InFocus IN1503 projector

The InFocus IN1503 is a business DLP projector with a widescreen 1280x800 resolution, a 1800:1 contrast ratio and a 3000 lumen ANSI brightness rating. It performs exceptionally well in dark and bright rooms for business presentations — displaying crisp and clean images — and in a pinch it can also be used for some reasonably high quality movie watching.

The IN1503 business projector is the first model we've tested in InFocus' new projector line-up, and it has a distinctly modern design. The InFocus IN1102 projector had a slight curvature along its body, but the IN1503 is squarish, squat and strangely elegant. A satin black finish with a few dark silver accents hides fingerprints well, but the touch-sensitive buttons on the top of the unit — distinguished by their glossy coating — quickly show up any smudges. The overall look is very professional; we'd happily team this projector up with a Lenovo netbook for a stylish and portable business presentation setup.

With dimensions of 23x22x9cm the IN1503 projector is slightly bigger than the IN1102, but significantly heavier at 2kg. It's still portable (the bundled briefcase also houses the projector's cables and the remote control), but it can't be slipped into an average backpack like the models in the 1100 series.

The InFocus IN1503 has a short-throw lens that focuses from a minimum of 75cm from the projection surface up to a maximum of 3.5m, making it easy to set up in small to medium rooms. The fan exhaust is at the front right corner, so there's no jet of hot air for anyone sitting behind the projector. In its full brightness mode the IN1503 is slightly louder than we would have liked, but the exhaust noise is relatively low-frequency and unobtrusive.

Picture quality from the IN1503 projector is as high as we've come to expect from the InFocus brand. Anyone interested in impressive business presentations will be pleased to know that focusing the lens is easy and smooth, and once set up the projected image is razor sharp in all corners.

The 3000 lumen ANSI rating means the projector can be used in well-lit office spaces without sacrificing clarity or contrast. With an 1800:1 contrast ratio, the InFocus IN1503 is also suitable for limited movie watching as well. In a darkened room we spent some time watching scenes from The Dark Knight and Planet Earth downscaled through a Dell Inspiron Mini 9 netbook and found the projector delivered good colour rendition and impressive contrast.

The InFocus IN1503 business projector is a versatile performer that can be used for off-site business presentations or casual movie watching. If possible we'd recommend dialling down the brightness to reduce fan noise, but apart from this small flaw it is a competent all-round projector.

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