Casio XJ-M145 Projector – Performance

Casio XJ-M145 Projector - Brightness

The XJ-M145 is rated at 2500 lumens.  This is quite high for a non-mercury lamp projector, so we were anxious to see how the XJ-M145 would perform.  As mentioned previously, there are a number of options for the lamp mode.  Using the Standard color mode, in with Eco set to Eco1 in the Options menu (the brightest of the Eco modes), we measured 1034 lumens at mid-zoom range.  Even though the XJ-M145 has a greater zoom range than much of the competition, the output did not vary much throughout the zoom range.

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At full wide zoom (again in Standard mode), we got 1116 lumens and going to full telephoto zoom only dropped to output to 1005 lumens.  All further measurements were taken at the mid-zoom point.  Sticking with Standard mode, the output for each Eco mode was as follows: Eco2 – 939, Eco3 – 841, Eco4 – 728 and Eco5 – 615.  Turning off the Eco mode gives you two brightness choices in the Image Adjustment menu, Normal or Bright.  Normal came in close to Eco1 mode at 1080 lumens, but Bright mode (which really kicks in the laser) made a great difference, increasing the output to 1451 lumens.  This would translate to over 1500 lumens at full wide zoom.

The following modes were all measured in Eco1 lamp mode.  Cinema mode, which provided the best color balance, was the lowest at 587 lumens.  Graphics mode was at 614 lumens, Blackboard at 737 lumens and Game was at 887 lumens.  Of course, any of these modes can use any of the five Eco settings, resulting in lower lumens for each.

Casio XJ-M145 Projector - Wired and Wireless Networking

The Casio XJ-M145 provides exceptional wired and wireless networking capabilities.  A wireless LAN adapter is included in the box and allows for up to 32 networked computers to be connected at a time with up to four simultaneously active on screen.  With the included wireless projection software installed on the networked computers, presentation and control of the XJ-M145 is possible.  In addition, presentations can be made from other devices on the network using MobiShow® on a Smartphone or mobile terminal, including Windows® PC, Microsoft Windows® Mobile, Macintosh® PC, iPhone® / iPad® / iPod®, and Android®.  Wired network connections can easily be set up on the projector as well.

Casio XJ-M145 Projector - Audible Noise

Casio does not provide noise level numbers for the XJ-M145, but subjectively the projector was as quiet or quieter than most of the competition.  The only exception to this was with Eco off in Bright mode.  The noise level increased considerably in this mode, much like other projectors of this size in High lamp mode.  Even so, the noise level shouldn’t pose a problem for a presenter that is speaking during the presentation.  If you’re using the built-in audio with a video, the five watts of built-in speaker power is enough to overcome the Eco fan noise, but you’ll definitely want to consider using external powered speakers in Bright mode or with anything but a small room.