Optoma ML500 LCD Projector - Review Summary

Posted on August 6, 2013 by

Optoma ML500 Projector: Bottom Line

The bottom line on the Optoma ML500 is that it is a pretty decent projector but with some areas that need improvement. Its 500 lumens of brightness were sufficient and pretty impressive for the projectors size. Weighing in at 2.5 pounds the ML500 is definitely going to be easy to travel with.

Picture quality in terms of sharpness and clarity did leave this projector coming up short, but for some applications such as video, it performed quite well. The fact that the projector accepts a 1080p signal from a HDMI cable was impressive. Also, the projector doesn't need a proprietary DC power chord, so that was also nice and unexpected to see.

If you are looking for a small portable projector for the road to watch movies with or play files from a compact flash drive or SD card, then this could be the solution for you. If you need real clarity and you plan on spending many hours using this projector with groups, then make sure the content you are showing is large and graphical. It is definitely not the best choice for demonstrating financial planning in an excel spreadsheet. Read below for a recap of the pros and cons of the Optoma ML500.

Optoma ML500 Projector: Pros

500 lumens of light output in a tiny 2.5 pound package
Lamp is rated 20,000 hours
Very light and small. Just 2.5 pounds and smaller footprint than a piece of paper
Credit card sized remote for easy storage and included carry case
Can show Microsoft Office files via SD card or USB drive and can play an array of video and music files