Viewsonic X2 review: our complete opinion – Frandroid

Although all films and series are now produced in UHD 4K, does it still make sense to equip yourself with a video projector limited to 1080p? At first glance, no, considering that the latest content is projected without its finest details. But sharpness is just one component of the quality of an image that we often focus on a little too much, to the detriment of parameters such as contrast or colorimetric accuracy, which are much more important than the number of points displayed. In addition, today 4K video projection is produced using an actuator, a small vibrating optical block that moves the image to display more points by playing with the persistence of the retina. It works quite well, but this technology has its drawbacks, and if you choose a 1080p HD video projector like the X2, you can get a picture without any artifice and with lower operating noise. The other advantage of the ViewSonic

The top of the ViewSonic X2 // Source: Tristan Jacquel for Frandroid

The ViewSonic In fact, this device is unlikely to bother viewers’ knees or ventilate above their heads; it is installed relatively far from the viewing point. Additionally, unlike ultra-short throw (UST) projectors, the X2 does not require an expensive technical micro-blade display to maintain image contrast. A plain wall or a white canvas will do. Finally, the third strength of this device is its 0.65-inch DMD chip, which delivers a very precise image and significantly better contrast than the smaller chips that have flooded the market in recent years. It remains to be seen whether the image is good out of the box and, if not, whether calibrating the ViewSonic X2 will make it possible to obtain a cinema-quality image.

Viewsonic X2 data sheet

This test was performed using equipment borrowed from the manufacturer. This video projector was connected to a 100-inch white screen (zero gain/1.0) and a plain white wall. The calibration values ​​suggested in this article were determined using a colorimetric probe.

Viewsonic X2 The queen of DMD chips

ViewSonic has chosen Texas Instruments’ DLP (Digital Light Processing) projection technology combined with an LED light source. The special feature of the X2 is the use of a 0.65-inch DMD micromirror chip, while the competition relies heavily on the 0.47-inch DMD model. Between these two chips, the differences are significant, even though their native resolution (1920 x 1080 pixels) is the same. With its larger mirrors, the 0.65-inch DMD chip offers a much richer image, with increased depth of field and increased contrast, often doubled or even tripled depending on the implementation.

The ViewSonic X2’s optical zoom // Source: Tristan Jacquel for Frandroid

At around 30,000 hours, the LED light source offers a longer lifespan than conventional lamps and even corresponds to that of lasers. The image created using LEDs is also perceived as brighter and more flattering. To highlight this aspect, ViewSonic announces a brightness of 3100 “LED” lumens. But be careful, it’s an in-house unit and the X2’s ANSI standard light output is around 2100 lumens. Finally, LED technology allows full coverage of the Rec.709 color space, in which all films and series are available. The only limitation concerns the BT.2020 color space used for HDR content, which is only very partially covered. In addition, HDR format support is limited to HDR10, making the device compatible with the various streaming services but depriving it of the dynamic brightness management of Dolby Vision or HDR10+. More anecdotally, 3D programs are supported as long as you use DLP Link-compatible 3D glasses.

Viewsonic X2 design

The lines of the ViewSonic X2 are classic and the device is shaped like a rectangular box with a width of 35 cm, a depth of 25 cm and a height of about 12 cm. Three of the four sides are opened by ventilation grilles to cool the LED blocks and electronic components. There is a sliding flap on the top, behind which are the control buttons (power on, input selector, keystone correction, etc.) as well as two optical zoom and focus adjustment rings. Slow run.

The ViewSonic X2 optical zoom adjustment ring // Source: Tristan Jacquel for Frandroid

The remote control is a radio frequency model with backlighting on all buttons. Long, thin, practical to use, it lights up automatically as soon as it is moved thanks to an internal gyroscope. So to find your way around, you don’t have to press a key, just type.

Viewsonic X2 connections

The ViewSonic X2 has two HDMI 2.0 inputs that are compatible with video streams up to 4K 60 Hz and HDR. The HDCP 2.2 anti-copy protocol is supported, ensuring compatibility with 4K Blu-ray discs as well as the various streaming services that deliver 4K HDR video streams with Dolby audio (Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, etc. ). A third input in USB-C format allows you, for example, to use the video output of a smartphone (if its operating system allows it) or a Nintendo Switch console. There is also a 3.5mm mini-jack stereo analog line input and output in the same format, as well as a DB-9 RS-232 port for home automation integration. Finally, there are two USB-A ports, one for servicing the device and its colorimetric control via the ViewSonic vTuner software and the other for reading video files from a storage device. This last port is powerful enough to power a Google TV type player with Chromecast or Amazon Fire TV 4K Max.

The ViewSonic X2 connectivity // Source: Tristan Jacquel for Frandroid

Note that the HDMI jacks do not support ARC audio return (e.g. to a soundbar) and that any audio played through the ViewSonic X2 OS will be transmitted through its own built-in speakers or stereo line output.

The video projector also integrates WiFi and Bluetooth.

Viewsonic X2 operating noise

The ViewSonic X2 does not have the same (minor) flaw as the X2-4K. Since there is no “vibrating” actuator for 4K display, the operating noise is much more subtle. The moderate power consumption clearly enabled the manufacturer to install less powerful and quieter fans. In Eco mode, it produces just 33 dB at a distance of 50 cm from its back, typically the side facing the viewer. This is a fairly low value and in Eco mode this projector appears rather discreet. Here are the values ​​recorded around the device.

Operating noise

If these numbers don’t appeal to you, you should know that at the quietest time of day (often in the evening or at night), a living room has a residual noise level of between 27 and 30 dB and that this corresponds to a difference of 3 dB to a doubling of sound intensity. No matter how quiet your room is, you’ll hear the ViewSonic X2’s gentle purr, but it won’t be annoying as long as you’re far enough away from it.

The operating noise of the ViewSonic X2 // Source: Tristan Jacquel for Frandroid

The curve above shows the audible frequencies of the ViewSonic X2’s operating sound. In addition to a reasonable volume, the sound is quite serious and therefore not very annoying.

Viewsonic X2 power consumption

Good news, the ViewSonic

* Maximum Brightness mode has a strong green cast, making it unsuitable for cinema use.

Viewsonic X2 installation and implementation

One of the ViewSonic X2’s strengths is its short focal length lens, which allows you to get a very large image at almost half the distance of a standard focal length video projector. At a distance of one meter, the X2 displays an image of 100 inches, or about 7 feet at the base. This video projector is therefore practical in a small living room, where the distance to the screen is rarely more than 3 meters. In addition, the 1.2x optical zoom allows fine adjustment of the image size and is very useful when the device is attached to a surface, such as the ceiling.

Recommended image size

ViewSonic recommends a screen diagonal of 80 to 120 inches for the X2, although nothing stands in the way of even larger viewing. However, if we follow the manufacturer’s recommendations, we will get a brightness that meets the recommendations of the SMTPE (Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers).

The ViewSonic X2 backlit remote control // Source: Tristan Jacquel for Frandroid

As a reminder, the organization recommends lighting levels of 12 to 22 FL (Foot Lambert) in the darkness of a home theater room (with a dark cover and ceiling) and 20 to 30 FL in a traditional living room – where this is more difficult to achieve in the dark. Based on my measurements, the ViewSonic X2 delivers the recommended brightness up to 120 inches diagonally (at full LED power). Here you will find the projection distances based on the desired image sizes as well as the corresponding illuminance.

Projection distance and corresponding brightness in film mode

In film mode, which has the most accurate colors, the illuminance values ​​correspond to a light output of 1030 lumens (LED 100%) or 750 lumens (ECO mode). The ViewSonic X2 is therefore slightly less bright than the ViewSonic X2-4K, but its perceived performance remains very high. As a reminder: LEDs give a much greater impression of brightness than conventional lamps or lasers with the same lumen values.

The control panel can be covered by a sliding shutter // Source: Tristan Jacquel for Frandroid

Pure stats aside, after dozens of hours of film and TV sessions with the X2, I feel like it tops out between 80 and 110 inches.

Viewsonic X2 interface

ViewSonic has installed an Android-based operating system called Smart System at the heart of the X2. It is neither Android TV nor Google TV and therefore the device does not have the Play Store, but rather an App Store with a very limited selection. Apps from various streaming services (Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, Apple TV+, etc.) are not offered, which is normal since the ViewSonic X2 does not have the required DRM software layer. Of course, you can install these apps from a third-party store (Aptoide, APKpure, etc.), but that is a waste of time as the content is streamed in SD (540p), which is far too low a quality projection.

The Android interface of the ViewSonic X2 // Source: Tristan Jacquel for Frandroid

It is possible to install applications to play video files (VLC, Kodi, etc.), but the AMLogic processor built into the X2 performs poor quality video decoding. This observation also applies to playing videos from a smartphone via WLAN, as the AirPlay module also relaxes very slowly. In short, this Smart System is too limited to be a valid multimedia playback platform. It’s better to rely on an external HDMI player, ideally the Apple TV 4K (2022), which outperforms the competition in every way, especially picture quality.

Display modes and settings

Regardless of its smart system, the ViewSonic X2-4K has an OSD menu in which all settings relating to the image and the HDMI inputs are located. The menus are responsive and can be quickly navigated using the wireless remote control. Multiple display profiles are offered, including games, TV and movies, as well as two that are fully user-configurable via a CMS (color management system).

The ViewSonic X2 OSD Menu // Source: Tristan Jacquel for Frandroid

These two user modes are adjustable for each HDMI input and even depending on the type of incoming signal (YUV or RGB). There are therefore two memories for each user mode and per HDMI input. Note that ViewSonic offers a color adjustment software with a built-in CMS called vColor Tuner for Windows. This allows you to save the created colorimetric profiles and even load them from the ViewSonic user community.

Viewsonic X2 measurements and calibration

I measured the colorimetric accuracy of each display profile (Game, Movie, etc.) and unfortunately none provide an acceptable balance. As a reminder, the hue, saturation, and luminance of each primary color (red, green, blue, cyan, magenta, and yellow) must be as accurate as possible. Any deviation (Delta E) greater than 3 noticeably affects the colorimetric balance of the images. With a Delta-E value that ranges from 8 to 16 depending on the display mode, the X2 performs poorly (but that can be fixed; we’ll come back to that).

The very good gamma curve of the ViewSonic X2 (here after calibration) // Source: Tristan Jacquel for Frandroid

On the other hand, compliance with the gamma curve, which controls the brightness of the image from black to white, is very good, especially in film mode. This means the image exposure is good and dark areas are shown in detail.

Colorimetric measurements

* The measurements of this line were obtained after calibration with a colorimetric probe (the values ​​are reported later in the article).

The ViewSonic’s native contrast is undoubtedly the strength of its 0.65-inch DMD chip and has a big impact on image quality and viewer immersion. These performances are similar to those of the X2-4K.

Photo of the image generated by the ViewSonic X2 (12 angry man) // Source: Tristan Jacquel for Frandroid

Another good news is that the ViewSonic X2 is fairly easy to calibrate as long as you have a colorimetric probe. As a result, I managed to reduce the average Delta E to 0.6. Here are the values ​​used with a white screen as a hint. For the white temperature, you need to select the 6500K mode in user mode and then in the submenu adjust the three primary colors as follows: 29 for red, 50 for green and 43 for blue.

Calibration values ​​for the ViewSonic X2

This video projector should be interesting for gamers because its input lag is less than 20 ms. Good news as the picture/sound gap is barely noticeable.

Viewsonic X2 image quality

Once calibrated, this ViewSonic X2 is a very good surprise. Thanks to the high native contrast, the image is full of power and nuance. You don’t have to activate the dynamic contrast for films or series; it doesn’t help much and distorts the image. As expected, the 0.65-inch DMD chip delivers an impressively precise image. As with the

Photo of the image generated by the ViewSonic X2 (The Umbrellas of Cherbourg) // Source: Tristan Jacquel for Frandroid

This video projector brings out the technical qualities of films excellently. The restored trichrome negative version of Les Parapluies de Cherbourg is a pretty fantastic visual experience, even for those who don’t like films with songs. There are some absolutely fantastic shots and we are blown away. It looks like pure Technicolor. In contrast, the image from the Succession series, with its desaturated colors, is presented without artificiality. A look at the third season of The Mandalorian puts the camera in a bit of trouble in the darkest scenes, but the dynamics of the images during the fights are seductive. La Vérité (by Clouzot) is great for checking sharpness and noise management; here again the ViewSonic The same applies to “Night of the Hunter” or “Twelve Angry Men”, often with a striking depth of black.

Rainbow effects and fluidity

DLP technology sometimes causes rainbow effects to appear in white areas of the image, especially in subtitles. The ViewSonic In addition, the subtitles are actually hardly affected and we only notice the red-green-blue flash sequence in very dark images with a few intense white elements. Regardless, my viewing pleasure was never affected in more than 60 hours of testing.

Photo of the image generated by the ViewSonic X2 (The Big Lebowski) // Source: Tristan Jacquel for Frandroid

In contrast to the After also watching a few Roland Garros matches on Prime Video, I noticed a flawlessly smooth image and barely noticeable judder (the ball was always easy to track).

Too average HDR image

Due to the lack of support for the HDR Dolby Vision and HDR10+ formats, the ViewSonic X2 cannot adapt the displayed programs to its lighting conditions. We suffer from an image that is too bright or too dark, depending on the different HDR encodings, as well as insufficient colorimetric coverage. With the EOTF settings it is possible to correct things a little, but without achieving the same richness as SDR. It is therefore better to set your external player so that it only transmits SDR signals or use a Blu-ray player with an HDR to SDR tone mapping function.

Viewsonic X2 Audio

ViewSonic commissioned Harman Kardon to develop and certify the audio portion of the X2. There are two speakers with an amplification of 2×6 watts installed on the sides of the device. It’s a shame they weren’t placed on the back of the projector, because in most cases it faces the viewer. Despite indirect diffusion, the sound quality is good, with limited but present bass and, above all, good clarity of the voices.

Frequency response curve of the Harman Kardon on-board audio system // Source: Tristan Jacquel for Frandroid

Viewsonic X2 price and release date

The ViewSonic X2 is available in white at a price of 1099 euros. ViewSonic offers a variant with a longer focal length for installation further away from the screen under the reference ViewSonic X1 for 999 euros.

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