Pros & Cons
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- Scores well on brightness, contrast ratio, image quality for presentations, and audio.
- Reasonably portable.
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- Image quality for full-motion video is less than ideal.
Dell 1200MP Specs
| Engine Type | DLP |
| Inputs and Interfaces | Analog VGA |
| Native Resolution | 800 x 600 |
| Rated Brightness | 2000 |
| Warranty | 12 |
| Weight | 4.94 |
One of the big differences between computer monitors and projectors is what counts as acceptable resolution. On the desktop and in notebooks, SVGA (800 by 600 pixels) is essentially obsolete. For projectors, however, it's still a good choice for things like simple Excel charts and PowerPoint presentations. That and the lower price for SVGA projectors are enough to keep them in the running. And the DLP-based Dell 1200MP Projector ($699 direct) is the best I've seen in the category.
Weighing in at a smidge under five pounds (4.94 pounds to be precise), and measuring 4 by 9.9 by 8.4 inches (HWD), the 1200MP is just small and light enough so I wouldn't mind carrying it around on a regular basis. And it certainly doesn't hurt that it comes with its own soft carrying case. Call it a comfortable, if not superb, traveling companion.
Dell also earns praise for not cutting corners that other manufacturers cut as a matter of course. Unlike most projectors, the 1200MP comes with a printed manual—not a PDF file—and all the cables you need, including a VGA cable to connect to your graphics card; three video cables to connect to an S-Video, composite-video, or component-video source; two audio cables, to connect to either an audio output with a miniplug or one that needs RCA phono plugs; and a USB cable to connect to your computer so you can use the remote to page through a presentation.
The one corner Dell does cut is leaving out full mouse control—at least with the remote that it ships with. According to Dell, the projector supports mouse control, but you have to buy the remote ($59.99 direct) that normally comes with the Dell 3400MP. In most cases, however, paging through a presentation is the only control you really need.
Setup is standard fare. Plug in the power cord and cables you want to connect, turn everything on, and adjust the manual-focus and zoom-ring controls. I found both controls well designed, with good tactile feedback and firm control, making it easy to find the right setting without overshooting it.
The 1200MP also did well on brightness and contrast. I measured the brightness at 1,850 lumens, easily enough to stand up to typical ambient lighting with a reasonably large image. It's also worth mentioning that the 1200MP delivers a much higher percentage of the claimed brightness than most projectors manage, at 93 percent of its 2,000-lumen rating. The similarly priced
The 1200MP also did well on our DisplayMate test screens (www.displaymate.com). The image was as rock-solid as it would be with a digital connection, with no visible jitter even on images designed to bring out jitter. The only issues were typical for a single-chip DLP projector: Yellow was shifted a little to a mustard color, though not as badly as with many DLP projectors I've seen; and, as is typical for the technology, I saw some rainbow effect, with white areas breaking up into red, green, and blue when I shifted my gaze.
The projector didn't do as well on full-motion video. When playing a DVD over an S-Video connection, the image was reasonably bright, with acceptable flesh tones, but colors were a little punchy, and essentially straight edges like the line of a shoulder turned into rippled edges. I also saw a halo of sorts surrounding people's heads on closeups, mostly when the background was blue, with the halo a brighter blue. But this is a decidedly secondary application for a business projector. And even though I wouldn't recommend the 1200MP for a home theater, it's good enough to bring home occasionally to watch a movie or sporting event.
Sound quality was more acceptable, with enough volume to fill a small conference room. That's louder than most projectors, but for a larger audience, you'll still need an external sound system.
Even with the less than ideal quality for full-motion video, the 1200MP is an impressive package. It offers the best value and best balance of features in its class, with good portability, a full set of cables, and better full-motion video quality than you'll get from, for example, the similarly priced
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Final Thoughts
Dell 1200MP
Small and lightweight, with a bright, high-quality image, the Dell 1200MP is a comfortable traveling companion and a great choice for presentations.