Review: Viewsonic PJD2121 Projector


Short Version: The PJD2121 is a portable projector mainly intended for the business user. The display is bright, the colors crisp, and the contrast is high enough that you don’t need to be in a room with blackout curtains to use it. The price is pretty reasonable, too.

Features:

  • Off-to-Go tech allows you to shut it down and go
  • Short throw gives you a 60 inch screen from 4 feet
  • Only weighs 1.4 pounds
  • Supports HD inputs
  • MSRP: $415

Pros:

  • Vibrant, crisp display; works well in low light
  • Small and portable
  • Short throw makes is easy to find a place to put it

Cons:

  • No speakers
  • Fan noise can be distracting
  • Price of replacement lamps can be high

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Review: While Viewsonic is mainly known for their LCD monitors and displays, they’ve actually been in the projector business for quite some time. The PJD2121 is one of their most recent entries into the portable projector market. I’m very impressed with it: it’s bright, colorful, and works great at short distances. I tried it for PC and console gaming and had no issues with it. It worked best with my Xbox360, and playing Dirt 2 on a 60-inch display was almost a religious experience.

I can definitely see this as an excellent product for a business traveler as well. The display is sharp, clear, and the 1800:1 contrast makes it work well even in a fairly bright environment. Text and graphics all display in vibrant color, and the contrast between text and the background is crisp and easy to read. I was slightly disappointed by the fact that the PJD2121 doesn’t have integrated speakers, but realistically it’s more intended for a business setting then for a gamer like myself.

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Be aware that the connections are limited to SVGA 15-pin and component. No HDMI or composite devices need apply. This makes it a great projector for gaming and plugging into your laptop for a sales meeting, but not so great for a home theater setup.

view3Specs:

  • Native Resolution: SVGA (800×600)
  • Projection System: DLP
  • Brightness: 400 ANSI Lumens
  • Contrast Ratio: 1800:1
  • Weight: 1.4 lbs
  • Aspect Ratio: 4:3 native, 16:9 Selectable
  • Image Size: 35 to 150 inch
  • Throw Ratio: 1.0:1
  • Connectivity: 15-pin HD D-sub and RCA Component

The Viewsonic PJD2121 is a great little projector for $419. The bright colors make it great for watching movies, playing games, or showing that spreadsheet to a client. The projector itself is warrantied for a period of three years, but you should expect to replace the lamp after roughly 2000 hours. A replacement lamp has an MSRP of $456, however a quick search shows that you’ll be able to pick one up for about $150.

Product page: Viewsonic PJD2121