Nec NP-U310W

NEC NP-U310W

When the NEC Display Solutions NP-U310W ($1,299 direct) showed up for testing, I was expecting to be impressed. It is, after all, a new design from the same company that introduced the WT610 ($6,000 street, 4 stars), which was one of the first ultra short throw projectors available and something of a technological marvel. The NP-U310W offers an entirely different design, using a lens and mirrors instead of depending entirely on mirrors for the short throw. And yes, it's just as impressive as I expected it to be, with a bright image, good image quality, and, of course, the ultra short throw. Unlike an increasing number of ultra short throw projectors, including the Dell S500wi ($1,599 direct, 4.0 stars) and Epson BrightLink 455Wi ($2,200 street, 4 stars) for example, the NP-U310W doesn't include built-in interactivity, a design choice that helps keep the price down. That makes it a good fit if you already have an interactive whiteboard and are looking to replace your old projector, or if you don't need interactivity, and just need a way to project a large image from close to the screen. Aside from the short throw, the NP-U310W offers a fairly garden variety set of features for a data projector.