Infocus SP8602

InFocus ScreenPlay SP8602 review

Having heard precisely zilch home cinema-wise since 2008 from the once-prolific projection brand InFocus, I'd begun to wonder if it had become another victim of the global recession. But rumours of its demise were evidently greatly exaggerated, for the company is back, with the ScreenPlay SP8602. The ScreenPlay name isn't actually new; InFocus used it first in 2004. But the SP8602's design is a total departure from InFocus projectors of the past, ditching the brand's previous predilection for curves and small footprints in favour of a large, elongated rectangular design with a predominantly matt black body, grille effect down the side and silver trim. The SP8602's bulky shape gives you the impression that InFocus has opted for practical matters like optical quality and reducing cooling noise over shallow aesthetic concerns. That said, the InFocus SP8602 isn't devoid of frivolity. For instance, the backlit and strikingly simple remote control has actually been designed to look like a miniature version of the projector. I love it, though our Tech Labs aren't as impressed, bemoaning the fact that the menu button is sited next to standby. Then there's the selection of interchangeable 'skins' InFocus does for the SP8602.