Viewsonic PJ400

Projectors are becoming increasingly popular, and several manufacturers are driving down prices in order to get a foot into the home entertainment market. Viewsonic's PJ400 continues the trend and is one of the most affordable models we've seen so far.

At just under £550, the PJ400 will appeal to home users who don't want to buy an expensive large-screen TV.

The low price is reflected in the relatively low maximum resolution of 800 x 600, so business users looking for a high-quality projector for presentations might want to go for a slightly higher specification model. However, this resolution is fine for home users who just want to watch TV or DVD films.

The unit's design is fairly bland. It's simply a matt-black box measuring 285mm wide, 202mm deep and 73mm high. It weighs just 2.2kg, so it's small and light enough to set up at home.

The image is clear and bright, and there are VGA, S-video and composite video connectors on the back of the unit so you can connect it either to a computer or various types of home video equipment.

We were slightly disappointed by the lack of a DVI interface, but that's forgivable given the low cost. The controls are very simple, with just a single button that activates and controls the on-screen menu.

There's also a handheld remote control that allows you to quickly alter settings, such as aspect ratio, without having to move from your seat.

We've seen similar projectors that cost the best part of £1,000 so, at this price, the PJ400 is definitely worth considering as an alternative to a large-screen TV as part of your home entertainment system.