ViewSonic PS501W WXGA Short Throw Projector – 3600 ANSI Lumens, 0.49 Throw Ratio, 1280×800, HDMI

The ViewSonic PS501W is a WXGA short throw DLP projector delivering 3,600 ANSI lumens for classrooms and small meeting rooms. A 0.49 throw ratio projects 100 inches from about 3.5 feet, and HDMI plus dual VGA inputs support both modern and older laptops.

Deep-Dive Story & Problem/Solution

Widescreen Laptops Look Wrong on Old 4:3 Projectors

Nearly every current laptop outputs a widescreen image. On an XGA projector that picture is squeezed or bordered with black bars, wasting screen area and shrinking text. Combine that with a rear-of-room mount and presenters are also standing in the light.

The PS501W fixes both with native 1280 x 800 resolution and a 0.49 short throw lens. A 100-inch 16:10 image takes roughly 3.5 feet, so the projector hangs just in front of the board.

Its 200W lamp provides 3,600 ANSI lumens and a 22,000:1 contrast ratio. Lamp life is 6,000 hours in normal mode and up to 15,000 in SuperEco, and fan noise is 31dB (27dB Eco).

Shadow-Free Widescreen Teaching

Supported image sizes run from 60 to 300 inches. Vertical keystone of about ±32 degrees corrects steep mounting angles.

Practical Connectivity for Schools

HDMI 1.4, two VGA inputs, composite video, monitor out, a 5V/1.5A USB power port for wireless dongles, and RS-232 are included, along with a 2W speaker.

Setup Instructions

How to Set Up the ViewSonic PS501W

1. Mount or place the projector about 3.5 feet from a 100-inch 16:10 screen.
2. Connect a laptop via HDMI or VGA; power a wireless adapter from the USB port if needed.
3. Focus and apply vertical keystone to square the image.
4. Select SuperEco mode when maximum brightness is not needed.