Dollar per inch, there’s no big-screen bargain better than a front projector system for home theaters. Viewsonic has joined the territory occupied by the likes of Optoma and Vivitek with its Pro8200, a sub-$1,000 DLP projector that lays 1080p resolution onscreen.

The Pro8200 projector, part of Viewsonic’s Pro 8 series, matches Texas Instruments’ BrilliantColor technology DLP with a 7-segment color wheel. The company lists light output and contrast at 2,000 lumens and 4,000:1, respectively. Internal scaling is handled by a Pixelworks PW980 video processor.

For ins and outs, the Pro8200 includes two HDMI (ver. 1.3) inputs and one set of component, plus RS-232 for a control system.  The lamp is listed at 4,000 hours.  On the lens the Viewsonic offers a 1.5x manual zoom and manual focus, plus 30 degree digital keystone correction, but no lens shift.

The ViewSonic Pro8200 home theater projector is now available with a three-year limited parts and labor warranty for $999.

Grant Clauser - Technology and Web Editor, Electronic House

Grant Clauser has been covering home electronics for more than 10 years with editorial roles in several consumer and trade magazines. He's done ISF-level damage to hundreds of reviewed products and has had audio training from Home Acoustics Alliance and Sencore. He's also the author of the book The Trouble with Rivers. Follow him on Twitter @geclauser.