ViewSonic X2000B-4K Ultra Short Throw 4K Laser Projector Review - Performance

COLOR REPRODUCTION

ViewSonic states the X2000B-4K has “ViewSonic’s Cinema SuperColor+ technology, and 125% Rec. 709 color accuracy, provides vivid and lifelike colors while HDR (High Dynamic Range) creates enhanced color and contrast ratios.”

The images above provide an overall idea of color accuracy. However, when viewing in person, the colors look much better than how the images look on the display of the device you are using to read this review.

I found the out-of-the-box color reproduction of X2000B-4K to be good with the Color Mode set to MOVIE. In Image Setting, you will find five user-selected Color Modes: BRIGHTEST, TV, MOVIE, GAMING, and USER.

 

The images this UST projector produces are good out of the box. But, of course, it goes without saying ISF Calibration will undoubtedly get you the best-looking image.

Placing the X2000B-4K in a dark room or a room with minimal ambient light also helps.

For those who want to fine-tune the unit's picture quality, there are several adjustments available including WALL COLOR, BRIGHTNESS, CONTRAST, SATURATION, SHARPNESS, and GAMMA. The WALL COLOR setting can be used to adjust the projected image based on your wall color. The WALL COLOR setting options are Off Pink, Yellow, and Blue.

The ViewSonic X2000B-4K also has a COLOR TEMP, and COLOR MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (CMS) adjustments, these features are normally not available on lower-priced Laser TVs.

I calibrated the USER Mode for SDR. Since your room and screen material can have a major impact on the overall picture, I don’t recommend using someone else’s calibration adjustments. If your room is brighter/darker or your walls are a different color, copying someone else’s results can cause more harm than good. However below are the before and after results in my room.

To test the projector’s color accuracy, I used Portrait Displays Calman color calibration software.\

Pre-SDR Calibration Color Tracking and Grayscale

 

Before calibration, when the USER mode was measured, there was too much red and too little blue, The result was a color temperature of 5825K which is warmer than my target of 6500K.

The color tracking was better than average but there was some blue, red, and cyan color shift.

 

• Picture Mode: USER
• Color Temperature: 5825K
• Average Color Tracking dE: 5.11
• Average Grayscale dE: 4.6
• Gamma: 1.9

Post-SDR Calibration Color Tracking and Grayscale

 

Switching the COLOR TEMP setting to USER enables the projector's 2-point White Balance adjustments. I reduced the RED GAIN while increasing the BLUE GAIN.

The end result was good grayscale measurements and the color temperature was much closer to my 6500K target. Reducing the BRIGHTNESS setting brought the Gamma closer to my target of 2.2.

I used the COLOR MANAGEMENT adjustments to correct the blue, red, and cyan color shift.

• Picture Mode: USER
• Color Temperature: 6439K
• Average Color Tracking dE: 1.91
• Average Grayscale dE: 1,66
• Gamma: 2.12

We achieved a very good grayscale and color reproduction by just adjusting the projector's white balance. As I mentioned, earlier most Laser TVs at the X2000B do not offer this level of picture adjustments so they will not be able to deliver as accurate of an image. Both the color tracking and grayscale had an average Delta E measurement were below 2. Delta E, as a measure of grayscale/color accuracy, of 3 and under is considered ‘Excellent’ and imperceptible by the human eye.

The COLOR MANAGEMENT and COLOR TEMPERATURE controls are common between HDR and SDR picture modes. After I calibrated the projector for SDR, I used the USER picture mode for viewing SDR and the MOVIE picture mode for watching HDR

BRIGHTNESS

ViewSonic advertises the brightness of the X2000B-4K at 2,000 ANSI lumens. I also measured the X2000B-4K’s brightness. To measure the brightness, I set the projector’s Light Source Level to Full and the Color Mode to Brightest, which are the projector’s brightest settings. I then took 3-4 readings about 15-20% out from the center of the lens.

At maximum brightness, the X2000B-4K measured 2004 lumens, which is right at ViewSonic’s X2000B-4K published 2000 ANSI lumens specification. The X2000B-4K should be more than bright enough for most projected applications. I measured all five available Color Modes; my measurements are below.

 ViewSonic X2000B-4K Projector Settings Brightness

As expected, BRIGHTEST mode provided the most luminous projected image, suitable for using the projector in higher ambient light settings. Gaming mode offers the best gaming experience in well-lit rooms for FPS, RPG, and SPG-style games. Movie mode provided a balance between color accuracy and brightness. MOVIE mode was one of my favorite modes. I found the colors and contrast to be good, even in rooms with a bit of ambient light.

CONTRAST / BLACK LEVEL

The X2000B-4K’s blacks were closer to dark gray than deep black. This was more noticeable when watching darker scenes at night in my room. There are home theater projectors in the X2000B-4K’s price point that can provide better shadow detail and black level, but they are not Ultra-Short-Throw projectors.

Deep blacks and extreme shadow performance are usually reserved for projectors designed for dedicated home theater rooms with complete ambient light control. However, the X2000B-4K still produced good enough darks, even when ambient light was present. Lower lumen projectors tend to wash out at the slightest trace of ambient light. UST projectors like the X2000B-4K’s are intended to replace modern flat-panel TVs. So, a key trait is a UST projector that does not wash out when ambient light is introduced.

When evaluating a projector’s picture, I also like to consider the unit’s likely usage case. For example, even though the X2000B-4K’s black level could be better, UST projectors like the X2000B-4K are not designed to compete against high-end home theater projectors found in blacked-out media rooms.

Instead, the X2000B-4K would most likely be used in the same type of room you would typically find a TV installed. Family rooms and multipurpose rooms with higher amounts of ambient light are the first to come to mind, meaning the ability to reproduce deep blacks would not be critical. Extra brightness would probably be more advantageous to the end-user in these higher ambient light environments.

VIDEO QUALITY

The ViewSonic X2000B-4K’s video quality was good out-of-the-box. However, changing the Color Mode, Wall Color offset, Light Source Level, and Color Temp can significantly alter the on-screen image. First, I toggled the X2000B-4K’s Light Source Level between Full and Standard. Next, I switched the Color Mode between MOVIE and USER to project the best images in my room(s). I used USER mode to fine-tune the X2000B-4K’s image to better suit my specific viewing environment.

Live broadcasts and TV shows will continue to be produced in HD for numerous years, making good upscaling a critical feature. The X2000B-4 K’s ability to upscale is quite good. Content in 1080p and Sports in 720P all looked good when projected by the X2000B-4K.

As seen below, I took various photos in 4K and HD resolution. Like all our photos, they are unadjusted for color. As a result, the images do not appear as good as what the projector really produced.

Although a lot of Blu-ray 4K content is available in HDR, a lot of 4K streaming material is still only 4K SDR. Nevertheless, the X2000B-4K delivered sharp and detailed images without any problems. The X2000B-4K’s Texas Instruments DLP chipset produced its 4K (3840 x 2160) displayed resolution.

The ViewSonic X2000B-4K’s pixel-shifting works well. It is challenging to observe a sharpness difference when comparing a 4K DLP projector like the X2000B-4K to a native 4K LCD/LCoS model from typical watching distances. Numerous 4K movies do not have enough fine detail to make the difference between viewing 4K SDR and HD easily noticeable in the first place. Nevertheless, I would categorize the overall picture quality of the ViewSonic X2000B-4K as really good.

The X2000B-4K supports HDR10 and HLG which are common HDR formats. After auto-detecting metadata or EOTF info from HDR content, HDR and HDR Game picture mode become activated. Likewise, HLG Picture mode is automatically switched to anytime metadata or EOTF info from HLG streaming contents is detected.

It did a good job balancing the need to display highlight detail while maintaining overall screen brightness. The HDR content did appear darker than the SDR video but that is expected because X200B-4K needs to apply aggressive HDR tone mapping due to the projector's limited brightness capability. Overall, the X2000B picture quality was better than many of the lower-priced Laser TVs that I have tested

While I didn't get the opportunity to test the feature, the ViewSonic X2000B-4K supports 3D content from a variety of 3D-compatible video devices including, PlayStation/Xbox gaming consoles (with 3D game discs) and 3D Blu-ray players (with 3D Blu-ray discs). The X2000B-4K automatically chooses an appropriate 3D format once 3D content is detected. While most flat panel TVs do not support 3D, the X2000B-4K allows you to enjoy 3D movies, sporting events, videos, and games when wearing a pair of optional compatible 3D glasses.

With all of my windows open to allow the summer daylight light to pour in, the X2000B-4K provided an image that was still watchable. For the photos above, I didn’t even use an ALR screen. Instead, I projected it onto a Screen Innovations (SI) Solo Pro 2 Unity AT Pure White 1.3 gain screen. Still, I achieved a tolerable image in high ambient light conditions with the daylight from my side windows, rear windows, and front windows all hitting the screen simultaneously.

Of course, you may want a well-made UST projection screen if you want ambient light rejecting and ceiling light rejecting capabilities, especially if your UST projector is constantly in a high ambient light environment.

I would not recommend watching a TV or a UST projector with full uncontrolled sunlight blasting directly on the screen. My point is that you could if you really had to. So, yes, the X2000B-4K could possibly replace your traditional TV and be enjoyed almost any time of day or night, as long as you can tolerate a slightly washed-out picture in the daytime during full sunlight conditions if you do not have any kind of ambient light control.

GAMING

The X2000B-4K has a dedicated gaming mode, so I had to try it out. I played numerous games from my PS5 on the ViewSonic X2000B-4K. The ViewSonic X2000B-4K was a good pairing with some of the best games of 2022. The games I tested on the X2000B-4K all played great, including Horizon – Forbidden West, Gran Turismo 7, Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands, Far Cry 6, and my favorite oldie but goodie Elder Scrolls Online (ESO). I did not experience any issues with latency.

While I did not have the opportunity to use Technical Editor Philip Jones’ Leo Bodnar Video Signal Input Lag Tester on the X2000B-4K, I can assure you that I did not experience any substantial input lag. The X2000B-4K provides the immersive gaming experience one can expect from gaming on a massive screen.

The ViewSonic X2000B-4K should work well for most casual gamers looking to play games on a giant projector screen. I have a dedicated liquid-cooled EVGA GeForce RTX 3070 equipped gaming PC with a 34-inch curved Alienware gaming monitor and a Razer Blade 17 4K – GeForce RTX 3080 Ti laptop. Still, nothing beats gaming on a massive projector screen.

AUDIO QUALITY

Two 10-watt tweeters and two 15-watt woofers make up the X2000B-4K’s integrated Harman/Kardon 50-watt Bluetooth audio system. The X2000B-4K also supports Dolby Audio and DTS-HD.

The X2000B-4K has preset audio profiles. Under Audio Mode, you will find Movie, Music, and User audio profiles. User mode allows the personalization of the sound settings. The User Audio Equalizer adjusts the 120Hz, 500Hz, 1500Hz, 5000Hz, and 10000Hz bands to fine-tune the sound to the end user’s personal preference. The built-in Harman/Kardon 50-watt audio system rivals many modern TVs audio systems, especially when you fine-tune the audio settings with User Audio Equalizer.

While we do not measure audible noise, I measured the fan noise produced by the X2000B-4K between 32dB and 35dB, depending on the Light Source Level. Unsurprisingly, Eco was the quietest at 32dB, and Full was the loudest at 35dB. With the volume set low, I could hear the X2000B-4K fan from my seated position. However, I did not notice the fan noise once I started watching movies with the volume set to an average movie listening level.