Timothy K. Hoke Say: ViewSonic PJD5123 SVGA DLP Projector 120Hz 3D Ready - 2700 Lumens - 3000:1 DCR
Big Bang for Little Buck, 2011-06-26
This review is for: ViewSonic PJD5123 SVGA DLP Projector 120Hz 3D Ready - 2700 Lumens - 3000:1 DCR
I've only had my ViewSonic PJD5123 one day, which is a little premature for reviewing, but with only one review posted, I thought another would be helpful. I actually made my purchase on that review's recommendation, since I could find no others.

First, let me say that my purchase was largely price-driven. I figured I'd have to buy a used projector, but the low price Amazon charged was the hook that caused me to bite on this brand-new one. My second criterion was that it had to work with a Mac; it does! I did have to purchase an extra cable for my Macbook Pro unibody ($29.99 from Apple). I could have gotten a third party cable for much less (and may still do that for a backup), but the reviews on them were not as favorable as those on the Apple one.

So I took the plunge, even paying an extra $4 (Amazon Prime) to have it delivered in two days. It arrived on time and I found everything in the box as advertised. The written documentation is worthless, but their CD has much good information. You can also go to the ViewSonic website and download their PDF manual to read before your purchase arrives (highly recommended).

I installed the software on my Macbook Pro, connected the ViewSonic PJD5123 and fired it up. My computer (running OS X 10.6.7) recognized the projector and the computer screen's image shone on the white wall across the room, but it was very blurry. My heart sank. Thinking I'd bought a pig in a poke, I began lamenting the irritation of having to ship it back. Then, I began to turn the adjustments this way and that, and the picture on the wall became as clear as the one on the laptop screen. Was I ever relieved!

Then I wondered, will it work in an environment with a lot of daylight? Because I teach college courses and give seminars in rooms with many windows, I needed a projector with enough brightness to provide a clear text and picture in broad daylight. Now please do not misunderstand. The picture and text are better at night, but they are just fine in the daylight.
Someone may wonder how it works for movie watching. I've been watching movies on my 17" computer screen, so when I focused the ViewSonic with a movie projecting from it on the wall, I held my breath hoping that it would provide at least an acceptable picture. Wow, was I every pleased! I now have a huge screen on the wall that looks as good as the one on my computer. This is a bonus I'd not planned on.

Another concern for me is the voltage. I travel internationally and was delighted to find that this little projector works with 110-240v/50-60hz. With a plug adapter I'll be in business in the USA and foreign countries.

I almost forgot to mention that while there is no carrying case, a remote (with batteries!) is included. I've barely used the remote, but the features look sufficient for my use. As for the bag, what do you want for a rock bottom price? I'll likely go to the local thrift store and find a suitable case for less than three bucks!

Do I have any concerns or disappointments? So far I'm not disappointed at all. This projector does all the basic stuff I need and provides a very nice picture. My only concern is that when I shut it down I do not hear the fan running to cool it down before final shut down as the instructions indicate. I will call or email the company to see if its shut down feature is defective. My guess is that it is just fine. Other than that, it seems to work A-OK!

Please note that this is not a heavy-duty, latest and greatest feature-filled projector. For such a product you'll likely pay three or four times what this little fellow costs. But it does what I need and even has an eye to the future with a sticker that boasts "3-D READY."

ADDED 6 JULY, 2011

Just a quick note on the issue of the fan not running after shutdown to cool the projector: I emailed ViewSonic on Saturday of the July 4th weekend and they responded promptly the following Tuesday after the holidays. Here's their email response:

"Dear Valued Customer,

Thank you for contacting ViewSonic. Our newer projectors have a feature in which the unit will cool off on its own when needed. This new feature is so that the unit can be used more on the go , ViewSonic and a few other brand name companies have added such feature to recently manufactured projectors . If you should have further questions please contact us back. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to provide assistance."

Well, I couldn't believe what I'd read, so I called ViewSonic and talked to a technical person. He assured me that the email was, indeed, correct and that the unit is working just fine. He said ViewSonic designed this projector so that one could immediately pack it away after using it. For me, this is a blessing in disguise! It means that I can use the projector until the close of class, and immediately walk out with it.

Jeffrey Rambert Say: ViewSonic PJD5123 SVGA DLP Projector 120Hz 3D Ready - 2700 Lumens - 3000:1 DCR
"Rainbow effect" inherent in design, Better resolution desired, 2012-01-21
This review is for: ViewSonic PJD5123 SVGA DLP Projector 120Hz 3D Ready - 2700 Lumens - 3000:1 DCR
I was looking for a projector in the sub-$500 range in lieu of getting a television as I live in a tiny, tiny apartment all by my lonesome. I was mainly looking for something I could hook up to my laptop (via VGA) for streaming Netflix, as well as to a standard DVD player (via RCA/component video). I had no use for HDMI inputs as I don't have a modern gaming console (nor will I ever) and I wasn't interested in fly-by-night formats such as Blu-Ray or 3D whatever. I wasn't interested in LED projectors with low lumen intensity. Really, I wanted the most basic 2D projector, or so I thought.This certainly fit that bill, but I was unimpressed with this model. One issue was the low native resolution, but the biggest problem--and I'm surprised this hasn't been mentioned much here--was the "rainbow effect."From Wikipedia: "This is best described as brief flashes of perceived red, blue, and green "shadows" observed most often when the projected content features high contrast areas of moving bright or white objects on a mostly dark or black background. [...]
"This effect is caused by the way the eye follows a moving object on the projection. When an object on the screen moves, the eye will follow the object with a constant motion, but the projector will display each alternating color of the frame at the same location, for the duration of the whole frame. So, while the eye is moving, it will see a frame of a specific color (red for example). Then, when the next color is displayed (green for example), although it gets displayed at the same location overlapping the previous color, the eye will have moved toward the object's next frame target. Thus, the eye will see that specific frame color slightly shifted. Then, the third color gets displayed (blue for example), and the eye will see that frame's color slightly shifted again. This effect is not perceived only for the moving object, but the whole picture."The rainbow effect is inherent with DLP (Digital Light Processing) projectors that use a color wheel. This projector, having a six-color wheel (as opposed to a [cheaper] four-color wheel), was supposed to be a bit better about that problem, but alas, my eyes were going bonkers, especially watching streamed content from Netflix through my laptop. There was some rainbow effect watching DVDs, but much less.Ultimately, I decided I could live with the rainbow effect, as better projectors with better technology than DLP/color-wheel put me in the $600+ range. BUT, the native resolution of the projector being 800 x 600 pixels, I felt I could do a little better, so I returned this model. The next best model (PJD5223)--still without HDMI inputs--is about $100 steeper, but has a native resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels, which, I understand, allows for true 720p HD. The IT guys at work, aside from suggesting I just get a television for the same amount of money, said that Netflix HD movies stream at 720p, so in a sense, 1024 x 768 native resolution is all one needs for streming Netflix HD. Of course, I'm still stuck with the rainbow effect inherent with the DLP technology, I just have a little better resolution.

J. Fisher "Jim" Say: ViewSonic PJD5123 SVGA DLP Projector 120Hz 3D Ready - 2700 Lumens - 3000:1 DCR
An economical solution, 2011-06-15
This review is for: ViewSonic PJD5123 SVGA DLP Projector 120Hz 3D Ready - 2700 Lumens - 3000:1 DCR
The ViewSonic PJD5123 Projector is an effective and economical solution for movie viewing and PowerPoint presentations. Projecting from 25' it creates a bright 8' wide image. I connect it to a laptop with Bose Companion 2 Series II computer speakers creating an exceptional audio video experience. I use a Logitech wireless mouse to control presentations. You may need a case for the projector and possibly a longer video cable than the 6' cable provided. I am completely satisfied with the quality and performance of the projector and would recommend it to anyone in the market.

Uncle Buck Say: ViewSonic PJD5123 SVGA DLP Projector 120Hz 3D Ready - 2700 Lumens - 3000:1 DCR
good performance for reasonable price, 2011-08-28
This review is for: ViewSonic PJD5123 SVGA DLP Projector 120Hz 3D Ready - 2700 Lumens - 3000:1 DCR
Our volunteer fire department needed a projector for training classes. With limited funding available, this ViewSonic model was the one we chose. Easy to set up and adjust. No need for a screen, shows up clearly on light colored wall.

Reb Say: ViewSonic PJD5123 SVGA DLP Projector 120Hz 3D Ready - 2700 Lumens - 3000:1 DCR
Great Value for the price., 2011-08-19
This review is for: ViewSonic PJD5123 SVGA DLP Projector 120Hz 3D Ready - 2700 Lumens - 3000:1 DCR
Bought this projector and I am very pleased so far. Great image, pic quality and portable size. The only thing that would make it perfect is to have a shorter throw ratio or a bigger zoom ratio. Great for the price though. This is my first DLP projector. I like t better than my old Epson LCD.

Adam Lopez Say: ViewSonic PJD5123 SVGA DLP Projector 120Hz 3D Ready - 2700 Lumens - 3000:1 DCR
AMAZING projector, 2011-08-24
This review is for: ViewSonic PJD5123 SVGA DLP Projector 120Hz 3D Ready - 2700 Lumens - 3000:1 DCR
After shopping around and purchasing a few "cheap" projectors I realized that I needed to bight the bullet and buy something a bit more expensive. I did a ton of research and for my price point of around $300 I found this projector. I was a bit skeptical as I have had no luck with projectors recently and was nervous about throwing down so much money. Rest assured, this projector is worth it! I wanted a nice affordable movie projector for backyard movie nights with friends. Trying to find one that provided a great picture along with being affordable is no easy task. But this model is fantastic. I can't get over how crisp the picture is. And we use nothing but a white sheet pinned between two hammok posts. Even in a room with mid day sun the picture is still bright and clear. The fan is not too loud and the controls are very easy to work. My only concern is that finding the right connection for my macbook 5,1 unibody has been a hassle. We connected it to a cheap dvd player and it worked great. Also there are RCA connections and we hooked it up to a vintage receiver and speakers for an amazing sound experience. If you can afford the price, this is a great buy. I highly recommend this projector!!!

Jackeline Lugo Say: ViewSonic PJD5123 SVGA DLP Projector 120Hz 3D Ready - 2700 Lumens - 3000:1 DCR
It is more than I had expected, 2011-07-11
This review is for: ViewSonic PJD5123 SVGA DLP Projector 120Hz 3D Ready - 2700 Lumens - 3000:1 DCR
This Viewsonic projector is more than I had expected. It has a great image quality and arrived in only three days. Thanks Amazon, your service is reliable.

Daniel Simonson "danocamera" Say: ViewSonic PJD5123 SVGA DLP Projector 120Hz 3D Ready - 2700 Lumens - 3000:1 DCR
So Far, So Good!, 2011-07-29
This review is for: ViewSonic PJD5123 SVGA DLP Projector 120Hz 3D Ready - 2700 Lumens - 3000:1 DCR
There was only 2 or 3 reviews for this projector so I bought this projector based mostly on the reviews of the model that it replaced, which received a landslide of positive reviews. I've only used it a handful of times but I must say that I'm very impressed!

I project onto a white wall in my studio and all of my clients have all been thrilled to view their wedding photos as 4x6 FEET images instead of the 4x6 inch prints that most people are used to seeing. While the projected images are sharp and the colors are great, they are slightly contrasty but I'm fairly certain that this is something that I can remedy if I fiddle with the settings but I have been too timid to give it a shot yet.

My small studio can be totally dark (so of course the projected image was perfect) but when I flipped on my floor lamp, the image was still clear and looked very good. The unit feels a bit light weight and plastic-y but it works like a champ so this obviously isn't a problem.

Overall, I am very happy with the performance of this projector! I would happily buy it even without the Amazon discount but WITH said discount, I can't imagine getting anything else!

Ragwrite Say: ViewSonic PJD5123 SVGA DLP Projector 120Hz 3D Ready - 2700 Lumens - 3000:1 DCR
Couldn't be easier, 2011-07-29
This review is for: ViewSonic PJD5123 SVGA DLP Projector 120Hz 3D Ready - 2700 Lumens - 3000:1 DCR
Just got the Viewsonic PJD5123 projector. Paid $321. Asked for two-day shipping, it was here in less than 24 hours. Wow. Truly plug-and-play with my Toshiba Satellite A505D laptop. Hooked up the cords, plugged it in and turned it on. Spent about 10 seconds adjusting focus on the wall. Picture is sharp, colors are great. Haven't gotten around to trying the different settings yet but so far so good. For basic presentations with easy setup I can't imagine anything better at this price.

grolsche "grolsche" Say: ViewSonic PJD5123 SVGA DLP Projector 120Hz 3D Ready - 2700 Lumens - 3000:1 DCR
Does the job, 2011-09-09
This review is for: ViewSonic PJD5123 SVGA DLP Projector 120Hz 3D Ready - 2700 Lumens - 3000:1 DCR
Compared side by side with a $500 projector and saw no difference! Performs fully to claims and my hopes, truely "plug and play". Bit large for hand carry, but fits easily into standard office shoulder bag...no need for specialty bag. (Planning to buy a longer (15-20') video cable to allow me to get out of audience's line of sight - alternative would be a wireless mouse attachment.)