Optoma Pro250X

Optoma Pro250X Review

There was a time when projector manufacturers built two different types of video projectors for two different markets: They designed projectors with computer resolutions for boardrooms and classrooms, and projectors with TV resolutions for home theaters. The line between those two markets seems to be disappearing. Witness Optoma’s Pro250X video projector, whose data sheet describes a combination boardroom/classroom product, sporting a native resolution of 1024x768 (versus TV resolutions of 1920x1080 or 1280x720); square-ish 4:3 native aspect ratio (instead of widescreen 16:9); and analog VGA video inputs (as opposed to digital HDMI). In fact, Optoma’s own press release labels it a “data-grade portable projector.” And yet they’re selling the Pro250X through general retail channels as a consumer projector with a $649 list price. Is this a bargain or a bum steer? It would be easy to say that Optoma’s Pro250X delivers more bang for the buck than BenQ’s Joybee GP1 Mini Projector, which we reviewed in June, but the GP1’s Lilliputian size and its ability to host an iPod dock are nifty features.