The first product we looked at on the ViewSonic booth was the new PJLS830HDS UST projector which is based around a laser phosphor engine with FullHD resolution and 4,000 Ansi lumens of output and 20K hours of light source life. It can be used as close as 0.25 metres from the screen. The projector is expected to cost €3,750 which it starts to ship.
Also in projection, ViewSonic was showing the Pro8880W, an installation projector with 1920 x 1200 resolution and 5,000 Ansi lumens of output. Features include three HDMI ports and a 16W speaker.
There was also a new home cinema projector, the Pro7827HD with FullHD resolution and 2,200 Ansi lumens of output, using an RGBRGB colour wheel. Contrast is quoted at 22,000:1 and the projector has sRGB and Rec. 709 modes as well as ISF-certified day and night modes. The projector has a 1.1 – 1.5:1 throw ratio. We didn’t get pricing at the show, but in the US, the product was announced at $1,299. A second version (PJD7828HDL) has 3,200 lumens and costs $999 in the US. Wireless HDMI is supported.
ViewSync 3 is the latest version of ViewSonic’s wireless presentation solution which supports all HDMI displays. It is supplied with two USB dongles and costs €499. The driver software is automatically installed when the USB is connected to the client computer. The box supports 1080P resolutions, although occasional users can use the system without saving a driver on the client. In Access Point mode, the unit can connect up to 8 laptops and when used with an external router, it can support up to 50. In this mode, it can be used in a classroom to support all students and the teacher can control what is shown on the display (projector or monitor). The module can use TapNFC to connect.
For enhanced collaboration, ViewSonic has done a deal with Mersive to support and supply the Mersive Solstice software that runs on Windows PCs that can be connected to any ViewSonic display. Solstice allows unlimited simultaneous users.
ViewSonic was early to promote touch displays in meetings (European GM, Mark Lufkin, has been very enthusiastic!) and the company now has a range of UltraHD displays from 55″ to 84″ with 10 point infrared touch. The systems offer integrated Android or a dedicated mode.
