The InFocus IN2128hdx is a Full HD (1920 x 1080) native resolution, compact portable projector that is built for easy connectivity whether on the go or mounted permanently for your school or business.  It comes in priced at $999 and weighing in at 5 lbs, with a 10 watt speaker to satisfy your audio needs.  The IN2128HDx claims a 4000 lumens output of brightness, a 15,000:1 contrast ratio, and 3D Blu-ray capability.  The projector also comes with a 2 year product warranty and 6 month lamp warranty included.

The IN2120x series from InFocus includes 3 projectors in total, the IN2128HDx, the IN2126x, and the IN2124x, listed at $999, $899, and $849 respectively.  InFocus claims each projector to have 4000+ lumens of brightness, the IN2128HDx is lowest at 4000, while the other two projectors are claimed to both have 4200 lumens.  While it has the lowest lumens output, the 2128 does boast the best full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution as compared to native XGA and WXGA for the 2124 and 2126 respectively.  Each projector claims to get about 5,000 hours of lamp life in Eco mode and about 2,000 hours in Normal mode.  Lastly, each of these projectors comes with the same, strong 10 watt speaker mentioned before, and they are all Lightcast ready to take fully advantage of all the connectivity features of this series.

Back to just the IN2128HDx, the projector is 3.9 inches tall and 11.5 inches wide by 8.7 inches long. It is ceiling mountable, yet also clearly portable based on its size.  There is a single HDMI input, a composite video, an S-Video, two VGA inputs, two audio stereo inputs, one audio out, and one monitor (VGA) out.  There is no lens cover but the lens is recessed on the projector.

The IN2128HDx includes a full Color Management System, used to customize your image in order to ensure you get the colors you want on the screen.  In addition, InFocus boasts about the connectivity abilities for this projector.  You have the ability to utilize the on-board file viewer to present photos, PowerPoint presentations, spreadsheets, PDFs, audio, video, and more; or present directly from a USB thumb drive.  As well, you can make your IT team’s job easier and connect your projectors to your internal school or business network for easy remote management.

Finally, in addition to the strong 10 watt speaker, InFocus gives you the ability to not only utilize an external speaker source, but you can, using any external speaker whether subwoofer or regular speaker, and combine that speaker with the projector’s internal speaker.

All in all, the IN2128HDx is a strong, compact portable projector that gives you a sharp, full HD picture, powerful sound, and everything you need in terms of connectivity to make your presentation a success with regularity.

The Epson PowerLite 675W is a $1,190, ultra short throw, WXGA (1280 x 800) projector claiming 3,200 lumens. This is a business and education projector, with a focus on classrooms. There is a trend occurring in schools called BYOD – bring your own device – which utilizes the technology students already hold in their hands (and refuse to let go of), their smartphones. It does so with wireless functionality (module sold separately), and even allows for the projection of Chromebook screens, but more on that later. For now, let’s take a deeper look at the projector in our Overview section below.

We wish to thank Epson America for sponsoring this year’s Best Classroom Projectors Report. 

As mentioned, the Epson PowerLight 675W is a WXGA projector (1280 x 800). WXGA resolution is the business and education world’s 720p – you can consider it to be HD, though not as sharp as 1080p. For applications needing a little more sharpness, such as renderings in a graphic design, 3D modeling, or advanced science class, look to projectors with WUXGA (1920 x 1200) resolution. For most classroom settings, however, WXGA will be enough – the difference mainly lies in the size of the pixels, and in general, WXGA tends to look pretty sharp and saves you money!

The PowerLite 675W claims 3,200 lumens. I haven’t yet reviewed an Epson that has not exceeded its claim, so we’ll see if this 675W fits the Epson stereotype I’ve developed for them. Even if it only hits its mark, this projector will be plenty bright for the typical classroom settings where there is always ambient light present. Whether it’s coming from uncontrollable overhead lights, as seen in some classrooms, or from the window outside, 3,200 lumens will be enough to shine through and keep your content visible.

This is a lamp based projector with a good lamp life of 5,000 hours at full power, 10,000 in ECO. That’s substantial when you consider that this projector will probably be used 20 hours a week or less, in most cases, which would leave you having to replace the lamp after running it for roughly 7 years at full power. Using ECO, with the same time frame, that lamp will last you almost 14 years.

Granted, the projector will start to lose brightness after a while, so you may end up replacing it sooner, but the point is that the Epson PowerLite 675W will last many years before you even need to think about shopping for a new lamp. Good news though – when you do, Epson has an excellent education program that gives discounts to school districts on the projector and its accessories.

The Epson PowerLite 675W only weighs 12.6 lbs, making it quite portable for being shared amongst conference rooms or classrooms. Since it’s an ultra short throw, one could even place it on a cart that can be taken from room to room and rolled right up to the screen surface. That’s just one of the many perks of using an ultra short throw projector like the PowerLite 675W.

This projector is primarily positioned as an education projector, though it would be equally useful in a conference room or board room for business presentations. With the ability to project up to 100” diagonally, the 675W would be suitable in applications where you need high brightness and a decently sharp image, for just below $1,200. Good deal, right of the bat, but let’s take a deeper look at what makes this projector a contender for your business or education applications.

The Epson PowerLite 680 is an ultra-short throw installation projector for classrooms and conference rooms, with 3LCD projection technology, XGA resolution, and 3,500 lumens. This is a lamp-based projector, with a rated lamp life of 5,000 hours at full power, 10,000 in ECO and 9,000 in ECO2. For business and education purposes, this will get you through several years of continuous use before having to replace the lamp.

The PowerLite 680 is 12.6 pounds and can either be table or wall mounted. I would suggest wall mounting above the projector screen, as when I tested this projector, I had to have it sit a foot above the floor to fill my screen, which is two feet and nine inches from the ground. This would be a disaster in a classroom setting, where there’s a lot of foot traffic and rowdy kids who could knock the projector – by accident, of course.

Epson’s PowerLite line is beyond extensive. In this family alone, you’ve got both business/education and home theater projectors ranging from very affordable to highly expensive. Ready for the numbers? The PowerLite family has over three hundred and fifty projectors! That’s a lot to choose from, and that’s only talking about the PowerLite series. With such a wide range of projectors and multiple families, Epson is bound to have one that will fit your needs.

This particular projector has an MSRP of $1,160. It’s not the cheapest, nor does it have the best resolution, but what you’re paying for is that 3LCD technology and more features than other, similarly priced projectors. It also handles ambient light extremely well, so count that a major plus for the PowerLite 680. My first thought when I powered this guy on was, “This projector is BRIGHT.” The projector lit up the entire room, which was mostly darkened to measure lumens. I was blown away.