Video projectors were once the province of corporations, educational institutions, and on occasion by the consumer with a thirst for an even larger screen. With 70-inch LCDs for sale at affordable prices in big box stores and online vendors, most required a permanent installation, is there a need for video projectors? Absolutely. In the past, panel displays were sharper, with a wider color gamut, and more accurate color. Times are different however, and affordable video projectors are now available, with bright, beautiful and accurate colors, higher resolution, responsive speed, and with a long life projection system.

We’ve been getting to know the ViewSonic Video Projector X2-4K - 4K UHD 2150 Lumens Xbox Certified 240Hz, 4.2ms Gaming Projector with HDR. The X2-4K is stock full of features, and is certified for gaming with the Xbox, a testament to it’s 240Hz refresh rate and minimal 4.3ms lag time. For color critical applications, the X2-4K really shines. It’s won awards, such as the Infocomm Best of Show, in recognition of the quality of it’s picture quality. The refresh rate isn’t fixed, but varies with the resolution. At 1080p it’s 240Hz, at 1440p it’s 120Hz, and finally at 4K it drops to 60Hz. For gaming, users might consider a lower resolution to keep the refresh rate high. 

One design feature needs to be carefully considered. It has a very wide, short throw lens design, so doesn’t require much (almost none!) distance to be project a large image. We kept finding that we didn’t have a large enough empty wall for the size of the image and had to move the projector closer. The Xbox certification might make you think it’s only for consumers, but that would be wrong. It’s a very capable projector for business, teaching, and other uses. The image is stunningly sharp, we tested it with a variety of content, and there was no hint of ghosting which can happen with lesser models, the optics were accurate and sharp to the edges. The image size is stated to up to 120-inches, large enough for just about any room, screen, or outdoor inflatable screens. However, you should make sure you have the proper space for the image. There is a bit of a zoom, at a 1.2 ratio, for 60 – 120 inch coverage.

One of the traditional concerns with video projectors are the bulbs, which have a finite lifespan and are often very expensive to replace. The X2-4K has TÜV SÜD's Low Blue Light certification: “certified to alleviate concerns of eye damage and discomfort caused by prolonged viewing”, and disruption to sleep cycles. The X2-4K utilizes an RGB LED light source, with an estimated 60,000 hour estimated usable light source life, which ViewSonic states is “equal to one movie per day for life” but they aren’t taking into account binge watching or long gaming sessions! Still we expect users to enjoy a long life with the unit. With it’s integrated dual Harman Kardon audio system, with a stated power rating of 6W (x2), the audio is rich, well-mannered, and capable of high volume levels with good musicality.

It has all the usual features one should expect, such as Keystone adjustment, USB Type-C, USB-A, HDMI 2.0 with CEC, 5Gn Wi-Fi, Kensington Lock Slot, and Bluetooth. It has a Three-year limited warranty on parts and labor, 1-year limited warranty on lamp, 1st year free Express Exchange® service. At 13.9 x 9.9 x 4.8-inches, and weighing in at 7.9 lbs, it's not a tiny pocket sized unit, but it is easily portable. It doesn’t ship with a carry case so you might want to pick one up. Naturally, it has the requisite mounting threads for a ceiling mount. The remote control has a nice solid feel to it, with backlit controls, the menus are easy to navigate, and setting it up is easy peasy. All one needs to do is connect it to whatever source you choose, turn it on, select the source, and away you go. We tested it with a variety of sources, and with our Apple M1 MacBook Pro, the single Type-C cable was all we needed for both audio and video. It’s lovely when a product works well on the first try! We will continue to test it and update this review as we put more hours on it. 

There are five color presets, Standard, Movie, Sports, Gaming, and Brightest modes. You can also try the ViewSonic vColorTuner software. After creating an account, and downloading the free software, you use your laptop and proceed to create and save a color profile. You can also share the profile with others. The software is available for both the Mac OS and Windows platforms. For multi-unit installations the ability to create a unified profile, so all users are viewing with the same color gamut, color space, and profile, can be very handy. Ad agencies and design studios were one of the first folks who adopted company wide use of profiles.

The X2-4K has the ability to load apps, such as Netflix, Twitch, VLC, BBC Sports, and many others. Using WiFi one can easily stream movies, presentations, images, or other files on your network. It’s also firmware updatable, and with Bluetooth one can pair to one’s phone. We used VLC, the freeware media player to stream videos and photos from our NAS devices. You can also add apps not listed in their store yourself, but it’s at your own risk. We checked for a firmware update but our unit was current. You can load Chrome and in browser mode you can visit any sites your heart desires. All in all, the X2-4K is a versatile unit. 

If you are looking at a high-resolution, versatile, video projector equally at home in a home theater, with a gaming console, or in a business or educational setting, we highly recommend the ViewSonic X2-4K – 4K UHD 2150 Lumens Xbox Certified 240Hz, 4.2ms Gaming Projector with HDR. 

A Mac Edition Radio Holiday Gift Pick!

Harris Fogel and Nancy Burlan, posted 12/2/2024

For more information on the ViewSonic X2-4K – 4K Video Projector visit: https://www.viewsonic.com/us/x2-4k.html#specTabs.specifications