manuelpg

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
1 to 3 months

Visitors rate this review
4.20 of 5, 5.00 votes

Price Paid:  $699.00 from tigerdirect.com

Summary:
For what I paid, I think the X1 is the best value in front projectors. The only misgiving I have is bulb life but only time will tell. I originally used a Sony DVD player as my video source and was impressed but not overwhelmed. So, I built a dedicated HTPC and now I use it as my DVD player, HDTV/TV tuner and video scalar. I use the X1 in 16:9 mode on a 16:9, 100" screen. In 16:9 mode, the X1 scales a 4:3 image to 16:9. So, I set my HTPC to display a desktop of 1024x768 and the X1 scales it so that it fits the screen perfectly. The image quality of the desktop is acceptable and allows me to surf the web and that's about it but my main purpose is video. Video is where the X1/HTPC combination excels. The HTPC performs all the video scaling in the digital domain. I am using WinDVD for full-screen, anamorphic DVD playback at 1024x768 and the video quality on the screen is simply stunning. My seating position is 15 feet from the screen and I swear it is like watching a movie at the theater at similarly scaled distances. I think the high resolution video signal from my HTPC really brings out the performance of the X1.

Strengths:
Faroujda DCDi Video Scalar

Weaknesses:
Lack of Brightness Lack of DVI Input

Similar Products Used:
None

duderduderini

Overall Rating
 1 of 5

Value Rating
 1 of 5

Used product for
3 Months to 1 year

Visitors rate this review
3.00 of 5, 2.00 votes

Price Paid:  $2000.00 from Electroboard

Summary:
The X1 is for the money a fantastic projector BUT BUT BUT my bulb failed at 494 hours and the importer says that u should clean the filters and basically cover the unit wen not in use.. suffice to say i have been ripped off as the warranty is 3 months or 500 hours. READ THE FINE PRINT and Bulbs in Australia are 1/2 the cost of the projector. I feel RIPPED OFF DONT buy Infocus products as they claim outlandish bulb life and dont stand by their product. I have left an email with Infocus HQ and Aust importer twicw now.. NO REPLY BUY ANOTHER BRAND

Strengths:
Great picture for Money

Weaknesses:
BULB lasted 494 hours and cost 1/2 of what projector costs. Poor after sales service Infocus did not reply to any of my 4 emails

Similar Products Used:
n/a

danrogy

Overall Rating
 2 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Used product for
Less than 1 month

Visitors rate this review
2.33 of 5, 9.00 votes

Price Paid:  $900.00 from best buy

Summary:
Great projector, great baragin. NOT READY TO REPLACE A REGULAR TV!!!! I thought it'd be nice to have a 100 inch screen for 800 bucks. It really would've been nice if I had a windowless movie-only room. I don't.

Strengths:
Obviously, the price. You can't get a better bargain for a big screen. I was truly impressed on how this looked when watching DVD's. My player is a Go Video DVD/VHS combo. It really looked great. Also the little speaker in the X1 sounds very good and can get plenty loud

Weaknesses:
You cant watch this thing during the day AT ALL! Even at night while watching cable TV, there were distracting rainbowing effects, and no matter what I did to the image controls, there were details not available to the projector. They just are not ready to replace a regular TV set. Also the reds were a bit pink and smeary. I am afraid you'll still have to spend thousands to get a big, good-lookin' image. If you want covneviently small, get ready to spend thousands more than that!

Similar Products Used:
none

Price Paid:  $1500.00 from Staples Business Dep

Summary:
If you are looking for a decent projector at a resonable price this is a very good choice indeed. I've looked at projectors 4 & 5 times the cost and true they were better but not by very much, certainly not enough to warrant the price difference. The other important issue was bulb life. Bulbs are expensive, and this projectors bulb is rated for 3000 hours while other projectors of a higher cost were rated for around a thousand hours. The reason I bought this projector is simple, good performance at a price that was significantly lower than it's competitors and a longer life rating on the expensive bulb. Make sure you get the adapter that allows you to input progressive scan for DVD's rather than using the modified S-VHS adapter that comes with the unit. The S-VHS input only allows an interlaced signal and with the adapter for use in the computer in port you can run component cable from your DVD player to the projector and thus be able to use your superior progressive scan signal from your DVD player. I use a Denon 2900 player and I'm very pleased with the picture given the price of the projector. Another tip if you are to buy this projector, there is an excellent resource on the web for owners of this unit. http://members.shaw.ca/technut/x1faq/ You can find all sorts of helpful information there. If this link doesn't work type in InFocus X1 Faq and you can find it that way. I also made my screen rather than spending the $1000 and up Canadian to buy one. Very simple to do, here's a helpful link http://members.shaw.ca/danhanson/Theatre/screen/screenproject.htm As the link suggests I used black out cloth and it works very well. I made a 52.5 inch X 70 inch screen for about $55.00 Canadian. I also built my projector mount by using a ball joint wall speaker mount. They are sold at hi-fi stores to allow you to mount your rear channel speakers to the wall. I purchased a set of really nice ones for around $60. You only need one to mount the projector but they are sold in pairs. I simply used a flat piece of steel as the mounting plates, and then sandwiched between those mounting plates I bolted the ball joint speaker mount which allows me to make just about any adjustment that is needed to the projectors position once mounted to the ceiling. If you have any questions feel free to e-mail me and I'm happy to help.

Strengths:
Price, very good colour, decent resolution, easy to set up and operate. Decent remote, good web site.

Weaknesses:
Resolution is good but not great (keep in mind the price of this projector). The resolution is good enough that every one who has come to see it compliments it's picture quality. However if you are looking for high end picture quality this is probably not the unit. It's impressive but not perfect. It's primarily made for the business market and lacks direct component cable jacks (you have to purchase a very cheap adaptor)

Similar Products Used:
Avanti Piano Plus Dream Weaver etc.

Price Paid:  $780.00 from Dell.com

Summary:
Best bang for your buck (Jan 2004)when primarly watching 480i TV or DVDs. The picture quality looks stunning for its' price range. HDTV looks great but will be downconverted to the X1's native resolution. Still a very enjoyable experience all the way around. Just buy it!

Strengths:
Farjoda processing makes regular 480i signals look better. Great for those who watch a lot of TV too. 800 X 600 is plenty for 480i or 480p. Price. 4000 bulb. Rumor has it that the X2 or renammed replacement may omit the Fajoda process to lower Infocus overhead making the X1 a sound investment. No buyer's remorse!

Weaknesses:
Native aspect ratio is 4:3. Light spill is apparant when running in 16:9 mode. (top and bottom) Fan could be quieter which is a problem with most front projectors. 2x color wheel may be annoying to some. Rainbows and eye fatigue are possible but have not been sorely noticed by me. All these weaknessess are picky when looking at the entry level price. Upsetting your best friend because he bought a 60" Pioneer elite for $5,000 and feels ripped off.