InFocus IN116xa Projector Review - Hardware: Overview, Inputs and Connectors, The Lens, The Control Panel, Remote, Menus
The first thing that you will notice with the InFocus IN116xa is the input panel being located on the left side of the projector. This can be a good thing for your set up or not so great depending on where you would be using the projector. For table top work in a conference room, the access to inputs on the side could be of great advantage to the presenter making set up & break down simple, and allowing for easier adjustments on the fly. it's a good thing to know right up front before making any purchase. This was my first time experiencing a projector with this layout, and since I don't mount projectors when reviewing them I liked the side location.
The lens is recessed with no lens cap. The control panel sits behind the lens, on top of the projector. There is one adjustable foot in front that you twist/screw to your desired height, and two fixed feet in the rear for a solid 3 point stance when used table top. And last but not least, there is keystone correction functionality, always useful especially if you present on the go. If keeping the projector mounted, on the back of is where you will find the Kensington lock.
Moving on from the location of the panel, we have two HDMI inputs, one computer/VGA in, one video in, one s-video in, one pc control (RS-232 Serial Port), and one monitor out. There are also two audio inputs and one output. As a teacher, I regularly utilized multiple audio & video sources during lessons and would simply switch the cables around as necessary, which was easy enough to do if one is prepared.
But if you can be walk around the classroom or boardroom, and not have to worry about switching your audio sources when needed, it makes your job a little easier. The remote allows you to do this quickly enough through the menu and has plenty of range to do it assuming you're within about a 25 ft. range. There is also no USB port, nor an ethernet RJ45 connector, so you will not have any real networking capability. Lastly, the power cable plugs in on the left side input panel as well.
There is no lens cover on the unit but the lens is recessed. The zoom knob sits inside the unit but the focus knob does not. When you do zoom in or out, the picture will go out of focus and you will need to readjust. While that's not ideal, and most projectors will hold focus, remember that unless you are portable, the projector gets set up one time when ceiling mounted. And, even if portable, refocusing only adds seconds to your getting up and running. In other words, not having to refocus is better, but this is hardly a deal breaker!
The control panel, including power button, are located atop the projector in the back middle behind the lens. The door to access the lamp is on top of the unit, so a lamp can be replaced without detaching from a ceiling mount.
The remote that comes with the IN116xa is a basic credit card style remote, not many frills but it does the job despite the cheap button feel expected with credit card type remotes. It is pretty small, so make sure to keep track of where you leave it. The button locations are intuitive to keep you operating quickly but being a credit card remote, sometimes you may need to push a button a couple times.
It does have a solid 25 ft. range, which is about the max I can test in my room. Infra-red sensors are located on the front and top of the projector. There is no remote mousing for presentations, and surprisingly the arrow buttons are not able to move the screen around while in digital zoom mode. Bottom line, credit card remotes are not preferred, but the remote functions properly and makes navigating while in a presentation simple enough to handle on the fly.
The menu on this device is underwhelming from an appearance perspective, but delivers on the functionality. Four main categories across the top are Image, Display, Setup, and Options. There is little to no lag in moving from category to category and throughout the subsequent options, and you can move up to jump down to the bottom of your subcategories and vice versa. The menu can be repositioned to all four corners of the screen or stay in the middle.
InFocus IN116xa Projector Review - Hardware: Overview, Inputs and Connectors, The Lens, The Control Panel, Remote, Menus
The first thing that you will notice with the InFocus IN116xa is the input panel being located on the left side of the projector. This can be a good thing for your set up or not so great depending on where you would be using the projector. For table top work in a conference room, the access to inputs on the side could be of great advantage to the presenter making set up & break down simple, and allowing for easier adjustments on the fly. it's a good thing to know right up front before making any purchase. This was my first time experiencing a projector with this layout, and since I don't mount projectors when reviewing them I liked the side location.
The lens is recessed with no lens cap. The control panel sits behind the lens, on top of the projector. There is one adjustable foot in front that you twist/screw to your desired height, and two fixed feet in the rear for a solid 3 point stance when used table top. And last but not least, there is keystone correction functionality, always useful especially if you present on the go. If keeping the projector mounted, on the back of is where you will find the Kensington lock.
Moving on from the location of the panel, we have two HDMI inputs, one computer/VGA in, one video in, one s-video in, one pc control (RS-232 Serial Port), and one monitor out. There are also two audio inputs and one output. As a teacher, I regularly utilized multiple audio & video sources during lessons and would simply switch the cables around as necessary, which was easy enough to do if one is prepared.
But if you can be walk around the classroom or boardroom, and not have to worry about switching your audio sources when needed, it makes your job a little easier. The remote allows you to do this quickly enough through the menu and has plenty of range to do it assuming you're within about a 25 ft. range. There is also no USB port, nor an ethernet RJ45 connector, so you will not have any real networking capability. Lastly, the power cable plugs in on the left side input panel as well.
There is no lens cover on the unit but the lens is recessed. The zoom knob sits inside the unit but the focus knob does not. When you do zoom in or out, the picture will go out of focus and you will need to readjust. While that's not ideal, and most projectors will hold focus, remember that unless you are portable, the projector gets set up one time when ceiling mounted. And, even if portable, refocusing only adds seconds to your getting up and running. In other words, not having to refocus is better, but this is hardly a deal breaker!
The control panel, including power button, are located atop the projector in the back middle behind the lens. The door to access the lamp is on top of the unit, so a lamp can be replaced without detaching from a ceiling mount.
The remote that comes with the IN116xa is a basic credit card style remote, not many frills but it does the job despite the cheap button feel expected with credit card type remotes. It is pretty small, so make sure to keep track of where you leave it. The button locations are intuitive to keep you operating quickly but being a credit card remote, sometimes you may need to push a button a couple times.
It does have a solid 25 ft. range, which is about the max I can test in my room. Infra-red sensors are located on the front and top of the projector. There is no remote mousing for presentations, and surprisingly the arrow buttons are not able to move the screen around while in digital zoom mode. Bottom line, credit card remotes are not preferred, but the remote functions properly and makes navigating while in a presentation simple enough to handle on the fly.
The menu on this device is underwhelming from an appearance perspective, but delivers on the functionality. Four main categories across the top are Image, Display, Setup, and Options. There is little to no lag in moving from category to category and throughout the subsequent options, and you can move up to jump down to the bottom of your subcategories and vice versa. The menu can be repositioned to all four corners of the screen or stay in the middle.
