Projector showroom visit checklist: what to measure and test

What should you measure before you leave home?

Two numbers and one observation: the distance from the projector position to the wall, the width you want the picture to be, and how much light the room keeps at the hour you teach. Mid-morning with the louvres open is a different room from 8pm with the lights off.

The numbers meet in the throw ratio, which says how far back a projector sits for a given image width; our guide on what a 1.2:1 throw ratio means does the arithmetic. Neon+ publishes a throw ratio for every model, and for six of the seven the image size at one metre.

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Neon+ publishes mode figures only for the V8: 450 ANSI standard, 300 power saving.

Note where people will sit too. AVIXA, the audiovisual industry body, bounds the nearest seat by “a line drawn 60 degrees from the perpendicular of each edge of the image”. Light matters as much as geometry — our guide on room light, image size and brightness covers that, and Projector Kingdom, a Malaysian projector retailer, puts it plainly: “Your living room, classroom, or boardroom is not a lab.”

What should you bring to the showroom?

Bring the chain, not the shortlist: the laptop or phone you will connect, the cable or adapter it needs, and the file or app the lesson depends on. Our projector connections checklist covers which sockets to confirm beforehand.

Bring the room too: your measurements and a photograph of the wall taken at the hour you will use it, which settles wall-colour and window-light arguments a description never will. Note the shelf it will sit on: Projector Kingdom advises keeping “at least 20cm of ventilation clearance” in Malaysia’s humid conditions.

What should you test while the projector is running?

Test six things while the projector is running: your own file at your measured width, the lights up and down, focus after the unit is moved, your own audio from the back, the battery mode if the model has one, and the app your lesson depends on.

1. Your content, at your width. Open your own file at the width you measured: what looks sharp at the showroom’s width can lose small type at yours.
2. The lights, up and down. Projector Kingdom is blunt: “Showroom lighting is controlled, but your living room at 3pm with sunlight streaming through the window is a completely different story.”
3. Focus, the way the model does it. Neon+ publishes a focusing method per model, from a manual scroll wheel on the Q1 to laser focus on the V8, X5 and X5 Plus. Move it and watch how long it takes to come back sharp.
4. Sound, where you need it. Published speakers are 5W x 2 on the Q1, C2000, K5, V8 and V6 and 10W x 2 on the X5 and X5 Plus. Play your own audio from the back row.
5. Battery, if the model has one. Three models publish a built-in battery: the C2000 lists 130 minutes in highlight mode, 170 in standard and 190 in power saving; the K5 lists 130, 160 and 280; the V8 lists 100, 120 and 150. Ask which mode is running (see battery or plug-in power).
6. The app you depend on. No published specification table mentions Netflix, the Play Store or streaming; they give the Android version and nothing more, so open the app you need on the unit (see streaming on a portable projector).

One number deserves scepticism, not a test. Six of the seven Neon+ tables publish contrast as a full-on/full-off figure, the method BenQ Malaysia says “is easy to manipulate”, so judge contrast on your own mixed image. Your eyes need the same caution: ViewSonic notes that saturated LED and laser light sources “may appear brighter than their ANSI lumen rating suggests”. Unfamiliar terms are defined in the projector glossary.

What should you ask about price, warranty and getting it home?

Neon+ publishes its shop prices, RM799 to RM4,999, so check the product page before you go and ask instead what is in the box and what an accessory adds. 0% PayLater instalments need an application and approval through the PayLater application form.

Then ask the three questions that only matter after you have paid. What happens if it fails: Neon+ gives a 365-day local warranty against manufacturing defects, handles faults by 1-to-1 replacement, gives no cash refunds, and the customer bears the postal cost of a return. What proof you need: the Terms and Conditions ask for the Order ID, name and email of the customer, accept no claim on a unit from an unauthorised dealer or a second-hand marketplace, and set out when a diagnostic fee is payable. And what if you chose wrongly: an upgrade to a higher-tier model is allowed within 3 days of purchase.

Delivery is free over RM50 including Sabah and Sarawak and RM8 below that, orders ship within 3 working days, and East Malaysia can take up to 3 weeks (see our guide to warranty, refunds and delivery).

Where can you see a Neon+ projector, and when should you call ahead?

Neon+ has three places to walk into, all of them outside the Klang Valley: the head office and showroom in Ipoh, Perak, a store in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, and one in Sibu, Sarawak. Published hours are Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm and Saturday 9am to 1pm; confirm the branch’s own hours when you call.

The practical step is a call or WhatsApp message on +6012-565 2091, or an email to info@neonplus.com.my. Say which models you want to see and what you will plug in, so the right unit is connected when you arrive; the contact page has the addresses. If no store is reachable, send the measurements, photograph and device list instead. Projector Kingdom’s advice is to “prioritize retailers who offer demo units or a clear return policy”, and Neon+ publishes its terms instead of a refund. For a classroom, start with our classroom projector setup guide.