ViewSonic PJD5555W-S WXGA 3D DLP Projector

i've been trying a few different projectors for a bigscreen at my bar. this 3200 lumen projector from viewsonic is the third model i've tried, after a dell 1410x and a dell 1610hd. if you're familiar with those other two by dell, you'll know that the first is a lower-resolution, dimmer projector, but the second is pretty comparable in specs (and a lot higher in price). i will use the 1610hd for comparison purposes in this review when necessary. first off, i want to say that this viewsonic projector is the hands-down winner of the three. the picture is clear and very bright, and the menus are easy to navigate. i'm using this projector on a 100" screen, and the picture is so bright in the bar that i have the bulb set to economy mode and the brightness level set to standard, and it's still sufficiently bright, even in the daytime. at 3200 lumens stated specs, i have to say that it seemed brighter and produced more vivid colors than the 1610hd at its stated 3500 lumens. color reproduction is simply amazing with the viewsonic. it's only slightly less vivid than a nearby samsung plasma hdtv (which, in my opinion, is a pretty high standard for measurement). at night, the entire west end of the bar is lit up with the reflection of the image off the screen. i have the projector mounted upside-down on the ceiling with a cheap universal mount. there are a couple different configuration options for the mounting holes on the viewsonic, which makes it easy to adjust the universal mount to fit. the 1610hd (and the 1410x) both did not fit the universal mount very well, and i had to go buy different screws that fit the dells' mounting holes. i did not have this problem with the viewsonic. as for inputs and signal, the viewsonic is not as feature-rich as the 1610hd. while both projectors offer 1280x800 resolution and "3D ready" features, the viewsonic has fewer total inputs. it does not have RCA audio in, only headphone. the 1610hd has both. both projectors output audio over headphone jack. both projectors have VGA inputs and outputs, and a single HDMI input. the viewsonic cannot be hooked up to network via ethernet, and has no Wi-Fi. the 1610hd has an ethernet port, but i didn't test its capability as far as network video playback. neither receiver offers great sound, but that's the case with most tv's these days as well, so you'll want an audio system for sound reproduction regardless. i had a problem with the viewsonic in that it does not support HDCP according to the cable TV receiver i have it hooked up to (Cisco brand). an error message pops up when you first turn it on, stating that you have to use a different input on the projector in order to view the picture. this can be resolved by simply switching the input away from HDMI and back to it, so i don't know if the problem is with the receiver or the projector. the receiver didn't do this when hooked up to the 1610hd at all. another thing i found lacking with the viewsonic is that there's no remote sensor on the top of the projector, like the 1610hd. with the 1610hd, i can stand directly underneath it and use the remote. with the viewsonic, i have to move out in front of it to get the remote to work. this isn't much of a problem, but it's a feature that would be nice for any ceiling-mounted projector. bottom line. the viewsonic projector is a great piece of hardware, that does its primary function exceptionally well. it does not have some of the fancy features that the higher-priced rivals have, but that's probably a big reason why it is available for significantly less than other comparable models. if the pricetag were any higher, i'd knock one star off, but considering the lacking features are likely the cause of the lower cost, i'm keeping this review at five stars. if you need a projector that offers a great picture with few frills and a budget price tag, this viewsonic 5555 is a great choice.