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InFocus IN116xa Projector Review - Summary

Posted on March 16, 2018 by Art Feierman

Epson BrightLink Interactive Projector Review – Summary: Summary, Pros, Cons

Summary

Overall, the InFocus IN116xa is a solid but unspectacular portable projector that will get the job done for any presenter on the go or any classroom needing to upgrade on a limited budget. It is not recommended, of course, for any large room like a lecture hall. With a native 1280 x 800 resolution and a max of 1920 x 1200, InFocus delivers a quality into an extremely affordable $425 projector. Though it was disappointing to not have performed closer to the manufacturer's claimed 3,500 lumens, the IN116xa's brightness was only a 15% reduction coming in at 2,965 lumens. Most projectors typically come in with around a 30% reduction rate from their claimed lumens.

As anticipated, on the brightest mode, Bright, colors did suffer significantly, especially reds and yellows as one would expect from a single chip DLP. That said, when moved into Presentation mode, colors became much more accurate and if you did happen to need even more accuracy under desperate conditions, the IN116xa includes a full Color Management System (CMS) so you can ensure you are putting out the colors you will need in your presentation.

A truly interesting option is that while there is no air filter required, you can install one should you be operating in any kind of dusty environment where using a filter would be beneficial to extending the life of your projector.

Though you may never really reach the 15,000 hours of lamp life claimed by the manufacturer, with Dynamic and Eco modes available plus sleep timer ability, anyone looking for longevity of lamp life will be quite pleased with the performance of the InFocus IN116xa projector.

For those in business, this projector is small enough to travel with easily, bright & clear enough to handle most business needs, and easily mounted on the ceiling or placed in the center of the conference table for a super quick set up when needed. If you are for example presenting to 50 to 100 people on a 100" diagonal screen in a moderately lit larger room, this projector should be just fine. Consider this - 15 years ago, 2000 lumen projectors were called "large venue" and used in hotel ballrooms and auditoriums in front of hundreds. Of course with 2000 lumens on a huge 25 foot screen, the room had to be almost completely dark. Those old projectors typically weighed around 40-50 pounds, and now we have brighter under 6 pounds. Go figure!

As for teachers, the brightness gets the job done without sacrificing too much in the way of color and image quality so you can show everything you need for your lessons, and the ability to hook up some better sound for when you need to show that next audio or video clip.

Bottom line on the InFocus IN116xa, you have a very affordable and capable projector that you can take on the road with you comfortably, but also keep mounted, and you will have a bright, long lasting projector that did not cost you much. It has everything you could need and it's pretty hard to argue with the performance, competence, and usefulness of this projector if you are on a strict budget.

Pros

  • Lamp Brightness is not far off the manufacture claim of 3,500 lumens
  • 15,000 hours of lamp life in dynamic mode, which performs at 2,668 lumens
  • Full Color Management System (CMS) to get most accurate color
  • Filter Optional technology removing the need to replace filters unless your environment requires it
  • 3D Ready
  • 18,000 : 1 claimed contrast ratio producing sharp picture & accurate color in presentation and movie modes
  • Easily ceiling mountable and can lamp can be changed while mounted
  • Convenient left side location of input panel provides convenient access for all your cords

Cons

  • Credit card remote
  • Distorted color performance in brightest modes
  • 3 Watt speaker should be loud enough to fill a classroom but the quality is very poor, speakers recommended
  • Not ultra short throw so will need some distance for larger projections

Epson BrightLink Interactive Projector Review – Summary: Summary, Pros, Cons

Summary

Overall, the InFocus IN116xa is a solid but unspectacular portable projector that will get the job done for any presenter on the go or any classroom needing to upgrade on a limited budget. It is not recommended, of course, for any large room like a lecture hall. With a native 1280 x 800 resolution and a max of 1920 x 1200, InFocus delivers a quality into an extremely affordable $425 projector. Though it was disappointing to not have performed closer to the manufacturer's claimed 3,500 lumens, the IN116xa's brightness was only a 15% reduction coming in at 2,965 lumens. Most projectors typically come in with around a 30% reduction rate from their claimed lumens.

As anticipated, on the brightest mode, Bright, colors did suffer significantly, especially reds and yellows as one would expect from a single chip DLP. That said, when moved into Presentation mode, colors became much more accurate and if you did happen to need even more accuracy under desperate conditions, the IN116xa includes a full Color Management System (CMS) so you can ensure you are putting out the colors you will need in your presentation.

A truly interesting option is that while there is no air filter required, you can install one should you be operating in any kind of dusty environment where using a filter would be beneficial to extending the life of your projector.

Though you may never really reach the 15,000 hours of lamp life claimed by the manufacturer, with Dynamic and Eco modes available plus sleep timer ability, anyone looking for longevity of lamp life will be quite pleased with the performance of the InFocus IN116xa projector.

For those in business, this projector is small enough to travel with easily, bright & clear enough to handle most business needs, and easily mounted on the ceiling or placed in the center of the conference table for a super quick set up when needed. If you are for example presenting to 50 to 100 people on a 100" diagonal screen in a moderately lit larger room, this projector should be just fine. Consider this - 15 years ago, 2000 lumen projectors were called "large venue" and used in hotel ballrooms and auditoriums in front of hundreds. Of course with 2000 lumens on a huge 25 foot screen, the room had to be almost completely dark. Those old projectors typically weighed around 40-50 pounds, and now we have brighter under 6 pounds. Go figure!

As for teachers, the brightness gets the job done without sacrificing too much in the way of color and image quality so you can show everything you need for your lessons, and the ability to hook up some better sound for when you need to show that next audio or video clip.

Bottom line on the InFocus IN116xa, you have a very affordable and capable projector that you can take on the road with you comfortably, but also keep mounted, and you will have a bright, long lasting projector that did not cost you much. It has everything you could need and it's pretty hard to argue with the performance, competence, and usefulness of this projector if you are on a strict budget.

Pros

  • Lamp Brightness is not far off the manufacture claim of 3,500 lumens
  • 15,000 hours of lamp life in dynamic mode, which performs at 2,668 lumens
  • Full Color Management System (CMS) to get most accurate color
  • Filter Optional technology removing the need to replace filters unless your environment requires it
  • 3D Ready
  • 18,000 : 1 claimed contrast ratio producing sharp picture & accurate color in presentation and movie modes
  • Easily ceiling mountable and can lamp can be changed while mounted
  • Convenient left side location of input panel provides convenient access for all your cords

Cons

  • Credit card remote
  • Distorted color performance in brightest modes
  • 3 Watt speaker should be loud enough to fill a classroom but the quality is very poor, speakers recommended
  • Not ultra short throw so will need some distance for larger projections

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