Vivitek introduced a new version of its projector travel. This company has updated the technical basis of the mini-projector. In this case we are specifically talking about Vivitek Qumi Q5. The brightness and multimedia compatibility has been improved, but the context is not terrible, and too noisy ventilation.
The promise
Introduced in June, the Vivitek Qumi Q5 is finally available. Succeeding Qumi first name, the Q5 gets benefits from a more efficient technical basis. The main improvement is the brightness of the LED backlight, which goes from 300 to 500 Lumens WELL. Compatibility and usability of the interface are also improved.
Reality
The Vivitek Qumi Q5 mini-projector resembles nothing so much as its predecessor: a small pad 16 x 10.2 x 3.2 cm, available in five brilliant colors (white, black, red, yellow and blue). The connection changes a little compared to the first model, the memory card reader disappears in favour of an HDMI port standard. The manufacturer supplies an HDMI cable and a VGA owner.
Very good technical measures
The Vivitek Qumi Q5 gets the first place in ranking of mini-projectors thanks to its very good performance. With good brightness (measured at 2 meters with default settings) of 57.5 cd / m² and a contrast ratio (030:1 1), this projector Vivitek fared better than its competitors. The probe also confirmed that the color rendition is true regardless of the preset used (movie, presentation, game …). Skin tones, deep blacks, color fidelity, brightness of white: the quality of the Vivitek Qumi Q5 is also true to the naked eye. We appreciate the fluidity and sharpness of HD (720p) and the absence of artifacts. Note however that the size of the projected image is a bit smaller than the average 1.47 inches diagonal (instead of 1.7 meters) for a decline of 2 meters. Menus interface is nice, and setting possibilities are quite numerous. The manufacturer offers five preset modes that we believe are suitable for all types of use. It is nevertheless possible to refine the rendering of the image using one of two modes customizable.
Seamless compatibility
The host interface also opens access to other functions, such as browsing the Internet or playing media files on the network. Multimedia playback menu provided a great surprise. The Vivitek Qumi Q5 was able to access all of our test files stored on a USB key. An excellent point especially for those who opt for battery available as an option (about 100 euros).
Focusing sometimes worth
But all is not perfect. Optical quality was disappointing. The wheel used to make the development is not effective enough. When the drop exceeds 3 meters, the amplitude of the latter is not sufficient to make the point. The blur is really minimal, but still annoying! This is all the more regrettable that the power LED allows in principle to remove the projector a little canvas. This is not all. If the brightness is a notch above that of all competitors, electronics overheating causes a rise in temperature, which starts the fan very often. Noise we measured 43 dB at 50 cm and, even when supplemented by a projection home theater, will be unpleasant. Besides its side, the built-in speaker is useless. The fan noise is almost stronger than the power of this place, ridiculous.
The verdict
The Vivitek Qumi Q5 gets the top spot in the rankings thanks to its excellent image quality and compatibility multimedia fly high. However, we will assign three stars (out of five) because of its imperfect optical and its little fan too far. 649 euros price for (the price of a projector lamp classic entry level), the machine Vivitek Qumi Q5 leaves a little to be desired.
