Vivitek H1080FD Projector: Pros, Cons, and Typical Capabilities

Posted on July 9, 2013 By Art Feierman

Ok, we’re just about done. All that’s left is this breakout of strengths and weaknesses.

After that, continue your shopping, and, to paraphrase the old Knight in the third Indiana Jones movie: “Choose wisely!”

Vivitek H1080FD Projector: Pros

Brightest of the low cost 1080p projectors – great for family rooms, bonus rooms, where some light is present
Good color, very satisfactory for most folks (though definitely not a purist’s projector)
Built in speaker – ideal for quick setup or taking outside, when you don’t need “big sound”. Speaker does a respectable job, though no low bass
Perfectly suitable as a portable business projector, with sufficient brightness, sound, other features
Or as a portable in your home projector, move from family room to outside…
Two HDMI 1.3 inputs, full support for 24 fps, Deep Color, CEC etc.
Sharp image – not the sharpest of the DLP projectors, but sharper than many more expensive LCD projectors
No filters to change, minimizing maintenance

Black level performance is very basic more typical of 720p projectors than the bulk of 1080p models. Still, its fine for those using in rooms that always have some light
Limited placement flexibility, and no lens shift (typical DLP projector)
Fan noise is louder than average, but typical of the smaller DLP projectors. In that regard it’s far from the noisiest
In brightest mode, image noise becomes a bit noticeable, as Brilliant Color type features are engaged
No support for an anamorphic lens
Warranty – one year – too short for my taste, but typical of most lower cost 1080p projectors, although a few under $2000 models have 2 year warranties