ViewSonic PJ551D 2300 Lumen DLP XGA Projector

by ViewSonic

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 10.7 x 4.3 inches ; 6.2 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 10 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B001125K7O
• Item model number: PJ551D
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #53,365 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: July 7, 2004

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

From the Manufacturer

Rich, vibrant digital images.

The ViewSonic PJ551D is a DLP projector that offers great value and performance in a portable six-pound package. Featuring 2,300 lumens, an ultra-high 2000:1 contrast ratio and BrilliantColor the PJ551D delivers rich, vibrant image reproduction. Presenters will appreciate the vertical keystone correction for easy image adjustment and the direct off feature that allows you to turn it off and go, no more waiting for a long cooling cycle. The Kensington security port deters unauthorized projector removal from classrooms or media carts. The PJ551D is equally at home in the office or the classroom.

Full-featured, value-priced performer Bright in virtually any setting with 2,300 lumens Packs 2,300 lumens in just 6 pounds. It’s the bright choice for mobile presenters. BrilliantColor technology DLP projectors with BrilliantColor feature multi-color processing to produce nearly 50% brighter colors for a vibrant image on the screen that won’t fade over time. Supports HD signals including 720p and 1080i Capable of displaying HDTV signals as well as other video and data sources. Mulitple color correction modes Blackboard, greenboard and whiteboard modes give you the best possible picture regardless of the projection surface. OnView controls for superior screen adjustability Screen geometry and color adjustments are precisely made via an easy-to-use on-screen menu. Eco-mode extends lamp life Extend the life of your lamp up to 4,000 hours and reduce noise output. My Screen Startup Customize your startup with a company logo or favorite picture using the MyScreen function.

Product Description

The ViewSonic PJ551D is a DLP projector that offers great value and performance in a portable six-pound package. Featuring 2,200 lumens, an ultra-high 2000:1 contrast ratio (typ) and Brilliant ColorTM , the PJ551D delivers RICH, VIBRANT IMAGE REPRODUCTION. Presenters will appreciate the VERTICAL KEYSTONE CORRECTION for easy image adjustment and the DIRECT OFF FEATURE the allows you to turn it off and go, no more waiting for a long cooling cycle. Built-in security features include a PIN lock password to protect the projector from unauthorized use and the Kensington security port to deter unauthorized projector removal from classrooms or media carts. It`s the full-featured projector that`s equally at home in the office or the classroom.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great deal, May 10, 2008

By 

John R. Tuttle - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: ViewSonic PJ551D 2300 Lumen DLP XGA Projector (Office Product)

I scoured the internet looking for reviews for this projector. didn't find much. I took a chance and bought it, and I do not regret it at all. Even on my living room wall, this thing looked fantastic. Then I added a screen and it looks beautiful. I hooked up my xbox 360 and played Bioshock on an 85" screen. I can't see pixels until I walk right up to the screen <36". No rainbowing effect unless I move my eyes quickly across the screen and I'm tired; but this is true for any dlp projector I think.

Pros: Inexpensive. Plenty bright, even with moderate light on eco mode. Colors look great, deep and rich. nice contrast. Keystone correction very nice to have.. didn't think I'd use it, but I did. . Manual zoom and focus are clutch.

Cons: single VGA input. not native HD (1280x720), but who cares? it still looks awesome.

Overall, I haven't seen anything touch the value of this projector: 3 year warranty (1 yr bulb), I got it with a free MIR replacement lamp... Are you kidding me? For an LCD or plasma tv I would've payed twice as much for a screen half the size.

***Edit Update*** I've had this projector for nearly a year now and nearly 500 lamp hours on it and it's still going strong, haven't had a single problem with it. I now have a PS3 hooked up to it and it looks great playing blu-rays. I've constantly wondered if I should have gotten a 1080p LCD tv instead, but honestly, I have friends with 1080p 120hz Sony Bravias playing HD cable and a PS3, and for 1/3 the price they paid, I have a bigger screen that looks very similar. No kidding, for gaming and video, this thing looks great and I'd put it up next to any HD TV. The only downside is you have to get the setup right, which can be tough getting the projector in the right place since that is where you want to sit basically. Also, it has to be dark to really appreciate the picture. At night there's no problem, just turn off the lights, but during the day, you're going to want to have some hefty blinds, especially if you're gaming, because dark scenes become very hard to discern if there is ambient light. I ended up putting up a second set of shades with tin foil between them on the two windows in my projector room. Cheap and effective, but unfortunately necessary.

The setup: 1) If you want to feed this projector HD content, you have to use the VGA input. Period. For this I acquired a component to VGA adapter like this 12ftVGA to 3 RCA component video cable (HD15 - 3-RCA) and then you'd have to get something like this Component Video 3 RCA Female to Female Coupler
If you want to feed multiple HD sources like I do, get a good receiver with component switching. I bought this Onkyo for example: Onkyo TX-SR575 7.1 Channel Home Theater Receiver (Black)
I use the receiver to manage all of my input components. If you want to feed HDMI, make sure you get a receiver that can channel HDMI to component output, I don't know of any models that do this off the top of my head. But if you're like me on a budget, then you know that component looks just a good and you will use that instead because it's easier in this setup.
Lastly, if you want to hook a PC up to this thing as well as the rest, get a KVM switch, this being one example TRENDnet TK-209K 2-Port USB KVM Switch Kit with Audio (Includes 2x KVM Cables)

I hope that all helps. Enjoy the big picture.

31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars good price, July 18, 2008

By 

Volkan Emre Arpinar - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: ViewSonic PJ551D 2300 Lumen DLP XGA Projector (Office Product)

I look at the internet for the review of this projector (ViewSonic PJ551D), but I could not find any detailed review. So I look at similar products reviews, since specifications are nearly same for ~2300 lumens XGA DLP projectors. My motivations to by this projector are its cheap price, mail in rebate free replacement lamp (look for detailed information on http://www.viewsonic.com) (cost about 220$), 3 year device warranty, and 1 year original lamp warranty.

Up to now, I use the projector to watch film by connecting to my laptop. I use the projector in living room's white wall. The size of the image on the wall is about 100". With that size, light intensity of the image is enough to watch film with one 40 Watt bulb is ON at other corner of the room even if the projector is in "eco" mode. Also the contrast is good, so that in the above condition (100", single lamp ON) black strips are not visible. Also the pixels are not noticeable from a distance above 50". Light uniformity seems good. I test it using uniform white image and there is no noticeable dark or light areas in the projected image. I can not see any rainbowing effect while watching film (But if I try to see them by moving my eyes rapidly, yes I can see it.). Also I watch film about 10 hours in a single day and I don't have any eye fatigue or headache.

Pros:
- Inexpensive, it worth for the money.
- Free lamp (for now mail in rebate till 30 September 2008)
- 4000 Hour lamp life in "eco" mode (become standard in new generation projectors)
- 3 year warranty
- 1- 1.1 zoom and focus
- 2000:1 contrast ratio (same for DLP projectors but good compared to LCD projectors)

Cons:
- Limited input (D-Sub 15pin, S-Video, Composite-Video) but it is enough for me.
- No speaker (Even if there is a build in speaker, I prefer to use my laptop speaker instead of it)
- More noisy than LCD type projectors with similar lumen value (about ~3dB). But it is not effect the experience when I am away from the projector about 2 meters in "eco" mode.
- In "standby" mode its fan works about 2 seconds for every 1 hour.
- It is not a native wide display. (Black strips are not disturbing for me and I use this area for subtitles)

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great projector, June 14, 2008

By 

P. yarn - See all my reviews
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This review is from: ViewSonic PJ551D 2300 Lumen DLP XGA Projector (Office Product)

nice compact size projector with a rich colorful very bright contrast filled picture great warranty and received rebate for free replacement lamp. stayed up all last night playing call of duty 4 on the xbox 360 projected on living room wall and was blown away cant imagine how it would be with a screen. for the price you really cant find anything better, and did i mention 3500hrs lamp life on bright and 4000hrs on eco mode. some setup limitations due to limited zoom but is not a problem am totally satisfide with this purchase.