InFocus IN116xa Projector Review - Special Features

Posted on March 16, 2018 by Art Feierman

InFocus IN116xa Projector Review - Special Features: High Brightness and High Contrast, 3D Ready, Color Management System (CMS), Optional Filter System, Long Lamp Life

High Brightness and High Contrast

Similarly to the lamp life, the brightness of the InFocus IN116xa provides a great value for the money. The 3,500 lumen max output should let you view or read everything on the screen in almost any well-lit room. InFocus claims an 18,000:1 contrast ratio, however, given the variety in how manufacturers report contrast ratio, we prefer to describe the performance in terms of contrast by observing it. During my testing, I found the projector offers good but not exceptional contrast. It is fairly typical of an affordable business/education DLP projector!

3D Ready

The InFocus IN116xa and the rest of the XA series supports all major 3D standards including Blu-Ray 3D. All you need to do is acquire some (affordable) 144Hz DLP Link 3D Glasses and be ready to take full advantage of the 3D experience.

Color Management System (CMS)

Easily accessible in the menu display, the IN116xa includes a full Color Management System (CMS) if you need to get the most accurate colors one can possibly obtain.

This allows for the adjustment of individual colors in RGBCMY. That means, if you find the reds to be too dark, or the yellows too mustardy, you can correct those colors to suit your liking.

This is of particular use in applications that call for accurate color, such as in design work or when presenting photography. A useful feature!

Optional Filter System

There are no filters required on the InFocus IN116xa but the option is available to add one should you need it. Those that work in dusty environments, perhaps at a construction site trailer or warehouse, you can put a filter in the projector and give your DLP a bit more protection to prevent dust spots from forming on the color wheel or other components.

Long Lamp Life

The InFocus IN116xa claims to have an impressive 15,000 hour lamp life when using the device in dynamic mode. This dynamic mode will dim the lamp power based on brightness level of the content and adjust lamp power consumption between 100% and 30% dynamically. Typically, projectors of this type and in this price range, at full power, would get 3,000-4,000 hours.

In other words, if you are prompt at turning off the projector when not in use, you won’t see lamp life getting anywhere close to 15,000. On the other hand, imagine leaving a conference room or classroom on a Friday afternoon without turning off the projector. This dynamic feature will reduce brightness drastically, and save some electric as well.

In Eco mode, the manufacturer claims to get 6,000 hours and in Bright mode, 5,000 hours.

With no filters to replace and offering a very bright picture overall, the value of this long lamp life to any school or company needing a projector on a daily basis, is top notch. We will discuss the performance of dynamic mode a little later when we get to image quality and brightness performance.

InFocus IN116xa Projector Review - Special Features: High Brightness and High Contrast, 3D Ready, Color Management System (CMS), Optional Filter System, Long Lamp Life

High Brightness and High Contrast

Similarly to the lamp life, the brightness of the InFocus IN116xa provides a great value for the money. The 3,500 lumen max output should let you view or read everything on the screen in almost any well-lit room. InFocus claims an 18,000:1 contrast ratio, however, given the variety in how manufacturers report contrast ratio, we prefer to describe the performance in terms of contrast by observing it. During my testing, I found the projector offers good but not exceptional contrast. It is fairly typical of an affordable business/education DLP projector!

3D Ready

The InFocus IN116xa and the rest of the XA series supports all major 3D standards including Blu-Ray 3D. All you need to do is acquire some (affordable) 144Hz DLP Link 3D Glasses and be ready to take full advantage of the 3D experience.

Color Management System (CMS)

Easily accessible in the menu display, the IN116xa includes a full Color Management System (CMS) if you need to get the most accurate colors one can possibly obtain.

This allows for the adjustment of individual colors in RGBCMY. That means, if you find the reds to be too dark, or the yellows too mustardy, you can correct those colors to suit your liking.

This is of particular use in applications that call for accurate color, such as in design work or when presenting photography. A useful feature!

Optional Filter System

There are no filters required on the InFocus IN116xa but the option is available to add one should you need it. Those that work in dusty environments, perhaps at a construction site trailer or warehouse, you can put a filter in the projector and give your DLP a bit more protection to prevent dust spots from forming on the color wheel or other components.

Long Lamp Life

The InFocus IN116xa claims to have an impressive 15,000 hour lamp life when using the device in dynamic mode. This dynamic mode will dim the lamp power based on brightness level of the content and adjust lamp power consumption between 100% and 30% dynamically. Typically, projectors of this type and in this price range, at full power, would get 3,000-4,000 hours.

In other words, if you are prompt at turning off the projector when not in use, you won’t see lamp life getting anywhere close to 15,000. On the other hand, imagine leaving a conference room or classroom on a Friday afternoon without turning off the projector. This dynamic feature will reduce brightness drastically, and save some electric as well.

In Eco mode, the manufacturer claims to get 6,000 hours and in Bright mode, 5,000 hours.

With no filters to replace and offering a very bright picture overall, the value of this long lamp life to any school or company needing a projector on a daily basis, is top notch. We will discuss the performance of dynamic mode a little later when we get to image quality and brightness performance.