ViewSonicX10-4K UHD Short Throw Smart Portable LED Projector for Gaming, Family & Home Entertainment with WiFi Bluetooth and Harman Kardon Audio - Metallic Charcoal

On paper the Viewsonic X10-4K sounds like a winning combination: bright, portable, 4K resolution, Harmon Kardon speakers, attractive design.But dig into early reviews and you'll find people questioning the responsiveness of the remote, criticising the smart apps, the fixed zoom and asking whether it's really 4K. I'd also read about how the 2400 lumens were actually LED lumens rather than ansi lumens which made me question just how bright the projector would be and how it would cope with some ambient lighting.Well let me tell you what I've discovered:1) Viewsonic have clearly been through a raft of firmware upgrades since launching the X10, it came to me with version 1.11 installed and ready to update to v 1.12.2) The remote is beautifully responsive whether I point it vaguely at the back of the projector, the front, or at the screen. In fact as long as I'm not pointing the remote directly at the ceiling or floor I found it noted my inputs whether from the backlit buttons, the wheel or the toggle switch precisely every time I've used it.3) The screen is perfectly bright enough for use with a decent amount of background lighting. Just as with any projector things look better in a darkened room but as long as it wasn't used under direct light from a window I still managed to get a great picture with sidelights on and during the day. If you have kids wanting to watch a film projected onto their bedroom wall in the afternoon or you fancied watching some television on the big screen during the day then fear not. In fact, during night viewing with the lights down I tend to leave the projector on ECO mode as there just isn't the need for any more light and it reduces fan noise.4) As for a few people leaving negative feedback due to the fact that there is no adjustable zoom with this projector then I can only question how much research they did before making their purchase. The fact is that this is a fixed zoom projector and the size of the image projected will depend entirely on how far you place the unit from the wall. For me this was perfect because its short throw length means I can place the projector on a coffee table approximately 5 feet from the wall and get a 90" image. If I wanted that image to be 80 or 100", I simply move the projector forwards or backwards a few inches. In comparison, whilst a lot of the competition had a small degree of zoom flexibility, they tended to need placing at least 8+ feet from the screen to get an image of 90" which to my mind would be less convenient if I wanted to use it in a child's bedroom, on the dining room table or at a friend's.5) Regarding the perhaps less than epic range of apps to choose from, I haven't found this an issue and would say that most people spending over £1000 on a projector are likely to run their media through a Blu ray player or the likes of a 4K Fire Stick. I've found that the menus, settings, bluetooth options etc all easy to navigate.Regarding "true 4K" resolution, yes this (as with any other "4K" projector under£4-5000) uses pixel shifting technology instead of having a native resolution of 3840 x 2160. What this means is that the 4K data is there, but rather than displaying one 3840 x 2160 image, the projector uses the pixels spread over 4 x 1080p images fired in quick succession at the screen. The resulting image is so good that very few people (myself included) can tell the difference, certainly not at normal viewing distances. It is wonderfully sharp.As for the picture quality, the X10 produces a stunning, vibrant image, even when projected onto a painted wall. I know there will be cinema aficionados out there who will say that compared to high end JVC and Sony projectors, the X10's black reproduction and contrast is average, but for most people the picture is fantastic and I've not once felt let down by blacks appearing milky or grey. Colours whether in SDR or HDR look fantastic but I'd recommend trying some 4K HDR footage to really see what the X10 is capable of. I've had no issues at all with motion, fast scenes being rendered smoothly and cleanly.Regarding sound, the Harmon Kardon speakers are great. I've spent a few nights testing the projector without it being connected to my surround system and have to say that vocals were clear, there was a surprisingly good degree of stereo separation and for louder scenes and explosions it certainly coped as well as most high end televisions I've come across. Whilst it doesn't offer the full sound stage of a dedicated surround setup and lacks the ultimate depths of a subwoofer, for what it is, the X10 does really well. As for fan noise, like with most projectors, there is a degree of this audible during very quiet scenes. The sound was certainly no louder than any other projector I've come across and when I was aware of it, it was probably mainly due to the fact that I was listening out for it.While there are still aspects of the projector I'm yet to test, I have to say that I'm impressed. It's a good looking, great sounding thing, it's autofocus has been totally accurate which means setting up is a breeze and above all I've been able to enjoy crisp and vibrant pictures.

I was personally looking for a projector that would screen my phone content, I have a few apps I use to watch Movies and TV shows from therefore I wanted something just as simple as my TV. I found the Viewsonic and I have been researching it for a few months it seemed to tick all the boxes but I do understand it is cheap for a projector so I wasn't sure on the quality and for me over a grand is still expensive but then I saw a new one on amazon warehouse for £899 and I took the plunge.Smart View - Now as this is the main reason I purchased the projector I will start off here, it is OK, not better than my TV and I have an old Lux Tv. Sometimes it does lose connection after an hr, but it connects so easily that it isn't too much trouble. Would be better if it stayed connected though. But all in all it only does this once a day, so for this I have knocked off a star as it is one of it's main features.Picture Quality - I am no expert on picture quality but for me it is really good when watching top quality programmes (Netflix and YouTube) But for streaming sites it seems to struggle to always keep the good quality picture (darker and very light images are better than purple/red images) but I believe that to be down to the links from the site and not the projector. I did tested it's 4K performance and I have no complaints full 5/5 stars, but this is for programme watching only I cannot comment on gaming.Sounds quality - I have this projector set up in a medium sized bedroom and I never need to go more than half way on volume so no need to use my soundbar, it is very crystal clear just as per my soundbar it is a perfect all in one solution. There is no fuzzing or too much bass (you do not get an option to choose) it is just right for me, I am very happy.Fan Noise - For me being in a medium sized room the fan noise isn't that bad, after 4hrs it can kick up but it's like an intense cool down and it does go quiet again. But once fixed to the ceiling i doubt i would hear it that much. But if you are looking for one that is completely quiet then this is not for you.Heat - The heat from the projector is reasonable, I keep mine well ventilated and I had no issues, I did try it enclosed just to see the difference and it does heat up and that's when the fan noise gets loud, so make sure all sides of the projector are will ventilated.Short Throw - I didn't fully understand short throw, I misread and though it was for screens close to you (I have a king sized cinema bed) so thought this would be suitable, unfortunately placed on the shelf (bed headboard) it was too far away and the projector threw the screen onto my ceiling (which was cool) I had to place the projector on my bed to get a visual on the screen, so it will now go on the ceiling. I now understand it means how the projector shots the image and upright not straight ahead. There are settings to allow you to use the projector in a few different angles.Overall - I really like this projector, it was sooooo simple to use as long as you do a bit of reading. I learnt that when you first use the projector make sure you do a software update, this is located in the Apps section, the first icon you see install it (it looks like a memory chip) and it will run an update. It had Netflix available so I popped it on my home screen for ease of access. The only thing is you need a mouse to use Netflix, now if you are watching a programme from episode one or a film then you are fine without a mouse, but if you need to start any other episode then you need a mouse. I am lucky to have a tv downstairs that I just use that to click the correct episode and then once upstairs you do have to refresh Netflix, but that trick also works. Also don't worry if the projector shuts off and comes back on again this is a safety feature which you can disable in the settings its called something like eye safety distance, once off the projector stays on.