Vivitek Qumi Q7 LED Pico Projector Review by Jeff Roy

Long gone are the days that projectors were only used for business, standard definition, and very bulky. Now, not only are they extremely portable and even high definition. They are also economical. They even work great for multimedia. Enter the Vivitek Qumi Q7. It is a pico LED powered 720p projector.

Features and specs:

Key features Up to 800 ANSI lumens of brightness with a 30,000:1 contrast ratio LED light source with up to 30,000 hours of operation High definition (HD) resolution with large widescreen image projection up to 107” Direct 3D and 2D-3D conversion through HDMI Built-in MS Office® and Adobe™ PDF document viewer Multimedia player for playback of audio, photo and video files Embedded web browser* for surfing the Internet (*Wireless dongle required) Ability to wirelessly* project video, photos, websites and more over a wireless LAN MHL device compatibility for streaming of video and audio content from a compatible mobile device USB slot and 4 GB of onboard memory for additional content and memory expansion Native Resolution	WXGA (1280 x 800)
Brightness	800 ANSI Lumens
Contrast Ratio	30,000:1
Max. Resolution	UXGA (1600 x 1200) @60Hz
Native Aspect Ratio	16:10
Lamp Life and Type	30,000 Hours LED
Display Type	Single chip DLP® Technology by Texas Instruments
Chip Size	DMD
Throw Ratio	1.3 - 1.43 : 1
Image Size (Diagonal)	29" - 107"
Projection Distance	0.8 - 3 m
Zoom Ratio	1.1x
Offset	100%
Speakers	2W x 2 (Stereo)
Video Compatibility	SDTV(480i, 576i), EDTV (480p, 576p), HDTV (720p, 1080i/p), NTSC (M, 3.58/4.43 MHz), PAL (B, D, G, H, I, M, N), SECAM (B, D, G, K, K1, L)
I/O Connection Ports	VGA-In (15pin D-Sub), HDMI, Composite Video, Audio-In (RCA), Audio-Out (Mini-Jack), USB type A for Display(Frame display) and JPG reader(Photo: Jpeg / Video: Mpeg4,H.264)
Dimensions (W x D x H)	238 x 180 x 40 mm
Weight	1,4 kg
Noise Level	33dB/38dB (Eco-Movie / Normal-User)
Power	Supply: AC 100-240V, 50/60Hz Consumption: 141W/120W (Normal/Eco Mode), <0 .5w="" mode="" tandby="" td="">
3D Ready(DLP link, PC+Video)	Yes
2D->3D	Yes
Wireless	Yes
Remote Control P/N	5041825100
Standard Accessories	VGA Cable, HDMI Cable, HDMI-MHL Cable, User Manual (CD), Lens Cap, Carrying Case, Quick Start Guide, Warranty Card (by region), Remote Controller (with battery), AC Power Cord
Optional Accessories	Remote Control P/N: 5041825100
Warranty	Standard Warranty: 3 years projector / 1 year on lamp or 1000 hours whichever comes first
UPC Code	814964 338549 (W) 814964 338532 (B)

The Vivitek Qumi Q7 came in a standard box with printed specs and pictures of the device. Also included was the user’s guide, remote, storage bag and multiple cables. Construction is mostly plastic. Quality of materials used as well as fit and finish seemed very good. It felt fairly solid in hand.

I liked its efficient design. Both of its sides were almost entirely vents, as well as over half of the front. This should provide very good ventilation and should also help with performance and give a longer life. On the back are all the connections for power, USB, multiple HDMI, VGA, composite, audio out, and IR.

On the top are all of the controls, including focus and zoom add to all of this the fact that it also uses LED so there is no lamp to worry about replacing. It even does 3D! I can’t help but to be eager to see how it performs! 

Although I admit I am a bit skeptical at it using DLP, as I am prone to seeing the rainbow effect.

Setting up the Vivitek Q7 was rather simple. It was just a matter of plugging in the HDMI and power cables. Following the on screen menus was simple enough. While it accepts 1080p signs, it was obviously not 1080p. But the WXGA native resolution did look good. It also wasn’t a light torch, but at 800 lumens it threw a decently bright image. While it is big for a pico projector, it is also significantly brighter than a typical pocket projector. 

Now it’s time to see how it actually performs. For an entry level projector, I was fairly impressed. If you are not looking for an overly bright image, you could go up to 100 inches. Overall the image was a tad soft. Skin tones looked natural. Resolution was good. Blacks looked pretty black. Shadow detail could be quite a bit better, but was sufficient at this price point. Out of the box, the image was a tad warm, but I was able to improve that with the settings. Color saturation was good without appearing to be over saturated. Using the focus wheel on the front of the projector took some time to get right. It was rather stiff, so it was easy to over shoot where you wanted to have it. I was able to get the focus right. Once focused, it had an ok sharp image, but not as sharp as I would like. Being made using DLP. I was able to see the occasional rainbow. But I am also sensitive to them. The fan is also fairly loud.

Overall the Vivitek Qumi Q7 is a good product. It is bright enough to throw a large image. While it does not support native 1080p, it will display blu-ray, and it can also do 3D. While the fan was also loud for a home theater projector, it’s size makes for easy portability. And the image did look good for its price point. And I love that it is LED, so there’s no need to worry about bulb life. With an MSRP of $999, it is fairly priced. Based on it’s design, features, quality, and performance, the Vivitek Qumi Q7 has earned our Value Award. For more info and complete specs, check out their website at www.vivitek.com.