Designed to work strictly with HDMI connections, the InFocus LightPro IN1142 ($399) is of no interest if you need a projector to connect to a PC that's limited to VGA output. However, you can connect it to computers that offer either an HDMI or a DVI port, as well as to video sources with HDMI, and its support for Mobile High-Definition Link (MHL) offers easier connections to compatible phones and tablets. If you need a highly portable, bright projector to use with an MHL-enabled mobile device, that alone can make it a potentially attractive choice.

The IN1142 ( at Amazon) joins the Elmo BOXi T-200 ( at Amazon) and the Acer C205 as one of only a few projectors that connect by HDMI only. Whether that indicates the start of a trend remains to be seen, but it's worth mentioning that all three share some key points. Compared with similar models with more connectors, like the Editors' Choice InFocus LightPro IN1146 ( at Amazon) , they're smaller, lighter, and less expensive. If you don't absolutely need the extra connectors, that's a good argument for doing without them.

Basics and Setup

Aside from the limited number of connection choices, the IN1142 has a lot in common with any number of other projectors built around a WXGA (1,280-by-800) DLP chip paired with an LED light source. Rated at 700 lumens, it's a step below the brightest models in that group, which currently top out with 1,000-lumen ratings. But keep in mind that the perception of brightness is logarithmic, so you'll perceive 700 lumens as significantly more than 70 percent as bright as 1,000 lumens.

A touch smaller than the 1,000-lumen InFocus IN1146, the IN1142 measures 1.7 by 6.7 by 5.4 inches (HWD). The projector itself weighs the same as the IN1146, at 1 pound 13 ounces, but has a slightly lighter power block than the latter. Among the features the two models share are the same lens, with a manual focus and no zoom, and a light source designed to last the life of the projector, with a rated 30,000-hour lifetime

Setup is easy. Plug in an HDMI-or-MHL cable, point the projector at whatever you're using for a screen,and focus. In addition to the HDMI connecter, there's a miniplug audio output on the back for headphones or an external audio system. As you might expect, the 1-watt internal speaker is suitable for only a small audience in a quiet room. There's also a USB Type A port on the back, but it's strictly for upgrades and for powering a USB device. You could use it to charge your phone, for example.

Brightness and Image Quality

As is typical for DLP projectors, the IN1142's color brightness is lower than its white brightness, so color images won't be as bright as you would expect based on the white brightness level.(For more on color brightness, see Color Brightness: What It Is, Why It Matters.)

Because of the lower color brightness, the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) recommendations—that a 700-lumen projector should be appropriate for a 100- to 136-inch (diagonal) image in theater-dark lighting—are a little optimistic. In my tests, I found a 92-inch (diagonal) image bright enough for short sessions, but a bit dim for comfortable viewing for extended sessions.

See How We Test Projectors

Image quality for data screens is good enough for most purposes. In our standard suite of DisplayMate tests, blue and red were a little dark in terms of a hue-saturation-brightness color model, particularly in the brightest mode. But that's expected for projectors with a difference between color and white brightness. Colors were nicely saturated and suitably eye-catching in all predefined modes.

Like all LED WXGA projectors to date, the IN1142 shows apparent scaling artifacts at its claimed native resolution, an issue that's due to the DLP chip these projectors use. The artifacts are easiest to see as unwanted added patterns in areas with closely spaced lines or dots, but they can also create a soft-focus effect. The IN1142 does a better job than most on this score. White text on black, for example, is crisp and readable at sizes as small as 9 points, and black text on white is easily readable even at 7.5 points.

Video quality is roughly the same as with the InFocus IN1146, which translates to good enough to be usable. Colors are slightly dull,but they are well within a reasonable range. The projector does a near-excellent job retaining shadow detail (details based on shading in dark areas) and shows only a hint of posterization (shading changing suddenly where it should change gradually) and only in clips that tend to cause that problem.

Very much on the plus side, the IN1142 does a good job resisting the rainbow artifacts (flashes of red, green, and blue) that are always a potential problem for DLP projectors. With data screens, I saw only a few hints of the problem. With video, they are more obvious, but show infrequently enough that few people, if any, should find them annoying.

If you need a portable projector with a VGA port or one that can read files from memory cards or USB memory keys, be sure to take a look at the Editors' Choice InFocus IN1146. For some situations, however, the InFocus IN1142 can be an attractive pick. It's a tad more portable than the InFocus IN1146, nearly as bright, and offers similar image quality for both data and video, all at a lower price. If an HDMI port is the only connector you actually need, the IN1142 can easily be the right projector to carry with you.

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Further Reading

• How We Test Projectors
• Canon's M-i1 Mini Projector Fits in a Pocket, Works Without a PC
• Sony Tips $5K 4K Projector, $25K Laser Projector
• Hands On With Sony's Xperia Projector Prototype
• Hands On With ZTE's SPro2 Smart Projector