Like most other things, even projectors are getting smaller and smaller in size. The ?mobile? projectors have become quite popular?could be the size, portability and price. The new kid on the tiny block is the LG HS201 Projector. How good is it? Can it replace your television? Let?s find out.
The answer to the first question is?yes. The answer to the second question is?no. There are reasons for both. Straight out of the box, the LG HS201 Projector will impress you with the pearl white finish and the portability it offers. Weighing less than 1 kg, it can be easily picked up and moved around ? within the home and to someone else?s home too.
Input options are available in abundance?HDMI, composite, component and USB, as well as audio in (and audio out too). The external power brick, however, may be a bit inconvenient to carry around, but that is the trade off for getting a really sleek looking projector.
When speaking of performance, we would advice HD lovers to talk among themselves while we talk to the SD content viewers! The output resolution offered by the LG HS201 Projector is 800×600, whatever the input may be. Whatever way you look at it, this will not replace the high definition television in your home.
Using the HDMI input, I connected the TataSky high definition set top box to it. The projector downgraded the 1080i signals to fit the output resolution. Place it 4 feet from a wall and you will get an image the size of a 42-inch television. However, the further you push the projector back, the bigger the image becomes. I pushed the LG HS201 projector 8 feet from the wall and got an image of more than 80 inches. The colour depth and clarity till this time was very good, keeping in mind the projector is not meant for the high definition viewing.
At one point of time, I placed the projector some 15 inches from the wall, and got an image which was over 120 inches, but the pixelation and lack of colour depth was quite visible. You can blame the 800×600 resolution and 200 lumens for this. This is why this projector will not replace the television.
Use this projector in a non-AC room and you can hear the noisy fan trying to keep the little monster cool. Switch on the AC, and cool the room down a bit and fan also falls silent. However, speaking of more positives, the setup is simple. Connect to any input source, choose the source from the menu and you are good to go. The built-in menu is exactly what we have seen in LG televisions in recent times. Good thing that, since the menus are clean, clear and offer a lot of image tweak options.
The remote is very small and slim, and complements the control buttons on the projector itself. If you are using those buttons, you won?t need the remote at most times. If you do use the LG HS201 projector, you may want to connect it to dedicated speakers using the 3.5 mm output, because as expected, the built-in speakers are just basic.
Overall, at Rs 50,000 to buy, the HS201 Projector is a good projector if you want to watch television or movies on your room wall with the huge image it can create and don?t bother much about high definition. If you do buy this projector, please keep it covered when not in use, or the dust will take away the shine from the classy white finish.
? CyberMedia www.LD2.in
Mail:talkLD@cybermedia.co.in