The NEC Display Solutions NP-M300WS ($1,099 direct) projector offers any number of attractive features, but stands out for two in particular: a short-throw lens that lets you throw a large image from close to the screen and an unusually capable audio system, with both good sound quality and enough volume to fill a reasonably large conference room or classroom. The combination makes the projector a good choice for everything from small rooms where space it tight to large rooms where a lesser audio system wouldn't be loud enough. Add in the projector's high-quality image, and the M300WS is an obvious pick for Editors' Choice.

The M300WS is a close competitor to the Optoma TW610ST ($1,000 street, 4 stars), another Editors' Choice with a short-throw lens. Both projectors offer WXGA (1,280 by 800) native resolution, similar brightness ratings, and similar weights, although the Optoma projector's brightness is a touch higher, and both its weight and price are a touch lower. The most important difference between the two, however, is that the Optoma projector is DLP-based, while the NEC projector uses LCDs.

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The difference in technology lets the Optoma projector offer 3D capabilities that the NEC projector lacks. On the other hand, the DLP engine in the Optoma TW610ST suffers from rainbow artifacts, with bright areas breaking up into little red-green-blue rainbows when you shift your gaze or something moves on screen. Although this wasn't a problem in my tests for data screens with the TW610ST, it was an issue for video. With the LCD-based NEC projector, in contrast, the rainbow effect isn't even a possibility.

The Basics: Connections and Setup
The M300WS weighs in at 8.8 pounds, which qualifies it as portable, but heavy enough so you probably won't want to carry it around on a regular basis. The more likely choice is that you'll install it permanently in one room or put it on a cart to move from room to room.

Setup is standard for a short-throw projector, with a manual focus and no optical zoom, although there is a digital zoom you can use to make the image smaller, by scaling it down to use only part of the LCDs.

The back panel offers a full set of connectors, including an HDMI port for a computer or video source, two VGA inputs for computers or component video, one pass-through monitor port, and both an S-Video and a composite video port. Other connectors include two stereo miniplug audio inputs, a set of RCA phono plugs for stereo audio, and a USB connector for reading files directly from a USB key or, alternatively, for the optional dongle for remote mouse control ($45 direct). There's also a second USB connector for sending data images from a computer, and a connector for an optional WiFi module ($80 direct).

Image Size and Brightness
According to NEC, the M300WS's image can range from a minimum 56.2 inches diagonally (47.6 inches wide) at 1.8 feet to a maximum 104 inches (88.2 inches wide) at 3.6 feet. For my tests, I used a 77-inch diagonal (65-inch wide) image, with the projector 32 inches from the screen.

NEC rates the M300WS at 3000 lumens, which is rapidly becoming typical for this class of projector. Optoma rates the Optoma TW610ST, for example, at 3,100 lumens, and Casio rates its Green Slim XJ-A250 ($1399.99 direct, 4 stars) that I recently reviewed at 3,000 lumens. Far more important than the ratings, however, is that the M300WS is easily bright enough to stand up to typical office lighting, with any reasonable-size image. In my tests, it produced a bright, highly readable image even with the lights on and daylight showing through the windows.

Image Quality and Other Issues
The projector also did well on data image quality, sailing through our suite of DisplayMate tests without any real problems. Colors were bright, fully saturated and vibrant, and both black and white and white on black text was crisp and readable down the smallest sizes we test with.

When I let the projector automatically sync to the image, I saw some pixel jitter on images designed to bring out the problem. But when I took the time to manually adjust the settings, the analog images were nearly as rock solid as with digital connections. Of course, thanks to the HDMI port, you can eliminate jitter altogether by using a digital connection.

Video image quality wasn't on a par with home theater projectors, but was much better than most data projectors can manage. I saw just a touch of posterization (colors changing suddenly where they should change gradually) in faces and a touch of lost detail in dark areas. In both cases, however, the problems showed up only on test clips specifically chosen because they're hard for projectors to handle well. Most data projectors do far worse. The M300WS certainly handles video well enough for a conference room or classroom, and, because it's an LCD projector, you don't have to worry about seeing rainbow artifacts.

Finally, the M300WS's audio system is unusually capable, with the built-in 10-watt mono speaker delivering reasonably high-quality audio at a high enough volume to fill a medium to large size conference room or classroom.

What the M300WS delivers, in short, is everything you need in a data projector: high quality for data images, 1,280 by 800 resolution, a short-throw lens that lets you project large images even in small rooms, and above-par audio. For those whose needs extend to lengthy video sessions, it also delivers above-par video for a data projector, with no rainbow artifacts.

If the M300WS weren't more expensive than the Optoma TW610ST, a little heavier, and without 3D, it would be the runaway pick as the only Editors' Choice in its category. As it is, it's one of two Editors' Choices, but the clear winner if you can do without 3D, need to show lengthy video clips, and want to eliminate the possibility that someone in your audience may be distracted by rainbow artifacts.

COMPARISON TABLE
Compare the NEC Display Solutions NP-M300WS with several other projectors side by side.

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