In recent years the cost of a digital data projector has reduced considerably and it is now possible to find small portable projectors for under £500. This means that they are in the range which is not only useful in business, they are now affordable as a way of watching DVDs and TV programmes ... Read review
Advantages: Lightweight, easy to use Disadvantages: Difficult to find
In recent years the cost of a digital data projector has reduced considerably and it is now possible to find small portable projectors for under £500. This means that they are in the range which is not only useful in business, they are now affordable as a way of watching DVDs and TV programmes in really widescreen at home!
I needed a digital projector for use at work and I wanted something lightweight as I needed to take it out and ... ...projectors which needed a small trolley to facilitate moving them so weight was very much an issue to me.
I discovered the Plus range - they are manufactured by the Plus Vision Corporation of Tokyo and are available from a wide range of retail outlets in the UK. I bought ours from a local office equipment supplier but many of the major retailers stock them including Amazon.
The technical stuff for those who are interested ... more
In recent years the cost of a digital data projector has reduced considerably and it is now possible to find small portable projectors for under £500. This means that they are in the range which is not only useful in business, they are now affordable as a way of watching DVDs and TV programmes in really widescreen at home!
I needed a digital projector for use at work and I wanted something lightweight as I needed to take it out and about. I have memories of the earlier version of projectors which needed a small trolley to facilitate moving them so weight was very much an issue to me.
I discovered the Plus range - they are manufactured by the Plus Vision Corporation of Tokyo and are available from a wide range of retail outlets in the UK. I bought ours from a local office equipment supplier but many of the major retailers stock them including Amazon.
The technical stuff for those who are interested in ALL of it - I'll talk about the bits that swayed me to this model later:
Projection System - DLP DDR DMD XGA x 1 Resolution - 800 x 600 SVGA Brightness - 1600 ANSI Lumens Eco-Mode: - Approximately 20% Less Brightness Contrast Ratio - 2000:1 Full On/Off Aspect Ratio - 4:3, Supports 16:9 Projection Lens - F=2.6, f=19mm Manual Focus Light Resource - 200-Watt High-Performance Compact Lamp Lamp Hours - Approximately 2000 Hours in Normal Mode Approximately - 3000 Hours in Eco-Mode Color Palette - 16.7 Million Colors Projecting Position - Front/Rear, Table/Ceiling Projection Distance - 3.9-35', 1.2-10.6m Image Size - 34-300", 863-7620mm RGB Signal - XGA Compression, SVGA/VGA True Video Signal - NTSC3.58, NTSC4.43, PAL, PAL_N, PAL_M, PAL60, SECAM, YCbCr (NTSC, PAL), YPbPri (480p, 576p, 1080i, 720p) Horizontal Synch Range - 15 - 80 kHz Vertical Synch Range - 50 - 85 Hz Audio - Mono 0.8-Watt Input/Output Terminals - RGB (Analog/Digital)/YCbCr/YPbPr: Mini D-Sub 15 pin x 1, Composite Video: RCA x 1, S-Video: Mini DIN 4-Pin x 1, Audio (RGB/Video): 3.5mm Stereo Mini Jack x 1 Color - Silver Dimensions - 2.4 (H) x 8.5 (W) x 9.4" (L) 60 (H) x 216 (W) x 240mm (L) Weight - 4.2 lbs, 1.9 kg Power Supply - 100-240 VAC at 50/60 Hz Power Consumption - 280 Watts (Normal Mode), 250 Watts (Eco-Mode) Operating Environment - 32-95 ºF/5-35 ºC On-Screen Display Languages - English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Swedish, Korean, Chinese, Japanese Functions - Full-Auto Adjustment, Digital Keystone Correction (20 degrees), Digital Zoom (x 2), Freeze, Mute, Presentation Timer, Quick Color Adjustment, Security Password Accessories - Lens Cap, IR Remote Control Card, 3V Lithium Battery for Remote Control x 1, Power Cable (1.8m/6') x 1, VGA Cable (2m/6.5'),Video Cable (2m/6.5') x 1, S-Video Cable (2m/6.5') x 1, 3.5mm Mini Plug for Audio Cable (2m/6.5') x 1, 3.5mm Stereo Mini Jack to RCA for Audio Adapter (0.15m/0.5') x 1, Soft Carrying Case x 1, User's Manual (CD-ROM), Quick-Start Guide Warranty Three Years, Parts and Labour
I won't profess to understand all of the above because, quite frankly, I don't - however what made me choose this particular model was:
1. It fitted the lightweight category at only 4.2 lbs, 1.9 kg 2. It has a soft carrying case which suits my needs attending occasional public meetings and doing various in house presentations. If you are going to transport it with loads of other kit then I suggest you invest in something more robust but for the odd journey in the boot of my car the case provide has proved quite sufficient. 3. Lamp life is reasonable at 2000 hours in normal mode 4. It comes with a three year warranty 5. It is small 2.4 (H) x 8.5 (W) x 9.4" (L) or 60 (H) x 216 (W) x 240mm (L) which means it takes up no space on the desk and is easy to store in the office 6. It projecting distance of up to 35ft and the image size of up to 300" is perfectly adequate for all of the locations I can anticipate we would want to use it. 7. Brightness at 1600 ANSI lumens was comparable to similar units in the same price range and is adquate for our needs.
Does it deliver? ****************** Yes it does, and it has, for the year or so we have had it. The instruction book is comprehensive without being over complicated and it written in seven languages which makes the book itself quite chunky. You will only need the twenty pages in English so you can forget about the rest! The user manual supports four different Plus models but the instructions, where they apply to the different models, are clearly identified.
There are plenty of helpful diagrams to enable you to see what they are talking about, which connections are which, and what the myriad of cables relate to - but don't panic here there are lots of cables provided in case you need them to connect in different things but for more general presentations you only need to use the basic power cable and RGB signal cable to your laptop!
It is really easy to set the unit up to do a presentation basically connect the cable to your laptop, plug in the power cable to the mains, boot up the laptop and you are away. There are adjustable feet to allow you to adjust the angle and the lens cover is attached by a handy cord so that you won't get home and then find you left it on a table somewhere or, worse still, drop it and then step on it during your presentation!
Quite apart from using a digital projector for presentations they are also capable of projecting images from your TV or computer. This mean that you can enjoy a large screen projection of your favourite TV programmes or DVDs on to a wall anywhere. Ideal if you want to have your friends around to enjoy an important match or favourite film - just like being in the cinema!
Overall I am pleased with my purchase of the Plus U5-111. It has been problem free in use and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a simple, straightforward, lightweight, economical projector for occasional use.
I believe that this particular model has been discontinued although you may find it available secondhand. No doubt it has been replaced by something similar in the Plus range and I would have no hesitation about buying another Plus projector.
English, German, French, Italian, Swedish, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese, Korean
Features
Eco-Mode technology
Projector lens system
Lens Aperture
F/2.6
Zoom Factor
1.2x
Keystone Correction Direction
Vertical
Vertical Keystone Correction
-20 / +20
Video input
Analogue Video Format
SECAM, PAL, PAL-N, PAL-M, NTSC 4.43, PAL 60, NTSC 3.58
Analogue video Signal
RGB, S-Video, composite video
Audio output
Type
Speaker(s) - integrated
Sound Output Mode
Mono
Output Power / Channel
0.8 Watt
Speaker(s)
1 x mixed channel
Input device
Type
Remote control - external - wireless
Expansion / connectivity
Interfaces
1 x VGA - 15 pin HD D-Sub (HD-15)
1 x S-video input - 4 PIN mini-DIN
1 x composite video input - RCA
1 x audio line-in - mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm
1 x audio line-in - RCA x 2 ( on supplied cable )
Miscellaneous
Included Accessories
Carrying case, lens cover
Cables Included
1 x VGA cable - 2 m
1 x A/V cable - 2 m
1 x S-Video cable - 2 m
1 x audio cable - 2 m
1 x audio adaptor - 0.15 m
Security Features
Security lock slot (cable lock sold separately), password protection
Power
Power Device
Power supply - internal
Voltage Required
AC 120/230 V ( 50/60 Hz )
Power Consumption Operational
280 Watt
Manufacturer warranty
Service & Support
3 years warranty
Service & Support Details
Limited warranty - parts and labour - 3 years
Environmental parameters
Min Operating Temperature
5 °C
Max Operating Temperature
35 °C
Manufacturer's product description
The U5-111 is the best projection bang for your back. At less than a dollar per lumen, the dream of affordable high-lumen digital projection has finally been achieved! You can enjoy the projection quality that only PLUS provides without the hefty price tag. At 1600 lumens your images shine crisp and colorful with the room lights on or off. The U5-111 will meet all of your demands - without demanding too much from your wallet. The U5 series of projectors is the new business standard line from PLUS. Texas Intruments' next-generation DLP DDR chip, an updated design, improved optics, and much more improvements to every feature. Use of the new DDR dramatically improves the projector's contrast with a high 2000: 1 ratio. Project crisp, sharp images in which black looks black, and white is really white. A rich range of gradations enables the faithful reproduction of subtle color shades, greatly enhancing the picture's quality. Advanced, next generation features standard on the U5-111: "Eco-Mode", saving you lamp hours, with only a 20% reduction in brightness; an on-screen timer to make sure your presentations stay on track. Cost of ownership overall is significantly reduced through the lamp life of approximately 2000 hours in normal mode, and approximately 3000 hours in Eco-Mode. Further protect your investment: U5 series projectors can be set to require the input of a password at startup. Also, the standard security cable slot is featured on all PLUS projectors.
