light than
many portable projectors
yield, and it means that the
projector will not produce
good contrast or saturated
colors on a large screen
under normal room lighting.
So if you need a
projector that can produce
wall-sized images in a lit
room, look elsewhere. But if
small size is paramount, the
LP120 delivers without
compromising on the major
factors.