Casio Laser/LED Projectors Simply Provide a Better Value Proposition Than The Competition

Casio Laser/LED projectors have long offered a better value proposition than either Laser or Lamp Projectors. It comes as no surprise that they sell more solid-state projectors than any other manufacturer. “Solid-state” is a category of light engines that includes laser projectors, LED projectors and Laser/LED combination projectors - basically all projectors but traditional lamp-based models.

There are many different approaches, but all share many of the same benefits. These include, but are not limited to, consistent color and long light engine life with no lamps to replace regularly. Some have color wheels, some use LED light sources exclusively, and some projectors have a single laser, while others have dual lasers – or, in the case of Casio, a combination of LED and Laser!

Once again, I have the opportunity – this time from Casio – to create a paid advertorial, with virtually no “interference” from the manufacturer. This lets me skip most of the hype and focus on capabilities and value. After my overview here, I’ll introduce you to three different series of Casio projectors, with the emphasis on their newest – the Superior Series.  They are impressive, both in performance and value.

For a decade, Casio has been a leader in solid state projectors. To this day, based on industry reporting, Casio does claim to sell more solid state projectors than anyone else! (Hey, good for them.)

Their secret sauce – or perhaps I should say, their secret to success – lies in creating their hybrid laser/LED design, which they can sell for far less than any of the single laser competition.

The Bottom Line: You have to check out the Casio line-up if you are serious about value, and don’t want to deal with lamp and filter maintenance. Casio starts their line-up with their Laser/LED design for well under $1,000 list price.

Let's take a close look at Casio’s value proposition. Consider: Most companies’ laser projectors start at over $2,000 for WXGA, with higher resolution WUXGA models typically running around the $3,000 to $5,000 mark, but not Casio. We’re talking about a category we like to call Affordable Laser Projectors.

Those laser projectors are typical business and education projectors, in that they are lacking the super feature sets of higher-end commercial projectors. That is, projectors that lack capabilities such as interchangeable lenses, projection mapping and edge blending. We’re talking about projectors with the usual zoom lens, more than enough inputs, mountable, DLP or 3LCD, and typically with at least 2,500 to 3,500 lumens.

That, folks, is the typical description for "affordable laser projectors".

All of Casio’s projectors – that’s right, every one they make, or have made for the last roughly 10 years – use a “hybrid” Laser/LED light engine. I don’t know what generation Casio is on, but it’s probably at least their 5^th or 6^th generation, which is to say, they have it all figured out.

Keep in mind that when considering most Casio projectors, from a pricing standpoint, they are definitely competing more with lamp based projectors than other projectors incorporating lasers. The benefits of Laser, or hybrid Laser/LED, compared to lamps are pretty straightforward:

• Long life – with Casio at least 20,000 hours
• No need for maintenance/lamp replacement
• No quickly dimming lamps (over months)
• Superior color range and perceived brightness (two key benefits of solid state over lamp)

The Casio XJ-S400UN is the networking version of the S400U. A WUXGA resolution (1920x1200) projector, it sports 4,000 lumens for a price well below any traditional “affordable lasers.”

This gives schools and school districts, corporations, non-profits, entertainment venues, and more, an affordable alternative to other laser projectors, without all the headaches of having to replace lamps on a regular basis. Can you say “win-win”?

Casio provides a 5-year parts and labor warranty with 10,000 hours of warranty on their solid state light engine, on the Superior Series (including the S400WN), as well as their Advanced Series, and their ultra short throw projectors. Their more entry-level projectors still manage an impressive 3-year parts and labor warranty with 6,000 hours on their Laser/LED projectors.

The Casio Advanced Series consists of two XGA resolution projectors and four WXGA resolution projectors. All of these models are bright, claiming over 3,300 lumens or more.

The Casio Advanced Series XJ-210WN is a WXGA (1280x800) resolution projector claiming 3,500 lumens. We reviewed it back in 2016, and find it to be as capable today as we did back then – that is, it has withstood the test of time. Like all Casio projectors, features the long-lasting hybrid Laser/LED solid state light engine and low maintenance, with no lamps to replace and no filters to clean.

It is among the least expensive classroom/business projectors using a solid state light engine that has networking – both wired and wireless. The XJ-F211WN replaces the XJ-F210WN, and is brighter than competing LED projectors in this price range. It has excellent readability on text and presentations.

Speaking of presentations – it has support for PC Free Presentation using a USB flash drive or storing the presentation on the projector’s internal memory. Smart phones and tablets can also project using the Casio XJ-F211WN via the Casio App. This newer model also adds Casio's Educational Solutions collaboration tools, which is a major plus for teachers.

It’s lightweight and portable, so it can be transferred easily from classroom to classroom, conference room to conference room. Its built-in 16-watt mono speaker is plenty loud enough for a medium to large sized classroom or conference room.

*Some laser projectors do require routine filter changes

Casio targeted the road warrior a decade ago when they launched their Slim series - their very first solid state “LampFree” projectors.

Casio long ago mastered combining their hybrid Laser/LED design into a ultra-thin, highly mobile, and bright projectors.

Casio’s heavy hitter is the XJ-L8300HN. This commercial-grade large venue projector boasts 5,000 lumens, which is plenty bright for a whole host of applications – lecture halls, museums, entertainment venues, houses of worship, etc. The Casio XJ-L8300HN features the new Texas Instruments 4K DLP chip, and has native 4K UHD (3840x2160) resolution.

It is extra sharp on text and presentations, thanks to that resolution and its hybrid Laser/LED solid state light engine. The XJ-L8300HN projects an exceptionally large image – up to 200” diagonally! This is excellent for the types of venues listed in the paragraph above.

Its list price is $11,999, which is just about right for this caliber of projector. This Casio has a generous amount of zoom and lens shift – it has a 1.50:1 zoom lens, as well as +60% vertical lens shift, and +25% horizontal. It supports Crestron RoomView and PJLink, and has advanced networking via HDBaseT.

The Casio XJ-L8300HN handles 4K content beautifully, as well as regular 1080p content. In scientific, engineering, and design applications where the highest resolution and sharpest image is required, the XJ-L8300HN will not disappoint. It features two User Modes to get the perfect color, and has one preset mode that looks quite natural.

OK, thanks for cruising this advertorial. I do hope you found some useful info.

Still want to learn more? Here are some resources for you on our site and Casio’s. -art

The XJ-S400UN is Casio’s WUXGA model that we’ve recently reviewed from their Superior Series. Read the Casio XJ-S400UN Review.

The Slim XJ-257 is the most recent model in the Slim series that we have reviewed. Read the Casio XJ-A257 Review.

The XJ-F210WN is the most recent model in the Advanced Series that we have reviewed. It has been discontinued and replaced by the XJ-F211WN, which is essentially the same projector, but for the addition of Casio's Educational Solutions collaboration tools. Read the Casio XJ-F210WN Review.

The XJ-L8300HN is Casio’s 4K UHD commercial projector. Read the Casio XJ-L8300HN Review.

Check out Casio’s Superior Series.

Just want to learn more about Casio’s full line of projectors? Visit Casio Here.