Viewsonic Pro8200 Projector - Image Quality 2

Posted on July 16, 2013 by Art Feierman

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Shadow Detail Performance

As is typical with projectors lacking stellar black level performance, shadow detail is pretty good.

In our seriously overexposed scene of Clint Eastwood in Space Cowboys, you can make out plenty of detail in the dark shades.

Below is a heavily overexposed scene from Lord of the Rings. The overexposure lets you see all the details in the shed on the right, the structure on the left, and the plants and ground along the lower right. The Pro8200 offers a great amount of dark shadow detail.

Click on left thumbnail image for the Viewsonic Pro8200, Mitsubishi HC4000 in the center, and the right for the Optoma HD20

Viewsonic Pro8200

Mitsubishi HC4000

Optoma HD20

Our last comparison uses the night train scene from Casino Royale. Look to the trees and shrubs on the right, especially just above the tracks. The first image is the Viewsonic, followed by the HC4000, the BenQ W6000, then Sony VPL-HW15, the Sharp XV-Z15000.

All considered, the Pro8200 reveals more of the dark shadow detail than just about any other projector we've recently worked with. Most impressive. In reality it was essentially identical to the HC3800, but our photo of the Pro8200 is a little darker.

Bottom Line, regarding shadow detail and black levels: When it comes to the shadow detail abilities of the Pro8200, there's nothing to worry about. The Viewsonic reveals most. The lack, however, of blacker blacks, translates into a lot less pop to those dark images, but you should still make out all that detail, even if it doesn't pop.

HC4000

BenQ W6000

Sony VPL-HW15

Sharp XV-Z15000

PLV-Z3000

PT-AE3000U

If you don't know if you ever took your LCDTV off of the default color mode (usually a Vivid type of mode with pumped up, just slightly over the top colors), in favore of normal, or theater settings, then this Pro8200's picture quality will be just fine for you. If, on the other hand, you occasionally like to tweak settings, look elsewhere. As I have said, this isn't an enthusiast's projector because we just couldn't calibrate it to look nearly perfect when it comes to colors.

That said, I've got The Dark Knight on the screen now, as I am writing this, and the city scenes look great. Skin tones aren't as perfect as I would like, but most won't notice.

Daytime scenes, really do look good, the brightness and vibrant colors do the trick. The darker scenes are where the Pro8200 no longer impresses. This is where those of us who notice, want blacker blacks, and dark scenes that pop.

Viewsonic Pro8200 - Overall Color & Picture Quality

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The Viewsonic Pro8200 does OK, especially since it seems to do a little better than the Optoma and Vivitek on the blacks. But, the three are very close.

Spend a few hundred more and you can move up a step in black level performance. Otherwise, for the price, picture quality isn't bad at all.

A mix of additional images to show off the Viewsonic Pro8200:

From the DVE-HD test disc:

And here are a few assorted, additional images, some of which can be found on other recent reviews: