Boxlight CP755ew

by Rich Malloy
Current Price: $1,650.00

At a weight of 6.8 pounds, the Boxlight CP755ew projector squeezes in at the upper end of our portable projector classification. Fortunately, its significant heft is put to good use. The company claims this model can beam out 3000 ANSI lumens of brightness, and there’s a wide assortment of ports on its large left panel.

Complementing these ports is a generous assortment of cables, including AC, VGA, USB, composite, S-Video, and two audio cables. The full-featured remote control does about all you might ask of such a device: You can control the projector, navigate through a slideshow, and highlight key points. The CP755ew even has a short-throw lens attachment for presenters who work in tight spaces.

The Accessorized Boxlight CP755ew

When fitted with its short-throw lens, the CP755ew’s weight climbs to 7.7 pounds. And at its full travel configuration with the standard complement of cables (AC, VGA, and USB) and remote control, it tips the scales at 9 pounds—almost a pound heavier than without the short-throw lens.

The CP755ew is not lacking when it comes to connectors: In addition to the standard VGA, composite, S-Video, and audio, there is also a second VGA that is handy for sharing the projector between two presenters and a VGA-out port that desktop users will appreciate. The only thing missing is an HDMI connector, which we’ve started seeing on other models.

The CP755ew’s remote control is one of the best we’ve seen: The laser-pointer button is prominently placed, and a pair of left/right mouse buttons is handy for navigating a slideshow. The buttons’ configuration is simple and intuitive, and the remote even has a picture-in-picture button for entertainment applications.

Unique Features, Good Color

The short-throw lens attachment that comes with this model is a unique feature among projectors. This large, 14-ounce lens screws into the lens cowling and shortens the distance required to project an image of a given size by 29 percent.

To get a fairly standard 60-inch–diagonal image, the projector needs to be only 50 inches from the screen. Regrettably, the attachment adds 2.2 inches to the device’s depth (front to back) and should probably be removed for transport. It’s an interesting feature, but we’re not sure that the ability to move the projector a foot or two closer to the screen is worth the extra weight and unwieldiness.

The CP755ew did a great job with color accuracy, yielding very nice yellows, mostly attributable to its LCD technology. Unfortunately, the focus and optical zoom rings on the lens mounting are too narrow and too difficult to manipulate. On our brightness test, this model scored 2684 lumens, which is below the advertised claim of 3000 but within industry norms of exaggeration.

Our biggest complaint with this model concerns its cooling fan, which sounds like a sizable vacuum cleaner. Even worse, when you switch to low-power mode, the noise does not diminish. We were also a bit impatient with the excessively long cooldown time of 2 minutes and 2 seconds.

The projector’s spec sheet says it has an Unplug and Go capability, but both the Quick Start page and the CD-based user manual say you should wait 2 minutes before pulling the plug. Of course, we’re not going to pull the plug on a $2,300 projector until it’s nicely cooled.

Verdict

The Boxlight CP755ew is a powerful, full-featured projector with a unique short-throw lens attachment. Its relatively large size and weight suggest, however, that it would be more comfortable attached to a projector stand than nestled in a carrying case. Further, its loud cooling fan precludes its use in any entertainment applications. It's best suited for relatively stationary use where architectural considerations require a short-throw projector with better-than-average brightness.