Viewsonic PJD5555w DLP Projector - Performance

Posted on April 10, 2015 by

ViewSonic Specs
Price
Technology
Native Resolution
Brightness (Manufacturer Claim)
Contrast
Zoom Lens Ratio
Lens Shift	No
Lamp Life
Weight
Warranty

Brightness

The PJD5555w is rated at 3300 lumens. As the PJD5555w has a limited 1.1:1 zoom, there was Very little difference in the output throughout the zoom range. At full wide zoom in Brightest mode, we were able to achieve 3089 lumens. At mid zoom (where all other measurements were taken) and the projector displaying a 60” diagonal image, there was a small reduction in output, coming in at 3009 lumens. Full telephoto zoom was 2961 lumens. Consistent with other reviews, the measurements were taken at the brightest point of the image.

Using Dynamic mode, which only has slightly better color balance than Brightest mode, the output dropped to 2810 lumens. Next up, Standard mode, which offered significantly better color balance, dropped significantly to 2373 lumens. ViewMatch mode registered 2270 lumens and Movie mode was 2236.

Dropping the lamp into Eco brightness mode resulted in a drop of just under 20%, which still provided 2427 lumens in Brightest mode. The rated lamp life is a very good 5000 hours in Normal lamp mode and increases to an even more impressive 6000 hours in Eco mode, so either way you’re getting very good brightness and lamp life. As we’ve noted with other DLP projectors, turning Brilliant Color (BC) down or off has a great affect on lumen output. With the PJD5555w, turning BC down from its default setting of 10 to 5, drops the output in Brightest mode by a third, from 3009 to 2006. Turning off BC results in a whopping 68% drop in output, dropping the Brightest mode down to 972 lumens. As turning BC off has no positive effect on image quality, there’s no good reason to do so.

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Audible Noise

The Viewsonic PJD5555w is rated at 32 dB in Normal lamp mode and 27 dB in Eco lamp mode. This noise level is quite good for projectors in the PJD5555w’s price range and better than the average for multimedia projectors, especially ones this bright. The Eco lamp’s 27 dB level in particular is noteworthy, as it is basically inaudible from a few feet away while the projector is still putting out almost 3000 lumens in Brightest mode. That’s a good thing because the built-in 2-watt speaker,although better sounding than most, still doesn’t have enough power to overcome much projector noise.

Networking

While the Viewsonic PJD5555w has no network connection available, wireless network presentations can be achieved with the use of Viewsonic's optional wireless gateway (WPG-370). This gateway allows the user to stream from a smart phone or tablet, as well as a computer or USB thumb drive. It also works with any projector. Unfortunately, it has a MSRP of $229.99 which is nearly half of the cost of the PJD5555w, but fore those who need a wireless presenting solution it's worth considering.