Classroom Projector Report: NEC Projectors Commentary
For NEC, we considered the U310W (click for full review) in this year's Classroom Projector Report. Here we will look at the U310W's siblings, the U250X, U260W, and U300X projectors.
8/4/2012 - Art Feierman
NEC Projectors - A Quick Look
| NEC U250X | NEC U260W | NEC U300X | NEC U310W |
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What they all have in common: DLP technology, 2000:1 contrast ratio, 14.3 lbs., maximum resolution 1600x1200, HDMI input, Monitor Out (VGA), 10W mono speaker, closed captioning, short throw lens, filters (message notification to know when to change), don't have to unmount to change lamp, 3D ready |
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NEC U250X
The NEC U250X is from the same family as the interactive NEC U310W projector. However, it differs from the U310W in several key ways.
First, the U250X has a lower brightness (2500 lumens compared to the U310W's 3100 lumens). Unlike the U310W, it is not widescreen. Instead of the U310W's WXGA widescreen resolution (hence the W in the name), the U250X is an XGA 1024x768 non-widescreen projector. The U250X lacks the network control capabilities and remote mousing that the U310W has. Most notably, the U250X is not an interactive projector like the U310W--though there is an interactive Whiteboard kit available to give you that interactivity.
However, the U250X has a longer lamp life--2500 hours in full power and 4000 hours in eco-mode--whereas the U310W only has 3000 hours in eco-mode. Therefore, your U250X will last a bit longer. In addition, the U250X has a better warranty. The U250X comes with a 3 year parts and labor warranty, whereas the U310W comes with a 2 year warranty and 1 year "Instacare" package.
With the optional add-on interactive kit (if you can shell out the extra bucks), the U250X would make a fantastic interactive XGA projector for your classroom or office environment.
NEC U260W
The U260W is the next step up in the series. It is identical to the U250X discussed above, except that it is slightly brighter (2600 lumens instead of 2500) and is widescreen (WXGA resolution).
Like the rest of the projectors in the series, the U260W is a 14.3 lb. DLP projector with a 2000:1 contrast ratio. The U260W and the rest in the family come equipped with an HDMI input and Monitor Out, plus interactive capabilities (either built-in or as optional add-ons). In this case, the U260W has the optional Whiteboard interactive kit available.
All four projectors have a 10W speaker, which can handle your sound requirements pretty well so long as your room and audience aren't too large. The U260W and its siblings are all also 3D ready, plus they're short throw projectors that can be ceiling mounted. This means you can place them super close to the screen and avoid glare and shadows. Once mounted, you don't have to take the U260W or its siblings down to change the lamp too, which is nice.
NEC U300X
The U300X is the closest to the U310W projector we considered in the Report. It is $100 less expensive (MSRP $1599), with the only differences being a slightly lower brightness (3000 lumens instead of 3100) and it being XGA resolution and not widescreen WXGA (which is why the projector has an X in the name and not a W). It has the same network control and remote mousing capabilities as the U310W, and the same lamp life (2500 hours in full power, 3000 hours in eco-mode). They come with the same warranty (2 years plus 1 year Instacare), and the replacement lamps cost $249.
The U300X is a nice alternative to the U310W if you don't need widescreen and you want to save a little money.