Casio XJ-A246

Casio Slim XJ-A246

The Casio Slim XJ-A246 ($1,499.99 direct) is a formidable lightweight business projector, part of the company's Slim (aka Green Slim) line of projectors that uses Casio's unique hybrid LED-laser light engine. This projector has a solid range of features including 2X zoom, automatic keystone correction, HDMI and Wi-Fi connectivity, and the ability to run presentations off a USB thumb drive. It produces vivid, bright images—though the colors are subject to occasional tinting. The XJ-A246 is rated at 2,500 lumens, and the projector has WXGA (1,280 by 800) native resolution. Instead of producing red, green, and blue using a standard lamp and a color wheel, it produces red with LEDs, blue with lasers, and green by shining blue laser light on a phosphor. Its optical system directs the red, green, and blue light to the DLP chip, and out the front lens. Its LED lamp is designed to last up to 20,000 hours, far longer than typical projector bulbs—and it's mercury free. The projector (including the bulb) is backed by a generous 3-year warranty. Ports include VGA; a single AV-in jack (included an AV cord with a plug to fit the jack; at the other end are 3 RCA jacks for composite video); HDMI; RS-232C; and a USB type A port.