Mitsubishi WL7200U WXGA LCD Projector Review
See this projector in our annual Classroom Projector Report, sponsored by:
November 2012 - Mike Rollet
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Mitsubishi WL7200U Projector Overview
The Mitsubishi WL7200U is a high brightness (5500 lumen rating), WXGA (1280x800) LCD projector that is targeted for use in a large venue like an auditorium. The WL7200U has a complete set of connection options for a PC, Mac and other video sources, including the traditional VGA cable, DVI-D, HDMI, 5-BNC component video, S-video and composite video.
The WL7200U is network connectable (through its LAN input) allowing for control of the projector, as well as monitoring the projector’s status, scheduled maintenance and problem notification remotely. It supports network control via its own software, as well as well known options like Crestron, AMX and PJLink. Despite its size, the WL7200U is relatively portable, weighing in at just over 23 lbs. This makes it a viable option for smaller venues where it could easily be used with a movable cart.
The WL7200U comes with a standard 1.8x power zoom lens, but Mitsubishi also offers four optional lenses to maximize flexibility of installation. These lens options are explained in more detail in the “Special Features” section below.
The WL7200U is one of a trio of similar projectors, with the WL7200U sitting firmly in the middle of the range. The other two projectors are the XL7100U, an XGA (1024 X 768) projector rated at 6000 lumens and the UL7400U, a WUXGA (1920 X 1200) projector rated at 5000 lumens. All three projectors have power zoom, focus and lens shift, can use the same interchangeable lenses and have the same networking capabilities.
The Mitsubishi WL7200U is a commercial quality projector, that presents high quality performance and picture, flexibility, and a very bright image, for a most reasonable price. That's based on comparing the WL7200U to the several other high brightness projectors reviewed in the last 12 months. All considered, the WL7200U, especially when compared to the value propositions of some of the competition was easily determined to deserve one of our Hot Product awards.
Mitsubishi WL7200U Projector Highlights
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Lightweight for its class – 23 lbs.
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Very Good Brightness – 5500 lumens
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Flexibility of installation – Vertical and horizontal lens shift, plus choice of four optional lenses
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Color management controls
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Network monitoring and control
Specs for the Mitsubishi WL7200U
Click here for full specifications: Mitsubishi WL7200U
MSRP: $6995, Street Price $2855
Technology: 3LCD
Native Resolution: WXGA (1280x800)
Brightness: 5500 lumens
Contrast: up to 2000:1
Zoom Lens ratio: 1.8:1
Lens shift: Horizontal and vertical
Lamp life: Up to 3000 hours (Standard mode), 4000 hours (Low mode)
Dimensions: 18.9”W x 6.8”H x 16.5”D (without rear cover)
Weight: 23.2 lbs.
Warranty: 3 years or 10,000 hours Parts and Labor on projector, One year or 500 hours on lamp
Mitsubishi WL7200U Projector Special Features
Optional Lenses
For more flexibility of installation, Mitsubishi offers four optional lenses to choose from, depending on your installation needs. The standard lens (which comes with the WL7200U projector and was used for this review) has a throw ratio that ranges from 1.5 to 2.7 (this means the projector can be placed at a distance from the screen that equals 1.5 to 2.7 times the screen width). There are two long throw, zoom lens that have throw ratios of 2.6 to 4.4:1 and 4.3 to 7.3:1. There is one short throw lens with a throw ratio of 1.3 to 1.5 and a fixed (at 0.8 throw ratio) short throw lens for rear projection application. What does this all mean? It means that by choosing the appropriate lens, the projector can display a fairly large 200” diagonal image at distances ranging from as little as 16.7’ or a far as 104.1’. The rear projection lens requires 13.1’ for a 200 inch diagonal image.
Prices on these lenses are around $2000 and $2100 for the two long throw lenses, $2300 for the fixed lens and $2900 for the short throw zoom lens.
Automatic Dust Filter Replacement
The WL7200U has a filter roll cartridge that can be set to automatically change the filter every 500, 750 or 1000 hours, or it can be done manually whenever you want. The cartridge contains 10 filters, so even at its lowest hour setting, it will not need to be replaced before the lamp is replaced. This cuts maintenance time significantly.
Horizontal and Vertical Lens Shift
To facilitate ease of installation, the Mitsubishi WL7200U has power lens shift in both the horizontal and vertical directions, controllable from the remote. The WL7200U has a greater lens shift range than most of the competition, with a maximum of +/-70% vertical lens shift and +/- 30% horizontal shift (left and right).
Multiple Network Control and Monitoring Options
In addition to Mitsubishi’s own ProjectorView Global+ software, the WL7200U supports Crestron’s RoomView management system, AMX Device Discovery system and the industry standard PJLink, which allows control of multiple projectors from different manufacturers and models from a single control application. We do not test networking abilities, as we could never duplicate the many variations of networking that exist in companies and other organizations. That said, this Mitsubishi WL7200U, seems to support everything most would need, including the widely used "standards" that are Crestron's RoomView, and AMX.