Acer S5201M Interactive DLP Projector - Review Summary

Posted on May 14, 2012 by Art Feierman

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A summary of the Acer S5201M and a list of this Acer projector's pros and cons.

Acer S5201M Projector: Bottom Line

For a short throw projector, the Acer S5201M is a solid performer both in brightness and sharpness. While this alone can be matched by other projectors on the market, the S5201M separates itself from the pack by including interactive ability at a very low price. While I had some issues with the interactive software, I believe that with a little getting used to, it would be more than adequate for most uses. A big plus is that the software overlays anything on the computer, allowing for the ability to use the interactive pen with any presentation.

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Click to Enlarge. So Close.

The S5201M also combines high brightness and a very sharp image in a small package that is easy to move and set up. It is well suited for presentation of text and intricate line graphs that require a sharp image for readability. If you don’t need the lumen output of the brightest mode, it does more than an acceptable job with photographic images and video.

Click Image to Enlarge

It was somewhat disappointing that the S5201M does not have any network presentation abilities. Network presentations are rapidly becoming a convenience standard on many of today’s multimedia projectors, even in this price range.

The Acer S5201M provides a lot of value to the presenter looking for an interactive projector that won’t break the bank. It offers much of the performance of one of last year’s favorites, the BenQ MP780ST, for barely more than half the price of the BenQ. All in all, it’s a great value in an interactive projector and one that deserves serious consideration from any presenter.