Ask C60

With a street price of just under £2600 ex VAT, the Ask C60 provides a clear sign that XGA resolution LCD projector prices are moving rapidly in the right direction.

The C60 is a lightweight portable LCD model which, while not stunning in the looks department, has all the features that matter. Resolution is 1024 x 768, which is essential for software demos, training or any other situation where you need to display an application interface or the Windows desktop.

The C60 has a 1.3x zoom lens which provides quite a large image even at the wide-angle setting. This makes it a good bet if you want big pictures but are working in a restricted space. The 132w lamp produces 1100 ANSI lumens, which creates bright and clear images at distances of up to three metres.

Set-up and operation is very simple. The quiet C60 helpfully beeps when you hit the power button, and you have to listen closely to notice the gentle whirr of its lamp cooling fan. The top panel provides one-touch digital keystone adjustment and access to the on-screen menu. Ports for S-Video, composite video, VGA, audio-in, PS/2 mouse and USB are all situated in a panel on the right.

The remote also provides direct control of keystone, contrast, brightness, manual source selection and a screen blanking button. Despite having large infra-red receptors on both the front and back, the projector is slow to respond when using the OSD with the remote, often requiring two or three attempts.

There are two adjustable feet at the front of the projector, but none at the rear, which makes it difficult to project images to larger groups. But this is a minor criticism of what is otherwise a very capable and competitively priced unit.

Image quality was excellent, sharp from corner to corner for data and good for DVD and TV viewing. DVD colour looked subdued, but this may have been due to the factory-set colour temperature that was too blue for most purposes.

Contact: Infocus
0800 028 6470
www.infocus.com