Last Updated: February 27, 2019 (Refresh Now)
ViewSonic PA503S 3600 Lumens SVGA HDMI Projector
Last Updated: February 27, 2019 (Refresh Now)
8.9
SCORE
/10
Total Reviews
881
Old Reviews
389
Unverified
49
Spam Test
PASS
120 inches
DISPLAY SIZE
180 meters
SIZE
Full HD 1080p
RESOLUTION
Yes
HDMI
Review Analysis - 443 recent, verified reviews
Detailed Mode
Picture Quality
138projector, image, bright, brightness, lumens
+99%
" ... For the the price and quality of the picture. ... "
" ... Huge picture in small room !!! ... "
" ... Obviously not as portable, but the image is so much better! ... The projector is very bright, and the high definition picture is a real treat. ... I am so glad I traded portability for image quality given that the projector doesn't rever leave my media room. ... "
" ... I can't imagine a Peter picture quality. ... "
" ... the Image are sharp the colors of vibrant and the projector produces a very bright image even in direct sunlight . ... "
" ... My pictures below are from an iphone 6s and in the dark it magnifies white light so the pictures do not reflect accurately with white light from the actual picture quality. ... You can see the picture brightness is amazing. ... "
" ... The picture is great. ... "
" ... This projector is 3300 lumens and the picture is very compatible to my TV ( pictures enclosed to show comparison) The projector is mounted on a plant shelf 9' 9" up and 17' from wall in family room to project 115" of viewing on a pull down movie screen that hangs over my 55" TV. ... "
Display Clarity
67bright, projector, projection, brightness, projectors
+91%
-9%
" ... We use this for screen projection at our church, works great with crystal clear images. ... "
" ... While there is much higher resolution to be had, SVGA is plenty for the PowerPoints I typically use, and it is plenty bright in most rooms. ... In my opinion, brightness trumps resolution most of the time and I am very pleased with this projector. ... "
" ... We wanted it to hook up to a computer so we can project movies on a big screen. ... "
" ... Excellent brightness and contrast in lighted rooms . ... "
" ... It's bright and clear enough for a very large (20ft wide) screen without any distortion. ... "
" ... I can even see the view clearly with lights on. ... "
" ... We will use this as a rear projection unit to enhance our sets for our productions. ... "
" ... I bought this along with an inflatable screen to have an outdoor movie night for my birthday and it worked like a charm. ... The brightness was perfect, it did not glitch in and out. ... "
Price
59money, price, well worth, ratio, projectors
+100%
" ... I originally purchased another projector that was much cheaper. ... I would say its one of the best affordable projectors on the market! ... "
" ... It has a 3300 lumen lamp which is pretty good for $300.00 dollars! ... "
" ... Easy to use and the price was unbeatable. ... "
" ... This was the best value for the price and we are not disappointed. ... "
" ... For the price point and the 3000+ lumens you can't beat this unit. ... "
" ... Best projector for the money in my opinion. ... "
" ... Otherwise it's great and worth the money! ... "
" ... Fantastic projector, especially for the price. ... "
Capacity
51projector, living room, church, lit, bright
+100%
" ... Use it for our weekly meetings. ... "
" ... Use this every week in our investment club meeting. ... "
" ... Huge picture in small room !!! ... "
" ... If i had a place to use this at my house, i would buy it again! ... "
" ... I needed a professional projector for large meeting rooms ... "
" ... Very bright and clear, even in a well lit room. ... "
" ... I could watch TV on my green wall with the light on in the room! ... "
" ... Nice and bright in well lit rooms. ... "
Product Reliability
49years, working, year, projector, ago
+59%
-41%
" ... We have had this projector for over a year, Seems to work great. ... "
" ... I've had this about a year and a half with no problems. ... "
" ... This is my second week of owning it. ... Hopefully it will last a long time. ... "
" ... My other projected by them had the fan start clicking after 2 years and they are fixing it for free. ... "
" ... Have been using for 2 months now and working great! ... "
" ... this ViewSonic worked well. ... "
" ... A few weeks ago I purchased one of the cheaper projectors. ... "
" ... This project is so far working extremely well. ... "
Video Playback
48movie, watching, projector, movie nights, outdoor
+98%
-2%
" ... We bought this to watch movies outside and we love it. ... "
" ... anyway this is the first video for the projector ... "
" ... Also super cool is from other reviewer's photos where they project movies outside. ... "
" ... Can't wait to show movies outside for the kids! ... "
" ... Easy to use and hook up to my DVD player to enjoy watching movies outside on my deck. ... All the kids loved watching. ... "
" ... Endless movie watching! ... "
" ... Watched movies off a PS3 and my iPhone which no issues. ... "
" ... I've only used it for outdoor movie applications, but am looking forward to trying it for office presentations too. ... "
Ease of Use
47easy, set, easy to set, super, projector
+100%
" ... Easy to use and the price was unbeatable. ... "
" ... Easy to use and works great! ... "
" ... The picture is bright and clear and the functions and menu are easy to use. ... "
" ... We had to borrow one and it was much better and easier. ... "
" ... Don't have a lot of experience with this type projector, but found this one to be easy to operate. ... "
" ... It's easy to setup and use, great quality! ... "
" ... Super easy to set up! ... "
" ... So easy to use that my sons 12 and 13 set it up for me. ... "
Color
42brightness, bright, picture, image, sharp
+95%
-5%
" ... Picture brightness is GREAT, 800x600 as expected, but my only issue is with the sound. ... "
" ... Easy to set up and images are bright and clear. ... "
" ... Bright, clear screen images even in fully lit area. ... "
" ... Even with the lights on, the colors are bright and clear. ... "
" ... The brightness was perfect, it did not glitch in and out. ... "
" ... The color and brightness is so clear and full of life. ... "
" ... Very bright and vivid colors. ... "
" ... The picture is sharp, the colours are very bright, even during bright daylight hours - no need to darken the room at all to enjoy perfect colour and clarity. ... "
Marketplace
39bright, works, much better, looks great, expected
+97%
-3%
" ... The wall color did not affect the picture at all!! ... "
" ... works perfect, I would like to be able to adjust the size of the picture though. ... "
" ... We have reached out to Amazon to make them awesr of the amazing and speedy company. ... "
" ... The picture quality is great and it is as advertised. ... "
" ... I found this, and from photos and reviews it looked perfect. ... "
" ... Better than expected ... "
" ... I received this from DonorsChoose.org ... "
" ... Amazon offered a return so we purchased another. ... We have already installed the infrastructure for this model and we like the image . ... "
Sound Quality
33speaker, speakers, projector, loud, audio
+85%
-15%
" ... I have not tested out its sound because I prefer using my bluetooth speaker. ... It is fairly quite, but you can hear a hum after a while (it's about as loud as good quality gaming pc with good fans). ... "
" ... Works great on a 12 foot screen with a decent amplifier and speaker system! ... "
" ... The sound is very decent and just basic sound. ... But for surround sound effect with base & loudness I connect my JBL portable speaker and the sound is amazing! ... "
" ... If you are using this projector for movies I would recommend using a surround sound system. ... Set up with surround sound though, couldn't be happier. ... "
" ... but I suggest ordering additional speakers for more projection of sound in large groups. ... "
" ... I read plenty of reviews before purchasing and people talked about the great picture and sound. ... AND it has no speakers so you also have to purchase that separately. ... "
" ... I use this for DJing music videos and it works perfect! ... "
" ... Hooked up the firestick to it and my Bose Soundlink speaker! ... "
Device Compatibility
33speaker, laptop, speakers, powerpoint, connecting
+97%
-3%
" ... Bright enough to use in daytime, speaker is decent, easy to set up and connect to laptop. ... "
" ... I did work around the Bluetooth issue by connecting a Bluetooth transmitter device I purchased into the audio out port of the projector. ... "
" ... This is my first projector for my first PowerPoint presentation from my Mac laptop. ... "
" ... I hooked up some old computer speakers that do the job for outside. ... "
" ... It has and will be used 95% for projecting PowerPoint's etc for classroom work. ... "
" ... I have a Dell, also, and it is communicating, however, the image it projects is not the screen image on my laptop. ... "
" ... Easily connects to our laptop and external speakers. ... "
" ... My non technical wife was able to hook it up to the laptop on the first try. ... "
Product As Described
30bright, works, much better, looks great, expected
+97%
-3%
" ... Just as described! ... "
" ... Works as described ... "
" ... Better than expected ... "
" ... The picture looks incredible. ... "
" ... Works as described. ... "
" ... Works as advertised ... "
" ... We have already installed the infrastructure for this model and we like the image . ... "
" ... Works as advertised ... "
Resolution
28projector, resolution, picture, movies, viewsonic
+100%
" ... This is my second projector, my first being one of those super cheap 480p 800 lumens Chinese projectors. ... I was about to buy another one of those, but the 720p versions that cost around $200, but decided I really wanted to watch 3D movies which is possible with the PJD5155. ... It's a major jump up from my old 480p projector. ... The colour quality makes up for the resolution and I think this is a better option than buying an HD projector with poorer image quality. ... The picture quality was great and it actually looked HD even though I know it isn't. ... "
" ... We hooked up some speakers, and there ya go, your own drive in movie :) ... "
" ... From all the projectors I tested out, this is the best crisp high definition. ... "
" ... HD is awesome. ... "
" ... the picture while not true HD is hard to tell the difference and it looks great!! ... "
" ... The picture is superb while watching a blue ray DVD with no lights at all. ... "
" ... I am glad I did not spend thousands of dollars on 65 inch flat screen TV to see same HD quality. ... "
" ... Can’t really provide 4K but other than that it can run games really well ... "
Setup
21easy, easy to set, super, setup, projector
+100%
" ... Set up was a snap and I like the settings. ... "
" ... It took me 10 minutes to set up. ... "
" ... Super easy to set up! ... "
" ... First time set up was a breeze. ... "
" ... Needed it for a business presentation & was easy to use & set up. ... "
" ... Easy to set up ... "
" ... The gentleman who helped me was very professional. ... "
" ... Setup was super easy. ... "
Ports
18vga, port, projector, usb port, usb
+72%
-28%
" ... Plug in your HDMI cable from your source to the projector, turn it on, and you're done. ... "
" ... Oh, perhaps I should say that I've been primarily using an HDMI cable. ... "
" ... It has all the connection ports you could need. ... "
" ... All you have to add is a HDMI cord and it projects through a computer. ... "
" ... I used this at a meeting and one person was late so I just pulled them into the extra VGA outlet and it was ready. ... "
" ... The HDMI output is a must have . ... "
" ... Just plug and go! ... "
" ... The multiple input options - HDMI, VGA - are very handy. ... "
For Kids
16watching, projector, year old, kids loved, year
+100%
" ... All the kids loved watching. ... "
" ... I use it for classes I teach, ... "
" ... My 16 and 18 year old daughters figured out how to use it easily enough. ... "
" ... We started with the sheet and upgraded to a screen, the kids loved it so much. ... "
" ... I highly recommend this for school, class, lecture uses. ... "
" ... I'm so excited to bring it to college next year. ... "
" ... The Kids love it. ... "
" ... The kids enjoyed watching a movie outside. ... "
Features
16mode, lights, bright, projector, options
+94%
-6%
" ... Also has a great auto shutoff feature to preserve the bulb. ... "
" ... After a few minutes, the projector makes the light very bright and switches back to normal mode. ... "
" ... It was important for me to make sure I did not have to dim the lights. ... "
" ... The room where I teach has a bunch of fluorescent lights all controlled by one switch, so it's either all on or all off. ... I'm not saying it's a bad feature, just would have been nice if there was some explanation of what all the functions do. ... "
" ... It is very light ... "
" ... Looking forward to buy another one when the light bulb goes out !! ... "
" ... Great product currently running on super eco mode to save lamp life. ... "
" ... The keystone function is spot on as well. ... "
Volume
13projector, volume, loud, speaker, sound
+69%
-31%
" ... Great quality and bright enough to fill a medium lit dining hall. ... "
" ... Very bright and clear, even in a well lit room. ... "
" ... Well me a projector that is not horribly loud but it’s not 1080 P. I am still able to see the pixels which made me return this product and get a 4K Smart TV ... "
" ... Very bright even with room lghts on. ... "
" ... Huge picture in small room !!! ... "
" ... Works great, great picture- even in a well lit room, but you will need an external speaker. ... "
" ... Works great even in a large room. ... "
" ... No need for a dark room. ... "
Night Photography
11image, night, even, bright, ambient
+100%
" ... Good: The Image quality is good, it has a good light, ideal for night. ... "
" ... video is with lots of daylight coming in and the light is still bright enough. ... "
" ... very clear on day light ... "
" ... It is very light ... "
" ... Very bright under low light conditions. ... "
" ... You can even see it fairly well with the lights on/daytime. ... "
" ... The projection is easy to see even with ambient light encroaching. ... "
" ... I used it to project a PPT in a conference room lit with indoor lighting (fluorescent maybe) and brightness was very good, as was the focus. ... "
Gaming
10ps4, projector, play, movies, video games
+100%
" ... We're using this projector in our basement for movies and games. ... "
" ... It is fairly quite, but you can hear a hum after a while (it's about as loud as good quality gaming pc with good fans). ... "
" ... Game night in your garage for the guys! ... "
" ... I use it to play my racing sims on ps4 and my ps2 and snes mini . ... "
" ... We even set it up inside and play games on Nintendo switch and play station 4. ... "
" ... Have no need to show movies or video games ... "
" ... Can’t really provide 4K but other than that it can run games really well ... "
" ... My boys are now using it for big screen PlayStation games. ... "
Returns
10back, returning, sent, returned, refund
+20%
-80%
" ... Defective item sent back for a refund. ... "
" ... I sent it back six days after receiving it. ... "
" ... We have arranged to return the second one once the first one is back at Amazon and the refund confirmed. ... "
" ... I should have bought this in the store so I could return it. ... "
" ... I gave up and returned all three. ... Pissed that I spent time returning these 3 times. ... "
" ... Had to return it, sounds like a common problem. ... "
" ... Sadly the return policy is not valid. ... "
Delivery
10received, one, box, arrived, perfect
+90%
-10%
" ... I kept the box, and store it in there. ... "
" ... Works great as described, thanks ... "
" ... We received many accolades. ... "
" ... The package arrived quickly, and was easy to set up. ... "
" ... Perfect out of the box. ... "
" ... Product arrived in great shape and working order. ... "
Remote
9control, projector, easy, buttons, picture
+56%
-44%
" ... The remote is sturdy. ... "
" ... The remote is easy to navigate and the picture looks clear and sharp. ... "
" ... The remote and menu interface are easy and intuitive. ... "
" ... Our dog ate the remote so I am looking for a replacement . ... "
" ... remote for projector feels great too has a finger indentation for better grip ... "
Overall performance
8far, works, well, pleased, easy
+100%
" ... Works great so far ... "
" ... Totally does the job. ... "
" ... Better performance than expected . ... "
" ... It is doing a wonderful job. ... "
" ... So far works well. ... "
" ... Only used a couple of times when writing this post but very pleased so far! ... "
" ... For presentations and classroom lectures, this unit does the job. ... "
Size
8unit, light, bulky, quality, portable
+88%
-13%
" ... The compactness and portability of this unit has been a lifesaver. ... "
" ... Unit is light and easy to carry despite the generous footprint. ... "
" ... I do recommend purchasing a bag to carry this in. ... "
" ... Its small enough to be easily portable. ... "
" ... Bulky of course, but great quality. ... "
" ... This was also the best deal on the pocket. ... "
Clarity
7crisp, super, easy to use, bright
+100%
" ... Just installed it today, at this point I'm very very happy and it is very bright and clear. ... "
" ... The lights were on and it was still clear! ... "
" ... It is sharp and clear. ... "
" ... The quality is clear. ... "
Zoom
7screen, size, image, focus, distance
+100%
" ... The focus on it is great and there were no blurry spots to be seen. ... "
" ... -- A Note on Zoom -- ... "
" ... So I need a projector with a zoom or throw ratio around 2:1. ... "
" ... (b) It has a zoom, not a lot of range, but it gives some ability to size the image to the screen without having to move it back and forth on the table. ... "
" ... Zoom and panoramic settings helped to adjust to varying screen widths. ... "
" ... I am getting a very clear picture at approximately 16 FT. distance, (about a 100" screen) I have taken video and pictures, however these don't give it much justice. ... "
" ... It has a better focus mechanism than any of the 4 we have previously borrowed to try out. ... "
For Travel
6watch, summer, purchased, movies, camping
+100%
" ... We travel through out the Colorado Springs area to recognize our large populace of veterans. ... "
" ... I've carried it all over the place for different Girl Scout activities or with family camping. ... "
" ... Our old project is Church died on Monday during our big Vacation Bible School kick off and we didn't know what to do and knew we had a tight budget, however we came across this and it is simply amazing and the even better news is . ... "
" ... He took it to an outing last night. ... "
" ... Purchased this to watch movies outside this summer. ... "
" ... I bought it for training presentations when I travel. ... "
Device Stand
5projector, picture, white, seems, screen
+100%
" ... Later I tried the projector on a white wall and the picture was still amazing. ... "
" ... Perfect against a wall or on a screen. ... "
" ... It was hard to get a good photo with my camera but it looked great on our white wall. ... "
" ... It has great quality picture and we have it pointed directly on the wall. ... "
" ... My screen is about 11 feet wide and 20 feet from the projector mount. ... "
Cables
5cable, projector, hdmi cord, hdmi, cord
+100%
" ... If you connect with an HDMI cable, it pipes the sound through the speakers in the projector. ... "
" ... The projector is great quality but the product description lack of valuable information about required cables that are not part of the package. ... For example, in order to use the remote control you must buy another cable. ... I don’t mind to pay extra for the cables but as a consumer my expectation is that will be able to use the product immediately is out of the package. ... "
" ... As we worked thru each step, I finally decided the adaptor cord I had bought from Best Buy was not working properly. ... So replaced cord and the minute I attached everything, the projector worked like a charm! ... "
" ... All you have to add is a HDMI cord and it projects through a computer. ... "
" ... Oh, perhaps I should say that I've been primarily using an HDMI cable. ... It takes a bunch of different cables, I haven't tried any others. ... "
Display Size
5size, inches, got, 100, projectors
+100%
" ... I have it with a 120” screen at 16’ away from the screen. ... "
" ... was able to fit it to a 120in screen. ... "
" ... I felt like the screen size was small for the distance when compared to my other projector. ... My screen size at the moment is probably around 75" and I can see the individual pixels if I look closely enough. ... "
" ... I have mine 15ft from the screen and got a great picture at about 100 inches diagonal! ... "
" ... The screen we got is 100 inches. ... "
Screen Protection
5see, wall, lense, away
+100%
" ... With this one, with the screen directly under a ceiling light, was clear as a bell. ... "
" ... I have it with a 120” screen at 16’ away from the screen. ... "
" ... Perfect against a wall or on a screen. ... "
" ... was able to fit it to a 120in screen. ... "
" ... Protectors are awesome. ... "
Bluetooth
5speaker, projector, audio, transmitter, connect
+100%
" ... Note that since the FireTV connects to my surround sound system via bluetooth, I didn't get a chance to test the speaker on the projector. ... "
" ... The TaoTronics Bluetooth receiver was so I could use my large Bluetooth speaker for the audio. ... "
" ... I have not tested out its sound because I prefer using my bluetooth speaker. ... "
" ... I did work around the Bluetooth issue by connecting a Bluetooth transmitter device I purchased into the audio out port of the projector. ... "
" ... Also, the HDMI and speaker connectivity is great. ... "
Camera
5pictures, photos, camera, upgraded, resolution
+100%
" ... We used it for movie night and the pictures were amazing. ... "
" ... Ive posted a few photos (pardon the quality of my cp camera) but this is really has a very good brightnesss, there are also lot of option for color adjustments which makes this very versatile. ... Update: ive upgraded to PA503W, the wild hogs shots are with this one . ... "
" ... I recently upgraded to it and it has a excellent resolution and focusing abilities. ... "
" ... The last 6 photos are with all my lights on. ... The projector sits on a camera tripod. ... "
" ... great resolution, good for presentations and for movies or pictures. ... "
Network
5feet away, area, 12, tuner, travel
+100%
" ... I bought it to use in our covered outdoor patio area. ... "
" ... If you want a 100" screen you need to have it mounted at least 12 feet away. ... "
" ... We travel through out the Colorado Springs area to recognize our large populace of veterans. ... "
" ... For this projector that puts the throw at around 12 feet. ... "
" ... My projector is about 14 feet away from the wall. ... "
CD/DVD
4player, thing, sound, ray player, projector
+75%
-25%
" ... I use it to project power point sides and DVD videos -- no problem at all. ... "
" ... works, easy connection to Samsung DVD/Blue-Ray player. ... "
" ... You hook it up to any of your DVD players, and some kind of sound through whatever output in the DVD player, and you're good to go. ... "
USB
4usb port, usb, hdmi, vga, speaker
+50%
-50%
" ... No USB which is another little ding. ... "
" ... The only bad side is it doesn’t have a usb. ... "
Lens
4projector, cover, would, lense
+25%
-75%
" ... First, there were a few spots on the lens which weren’t too noticeable when the lens was focused but it did leave a few blurred “shadows” on the picture and the sound was laughably low but that was easily rectified with a set of pc speakers. ... "
" ... The first projector had dust behind the lens that you could see in dark scenes of movies on the projected surface. ... "
" ... 2) No lense cap ... "
Weight
4light, projected, options, good, color
+100%
" ... Light weight, fast boot-up and various input options. ... "
" ... - relatively light weight ... "
" ... It is a light weight machine, perfect for all of a 26 member organizaiton who are using it. ... "
Build Quality
4shield, seems, screen, put, front
+75%
-25%
" ... By the way, if you are getting this projector portability, you *MUST* buy the PJ-CASE-008 carrying case. ... "
" ... The video had hands and ghoulish skeleton faces trying to push through a soft, pliable wall ... "
" ... This projector also seems to have decent build quality and seems sturdy. ... "
Controls
3control, remote, buttons, page, easy to use
+67%
-33%
" ... Lots of things inside the menu that you can adjust. ... "
" ... The menu seems pretty easy to use, and in any case you don't access it much. ... "
Outdoor Unit
3indoor, theater
+100%
" ... I use this for our outdoor theater. ... "
" ... If you want a good outdoor/indoor projector without breaking the bank, this is the one to buy! ... "
" ... Indoor/Outdoor, this machine will be used a lot! ... "
Defective Delivery
3smashed, sent, refund, ordered, condition
+33%
-67%
" ... Defective item sent back for a refund. ... "
" ... The first one showed up smashed! ... "
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Specifications
Body
Size: 180 meters
Connectivity
HDMI: Yes
Display
Display Size: 120 inches
Resolution: Full HD 1080p
120 inches
DISPLAY SIZE
180 meters
SIZE
Full HD 1080p
RESOLUTION
Yes
HDMI