ViewSonic LX700-4K 4K UHD Laser Gaming Projector Review

The ViewSonic LX700 4K is the company's "Designed for Xbox" 4K gaming projector with excellent picture quality.

The ViewSonic LX700-4K is a 4K HDR-capable, laser DLP gaming projector that retails for $1,599.99 MSRP. The LX700-4K is the second and newest "Designed for Xbox" gaming and home theater projector introduced by ViewSonic. The LX700 4K's laser light source produces a stunning 3,500 ANSI lumens of manufacturer-rated brightness, making the projector perfect for lights-on viewing environments like the typical living room. This new blue laser phosphor light source has an estimated life of up to 30,000 hours. It can project images up to 300 inches diagonally, making the LX700-4K the largest Microsoft-certified Xbox gaming display available today.

The first section of this review is primarily about the projector's key features, but don't skip through because I will give you my thoughts about ViewSonic's choice of features and benefits. In the hardware section, I'll get into more detail about how the key components of this projector performed, followed by my detailed evaluation of the LX700 4K's key performance.

Let's review the new ViewSonic LX700-4K gaming projector in more detail, and I'll tell you why I think it's a great addition to the company's line of gaming projectors and why I believe it's a great home theater projector.

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ViewSonic LX700-4K Specs
Price	$1,599 MSRP
Technology	DLP
Displayed Resolution	4K UHD (3,840 x 2,160)
Brightness (Manufacturer Claim	3500 ANSI Lumens
Light Source	Blue Laser Phosphor
Contrast	3,000,000:1 (Dynamic)
Zoom Lens Ratio	1.36X
Sound System	15 watt Mono
Dimensions	(WxHxD) 11.26” x 5.08” x 8.50”
Weight	7.26 lbs.

Overview

Immerse yourself in an amazing gaming experience either in your home or on the go.

ViewSonic made a splash when they introduced the X2-4K gaming projector last year. That X2-4K was the company's first gaming projector designed for the Xbox gaming platform. It offered Xbox-specific compatibility, like displaying Xbox 1440p 120 Hz games natively with no downconversion. The X2-4K was also the first projector to receive certification from Microsoft, acknowledging that it was specifically designed for the company's award-winning and highly popular Xbox gaming systems. I did a detailed review of that product, which you can read by clicking this link.

Typically, follow-up projectors offer more features at the same price as the previous model or similar features for a lower price. ViewSonic chose the first option for the LX700-4K, offering mostly improved performance and features over the original X2-4K while keeping the price at the same $1,599.99 MSRP.

The new LX700-4K is the latest addition to the company's gaming projector line. It joins the X2-4K, which remains an option in the company's current "Designed for Xbox" projectors. Both projectors offer similar features, with some notable differences.

ViewSonic markets the LX700-4K as a gaming projector, so I will evaluate the projector from this perspective. However, 4K video projectors are not cheap, and it's fair to assume that this projector will be used for more than just gaming, so I will also evaluate the LX700-4K as a home theater projector. But for now, let's start with gaming. The LX700-4K is an incredibly bright projector, which is fantastic for gaming in typical living room environments where you don't have total control of ambient light sources. ViewSonic designed the projector with this type of environment in mind. Gaming on the go is another way ViewSonic sees LX700-4K owners using the projector. Recently, we interviewed Mia Shen from ViewSonic, who talked about this projector in detail and specifically mentioned that VeiwSonic designed the LX700-4K to fit in a backpack for easy travel. Check out the full interview with Mia by clicking this link.

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Unleash your gaming experience with 4.2 ms unbeatable low input lag under 1080p, 240hz

Gamers' priorities differ slightly from home theater owners, with gamers putting a huge value on features such as low input lag. Input lag presents itself primarily in two different ways. First is the delay from when something happens in the game to when it is reflected on-screen. Second, there is the time-lapse between pressing a button on your controller or keyboard/mouse and the action occurring in the game. I'll talk more about the actual input lag performance of the LX700-4K in this review's PERFORMANCE/GAMING section. However, I'll tell you now that my experience gaming on this projector was super fast. I had no complaints about input lag on various games, from first-person shooters to sports games and driving games. ViewSonic lists the LX700-4K input lag as low as 4.2 ms at 1080p 240Hz refresh rate and 16 ms at 4K 60 Hz. Despite lacking motion blur, I found ViewSonic's performance to be excellent. The LX700-4K does not support features like MEMC for motion smoothing, which might be an issue for movies. However, the LX700-4K produced a clear image for gaming, even with high-speed game action.

The high brightness of this projector raised the projector's out-of-the-box black levels even in the projector's CINEMA and HDR modes. This will not be a problem for most gamers because raising the black floor means better details can be seen in the shadows. Hence, you are less likely to be caught by surprise by an enemy hiding in the shadows waiting to frag you. I'll discuss black levels in this review's PERFORMANCE/BLACK LEVELS section.

Blue laser phosphor light sources generate incredible amounts of white light.

The LX700-4K light source is the biggest hardware difference from the X2-4K. ViewSonic has also changed some other features on the LX700-4K, but I'll discuss these relatively small changes later in this review. I also want to point out that ViewSonic has removed several X2-4K features from the LX700 4K to keep the price at $1599.99 MSRP. But let's start with the light source since that's the biggest change.

ViewSonic's LX700-4K offers a blue laser phosphor light source compared to X2-4K's RGB LED light source, which is a smart and practical decision by ViewSonic. Blue laser phosphor light sources are incredibly bright, allowing the LX700-4K to display a manufacturer's rated brightness of up to 3,500 ANSI lumens. I'll test this brightness claim in my review's PERFORMANCE/BRIGHTNESS section. This massive 75% increase in brightness from the X2-4K means the LX700-4K should maintain decent color and dark area detail even in rooms with significant amounts of uncontrolled ambient light from lamps or windows, for example. Watching movies in this type of environment is called lights-on viewing. This feature is particularly useful for spaces like typical living rooms that don't offer total control of lighting.

That said, Blue laser phosphor (BLP) light sources still have some potential disadvantages compared to RGB laser light sources. The most notable one is the more limited color range of BLP light sources. BLP systems generate white light using a blue laser diode combined with phosphors to achieve the primary colors necessary for producing a quality image. RGB lasers, which use separate red, green, and blue lasers, allow for a broader range of colors (BT.2020 color gamut) compared to BLP, which is limited to DCI-P3 and REC.709. An RGB laser-powered projector can produce better color with the right content, like a 4K UHD movie, compared to a BLP projector.

However, poorly implemented RGB laser light systems are far less forgiving than their BLP counterparts and can result in widely inaccurate and, in some cases, oversaturated colors. Also, except for relatively recent movies and TV shows, most available content is not mastered for the BT.2020 color space.

Some reports show a difference in the lifespan between BLP and RGB laser light sources, but realistically, this is not a factor in choosing one source over the other. BARCO, one of the most respected professional projector companies in existence today, states on their website: "No, this (lifespan difference) is a pure consequence of product design," and "RGB is not intrinsically longer-lived than laser phosphor."

These are just two sentences from a broader series of FAQs on BLP vs. RGB laser light sources. It comes down to how the components are built and supported. For example, how well a projector's cooling system functions greatly affects a light source's life expectancy. The degradation of light quality over time is another element that needs to be clarified. The idea that BLP light sources might degrade faster than the individual RGB lasers is not a given and, again, depends on the manufacturer's choice of components.

ViewSonic recently announced an upcoming RGB version of the LX700-4K. Based on the specs available from ViewSonic's website, both the BLP and RGB laser light source versions of this projector will offer the same light source life of 20,000 hours in NORMAL mode and 30,000 hours in ECO mode. Check www.projectorreviews.com for a detailed review when samples of this newly announced projector become available.

One of the most surprising omissions on the LX700-4K is the lack of an onboard stereo sound system like the one on the X2-4K gaming projector. ViewSonic decided to go with the typical single mono speaker setup which is disappointing, especially after my experience with the ViewSonic X2-4K's excellent on-board sound system. The speaker performance was lackluster, even compared to many other mono sound projector systems. Only some other business projectors sounded worse. ViewSonic should have included a better sound system on the LX700-4K, even if it made the price a little higher.

The ViewSonic LX700-4K is priced at $1,599.99 MSRP. Considering its extensive features and impressive specs, this projector is another remarkable value from ViewSonic. The LX700-4K is one of two "Designed for Xbox" gaming projectors from ViewSonic in North America. As I stated above, an additional RGB laser model will soon be added. Based on the company's website, I've included a chart below with all three models and their key feature differences.

The good news is that ViewSonic has included an Enhanced Audio Return Channel (eARC) for easy connection to an external audio system via the projectors HDMI-2 input.

Finally, ViewSonic does not include smart features like Android or Google TV. The X2-4K also lacks a Smart OS, another unfortunate miss. If ViewSonic doesn't want to invest in an onboard Smart OS, they could at least include an external smart media device running Google TV, Fire TV OS, or even Roku. Fortunately, these devices start at $20 and top out at $50, making them relatively easy consumer purchases.

Let's get into the details of the ViewSonic LX700-4K.

HIGHLIGHTS

$1,599.99 MSRP
Single Chip 0.65" DLP Texas Instruments DMD
Native 1440p 4K resolution
Newest ViewSonic "Certified for Xbox" gaming projector
4K UHD (3,840 x 2,160p) displayed resolution
Blue laser phosphor light source
Estimated 20,000 hours of life in NORMAL mode
Standard throw lens with 1.36x manual optical zoom
Vertical keystone correction
Image warping capability
3,000,000:1 dynamic contrast
HDR10 and HLG signal support
4-point keystone correction
Manual focus control
2X HDMI 2.0 w HDCP 2.2
vColortuner configuration software free with download
HD 3D-compatible
Dimensions: (WxHxD) 11.26” x 5.08” x 8.50” (286 x 129 x 216 mm)
Weight: 7.26 lbs (3.30 kg)
3-year labor and parts, 1-year lamp
1st year free Express Exchange service. (Service requires product registration)

HARDWARE

The ViewSonic LX700-4K is slightly smaller and lighter than the X2-4K. ViewSonic points out that this projector is small enough to fit into a backpack for gaming or movies outside your home. The LX700-4K can fit into many bags with room for a gaming laptop and accessories. However, for console gaming, you will likely have trouble fitting a console and projector into one backpack. Taking two bags should not be a big deal if the party is worth it.

As with its other gaming projectors, the ViewSonic uses a sealed light engine to protect the projector's laser and different light path components.

The LX700-4K also shares some DNA with ViewSonic's line of business projectors. For instance, the LX700-4K is remarkably easy to set up with zoom, focus, lens shift, and adjustable feet. For particularly challenging setups, ViewSonic offers horizontal and vertical keystone adjustments, four corner adjustments, and the ability to use 3 x 3 warping to display a square image when projecting onto an uneven surface. We recommend setting up the projector without digital image adjustments because using these features can impact the image's brightness. However, this projector has brightness to spare, so these tools' negative impact on the projector's image will be minimal.

CHASSIS

Unfortunately, another design change ViewSonic has gone with is removing the sliding protective cover for the lens controls found on the X2-4K. The LX700-4K does recess the manual zoom and lens, minimizing potential impact damage, but without the sliding door, these components can still make contact with any loose items in your backpack or carrying case. I know it's a small feature, but the sliding protective door is a design element I would have liked to see carried over from the X2-4K.

Like most video projectors, the LX700-4K chassis is made of creamy white plastic, likely reinforced polyethylene. Besides its Xbox Series S-inspired color scheme, the LX700-4K's uninspired design looks more like one of the company's business projectors.

This projector is meant for all types of gaming, including on-the-go gaming at LAN parties. It measures (WxHxD) 11.26" x 5.08" x 8.50" (286 x 129 x 216 mm) and weighs only 7.26 lbs (3.30 kg), making it lightweight.

The projector's front has a lens on the right side of the front panel and an IR sensor to the left of it. There is ventilation on both sides of the projector. All the inputs, connectors, and one more ventilation panel are on the rear.

The manual zoom and lens shift controls are right above the lens on the top of the projector, underneath the sliding protective door. ViewSonic has included adjustable feet, which is far better than the kickstand design used on the X2-4K. The LX700-4K can be ceiling-mounted.

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The projector control panel is a standard ViewSonic design featuring dedicated buttons for MENU, screen BLANK, SOURCE, and COLOR modes to the left. There is also a traditional set of four navigation buttons.

All the inputs and connections are located on the projector's rear, where an additional IR sensor complements the one on the front panel. The projector features two HDMI 2.0 inputs, One RS-232, a USB connection, a 12V trigger, a 3.5 mm audio output, and a DC power connection.

The remote is a nice size and feels very good in my hand. I like it best of all the ViewSonic remotes I've used in the past few years. However, the remote's backlight is too bright for my tastes. In a dark room, it took a minute for my eyes to adjust to see the ink on the buttons.

The remote control includes the basic buttons needed to operate the projector and various controls for image adjustment, including Image Size, AV Mute, Brightness, Contrast, Display Mode, Aspect, Vertical and Horizontal Keystone, Brightness Mode, Mute, and Freeze.

THE LENS

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The LX700-4K has a 1.36x manually adjusted zoom lens with a manual focus, zoom, and vertical lens shift. The F=2.51~2.93, f=15.985~21.423 mm standard-throw lens has a throw distance of 1.06~1.45 (100" @2.34 m) and can project an image from 30 to 300 in. (1.5 - 3.0 m).

The projector supports a range of aspect ratios, including 4:3, 16:9 (Native), 16:10, and 2.35:1. It also allows for various digital adjustments, including horizontal and vertical keystone, four-corner adjustment, and warping.

The LX700-4K offers impressive focus uniformity, creating a clear, in-focus image almost to the extreme corners of the screen. This uniformity will be appreciated when projecting images onto larger screens or surfaces. The lens on this projector is very good. It projected an image so clearly that I could not detect significant chromatic aberration.

MENUS

The ViewSonic LX700-4K has a basic ViewSonic menu. There are four root menus for DISPLAY, AUDIO, SETUP, and INFORMATION. That's it. The LX700-4K has no smart features, so no app store choice exists.

The Display section contains the projector's image adjustments, including access to its Color Management System (CMS). The audio section is sparse since the projector only has a mono speaker and does not have Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.

PERFORMANCE

COLOR REPRODUCTION

The ViewSonic LX700-4K has nine picture modes: STANDARD, BRIGHT, HDR, HLG, CINEMA, GAMING, sRGB, USER, and 3D. HDR, HLG, and 3D are only accessible when watching appropriately encoded content.

Let's talk about color performance. I liked the color that the LX700-4K produces. Skin tones look natural and not overly red or blue. This projector does not create excessively saturated images out of the box, displaying more pleasant, balanced colors. For movie and television shows outside of HDR-encoded content, I recommend the CINEMA and sRGB modes. These provide the warmest overall temperature but are not overly yellow. This may be primarily because this projector is a blue laser phosphor projector, so it leans heavily toward the blue range of the color spectrum. Whatever the reason, I like the result, as I'm not a fan of overly warm images.

For gaming, the GAMING, STANDARD, and USER modes are excellent, but if you want the best overall lag performance when gaming, you are going to want to use the GAMING mode and turn on the projector's ULTRA FAST INPUT mode when playing games in 4K@60Hz, 1440@60 and 120Hz and 1080p@60, 120 and 240Hz. The preset picture mode's factory tuning seemed geared toward gaming, running toward varying degrees of blue overtones, but none except the BRIGHT mode are too blue. Let me be honest: the BRIGHT mode is designed to provide a watchable picture in the worst lighting conditions, so I have no complaints.

The LX700-4K's out-of-the-box sharpness was fine for gaming, movies, and television. Many gaming projectors crank up the sharpness to give a gamer the edge, making little details that might be missed some extra pop but may make non-gaming content appear overly sharp. The sharpness for the video preset modes was just fine.

Out-of-the-box color tuning is set for gaming, where that extra detail can be the difference between fragging and being fragged by an enemy. ViewSonic also includes its excellent vColortuner software, enabling users to calibrate the projector via an easy-to-use Windows or MAC image-tuning tool. vColortuner allows users to create custom calibration profiles and then save and share them in the cloud with other LX700-4K owners.

Color Tracking and Grayscale

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We measured and adjusted the CINEMA mode since it was the most accurate out of the box. Before calibration, the projector’s Grayscale reproduction was above average compared to other gaming projectors at its price point.

Our Grayscale measurements indicated that the image contained excessive Blue, resulting in an average color temperature of 7267K, which is cooler than our target of 6500 K. Unfortunately, the projector doesn't include Grayscale (RGB Balance) adjustments. Setting the COLOR TEMPERATURE to Warm delivered the best color accuracy. While the image was slightly cooler than desired, the projector will probably be utilized in rooms with higher (and warmer) ambient light so the image still looks natural.

The projector’s Gamma measured about 2.4, higher than our target of 2.2. While this is fine for viewing the content in dark rooms, details in darker areas may not be visible in rooms with more ambient light. I switched the GAMMA setting from Film to Standard to get close to my target of 2.2)

When measured, the projector’s pre-calibrated color tracking was average. The VX700 4K includes CMS adjustments, which can be utilized to achieve better results.

Picture Mode: CINEMA
Gamma: 2.4
Color Temperature: 7267K
Average Grayscale dE: 4.5
Average Color Tracking dE: 5.2

Out of the box, the LX700 4K produces remarkably vivid images. While the default settings have a slight green and blue bias, the LX700 4K consistently renders natural skin tones across various content. This projector's impressive brightness further enhances the color display. The 3,500 ANSI lumens of brightness allow colors to pop even in moderately lit rooms.

While the projector lacked all the adjustments to calibrate the unit fully, the out-of-the-box picture quality was good. I suggest owners just switch the unit to one of its most accurate modes and use the Murideo test patterns to adjust BRIGHTNESS, CONTRAST and GAMMA. There are several free test patterns available on the Murideo website and their YouTube channel. Murideo also has written instructions in the resource section of its website. Also, check out our YouTube video on utilizing several test patterns called Optimize The Image of a Projector or TV Using Free Murideo Test Patterns.

BRIGHTNESS

The ViewSonic LX700-4K is a remarkably bright projector, which makes it perfect for lights-on viewing in the house or backyard movies, even at dusk. The LX700-4K's brightness makes the projector ideal for gaming in various environments.

The LX700-4K has a manufacturer's rated brightness of 3,500 ANSI lumens. The projector's high light output raises the black floor, making blacks appear dark gray. The ViewSonic LX700-4K measured 3,239 ANSI lumens, 261 lumens less than ViewSonic's rating but it is more than bright enough to view SDR and HDR games and movies on a 150" or larger screen in a room with medium amounts of uncontrolled ambient light.

The chart below shows my calculated brightness rating for each of the projector's out-of-the-box preset picture modes.

ViewSonic LX700 4K Preset Mode's Brightness
Picture Modes	Brightness Measured (ANSI Lumens)
STANDARD	2267 ANSI Lumens
BRIGHT	3239 ANSI Lumens
CINEMA	2084 ANSI Lumens
GAMING	2598 ANSI Lumens
sRGB	1061 ANSI Lumens
USER	2600 ANSI Lumens

BLACK LEVEL AND SHADOW DETAIL

The ViewSonic LX700-4K's black-level performance aligns more with the company's boardroom and classroom projectors we have reviewed and less with models like the X2-4K. Black is dark gray and not what I would describe as deep or inky.

Typically, a 0.65-inch DLP chip allows projectors to produce improved black levels compared to a projector that uses a smaller 0.47-inch DLP chip. That's not the case with the LX700-4K because it all comes down to this projector's light source tuning and higher black floor. The LX700-4K is not going to outperform LCoS projectors when it comes to black levels and shadow detail. The ViewSonic X2-4K does a much better job with blacks but also has the tradeoff of its limited brightness. I'm not saying this is bad. Rather, the LX700-4K is designed for customers who need the benefits of a high-lumen projector. If you want black-level performance in a more light-controlled space, then the ViewSonic X2-4K is the better choice.

The projector's dark area detail performance is excellent, helping players avoid getting killed by an enemy hiding in the dark.

ViewSonic does provide a DYNAMIC CONTRAST setting, which improves black-level performance, but using this feature comes with a couple of compromises. First, the DYNAMIC CONTRAST setting is not particularly fast, so as it steps through its adjustment levels, you can sometimes see it decreasing or increasing, which I found very distracting.

Second, and more important to me, is the way that DYNAMIC BLACK causes shots from multiple angles to display significant differences in brightness—differences that are artificially produced by the LX700-4K DYNAMIC CONTRAST mode. When you look at the slideshow below, you can see that these drastic changes in brightness are not visible in the movie if this feature is turned off. I found the difference within scenes to be way too dramatic. It just did not work and took me out of the movie. I ended up shutting the DYNAMIC CONTRAST off.

For an MSRP of $1,599.99, the ViewSonic LX700-4K does a great job and then some. Professionally calibrating the LX700-4K can improve the factory black level and shadow detail performance, just as calibration improves color performance.

Overall, I loved this projector's gaming performance and how it displayed movies and television shows.

SDR

The LX700 4K supports HDR (High Dynamic Range), which is designed to enhance the contrast ratio and color capabilities compared to SDR (Standard Dynamic Range) content. However, that does not mean that the LX700 4 K's SDR performance is bad; far from it. I ran a range of SDR content from television talk show and sports content.

Skin tones also look great on the LX700 4K in the projectors movie-centric modes. When it comes to games where the majority of content is not encoded in HDR the LX700 4K does a great job.

Much of this depends on the quality of the contents encoding but I think that the LX700 4K does an excellent job displaying a range of newer and older SDR content. The way the LX700 4K does an excellent job processing signals from a wide range of content including displaying older SDR content without flattening the overall image appearance.

HDR

Getting good HDR performance from a projector can be hard, and it's primarily about the light output of the projector you are using. The ViewSonic LX700-4K's 3,500 ANSI lumens of brightness works in the projector's favor when displaying HDR-encoded content in light-controlled spaces. As you can see in the slideshow above, the highlight details in moves like Mad Max Fury Road, specifically the details in the explosion, are much more visible, which gives the image a greater sense of depth in large part because of the more visible information in parts of the image that would traditionally be lost.

The same can be said of the improved color richness and detail in the screenshot from the DC movie Joker, including the texture of Joker's face and the visible texture in the face makeup. The advantage of HDR is also visible in the screenshot from Mortal Combat, where details in the sky in the background are clearly visible, along with the highlight details in Sonya Blades' blonde hair, all while maintaining the dark area details in her black shirt.

Getting good HDR performance can be a bit of a mixed bag because content that I commenly use to demonstrate aspect of picture performance don't always work out. For example, the shot above from Lucy where the colors just don't work in any of the modes with the HDR source. Colors just don't look natural although I think the benefit to highlight details and dark are details is visible.

GAMING

The ViewSonic LX700-4K is a fantastic choice for gamers, especially those who take gaming seriously. I found it amazing to be playing games on a huge screen, and the LX700-4K makes that possible.

This projector has impressively low input lag, and I appreciated the quick response times I achieved. This made fast-paced games feel smooth and responsive. Built for Xbox, it lets Series X and S players enjoy games at 1440p resolution with a 120 Hz refresh rate. This setup ensures smooth gameplay with almost no lag, making your gaming experience more immersive and fun.

But the ViewSonic LX700-4K isn't just about 1440p. It also supports true 4K Ultra HD at 60 Hz, giving you stunning visuals with rich detail and vibrant colors. Plus, it can handle 1080p at 240 Hz for PC gamers, offering an incredibly smooth and fluid gaming experience.

The ViewSonic LX700-4K is a versatile and powerful gaming projector. Its ability to handle different resolutions and refresh rates with minimal lag makes it perfect for console and PC gamers. Whether diving into the latest games or competing in intense matches, the LX700-4K gives you the best possible experience on a big screen.

Not all Xbox games run at 120 Hz. Also, some games can't run at 120 Hz with HDR on, so you must choose which feature you like best. When Low Latency mode is on, the Keystone settings on the projector are off.

You'll notice the speed difference between 4K at 60 Hz and 1440p gaming at 120 Hz, especially with a 16.8 ms input lag when playing fast games like first-person shooters or racing games. Input lag can affect how you play. I noticed a big difference with racing games. The cars responded faster, and the game felt much better than slower displays. Even with the better settings, I still died as fast in 1440 120 Hz FPS games.

If you're not sure which Xbox games support 1440p at 120 fps, you can check websites like Windows Central, Reddit, and XDA Developers for lists of supported games.

SOUND QUALITY

The ViewSonic LX700-4K projector's mono sound can detract from your gaming and movie experience, so you should hook the projector up to an external sound source via the HDMI-2 connection. The sound coming through the internal mono speaker is flat and lacks the richness and depth needed to immerse yourself in the action fully.

The projector's fan noise can interfere with the audio, causing you to miss important dialogues or those subtle in-game audio cues that make the experience so immersive. It's frustrating because the underwhelming sound can disconnect you from the full experience. It's like watching a blockbuster movie with the volume turned down—just not as exciting or engaging.

Of course, a high-end home audio system would sound better with the projector, and the LX700-4K does have an eARC audio out for connecting to a soundbar or receiver. The LX700-4K does not support Bluetooth functionality.

We don't measure audible noise at Projector Reviews. However, this projector can create noticeable fan noise in all light source modes except ECO. The LX700-4K's fan noise is directly related to the amount of heat it generates. Dropping the projector into ECO reduces fan noise.

SUMMARY

This projector offers many compelling features for gaming enthusiasts. The LX700-4K is North America's second ViewSonic gaming projector designed for Xbox consoles.

The LX700-4K is a high-quality projector providing a genuinely immersive gaming experience using multiple technologies, including support for 4K UHD (3,840 x 2,160p) gaming at a 60 Hz refresh rate and through the use of a native 1440p DLP imager providing Xbox users an optimal 4K (1440p) gaming experience with a refresh rate up to 120 Hz. PC gamers can also use the LX700-4K's 1080p 240 Hz gaming support for hyper-smooth and realistic gameplay. Movies and games can be projected anywhere from 60 to 120 inches at a 16:9 aspect ratio.

The ViewSonic LX700-4K is a 4K UHD (3840 x 2160p) Laser projector that utilizes a 0.65" Texas Instruments DMD (Digital Micromirror Device). Its light source falls short of the manufacturer's rated 3,500 ANSI lumens of brightness. I measured a maximum brightness of 3,239 ANSI lumens.

The out-of-the-box color quality for gaming and movies is good and even better with calibration. ViewSonic's vColortuner software is free to download, and with it, users can apply color settings from other LX700-4K users.

The LX700-4K has no onboard smart media features or access to ViewSonic's content-limited app store. I strongly recommend getting a streaming device such as an Amazon Fire Stick or Apple TV 4K to get this projector's best overall smart media and smart hardware experience.

This projector's built-in mono sound system is a big weakness, making movie soundtracks and gameplay less immersive than a projector with a basic stereo sound system. Fortunately, ViewSonic did add eARC capabilities to the LX700-4K.

From a picture perspective, the LX700-4K is one of the best standard-throw gaming projectors in its price range but is slightly higher priced than others. When you consider the price and features of this projector compared to its key competition, the LX700-4K holds its own from a picture perspective, even though it does not offer a BT.2020 color palette.

The LX700-4K is a great all-around home entertainment projector almost as proficient at playing movies as gaming.

The ViewSonic LX700-4K is an excellent projector. Despite a few drawbacks, it is worth considering if you are in the market for a good gaming projector and a very good-looking living room projector.

COMPETITION

NOMVDIC P1000 $1,599 MSRP

The NOMVDIC P1000 is a compelling option in the growing category of dedicated gaming projectors with over 2,000 ANSI lumens of brightness. At 2,300 ANSI lumens, the P1000 is not as bright as the ViewSonic LX700-4K, but the picture is just as good with more color depth because of its RGB LED light source. It is an excellent solution for gamers who demand immersive visuals and lightning-fast responsiveness. Replacing traditional lamps with a very bright LED light source means this projector provides users with vibrant colors up to 125% of the Rec.709 color gamut and an extended lifespan of 30,000 hours. Both projectors sell for the same price, so it comes down to what you want the most from your gaming projector: brightness or color accuracy.

The NOMVDIC P1000 features a large 0.65-inch DMD, which delivers crisp 4K UHD resolution displaying the most intricate details in movies and 4K games. NOMVDIC's decision to use a 0.65-inch DMD offers multiple benefits depending on the content and preset mode the projector is set to. SDR content displays a noticeable improvement in overall black levels, allowing the P1000 to display some of the best blacks I've seen in its class and price point. This is a key advantage that the NOMVDIC has over the ViewSonic. Black levels can be critical for many of us, so the P1000 could be the projector for you.

The P1000 and the LX700-4K deliver super-low-latency gaming, with speeds as low as 4.2 ms at 1080p 240 Hz. Both projectors fully support HDR formats, including HDR10 and HLG.

The P1000, with its Harmon Kardon Dolby and DTS sound system, hands down beats ViewSonic's lackluster mono speaker. Based on initial impressions, the P1000 performs on par with many mainstream RGB LED projectors we've reviewed.

The P1000 is a bright, dynamic projector ideal for high-intensity gaming and enjoying movies or TV shows at home or on the go. While its LED light source may lack the brightness of the ViewSonic, it boasts more than enough color capability, big sound, and deeper blacks to make it a worthy alternative you should at least consider.

BenQ X3000i $1,999 MSRP

The X3000i is a highly recommended console gaming projector. It offers gamers a great 4K gaming experience, and the built-in 5-watt Bongiovi DPS 3D surround sound is excellent.

The X3000i's 4LED light source delivers 3,000 ANSI lumens, only 500 lumens less than the LX700-4K. The projector can reproduce 100% of the DCI-P3 color space, which most projectors cannot do without a brightness-robbing color filter.

The X3000i, however, is not a one-trick pony. You can easily switch to CINEMA mode with HDR10 and enjoy your favorite movies and shows.

The Texas Instruments 0.65-inch DLP DMD does an excellent job reproducing 4K content in HDR and SDR. These two projectors' black-level performance is much closer than you would think, but I still have to give the BenQ an edge.

Although the BenQ does not support 1440p 120 FPS Xbox gaming like the ViewSonic, it is bright and has more comprehensive smart media features, including full support for the Google Play app store, which the ViewSonic does not.

PROS

One of only two "Designed for Xbox" home projectors
Native 1440p DLP chip supports 120 Hz Xbox gaming
1080p 240 Hz PC gameplay with as low as 4.2 ms input lag
Out-of-the-box gameplay is excellent, with great color and contrast
Shadow details are excellent
Excellent CMS (Color Management System)
vColortuner is free for download and easy to use
3,500 ANSI lumens blue laser light source provides excellent light-on viewing
The high-quality lens provides excellent focus uniformity with limited distortion
It is a very nice remote that feels comfortable in the hand
20,000 light source life
3-year warranty

CONS

No on-board Wi-Fi or Bluetooth
No smart capabilities
The cooling fan is too loud outside of the ECO mode
Mono sound system brings user experience down

VIEWSONIC LX700-4K SPECIFICATIONS

VIEWSONIC LX700-4K Full Specifications
Projector Model	LX700-4K
Price	$1,599 MSRP
Imager Type	DLP (0.65" DMD)
Displayed Resolution	3,840 x 2,160 pixels (4K UHD)
Native Resolution	2716 x 1528
Brightness	3500 ANSI Lumens
Light Source Type	Blue Laser Phosphor
Light Source Life	20,000 hours (Normal)
Contrast Ratio	3,000,000:1 (Dynamic Iris)
Zoom Lens Ratio	1.36X
Power Zoom/Focus	Yes - Manual Zoom & Focus
Lens Shift	Yes
Interchangeable Lens	No
Ultra-Short Throw	No
Native Aspect Ratio	16:9
Built-in Rechargeable Battery	No
DVI or HDMI	HDMI
3D	Yes
Blu-Ray 3D	Yes
Sound System	Mono
Noise Level (-dB)	Not Listed
Low Lag Gaming	Yes
Smart Functionality	No
Business	No
Classroom	No
Portable	Yes
Special Features	HDR10, 4.2 ms input lag, Xbox 1440 @ 120 Hz supported
Networking	No
Dimensions (HxWxD)	(WxHxD) 11.26” x 5.08” x 8.50” (286 x 129 x 216 mm)
Weight	7.26 lbs (3.30 kg)
Warranty	3-year labor and parts, 1-year lamp