Review: NEC M402H More Than Just A Projector

NEC Display Solutions in September began shipping the M402H, a 4,000-lumen DLP projector to the company's already lengthy list of NEC digital projectors. This one has full HD resolution and supports 3-D, HDMI copy protection, direct USB input, centralized management and the option to operate as a Wi-Fi access point for wireless screen sharing. With versatile features and capabilities and an estimated street price of around $1,199, the M402H is well suited for small, midsize and large corporations, and for all levels of education.

When setting up the M402H, testers were impressed with the unit's automatic vertical and horizontal keystone adjustment, which kicked in when we lengthened one of its two threaded rear legs. Equally impressive was its bright 1,920-x-1,080 native resolution. The M402H supports a maximum of 1,920-x-1,200. A 2X manual zoom permits placement within 8 feet of a screen or wall while still projecting a 48-inch picture. The unit can be set on or affixed to a table or cart, mounted upside down on a ceiling and used to project from the front or rear of the screen.

The M402H becomes fully bright about 10 seconds after power-up. In tests, the unit consumed 334 watts in standard mode, 274 watts in eco mode, 5 watts in standby and less than one in long-term standby, which activates automatically after about a minute in standby. If no signal is present, an auto-shutoff mode can be set to kick in at 5-minute intervals between 5 minutes and 30 minutes, or at an hour (the default).

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The top-serviceable lamp can be serviced regardless of how it's mounted. There's also a Kensington lock port and an RJ-45 port for network remote control and monitoring. For a LAN-connected projector, a virtual remote app for Windows mimics the unit's built-in controls, including those for power, menu, input selection, volume, mute, scaling, auto-picture adjust, aspect, freeze-frame, eco mode and help. All connections are made at the rear panel, which also is home to a 20-watt speaker. The PDF-only user manual is not always helpful; language is often unclear or incomplete.

The included wireless remote has nonlighted keys and operates all projector menu functions, plus buttons for all inputs, volume, digital zoom and left- and right-click mouse functions. There's also a help button. The remote works from a variety of angles to a distance of about 30 feet. At about 15-x-12-x-4 inches, we'd characterize the M402H as a midsize unit. A carrying case with shoulder strap is included, and along with power cord, wireless remote and VGA cable, its travel weight is about 9 pounds -- light enough to actually transport if necessary. There are dual inputs for HDMI (with HDCP), plus composite video (RCA), stereo audio (RCA and 3.5mm) and USB client (type A) and host (type B). There are also outputs for VGA and audio. An RJ-45 port works with NEC's included management for Mac and Windows.

NEC offers its resellers a wealth of accessories for the M402H to enhance the sale, including wall and ceiling mounts, cable adapters and a wireless LAN management adapter. For its bright, high-resolution output, versatility of inputs and low price, the CRN Test Center recommends the NEC M402H.

PUBLISHED MARCH 26, 2015