Viewsonic Pro8200 Projector - The Bottom Line
What I like about the Pro8200 is that it manages to be a good cross-over projector, yet still measures up well as a real home projector for it's price. If you've got less than a grand to spend, but need a good business projector that is also reasonably competent for watching movies and sports, this Viewsonic projector could be your ticket.
The Pro8200 certainly makes a first class family room projector. It's bright, color is good (though not great), and it's got a really low cost of ownership, considering the exceptional 3 year warranty, and the great, 4000 hour lamp life at full power.
OK, true, blacks could be better, but they are fairly typical for the under $1000 set, and better than a couple of others. Skin tones were certainly more than acceptable, but not quite as good as many enthusiasts would demand.
This folks, is a family projector, it's for having fun. Sure, you can be a hobbyist and love your little Pro8200 too, just keep in mind it is an under $1000 projector, there's more to be had, out there, if you have the inclination. If you just want a projector that makes sense, the Pro8200 is a great all purpose projector.
Don't forget, it has some nice gizmos too, such as picture in picture and POP (side by side), plus it's got a built in speaker system that actually isn't pathetic. The projector can put out a fair amount of volume, enough for a nice family room, but it won't rattle the walls with bass. It will do in a pinch.
And that same speaker setup can come in handy for projector based business presentations or in the classroom, not just for playing audio, but also because it has a built in microphone input. That way your projector can help your voice when presenting.
And that same speaker setup can come in handy for projector based business presentations or in the classroom, not just for playing audio, but also because it has a built in microphone input. That way your projector can help your voice when presenting.
I can find a few things to complain about too. The remote's a bit dark - you can't read the buttons, though the deep blue led lighting is pretty. You will learn the buttons by heart quickly enough. It would be nice, if it were a touch quieter. This projector's bright, so you can utilize eco-mode to keep the audible noise down. If you're watching sports you won't care either way, but on a quiet movie, you may appreciate the quieter mode.
Back on the plus side, the Pro8200 projector is loaded with inputs. Dual HDMI and dual analog computer inputs, plus a separate component video. Once again, the Viewsonic boasts its audio abilities with three sets of stereio audio inputs, and an audio output too.
That audio makes this a projector you can take with you on vacation if you want. I should note, that though it claims only a 2x color wheel I really have rarely noticed the rainbow effect. Perhaps it ties to their seven segment color wheel, but I couldn't tell much difference when I watched the Pro8200 side by side with the Mitsubishi HC4000, which claims a 4x wheel. Good for Viewsonic, or rather good, for those of us who are rainbow sensitive.
The picture, overall, is sharp, colors are rich, with the usual DLP feel, although the lack of better than entry level blacks, leaves dark scenes somewhat lacking in pop.
That folks, is what has to be considered a good value for the Viewsonic's $949 street price. Viewsonic is running a free 80" screen and mount promotion at this time, good through at least 3/31/11.
There was no one thing that truly impressed me enough to want to give the Pro8200 a Hot Product Award, but, there were also no major flaws (at least with the 2nd, updated projector), and a great warranty and lamp life.
Combine that with the rich feature set - yes, even picture in picture, and the Viewsonic stands out among the sub $1000 home projectors, and it has to be the most versatile of the cross-over projectors I've seen so far for the price. It's when I added all that up, that I realized, that the Viewsonic Pro8200 is better in general, than the other sub $1000 projectors overall. That doesn't mean it's the best one of them for you, but it probably means it's a contender. It certainly earns our award.
