The InFocus Work Big IN24 ($699 direct) is one of the better DLP-based business projectors I've seen for the price. The SVGA (800 by 600 dpi) native resolution is suitable for simple graphics and PowerPoint presentations. The image is reasonably bright, with a high enough contrast ratio to make colors pop off the screen, and the audio is loud enough to fill a reasonable-size conference room. It doesn't do all that well with full-motion video—which may keep you from taking it home with you to watch the Super Bowl—but that's not usually an issue for presentations.

Measuring a substantial 4 by 12 by 9.5 inches (HWD) and weighing just under 6 pounds, the IN24 is bigger and heavier than I'd want as a constant traveling companion, but small and light enough to carry around occasionally. You don't get a carrying case with the projector, however, so you'll have to buy one separately. In fact, you don't even get a lens cap. InFocus says the lens is protected from harm by being recessed. But I'd feel more comfortable carrying it if the lens were covered as well. In any case, the unit as shipped is essentially limited to room-to-room portability.

Setup is typical. The projector comes with a power cable and VGA cable. Plug in both, adjust the manual zoom and focus, and you're ready to go. You'll also find a pass-through monitor connector, S-Video and composite video connectors, stereo RCA phono-plug input connectors, and a stereo mini-plug output connector on the back of the projector. I don't expect to see nonessential cables included at this price, however, and they're not. If you want to take advantage of the audio or video connections, you'll have to buy cables separately.

One feature I sorely miss in the IN24 is a remote mouse control, or at least the ability to press a button on the remote to move through a slide show. What makes this particularly maddening is that the projector is capable of controlling the mouse, and it has a USB connector for precisely that purpose. To use the feature, you have to replace the standard remote with one of several choices, at prices from $59 to $99. This is one corner that InFocus shouldn't have cut. I should at least have the choice of buying the projector with the remote I want, not being forced into one I don't want.

The IN24 does well on its core function: projecting an image. The rated brightness is a relatively low 1,700 lumens, but in testing it comes closer to that level than do some projectors with higher ratings. I measured it at 1,446 lumens, a substantial 85 percent of its rating—bright enough to project a reasonably large image in a well-lit room. The similarly priced Epson PowerLite S3 is rated at 1,600 lumens and delivers 1,255, a more typical 78 percent of its rating.

The more impressive number is the IN24's contrast ratio, at 472:1. DLP projectors tend to have high contrast ratios, but this is the highest I've measured for any projector. More important, it's enough to ensure crisp, eye-catching colors, even with plenty of ambient light in the room.

Image quality is also a plus, with the IN24 scoring well on our DisplayMate test screens (www.displaymate.com). I saw some moderate jitter that I couldn't get rid of by adjusting settings, but only on screens designed to bring out jitter. The only other issues were typical for single-chip DLP projectors. I saw the usual rainbow effect—with white areas breaking up into red, green, and blue when I shifted my gaze—but it was less noticeable than it is with many DLP projectors. Similarly, green and yellow were a little too much alike, with blocks of yellow going beyond the usual DLP mustard color to verge on olive drab. But here again, having a problem with yellow is pretty much expected for DLP technology.

As I mentioned before, the IN24 can't handle full-motion video. On my tests, skin tones were greenish, and the image was darker than it should be. The sound quality was good, however, with enough volume to fill a reasonably large conference room—a welcome feature if your presentations include sound. If you need a projector only for presentations, the InFocus Work Big IN24 is a great choice. But keep in mind that for the same price, you can find other projectors—notably the Epson PowerLite S3—that may not have as bright or high-contrast an image for presentations, but offer a more balanced set of features and can do a better job with video in particular.

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