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The InFocus LP130 is one of a new breed of DLP micro projectors that manage to provide most of the benefits of their larger predecessors without the bulk. DLP is a competing technology to LCD.
Developed by Texas Instruments, the consensus is that it provides superior image quality for video display, but lacks the clarity of LCD for data presentations.
According to an IDC report, the market for projectors is set to triple over the next three years and it's the demand for lightweight portables that is driving this growth. If you spend a lot of time lugging presentation equipment from venue to venue, a lighter projector can be a welcome relief.
The LP130 is small, light, quiet and beautifully designed. Simplicity is what the InFocus engineers have aimed for and they've succeeded. There are very few inputs on the back panel which makes set up very straightforward.
The M1DA connector can be hooked up to a digital or RGB analog output. An analog cable with an integrated USB cable is supplied, allowing you to use the remote for limited mouse functions.
The only other connector is a video-out port, which can be used with the composite and S-Video cables supplied to connect a VCR, DVD or HDTV source. So it really is simply a question of plugging in the power and data cables and switching on. The LP130 auto senses the input signal and automatically adjusts to it.
The LP130 has a manual zoom lens with a 1.2x zoom, which means that at a distance of 5ft the image is between three and three and a half feet diagonally. At this distance the picture is bright enough to be viewed in a well-lit room. The quoted output is 1100 ANSI lumens, which is about as high as it gets, and the lamp life is 2000 hours. Both figures are higher than the norm for projectors in this category.
Because the LP130 is so small, you can put it just about anywhere, although the usual set up tends to be a meeting room table. Unlike some projectors, the exhaust fan is at the front, so the audience won't be subjected to a continuous blast of hot air.
Digital keystone adjustment is also very easy and provides a wide degree of latitude - we were able to produce a square image with the projector tilted at an angle of almost 45 degrees. An extendable foot at the front tilts the projector upwards to a maximum angle of about 25 degrees, providing a clear view for a seated audience.
There's no way of raising the back, however, so if the projector is on a stand you need to stick a CD jewel case under its rear end to angle the picture downward.
Picture quality was excellent when viewing data and just as good as the LP350, which we reviewed in January, though text was a little heavy, even at the native XGA 1024 x 768 resolution.
Watching DVDs on the LP130 is a delight with rich saturated colours and excellent contrast, despite the 400:1 contrast rating which, on paper at least, is below that offered by competing DLP projectors.
The only problem we experienced with the InFocus was, ironically enough, the focus which was incorrectly calibrated. The quoted projector to screen range is five to 30 feet, giving a minimum picture size of just under three feet and a maximum of nearly 22ft using the zoom lens. We found it impossible, however, to produce a sharp image beyond 12ft - the focus ring having reached the limit of its movement.
In terms of features the LP130 has got it where it counts. Portability, zoom lens, 1100 ANSI lumens light output, easy set up and a simple uncluttered design. It's a shame about the price, which will gain it no converts from LCD users who will pay half the £4,475 InFocus is asking for the LP130.
PRICE: £5258.13 (£4,475 ex VAT)
CONTACT: InFocus
0800 028 6470
www.infocus.com
PROS: Very compact and light; 1100 ANSI Lumen output; superb video reproduction; easy to set up.
CONS: Expensive; no rear adjustable feet; wrongly calibrated focus ring.
OVERALL: Small, lightweight and elegant, cool, quiet and easy to set up, the LP130 is an ideal projector for presenters on the move. But at the price, the NEC LT150, which can run presentations from a Compact Flash card, looks a better bet, even though it has no zoom.
See also:
These two compact projectors fight it out on the silver screen. 16 Dec 2002All Projectors
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