Projector Reviews Images

Vivitek H1080FD Projector Review

Posted on February 12, 2011 by Art Feierman
This projector review of the Vivitek H1080FD projector has been completed. You will find nine pages of information on the H1080FD projector, organized in the Table of Contents below. Enjoy!

Specs Preview

Vivitek H1080FD Specs
Price 899
Technology DLP
Native Resolution 1920x1080
Brightness (Manufacturer Claim) 2300
Contrast 4000:1
Zoom Lens Ratio 1.2:1
Lens Shift No
Lamp Life 3000 hours in Standard, 2000 hours at full power (Boost)
Weight 7.8 lbs. (3.5 Kg)
Warranty 1 Year Parts and Labor

H1080FD Projector Highlights

  • Entry level 1080p projector for home, that can double for business
  • Exceptionally bright, suitable for family room/bonus room viewing (measured over 1800 lumens at brightest)
  • An extremely bright "best mode" with over 800 measured lumens
  • Good overall color
  • Black levels are entry level, but fine for those using the projector in rooms that aren't completely darkened
  • Very well endowed in terms of inputs and connections
  • Typical limited placement flexibility of lower cost DLP projectors - Most will ceiling mount or place on a table
  • For those rainbow sensitive, the 3x color wheel will make rainbows easier to see
  • Very good remote control - nice backlighting, and good range
  • Now $899 - If you need a bright 1080p projector for the price, this is it so far!

Vivitek H1080FD Projector Overview

The Vivitek H1080FD is (as of 2/12/11) $899! It is available from online dealers and I imagine, also possibly in some big box houses (like Best Buy, Costco, etc.). Let's start with one scenario to try to give you a quick idea of if this projector is what you are looking for:

Your friend has a really nice home theater. That friend is really into it - a serious enthusiast. A friend that can't understand why you are watching a 42 inch LCDTV.

After some time, you finally decide - it really would be great to have a "big screen" capability, you want to use it for sports, movies, HDTV in general. It just seems like such a hassle, but, hey, why not!

The thing is, you aren't an enthusiast. You just want something that will do the job well, but not be perfect. Hey, you bought a 32" Sony Trinitron back in the 90's and never noticed or used the controls for your TV - it's probably still in the "vivid" mode most TVs seemed to ship with as the default setting. Didn't even know there was a movie mode and several others, right? OK, this Vivitek is your kind of projector.

For an entry priced 1080p projector, it's really bright, has good color, and even a built in speaker, which could come in handy on occasion, for those not permenently mounting the H1080FD projector. I know I'm going to sound like "a broken record" but, this projector is a good match for family rooms, bonus rooms, or even out in the back yard, or cul-de-sac for a movie party.

The Vivitek H1080FD is a DLP projector using the Darkchip 2. Like most of the lower cost entry level projectors, it lacks a dynamic iris to enhance black level performance.

The Vivitek is rather typical of low cost DLP projectors - limited placement flexibility (discussed in the Tour section), filter-free design, for less maintenance, compact, and typically a bit noiser than competing projectors that use LCD design. On the other hand, there aren't yet any 1080p LCD projectors selling down at or within about $250 or $300 of the Vivitek, at the time I am writing this.

On the other hand, the H1080FD has one additional charm. It's very suitable as a cross-over projector. It has everything you need for typical business use. With almost 2000 lumens it's as bright as many entry level business projectors, and performs competently on Powerpoint presentations, spreadsheets and documents.

The Vivitek is very different from the other $999 1080p projector (Optoma HD20) we have reviewed, in terms of its strengths and weaknesses. That's a good thing, as it will give people who are shopping in this price range, more of a choice, than having two almost identical products.

Let's get rolling by first summarizing some of the most notable aspects, and then we can dig into more detail.

Vivitek H1080FD Special Features

The Vivitek H1080FD home theater projector is a pretty basic projector, when it comes to special features. Even so:

Built in Sound

The H1080FD has a small, rear facing 5 watt speaker. It actually throws out a very healthy amount of sound. Of course, bass is rather limited. It may not be surround sound quality, but it will do the job in a pinch. I can picture taking out the projector for Sunday football, plenty of volume.

And, consider, this projector is suitable for business presentations. The speaker will come in handy there. The Vivitek projector has a pair of stereo audio inputs, and one stereo output as well, so you can, for example run a cable from the projector, to a nice boom box, or other portable solution if you want to move the projector from room to room, take on vacation, etc.
Or, just get by with the single speaker.

12 volt screen trigger

The Vivitek H1080FD does have one screen trigger. This allows you to trigger a properly equipped motorized screen, so that when you hit the power up button on the H1080FD projector, your motorized screen will automatically lower. Power off the projector, and the motorized screen will retract.

Image from Quantum of Solace

Click Image to Enlarge

© 2023 Projector Reviews

crossmenu linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram