HP MP3320 Digital Projector

Features of the HP MP3320 Digital Projector

Possibly the best feature of the MP3320 is the small size at 2.77 x 9.88 x 8.27 inches and weighing only 3.8 pounds, the HP3320 is one of the smallest projectors you will find. To squeeze down to such diminutive measurements you might think HP sacrificed on the specs for the projector, but you would be wrong. How about a contrast ratio of 2000:1 and a brightness of 2400 max ANSI lumens? Not skimpy there for sure. The native resolution is not very high for gamers or computer users used to large LCD screens. However, the 1024x768 resolution is not bad.

Multiple inputs are available on the HP MP3320 Digital Projector including VGA, S-Video and Component. The MP3320 is capable of projecting HD video at up to 1080i. Unfortunately, no DVI output is provided nor does the projector ship with a VGA to DVI convertor, meaning should you find yourself in a meeting with a computer lacking the older VGA output you could be in trouble. The screen size can go from 24.4" to 292.5"

Bulb life is rated at 4000 hours in economy mode and 2000 hours in normal mode. Throw distance for the MP3320 is 3.3 feet to 29.4 feet. DLP technology is used in the MP3320. The remote that ships with the projector is nice and allows you to control the on screen menu from across the room. When the projector is connected to your PC via the USB cable you can control the mouse pointer via the remote as well. HP even included a nice padded carry case as well.

HP MP3320 Digital Projector in Use

The first thing I noticed when I plugged in the MP3320 was that it got really hot after a few minutes use. While it is not uncommon for projectors to get hot during use, the MP3320 was too hot to touch comfortably. This is the first projector that I have reviewed since adding DisplayMate to my suite of test I perform. DisplayMate has an entire series of tests for projectors to help gague how well they perform. The MP3320 did very well in the tests. One of the DisplayMate screens is for determining if the screen is framed correctly. Framed means that the image displayed is completely within the display area, while filling the projected area as fully as possible.

I noticed that the right side of the image was slightly cut off on my test projector out of the box. The MP3320 performed well on the remainder of the test screens. Text display at various font sizes was crisp and very readable on both light and dark backgrounds. The display area was uniformly bright with no noticed light or dark areas.

I also watched my favorite test flick, Lord of The Rings: Fellowship of the rings on the MP3320. The movie looked great on a huge screen like that. I felt that the picture was perhaps a bit too bright as the colors were a bit washed out in some scenes. Overall the movie was crisp and looked nice. I also played a bit of FEAR on the HP MP3320 Digital Projector as well as running the FEAR in game performance test to see how well the projector coped with gaming. I noticed no ghosting or tearing in the game. The biggest issue for gamers hoping to game with the MP3320 is the low display resolution. These days 1024 x 768 is just not ideal for high end gaming.

It is important to point out that the MP3320 will display higher resolutions but things don't look good to me when you get above the native resolution. I mentioned before that the MP3320 runs hot. Granted most won't be running the display with it sitting next to them on the desk, but the projector raised the temperature significantly in my work area.

Overall, the MP3320 is a nice projector that will work well for many tasks. With the rather low resolution , it isn't the best projector for gaming, but it works. The best feature of the MP3320 is the price. You can buy it directly from HP for $1399.99 which is a great price for a small, light weight projector with the feature set the MP3320 has.