ViewSonic NextVision Video Processor

by ViewSonic

Product Details

Product Manual [2.84mb PDF]

• Product Dimensions: 15.5 x 2.5 x 10.8 inches ; 4.2 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 4.2 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B00008PHFY
• Item model number: N4
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #82,959 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: May 2, 2006

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

Bring high-resolution TV to your desktop with the NextVision N4. The ViewSonic NextVision N4 video processor turns your LCD, CRT, or projector into a TV and multimedia center quickly and easily. Simply plug your display or projector into the N4 for TV and multiple video entertainment connections. Adding a DVD player, VCR or digital camera is as easy as plugging into the N4. The NextVision N4 comes with everything users need to get started, including cables and a remote control. The ViewSonic NextVision N4 video processor offers a convenient, cost-effective way to add TV and multimedia capability to your desktop. (Note that this product is not a video-capture device; it does not connect directly to a PC.)

Product Description

The ViewSonic NextVision N4 video processor turns your LCD, CRT or projector into a TV and multimedia center quickly and easily. Simply plug your display or projector into the N4 for TV and multiple video entertainment connections. Adding a DVD player, VCR or digital camera is as easy as plugging into the N4. The NextVision N4 comes with everything users need to get started, including cables and a remote control. The ViewSonic NextVision N4 video processor offers a convenient, cost-effective way to add TV and multimedia capability to your desktop. Sleep Timer Remote Control

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Do not buy this product, May 2, 2003

By 

Ben (MASS) - See all my reviews

This review is from: ViewSonic NextVision Video Processor (Personal Computers)

This is my review for the N5 but I think it will do some good when it comes to buying an N4: whatever you do, do not buy the N4.

Now this is the one review you should listen to. Seriously. I bought the N4 because it was cheaper and I didn't care about closed caption or parental controls, wow, big mistake. The next day I returned it and got the N5, best choice ever. The N5's picture blows away the N4's, true it doesn't have surround sound support, but to me that's no biggie. The picture is crisp (when one sits a few feet back) and looks very close to that of a TV. My only problem is that when using this with a computer doing a VGA pass though, the computer screen is a but blurry, it's because of this that I strongly reccommend a dual input monitor. I'm running it on a 21" sony and it looks excellent. Also it supports wide screen, which is a plus for all us home theater buffs. In short, the N4 felt cheap and worked just that way. It also got extremely hot, too hot to touch, and did all this while skipping frames attempting to process Xbox.

Pros:
Excellent picture
Better construction than the N4
Runs cooler
Stand is great
Remote is easier to use by feel

Cons:
Costs more

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great product, weird reviews from others., May 8, 2005

By 

William Hardin (Virginia) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: ViewSonic NextVision Video Processor (Personal Computers)

Alright first off let me respond to the other reviews.

1.) The guy that was disappointed with his Sony CRT did not complete the proper setup or didn't know what he was doing.

2.) The second review (which is a review of the N5) simply states what most know. If you NEED features that the N5 has, then it is worth the extra $50ish dollars. Otherwise, don't worry about what he states.

Alright, I setup this Viewsonic N4 in a retail enviroment with 30+ monitors both LCD and CRT. I looked at the output for tens of hours a week. Take it from me, it is a GREAT product and it does exactly what it supposed to do--with flying colors. The product does such a great job that I sold hundreds of them to customers who could see the quality of the output.

I don't what else to say past that except during 8-9 months of 24/7 use it NEVER failed. They do get hot, but not enough to burn you as was stated. Overall a great product, one which I own personally now after having seen what it could do. Always beware of reviews from people who won't read directions or who test an item for all of 30 minutes before returning it.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars N4 - Nice try but ..., March 19, 2004

By 

"saildutch" (MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: ViewSonic NextVision Video Processor (Personal Computers)

Have a spare Sony 15" flat screen CRT monitor, in good shape. Wanted to view VHS/DVD entertainment w/o adding another screen to my small space, so ordered and installed the N4.

The device produced images on the monitor, but the output quality was so poor, and the configuration via remote control and onscreen display was so fussy I decided not to keep it and returned it to Amazon.

No resolution setting or scan rate change improved the screen output (640x480 to 1024x768). Most disappointing was playing back a high-quality DVD (Twin Peaks box set) which uses full screen framing and having the image distorted (compressed horizontally giving skinny figures) no matter how I changed the settings on the N4, the DVD player or the Sony monitor. Infuriating! A VHS tape played more-or-less OK. Used the RF inputs for VHS and DVD and the S-Video inputs for DVD w/o seeing any improvements. Sound quality was OK -- it's just passing on the audio signal.

By way of comparison, playing the same DVD in the combo drive on my Dell laptop w. 14.1" LCD screen and DVD software gives a beautiful, full-screen high-resolution image, great sound and all the rest.

N4 setup was straightforward but printed troubleshooting information was very sparse and of the "check connections" variety. Nothing to help me solve the horizontal distortion.

It's too bad -- a device like this that really works would be a boon. I should have guessed this item was not a success given the small number of reviews and low rating.