The Casio Slim XJ-A247 ($1,209.99) is a lightweight data projector that includes some nifty features, such as a generous 2X zoom and standard Wi-Fi, with the adapter included. It uses Casio's hybrid LED-laser light engine, which has a light source that should last the lifetime of the projector. The XJ-A247 has solid data-image quality, and is a good choice if you don't include much video in your presentations.

Design
This WXGA (1,280-by-800) DLP projector is rated at 2,500 lumens. Its hybrid light engine produces red with LEDs, blue with lasers, and green by shining the blue laser light on a phosphor. Various optics direct the red, green, and blue light to the DLP chip, and out the front lens. The LED lamp is designed to last up to 20,000 hours, far longer than typical projector bulbs—and unlike most projector lamps, it's mercury-free.

The XJ-A247 is truly slim, measuring 1.7 by 11.7 by 8.3 inches (HWD) and weighing 5.1 pounds. It comes with a soft carrying case, complete with a pocket for cables. The projector sports a futuristic look, with rounded corners and a lens set far to the side. There are no manual lens sliders or wheels; you can change focus or the 2X optical zoom, either with the remote or from touch controls on the projector itself.

Connectivity
Thanks to its USB Type A port, the projector can read JPG and AVI files from a USB memory key, so you can leave your laptop at home. Plug a USB key into the port, and the projector will automatically switch to it as the current source, then give you a menu of options to find the files on the key and show them. (Casio includes a Casio-specific version of ArcSoft MediaConverter to move most common formats to JPG or AVI.). Similarly, you can run a saved presentation from the XJ-A147's 2GB of internal memory.

The USB Type A port also fits a Wi-Fi adapter that lets the projector connect with Wi-Fi-enabled Android, iOS, and Windows Mobile smartphones and computers running MobiShow software, so you can run a presentation from these devices. The XJ-A247 can also be used with Casio's new C-Assist app for iOS and Android, which lets presenters operate a projector from a phone or tablet, control a computer connected to the projector, and show material from the mobile device.

Other connectors include an HDMI port for a computer or video source, a mini USB Type B port for USB display (showing the contents of your computer screen over a USB connection), a VGA port that also doubles as a component video port, and a stereo mini-plug for composite video/audio.

Data-Image Testing
The XJ-A247 is bright enough to throw a fairly large image, even in a brightly lit room. It threw approximately 60-inch (diagonal) image from about 5 feet away from our test screen.

In our tests, using the DisplayMate suite, data-image quality proved suitable for typical classroom or business presentations. Text quality is good, with black text on white sharp and easily readable down to 7.5 points and white text on black readable down to 9 points. Colors are bright and well saturated in Standard mode, although some white or light gray backgrounds looked slightly greenish in my tests. This tinting was reduced in Graphics mode, though at the expense of brightness and color quality, with reds looking darker and yellows, more mustardy.

Pixel jitter was obvious in images that tend to bring it out. It was reduced by using the Phase control on the remote, and eliminated when I switched from a VGA connection to HDMI.

The XJ-A247 showed rainbow artifacts—little red-green-blue flashes, particularly in bright areas against dark background—in images that tend to bring them out. This rainbow effect is common in DLP projectors, though it's seldom a problem in data images, and shouldn't be in this projector.

Video and Audio
In video, the rainbow effect is more pronounced than is usual for a DLP projector, and even people mildly sensitive to the effect are likely to see rainbow artifacts. Because of this, video use is best kept to short clips as part of presentations. Colors in video seem a bit off, with both reds and blues appearing somewhat dull. There was some loss of detail in bright scenes in our testing. Audio from the single 1-watt speaker is on the soft side, making this projector best for use in small rooms.

Unlike the vast majority of DLP projectors, Casio Slim models—including the XJ-A247—can't project 3D content. In this regard, the ViewSonic PJD6544w is a good choice as a lightweight, 3D-capable WXGA data projector. It can project 3D content either from a computer or a Blu-ray player, set-top box, or similar video source.

Wi-Fi and USB connectivity are what set the XJ-A247 apart from the otherwise identical Casio Slim XJ-A242, which had very similar data- and video-image quality in our testing. If you don't need those connections and can make do with HDMI, VGA, or composite video, you can save some money with the latter. Otherwise, the XJ-A247 is clearly the stronger choice.

See How We Test Projectors

The XJ-A247 has a much more powerful zoom and a much longer lamp life than the Epson PowerLite 1761W Multimedia Projector, our Editors' Choice lightweight WXGA data projector. The two models are otherwise similar in form, brightness (2,600 lumens), and features, though the XJ-A247 is more than a pound heavier. The Casio projector, however, can't match the Epson 1761W's excellent image quality for both data and video.

Although it has a higher sticker price than many of its peers, the Casio Slim XJ-A147's ultra-long lamp life may make it a good investment for the long haul. It is lightweight and highly portable, has a potent zoom, and it has some nice connectivity choices, like Wi-Fi and the ability to display content from a USB key. It doesn't have the best video quality or sound system, but its data-image quality is suitable for most any classroom or business presentation you're likely to make.