The ViewSonic PX747-4K is the sibling to the already-reviewed PX727-4K, and sports 4K UHD resolution. ViewSonic has long been a leader in some of the lowest-cost home theater and home entertainment projectors, and they’ve done it again! Right now, you can get the PX747-4K on Amazon for just $999, making it the most affordable 4K UHD projector on the market. This projector and its twin, the PX727-4K, are identical in all but a few ways – we will discuss the ways they differ in this First Look Review of the ViewSonic PX747-4K.

Before we get into it – what is a First Look Review? Our First Look Reviews are one-page, simple reviews based on the projector’s specs, features, and our thoughts based on those aspects, before we get the projector in for review – these First Looks are a mixture of insight and common sense. Though we have not yet published the full review of this projector, we can make assumptions from what we know about its sibling, in addition to those specs/features. Now, on with our First Look Review of the ViewSonic PX747-4K!

The ViewSonic PX747-4K is the bright room version of the PX727-4K, a 4K UHD projector intended for use in the home theater. Also a 4K UHD projector, the 3,500 lumen PX747-4K will be at home in  any living room, family room, media room, or bedroom that cannot be fully darkened, and therefore will always have some degree of ambient light. Now, Art reports that the projector did not quite hit its mark, coming in at around 3,200 in its brightest mode – but that’s still plenty to cut through some pretty serious ambient light.

This is a DLP projector with an RGBW color wheel, rather than the RGBRGB type found on the PX727-4K. Generally speaking, that RGBRGB color wheel is more of a home theater type wheel, whereas the RGBW is found more often on home entertainment and business/education projectors. The “W” in RGBW refers to a clear slice that allows a lot of light to pass through, improving the amount of white lumens the projector is capable of outputting, resulting in an ultimately brighter image.

The ViewSonic PX747-4K has an impressive lamp life of up to 15,000 hours – but that’s with SuperEco on. With it off, you can probably expect it air on the higher side of the norm for lamp based projectors. Either way, the projector will give you a lot of bang for your buck – especially at the reduced price – and have you enjoying many thousands of hours of entertainment before you will need to switch out the lamp.

It has a 12,000:1 contrast ratio, which is the same as its home theater twin, but you can expect the ViewSonic PX727-4K to have better black level performance than the brighter PX747-4K. No matter – the ViewSonic PX747-4K will undoubtedly have better dark shadow detail, which means you will be able to see details in dark scenes better than you will on the PX727-4K

Like most ViewSonic projectors, the PX747-4K is compact and portable. Weighing less than 10 pounds, this ViewSonic measures just 13.1” wide, 5.3” tall, and 10.3” deep. Next up is our list of highlights, followed by a discussion of special features, then our discussion of the hardware of the ViewSonic PX747-4K home entertainment projector.

The ViewSonic PX747-4K is a 4K capable projector with 4K UHD (3840 x 2160) resolution. Though not true 4K, you can still expect this projector to be nicely sharp and a step up from those 1920 x 1080 x2 pixel shifters in terms of sharpness. The ViewSonic also has support for HDR on 4K content, but does not support the expanded color space P3/BT.2020 like many other 4K capable projectors can – just plain old REC.709 (regular HDTV) for this guy. That’s not a huge problem, only something to be aware of when making your decision.

There’s a special feature on this projector, and the PX727-4K, called Silence Mode. This makes the projector run at its quietest, akin to running in ECO, and does so by disabling pixel shifting. Pixel shifting tends to add some extra noise, so if you’re only running 1080p content and want to turn off the pixel shifting, this is the only way to do so. I wouldn’t, however, because then you’re making this 4K capable projector perform like ViewSonic’s sub-$800 1080p projectors in terms of sharpness and detail.

The ViewSonic PX747-4K has a rather simple setup in terms of inputs and connectors. Oh, it has all of the inputs you need for your home entertainment needs, but we always would rather have three HDMI inputs instead of two. Most of us have more than two systems we like to run content off of – I myself have a PS4 (most used), a 4K UHD player (second most used), an Apple TV, and the NVIDIA Shield, so having an extra input would have been nice. No matter.

Starting from the left, this ViewSonic has stacked Audio jacks, one for In and one for Out. Next to that is the old-school VGA port for connecting older PCs. To its right are the two HDMIs – one 1.4 and one 2.2 for accepting 4K content – and a Mini USB port. There is also an RS-232 connector for old-school command and control, a USB Type-B, and a 12-Volt Trigger port for wired remote control.

The ViewSonic M1 is a stylish pocket gaming projector featuring dual 3.0 watt Harman Kardon speakers for impressive audio on-the-go. This single-chip DLP projector operates with an LED light source for an outstanding lamp-life of 30,000 hours. ViewSonic claims 250 lumens when plugged in, and a battery life of between four and six hours depending on usage.

The M1 utilizes WVGA resolution (854 x 480) and has a fixed focal length, which is typical among pocket projectors. This is the only pocket or ultra-portable projector currently offered by ViewSonic, and for a list price of $337, it’s pretty good! While this projector is compatible with 1080p, it’s important to remember that this is not an HD projector, but rather, one that sports the same resolution as DVD.

The ViewSonic M1 has many uses with its capable onboard file browser and media player. It offers 16GB of internal storage, as well as HDMI, USB-A, USB-C, and will even accept MicroSD cards. This is a home entertainment projector, intended for the casual gamer, for watching movies, sports, streaming video and sharing photos, but can also be used in small conference rooms for business applications. The built-in stand and 360 degree projection lends to its versatility and portability. This projector is currently the least-bright offered by ViewSonic, but is still a lot of fun in a dark room and in the evening hours.

The ViewSonic M1 is a small pocket projector that weighs just 1.5 lbs, and measures only 1.6 inches high, 5.8 inches wide and 5 inches deep. It looks just like a portable speaker and can easily be tucked into a gaming console’s carrying case or laptop bag, and comes with a protective case of its own.

Some would refer to the M1 as a Pico projector, but we usually think of “Pico” projectors as the “super-small, literally fit-in-your-pocket” type projectors, weighing in at less than a pound.  Unless you are still wearing cargo pants (I guess they’re making a comeback?) you’re not going to fit many of the so-called “pocket” projectors in your actual pocket. We tend to think of “pocket” projectors as a step between the teensy-weensy picos and the approximately 5lb portable projectors.

While the ViewSonic M1 is intended for home entertainment, its portability and sleek design may make it attractive to someone who needs to make their presentations on the go; and the size makes it that much smaller when packing for business trips – a definite plus for “road warriors” who travel for their presentations. You will find examples of this projector’s text and presentation quality later in the review, as well as comments on video and audio quality.

This unit is a fun choice for LAN parties (do kids still do that?) or for those just getting into projectors, looking for a larger screen in their dorm room or living room, but don’t want to make the dive into an actual home theater projector or more expensive home entertainment projector just yet.

This ViewSonic boast a pair of 3.0 watt Harman Kardon speakers for impressive, room-filling sound. Short of needing to fill a large hall with audio, which you shouldn’t be using a 250 lumen rated projector for anyway, you will not need external speakers. If you do find yourself needing to hook-up external speakers, there is an Audio Out mini-jack for that!

While I expect most folks using such a projector would be simply projecting on a wall or ceiling, there are some good screens available on the market that are quite portable. In fact, all the photos in this review featuring images projected by the ViewSonic M1 were done so on the On-The-Go Screens Go-90 90 inch portable screen, which retails for less than $100, and can either be wall mounted or stand on its own tripod.

The ViewSonic M1 is a DLP projector with an LED light source, offering a life of 30,000 hours, and a contrast ratio of 12,000:1. There is a built-in file browser and media player, and 16GB of onboard storage. There are inputs for HDMI devices, USB storage devices, USB-C support for smart devices, and a MicroSD card reader built in. In other words, there is plenty of storage and connections for just about any media one would expect to play back on such a unit.

One could almost call the Viewsonic PX727-4K projector a classic because it is most typical of the lower cost 4K UHD projectors hitting the market this year. Consider, and don't be surprised that a number of different brands of projectors are built by a couple of the largest Asian manufacturers - Delta, and Coretronics. The Viewsonic PX727-4K is one built by Delta, who also builds BenQ projectors.

If I recall correctly, Delta spun off BenQ as a separate company about 15 years or so ago. Over the years, Delta has also built projectors for NEC, Hitachi, Barco, Christie, and lastly, Vivitek, which Delta owns directly.

Wondering why I am telling you all this first?

Why indeed?

As a result of Delta's huge size (approaching $10 Billion US), a great many projectors come out of Delta factories, so I wasn't the least bit surprised when I opened up the Viewsonic PX727-4K and set it on my projection stand, plugged in cables, only to immediately notice that the PX727-4K, has exactly the same input and connectors on the back as does the BenQs' HT2550 and TK800 projectors, with every connector in exactly the same place on all three projectors. (They have slightly different control panels, but in the same general location, the lens is identically offset, etc.)

No surprise then, that this PX727-4K is a direct competitor to the BenQ HT2550 as both claim 2,200 lumens and sport RGBRGB color wheels. Based on viewing, I suspect they also have the same speed color wheels, as I find the rainbow effect (I am sensitive to it) to be relatively minimal compared to some other brands 4K UHD projectors we've tested including a Dell, and an Optoma.

There are other differences, however, which should let us help you figure out of the Viewsonic is the best possible choice for your specific preferences, room, etc.

While BenQ beat Viewsonic to the $1,499 price point with the first to ship of the 4K UHD projectors using 1920x1080p x 4 pixel shifting DLP chips, Viewsonic is right there with their competition also having a $1,499 list price.

The real difference is that the street price for the Viewsonic PX727-4K seems to be at $1,299, which is typically about $200 less than the BenQ and Optoma (Optoma is built by Coretronic) competition! (That at the time of this projector review being published.) Now that's definitely useful to know!  Also good news for Viewsonic fans, this Viewsonic provides their typical 3 year warranty, which is longer than many 4K UHD competitors.

Perhaps most important to explain before we get into the full review and results is that these newer 1920x1080x4 DLP 4K UHD projectors are less expensive, but also slightly lower resolution than the 4K UHD DLPs that first shipped, which in turn, have the higher resolution 4K UHD DLP chip - with smaller pixels - that is 2716x1528x2). Prior to January of this year - 2018 - all shipping 4K UHD projectors used the higher res chip, and those have list prices (US$) from $2,000 on up, with those with a similar RGBRGB color wheel listing for $2,499. So, basically, you are paying an extra $1,000 for a similar projector with slightly better resolution, that is very hard to see. Also there are often other differences as well. Just remember the old saying - “There’s no such thing as a free lunch.”

This Viewsonic may not exactly rival those $2,499 and up 4K UHD projectors overall, but for not much more than half the price, you have joined the world of projectors that can accept 4K content.

It does (as a reviewer) bother me somewhat, that Viewsonic, nowhere in their user manual or data sheets (that I could find) do they mention anything about resolution other than "true 3840x2160 resolution" nor could I find mention that it is a pixel shifter!

I don't like that. This is, like all 4K UHD DLPs, is a pixel shifting projector with very large pixels compared to a true, native 4K projector. I would be happier if they were more straightforward, with something like 1920x1080x4 pixel shifting DLP chip that can put 8.3 million overlapping pixels on the screen. I imagine that if Viewsonic (like most) offered projectors with both resolution DLP chips, they would have had to specify to distinguish between the two. Ah, Marketing! Well, that's why there are reviewers - to call out manufacturers from time to time. Every manufacturer is different, but most do mention pixel shifting and some others show the native resolution (in this case 1920x1080x4).

Like most of these projectors (at least the affordable non-laser engine ones - laser 4K UHDs start at $3K list price, but are mostly $5K and up), the PX727-4K does not support the wider color space often referred to as BT.2020/P3 (P3 is the digital cinema standard). That's fine though - truth is, REC709, the standard we've had for decades, is about all that any lamp based projector can do, so trying to do P3 just doesn't really work unless you include a color filter which knocks brightness way down, something very undesirable with 4K HDR content. Always trade-offs!

The Viewsonic PX727-4K offers a 1.2:1 manual zoom lens (my assumption is it is the same lens used by the BenQ HT2550 and TK800). That's about as basic as it can get, but does allow some placement flexibility. There is built-in audio, and the provided remote control is very nice and has an excellent backlight, triggered by pressing any button (I like that). There are too many projectors under $2,000 that don't bother providing a backlit remote.

A photo of the PX727-4K projector rather nicely handling a very dynamic scene from Ghostbusters 2016. (click to enlarge)

Sorry, no lens shift to further enhance placement flexibility. Mostly, the 4K UHD projectors using the higher res DLP chip offer a very modest amount of lens shift, but so far, most of these $1,500 list price projectors do not. Also lacking on the PX727-4K, are 3D capabilities, unlike the BenQ HT2550 which supports 3D using DLP-link type 3D glasses Most of the 4K UHD projectors have skimped - that is, no 3D, so far.  Most unfortunate for those of us who love the 3D experience.

The InFocus IN5148HD is intended for use in large venues where a high light output projector is called for.  While the IN5148HD carries a list price is $6889, the street price is just over $4000 from a number of on-line dealers.  This model is smaller (but still fairly large), lighter and less expensive than most "heavy metal" class of installation projectors.  However, many of those larger and more expensive installation class projector offer more flexibility with such features as interchangeable lenses.   The IN5148HD does come equipped with a zoom lens with a wide 2:1 zoom ratio that offers a moderate-to-long throw ratio range of 1.49:1 to 3.02:1, which should accommodate most installation needs.

While the projector is not provided with built-in wireless connectivity, an optional dongle that InFocus calls a "LightCast Key" is available for about $300.  This optional accessory enables wireless connectivity to mobile devices and to other networked devices supporting Airplay, Miracast or Chrome.  The "LightCast Key" was not included with the reviewed unit.

The IN5148HD received our Special Interest Award as an affordable (~$4000 street price) installation class projector offering a very sharp image with full HD resolution, good image quality in the best picture modes, and a good feature set.