Acer h5360 3D Projector Review

No doubt, 2010 is year of Stepping into 3D. The trend was well set during CES 2010 in Jan, there after we’ve seen a  number of 3D HDTVs making their way to our home.

Keeping up to the speed, Acer has shown us some great 3D displays and now releases the H5360, a $900 ‘3D Ready’ digital projector.  The projector is certified by Nvidia’s 3D Vision (which means it has refresh rate high enough to interpolate stereoscopic image side-by-side), which gives it the name “3D”

Finally, I got a chance for Hands-on with this device with one of my friend. I used it over a span of 4-5 days and was more than impressed.

Overall Hardware

The H5360 comes in a  great form-factor, the whole thing is bundled nicely into a, relatively, small package  (26.8×19.2×8.0 cm) and weighs decent 2.2kg. Shiny white poly-carbon casing looks fabulous, fits smart-Rooms pretty-well.

Specifications:

• Display Type: DLP (digital light processor)
• Resolution: 720p (1280×720) Native, Compressed upto 1080p HD
• Refresh rates: >120Hz
• Colors: 1.07 billion
• Brightness 2500 Lumens
• Contrast Ratio: 3200:1
• Aspect Ratio: 16:9 Native and 4:3 compatible
• Power usage: 224 watts. Idle usage <1watt

The specs clearly mention that it runs 720p HD resolution natively and can interpolate 1080p, when forced. I must say at 720p it does a great job but 1080p, I was rather unhappy.

Features

H5360 has a good lens that can be adjusted for a zoom using a dial lever and  Focus is adjusted using a notched ring. elevating the projector to the right angle and height is easy with rubberized stands,  and there’s proper provision for wall, ceiling mounting as well.

All the connectors are placed conveniently at the back of the case: Analog RGB/Component, RCA, S-Video,3 RCA, HDMI, PC Audio stereo jack, Serial RS232 (Mini DIN). There’s a good inbuilt speaker too, that powers a 2watt RMS audio through it. with movies, Dialogues were loud and very clear.

The remote control that ships with it is pretty basic and easy to use. Usage angle extends practically to 130degrees, but real values depend upon positioning and size of the room.

Picture quality

When it comes to the real thing, it does it all brilliantly. the output was bright even in a well lit room. My test room had 4 CFLs powered from indirect sources(Havel’s 22watts). The projector managed to project a sharp and vibrant image during 720p video playback.

As far as 3D video is concerned, the device is fully certified by Nvidia for 3D vision. With 3D vision equipment connected, and original glasses put-on the experience was real-life. I was amazed to see IMAX level 3D effects at the convenience of home. I wish I could take a video in 3d to share the experience.

Taranfx Verdict

If you are a movie addict or a heavy gamer, waiting to explore the 3D space at an affordable price, this projector will satisfy all your senses. But yeah, you will need Nvidia Vision and supported graphics card before you can get “3d”. And if you would rather prefer a 2D FullHD projector on Cheap, check our DIY.

That’s all for now, stay tuned for more. More on Gadgets, Android, iPhone and Tech news via @taranfx on Twitter or: