The 2.0-pound InFocus LP120 is about the size of a carton of cigarettes, yet it can fill a small wall with vivid computer and video images. Image quality is very good (especially considering its size), and you won't have to pay up for such miniaturization: The $2,800 street price is competitive with other XGA (1,024-by-768) projectors.

The remote control that comes with the projector has forward and back buttons for presentations, a status button, and a red laser pointer. That's a fairly limited set, so you'll need to use the projector's top panel controls—with buttons that light up, thankfully—when you set up the projector. (InFocus sells remotes with more features if you desire). One unexpected touch, given the unit's size, is the presence of a zoom control along with the lens focus.

The LP120 uses a single DLP micromirror panel from Texas Instruments. We tested using images generated by the Display mate utility (www.displaymate.com). Overall, image quality was very good. The projector has excellent focus throughout the image. Gray scale response was strong at both ends of the spectrum, color ramps were smooth, and color tracking was excellent. The contrast ratio measurement of 294:1 was excellent for a projector of any size.

The projector also did well with video images, and while the internal sound system is not particularly loud or of great sound quality, it's fine for a small audience around a conference table. Even better in tight quarters, the cooling fan is relatively quiet.

The image quality wasn't perfect, however. The LP120's test image did show the muddy yellows common to single-panel DLP projectors. Another weak point was the projector's brightness. Rated at 1,100 ANSI lumens, our evaluation unit measured just 649 lumens using our more rigorous test procedures. This is considerably less light than many portable projectors yield, and it means that the projector will not produce good contrast or saturated colors on a large screen under normal room lighting.

So if you need a projector that can produce wall-sized images in a lit room, look elsewhere. But if small size is paramount, the LP120 delivers without compromising on the major factors.