Movies on the Move

THE PORTABLE video projector market is packed with options for anyone seeking a convenient, compact beamer to carry from room to room, indoors to outdoors, or home to vacation home.

- Al Griffin

Most portable models top out at 1080p resolution, however, and feature only basic, and usually far from adequate, built-in audio capabilities. With its X10-4KE, ViewSonic is targeting a more discerning portable video viewer—one who expects 4K resolution and high dynamic range, along with better-than-average audio from the projector’s built-in speakers.

I’ve handled many portable projectors in the past, and most of those had a toy-like quality. The ViewSonic X10-4KE, in contrast, is not a toy, and with a $1,500 street price, you wouldn’t expect it to be. (The X10-4KE is a replacement for the company’s previous X10-4K model, with upgrades including an enhanced remote control and front IR sensor and improved lens with optimized autofocus.) ViewSonic designed its flagship portable with a dark gray case and leather carrying handle that give it a sleek and substantial look and feel. The projector features a 0.47-inch Texas Instruments DLP chip that uses XPR tech to achieve 4K resolution via pixel-shifting. It’s rated for 2,300 lumens light output, and since the X10-4K uses an LED light source specified to last for up to 30,000 hours in Normal brightness mode, there’s no need to replace lamps during the projector’s lifetime.

On the audio side, the X10-4KE’s built-in speakers were designed by Harman Kardon and are Bluetooth-capable for music streaming. An included Wi-Fi dongle lets you set the projector up to stream from Netflix and YouTube among other apps that can be downloaded directly from the Aptoide app store. Along with streaming via Wi-Fi, the X10-4K works with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant to control features including power on, input selection, and volume adjust, and it supports screen mirroring from a phone or tablet (vacation photo slideshow, anyone?).