Size matters when it comes to ViewSonic's LS711HD short throw projector, which has shrunk by one-third and lost three pounds versus its predecessor, the LS710HD. Still, it continues to deliver the same 4,200 ANSI lumens with sealed laser illumination components that should add up to years of maintenance-free operation. With 1920x1080 high-def imaging, the LS711HD's output will likely be a big step up for schools using SVGA or XGA projectors.

Like other short throw projectors, the LS711HD does without an optical zoom lens but it also lacks Wi-Fi or wired networking. This makes ViewSonic's PJ-WPD-700 casting kit or a similar product all the more needed to allow mirroring the screens of students or presenters. Small, light and easy to set up, the big question is whether you're okay with the LS711HD's external power supply brick, which might prove hard to hide in some settings.

On the competitive landscape, the LS711HD was, until recently, the least expensive short-throw among HD laser projectors with its $1,299 MSRP and street price. That low pricing was a key factor in its awarding of a ProjectorCentral Best of Show Award at the recent 2024 InfoComm. However, Optoma's GT2100HDR was found as of this writing promoted at the same price following a reduction, offering the same advertised brightness and similar compactness while adding some key features such as compliance with 4K UHD signals and HDR processing, a DiCom Sim mode for medical scans, and an integrated wired network connection.

Still, if you want one of the smallest short throw projectors aimed at schools and businesses, the ViewSonic LS711HD can be a small wonder.

Features

While the ViewSonic LS711HD looks conventional in all respects, from its white case to its large central lens, it takes short-throw projector packaging to new levels. At 5.1x11.3x8.5 inches and 6.9 pounds, the LS711HD is one-third smaller and three pounds lighter than its predecessor, the capable LS710HD. That said, it's 45 percent smaller than, for example, Epson's L210SF, which offers a couple hundred fewer lumens and costs a couple hundred dollars more.

The LS711HD was able to slim down from its predecesor without resorting to Wegovy injections in part by removing the LS710HD's internal power supply and resorting to an external power adapter. This power brick is about the size and weight of one for a mid-sized notebook computer, so it may be a little hard to hide in tabletop use and will require some creativity for inverse ceiling mounts. ViewSonic engineers suggest that ceiling-mounted projectors can hide the power supply by using Velcro tape to attach it to the projector's underside where it won't be easily visible from the ground. That said, ViewSonic says this approach has a number of key benefits besides the obvious reduction in size, weight, and noise, including easy replacement in the event of a failed power supply and a 10% to 30% savings in energy that is important for high-use applications like schools and signage.

Based on third-generation laser components—another element that helped shrink the size—the LS711HD starts with a beam of blue light that's bounced off a phosphor wheel and a dichroic mirror to split off yellow and green streams that go through a four segment color wheel. The beams are bounced off the projector's 0.65-inch Digital Light Processing (DLP) imaging chip at 1920x1080 HD resolution.

Rated to last 20,000 hours, the lighting components can be extended to 30,000 hours if you use the projector's Eco mode. Either way, it's the equivalent of over a decade of typical use in a business or school. The good news is that the projector's optical elements are sealed and rated at IP6X for dust intrusion. In other words, it doesn't need a dust filter, although it would be prudent to clean the intake vent annually or more often for dusty locations. The LS711HD is the rare projector these days that comes with a lens cap to protect its large convex lens, helpful for projectors that get shuttled about to different locations.

In addition to daily use in a school or office, the LS711HD has been engineered to run 24/7 for airport displays, advertising and signage. Under these conditions, it should last for at least two and a quarter years of constant use. But read ViewSonic's warranty carefully, because the warranty will be cut to one year (from three years) if its use averages more than 14 hours a day. In other words, heavy use can reduce not just its expected lifetime, but its warranty as well.

The projector's HD imaging should be a welcome change for most schools used to working with SVGA or XGA projectors, although ViewSonic also sells a LS711W model overseas that puts out 1280x800 resolution and is slightly less expensive. Either way, the projectors can put up aspect ratios ranging from 4:3 to 16:9, but don't work with 4K UHD inputs, and also lack HDR playback.

Rated at 4,200 ANSI lumens, the LS711HD matches the output of the larger and heavier LS710HD it replaces. On the test bench, it ran a little brighter at a measured 4,220 max ANSI lumens, with a 4,543 lumen host spot at the center.

The LS711HD should be plenty for a lecture hall, mid-sized church or even a small auditorium where a short-throw lens makes the best fit.

In this case, the projector's convex lens has a 0.50:1 throw ratio and can create a 35-inch image from as close as 15 inches or fill up to a 25-foot screen from 11-feet away. Its sweet spot is closer to an 8- or 9-foot image. There's no optical zoom for sizing the image, though that's not uncommon among short throw models like this and not unexpected given the price point. The LS711HD also lacks any lens shift to move the image up-and-down or right-to-left. Take a look at ProjectorCentral's ViewSonic LS711HD's Throw Calculator for all the details to see if can fit into your environment.

The 711HD's input/output ports are the minimum needed for most uses, though the projector ignores legacy connections that might have come in handy in an older school or office. The pair of HDMI inputs are the only show in town and the projector does not have a video-out circuit of any kind for streaming to a lectern or overflow room.

The projector's internal 15-watt speaker should be fine for most small to medium sized rooms, but if that isn't enough, the LS711HD has an analog audio-out jack to send sound to an external sound system.

Its RS-232 serial port can remotely control the projector's basics from a computer. That said, the LS711HD lacks compatibility with third-party control schemes from Crestron, AMX or PJLink, potentially making it a tough sell for use in an integrated office or school setting.

Finally, the projector's USB Type A port can be used to update the system's firmware but will likely be more useful as a 5-volt power source for a streaming dongle. That's because the projector has neither wired networking nor Wi-Fi. It worked with ViewSonic's PJ-WPD-700 casting kit, which costs $99 and consists of a USB-C transmitting module for the casting computer as well as a receiver built into a cable that plugs into the projector's HDMI for video and the USB Type A connection for power. Compatible with Windows, Macs, iPhones and iPads as well as Androids, the kit doesn't require loading software. It automatically set itself up on my Samsung Galaxy Book laptop and in less than a minute was mirroring its screen at 1080p and 60Hz with audio. It had a 30-foot range and is capable of connecting up to eight transmitters, with the moderator or teacher selecting which computer is put on the big screen. The kit should do well for group events, but unfortunately there's no way to buy additional transmitters alone without having to purchase the full kit with redundant receiver cables.

While the projector's top has three LEDs that show the projector's status, the control panel has nine buttons for doing anything from opening and using the menu to using the projector's keystone correction to square the image. Its remote control, meanwhile, is small, light and chock full of keys. It can turn the projector on and off as well as adjust the brightness, select its display mode and mute the audio. There're keys for blanking the video and muting the audio as well as changing the image's aspect ratio and using the digital zoom. Straight from ViewSonic's parts bin, it has some buttons that don't work on the LS711HD, such as for selecting a non-existent VGA input. But it is otherwise highly functional. It uses two AAA batteries and maintained contact 32 feet away.

Performance

Color Modes. The LS711HD has five picture modes at its disposal. To nobody's surprise, the Bright mode yielded the top output, but with a ghostly yellow-green tint to everything. It's not as bad as some competing projectors but can distort the color balance of photos or videos. The Presentation mode warmed up the image considerably with lots of pink tones thrown in. There is no labeled sRGB or Rec. 709 mode for accurately matching HD content, but the Cinema mode's appearance came closest; it was warmer than the others and aimed at darkened rooms. The LS711HD also had display modes for Gaming and 3D, but nothing for showing DiCom Sim images of medical scans for a hospital, clinic or medical school.

If none of these suit your room or needs, there's also a user configurable setting. It allows a good amount of customization with three levels of color temperature as well as four different gamma settings. The LS711HD has individual controls for Brightness, Contrast, Sharpness and Color.

Using the Bright mode, the LS711HD delivered a solid 4,220 ANSI lumens of brightness, marginally above its 4,200 lumen spec. It had a hot spot in the center of the image that was 9 percent over the average output but was hardly noticeable. Howver, everything had a greenish yellow tinge to it, making Bright appropriate for tabular material only.

Meanwhile, the LS711HD's Presentation mode looked much better with a more neutral color balance. It'll likely be used for showing spreadsheets and pitches but was the best way to show images in a well-lit room. It's good for web pages and even an inspirational message at a school pep rally or house of worship. The Presentation setting lowered output to 3,269 ANSI lumens, however, a 23% drop in illumination potential from the projector's max.

Video Viewing. The LS711HD's Cinema mode is aimed at use in a darkened room with a much warmer image that delivered the best balance for naturalistic colors. It delivered streams from a computer and the Internet that were skip and freeze-free at a brightness of 2,673 ANSI lumens.

For schools, the LS711HD came into its own for showing educational material. Using the University of Colorado's pHET science and math simulations, the projector delivered smooth interactive video with vivid colors.

There's also the Gaming mode that raises the picture's contrast and color saturation to help with seeing details in shadows (where an assassin or alien might be lurking). On the downside, it put out 2,967 ANSI lumens and didn't lower the projector's video lag.

Using the Bright mode, the LS711HD used 156 watts of power and registered 39.3dBA of fan noise measured 36 inches from the exhaust vent. The projector's Eco setting can be turned on and off from the remote control and could make the laser components last 50% longer. Its Bright mode illumination dropped to 3,103 ANSI lumens using the Eco setting, making for a 26% decline in brightness. This was accompanied by a 21% drop in electricity use. It was 2.3dBA quieter.

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At full power, if the projector is used for 8 hours a day for 200 days out of the year, it should cost roughly $24 in electricity bills assuming your organization pays the national average of 15 cents per kilowatt hour of power.

Conclusion

Lighter and much smaller than the projector it replaces, ViewSonic's LS711HD is a big evolutionary update for short throw projectors. It not only pumps out more than 4,200 ANSI lumens of light but shows HD imaging and its sealed optics and laser illumination mean that it is just about maintenance free and should last for years of typical use. The projector can be used 24/7 for specialty operations, but at the cost of a shorter warranty.

While the projector's color balance is acceptable for all but the brightest mode, the LS711HD doesn't have a zoom lens, Wi-Fi or wired networking. That makes ViewSonic's PJ-WPD-700 casting kit or a similar product a must-have accessory for mirroring the screens of nearby users or systems. Furthermore, the LS711HD lacks the ability to display 4K signals without them being first converted to HD by the source, and the absence of a medical-scan friendly DiCom Sim mode means that the LS711HD is not a good idea for the likes of a hospital, clinic or dental school.

Nonetheless, at $1,299, the LS711HD does a lot for a little and delivers serious brightness in a compact, lightweight case for schools and businesses. When the situation calls for a short throw projector, the ViewSonic LS711HD can be a close-up winner.

Measurements

Brightness. The LS711HD measured slightly above its 4,200 ANSI lumen spec with a peak output of 4,220 ANSI lumens. There was a center hotspot of 4,543 lumens. It's brightest Bright picture mode delivered an odd color balance that looked yellowish-green and might only be good for presentations, Excel spreadsheets and tabular material.

The projector's Presentation mode was more palatable with more warmth but peaked at 3,269 ANSI lumens. There's aren't sRGB, Rec. 709 or HDR options. In Cinema and Gaming modes, the projector delivered 2,673 and 2,967 ANSI lumens.

There's an Eco mode on the LS711HD that can not only reduce power use but allow the laser lighting components to last 50% longer. The projector's power requirements drop by 21% while the brightness goes down by 26%.

ViewSonic LS711HD ANSI Lumens

Display Mode	Normal	Eco
Presentation	3,269	2,507
Bright	4,220	3,103
Cinema	2,673	2,401
Gaming	2,967	2,280

Brightness Uniformity. From corner to corner, the LS711HD had a uniformity score of 85.3% percent, despite a 4,543 lumen hot spot at the center of the image that was not noticeable with most content.

Fan Noise. ViewSonic rates the LS711HD at a fan noise level of 30- and 24dB in a soundproof room using industry-standard averaged multipoint measurements. In the real world, the projector registered a peak noise level of 39.3dbA as measured from about 36 inches from the exhaust vent in a room with a background level of 36.1dBA. That drops to as low as 36.7dBA in Eco mode.

Power Use. At its top output level, the LS711HD used 156 watts of power as well as 0.8 watts at idle. This translates into an annual electricity budget of $24 if it's run for eight hours a day and 200 days a year and the electricity costs the national average of 15 cents per kilowatt hour. Using the Eco mode can reduce this by 21% but at the cost of brightness.

Temperature. The LS711HD kept its cool during my examination and never got above 99 degrees Fahrenheit. That said, the projector's external AC adapter registered a peak temperature of 110.5 degrees Fahrenheit.

Video Lag. Using a Bodnar Video Lag Tester putting out a 1080p/60Hz signal, the LS711HD registered a delay of 49.5ms in Bright mode, not bad for a general purpose projector. Using the Gaming picture mode did not lower the image lag reading.

Connections

• HDMI (x2, Version 1.4)
• Audio-out (3.5mm)
• USB (Type A, for power and firmware upgrade)
• RS-232 (for control)

For more detailed specifications and connections, check out our ViewSonic LS711HD projector page.

To buy this projector, use Where to Buy online, or get a price quote by email direct from Projector Central authorized dealers using our E-Z Quote tool.

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