Casio Signature XJ-M155

The Casio Signature XJ-M155 provides good data image quality, and video suitable for typical business or classroom presentations. This 3D-capable projector has a good range of connectivity choices, including the ability to project via Wi-Fi or from a USB thumb drive. Although you can buy high-quality XGA data projectors for considerably less, the XJ-M155's light source should last the lifetime of the projector, saving you from having to replace the lamp every few years.

The projector is rated at 3,000 lumens and has XGA (1,024 by 768) native resolution. It uses the same hybrid LED/laser light source that we've seen in the Casio Signature XJ-M255 and other models in the company's Signature and Slim projector lines. Instead of producing red, green, and blue using a standard lamp and a color wheel, it produces red with LEDs, blue with lasers, and green by shining the blue laser light on a phosphor. Its optical system directs the red, green, and blue light to the DLP chip, and out the front lens.

A key advantage of this system is the lamp's 20,000-hour expected lifetime, which means it should last for the life of the projector. The lifetime of standard lamps typically ranges from 2,000 to 5,000 hours, and replacement bulbs can cost several hundred dollars.

Size and Connectivity
The XJ-M155 measures 3.3 by 12.2 by 9.6 inches (HWD) and weighs 8.6 pounds. Although it's most appropriate for use on a cart, or even permanently installed, it's light enough to take with you on the occasional trip. It comes with a soft carrying case, complete with a pocket for cables.

The XJ-M155 can read JPG and AVI files from a USB memory key, so you can run a presentation from the USB key and leave your laptop at home. When you plug in a USB key, the projector will automatically switch to it and 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.

The XJ-M155 is Wi-Fi enabled, and can run presentations from Android, iOS, and Windows Mobile smartphones and computers running MobiShow software.

Other connectors include an HDMI port for a computer or video source; a VGA port for a computer, which doubles as a component video port; S-Video, 3 RCA jacks for composite audio/video; audio-in, audio-out, a serial port, and an Ethernet LAN connection.

Image Quality
The XJ-M155 is bright enough to throw a fairly large image even in a brightly lit room. I did most of the still and video image testing under theater-dark conditions with the projector about 8 feet from the screen, projecting an approximately 6 foot diagonal image.

The projector in general did well on our suite DisplayMate tests. Colors were a little dull in Graphics mode; some images with white or gray backgrounds showed a trace of green tinting. The image was brighter and colors were bright and well saturated in Standard mode, though there was also more tinting. Some yellows looked mustardy. The XJ-M155 did well on our text tests, with type readable if a bit blurry at our smallest white-on-black size.

The XJ-M155, like all single-chip DLP projectors, has the potential for showing a rainbow effect in which light areas break up into little red-green-blue flashes when you shift your gaze or in moving images, particularly ones with bright areas against a dark background. Though I saw the effect in data images, it was not severe enough to be an issue, even to people who are sensitive to it. This projector's image quality should be fine for typical data presentations for businesses or classrooms.

The XJ-M155 is adequate for shorter video clips as part of a presentation. I frequently saw rainbow artifacts in video scenes, more so than in a typical DLP projector, and people sensitive to the effect will likely be distracted by it. Even if you're not sensitive to it, it may be an issue for your audience.

The XJ-M155's 5-watt mono speaker puts out decent-quality audio that's loud enough to fill a smallish conference room. The XJ-M155's warranty is three years for the projector itself, plus 6,000 hours for the light source, a lot longer than the usual 90-day lamp warranty. It's likely that the light source will outlast the projector.

The XJ-M155 is 3D capable, though it requires active-shutter DLP-link compatible 3D glasses. Casio sells its own branded glasses for $129.99 (direct) per pair, and active-shutter DLP-link glasses are available from other manufacturers for considerably less. It could still prove pricey if you're trying to outfit a classroom for 3D viewing.

The XJ-M155 is priced lower than the higher (WXGA) resolution Casio Signature XJ-M255, but otherwise is very similar, with slightly better text quality. They both have the same generous set of connectivity choices. On the downside, both showed significant rainbow effect in video.

The Casio XJ-M155 is not as bright as the Editors' Choice Epson PowerLite 1835 XGA 3LCD Projector, which is rated at 3,500 lumens. As an LCD projector, the Epson 1835 is free from the rainbow effect, and it has above-par video and great data image quality. Both the XJ-M155 and Epson 1835 let you run presentations from a USB thumb drive and offer WiFi connectivity, though Epson 1835's is through an optional ($99) dongle. The XJ-M155 is 3D capable, while the Epson 1835 is not.

The BenQ LX60ST, a short-throw data projector, also uses a laser-based light engine, but unlike the Casio projectors, which combine lasers and LEDs, it uses lasers for all three colors. It has excellent data image quality and passable video, though it's relatively dim at 2,000 rated lumens.

The Casio Signature XJ-M155 is a good projector for classrooms and conference rooms, able to handle most any data presentation and show passable video. Its light source should last the lifetime of the projector, saving money in the long term over projectors with conventional lamps that may need to be replaced every few years. It's 3D capable, and has a good selection of connectivity choices, including the ability to run presentations via Wi-Fi or from a USB thumb drive.

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