Viewsonic Pro8530HDL Projector Review

Posted on October 16, 2016 by Jarrod Buckley

The Viewsonic Pro8530HDL is a DLP projector that is marketed for use by businesses and schools as well as being suitable for large venues and installation applications. If offers a rated 5200 lumens of (white) brightness and is equipped with a 1.6X zoom lens with vertical lens shift. It is equipped with an unusually large number of HDMI inputs (i.e., 4 total with 1 offering MDL support) as well as supporting optional (at extra cost) HDBaseT and wireless networking adapters. Wired networking is built-in. Traditional analog video and audio connections are also provided.

The Pro8530HDL received our "Special Interest" award for its combination of relatively high brightness, an excellent built-in sound system, great connectivity plus some special features including DICOM Simulation support. It offers good value with a less than $2,000 street price.

Specs Preview

❮ ❯

ViewSonic Pro8530HDL Specs
Price	$2169.99
Technology	DLP
Native Resolution	1080p (1920x1080)
Brightness (Manufacturer Claim)	5200
Contrast	-
Zoom Lens Ratio	1.6:1
Lens Shift	Yes
Lamp Life	2000 hours
Weight	13.89 lbs.
Warranty	3 years on projector, 1 year on lamp

Overview of Pro8530HDL

❮ ❯

The Pro8530HDL is at the top of Viewsonic's Pro8xxx projector series. This series starts with models having 1024 x 768 resolution (models Pro8500 and Pro8510L), and includes one with 1280 x 800 resolution (model Pro8450W) and two other models with 1920 x 1080 (i.e., 1080p) resolution (models Pro8400 and Pro8520HD). The Pro8530HDL, reviewed here, appears to be based on a different chassis than the other 1080p models in the Pro8xxx series. This is a single chip DLP projector, and unlike many DLP business/education projectors this model includes a vertical lens shift adjustment, which along with its 1.6X zoom lens, results in good mounting/setup flexibility.

This model is rated at 5200 lumens of light output and it carries a list price of $2169.99, while the 'street price' available from on-line dealers is around $1800. I did note that Viewsonic rates the lamp life at only 2000 hours in full power mode and 2500 hours in Eco mode. Several other manufacturers are now offering competing models with rated lamp life of 3000 hours or more. As a consequence, this Viewsonic model may require more frequent lamp changes, and additional maintenance cost, as compared to certain competing projectors.

A typical use for this projector will be for an installation in a business conference room/boardroom or a school classroom. A ceiling or wall mount (an extra cost option/accessory) would normally be needed for such a fixed installation. The PRO8530HDL certainly too large to be considered a portable projector, but it is light enough to be easily carried between rooms and placed on a table for temporary use, when not installed with a fixed mount.

[sam_pro id=1_108 codes="true"]