ViewSonic Pj501 Projector User Manual

							ViewSonic  PJ500/PJ550/PJ501/PJ5518
Example of System Setup
Plug & Play
This projector is VESA DDC 1/2B compatible. Plug& Play is possible by connecting to a computer 
that is VESA DDC (Display Data Channel) compatible. 
Please use this function by connecting the accessory RGB cable to RGB (In) of the projector; other 
connection methods may not work.
NOTE: Plug & Play is a system configured with peripheral equipment including a computer, display 
and operating system. This projector is recognized as Plug & Play capable. Refer to the ViewSonic 
CD Wizard INF display driver files for configuration. 
Plug & Play will not operate with a direct connection to an Apple computer.
NOTE: When connecting with a notebook computer, set the proper RGB external image output. 
Please read the instruction manual of the notebook computer for more information.
Figure 8: System Setup
S-Video PlayerComputer
Notebook DVD PlayerVideo/Audio
cable
Component
Video cableS-Video
cableaudio (L/R)stereo-mini
audio cable RGB
RS232 (computer)
Computer
portion of
Video/Audio
cable 
						

							9ViewSonic  PJ500/PJ550/PJ501/PJ551
Operations
Power ON
NOTE: Refer to “Example of System Setup” on page  8.
1Make sure the power cord is connected correctly and lens cap has been removed. Set the Power  
Switch to [I] ON. The unit is now in Standby mode and the POWER indicator LED turns  a 
steady orange.
2Press the STANDBY/ON button on the control panel or the remote control. Warm-up begins and 
the power indicator blinks in green.
3After several seconds the lamp will stop blinking and will turn to continuous green, indicating 
that the projector is ready to use.
4Adjust the size of the projected image with the Zoom knob.
5Adjust focus using the Focus ring.
Power OFF
NOTE: See Caution below.
1Press the STANDBY/ON button on the control panel or the remote control. The message 
“POWER OFF?” will display on the screen, and the message will disappear in 5 seconds. During 
this message indication, press the STANDBY/ON button again. The projector lamp shuts off and 
lamp cooling begins. 
2Wait for the cooling fan to stop. The POWER indicator blinks orange during lamp cooling. 
Pressing the STANDBY/ON button has no effect while the POWER indicator is blinking.
3The system assumes the Standby mode when cooling is complete. The POWER indicator ceases 
blinking and changes to a steady orange. Check that the indicator is orange and set the POWER 
switch to [O]. The POWER indicator turns off when the Power Switch is set to [O] OFF.  
Remember to replace the lens cap after use.  
NOTE: Except in emergencies, do not turn off the Power Switch unless the POWER indicator is  a 
steady orange. Otherwise improper cooling of the lamp will reduce the life of the lamp or may 
damage the lamp.    
Figure 9: Power Buttons
  
   CAUTION
• To turn OFF the projector press the Standby/ON button and hold for 2 seconds .
• The POWER LED on the control pad flashes orange during cool-down. 
• Wait until the POWER LED changes to a steady orange before you set the Power Switch to [O] OFF.
Power IndicatorStandby/On Button
Zoom Knob
Focus Ring
Power SwitchRemote Control 
						

							ViewSonic  PJ500/PJ550/PJ501/PJ55110
Basic Operation
Table 3 below refers to buttons on the projector control panel and on the remote control. Items 
marked with (*) may be accessed from the projector control panel.  
Table 3: Basic Operation 
Item Description
INPUT SELECT
(projector control panel)Select Input Signal 
(*) : press the INPUT Button.
RGB J
 VIDEO J
 S-VIDEO J
 COMPONENT (J
RGB)
Select RGB Input: 
Press the RGB button.
VIDEO/S-VIDEO/COMPONENT  J
 RGB
Select Video Input: 
Press the VIDEO button.
RGB J
 VIDEO/S-VIDEO/COMPONENT
VIDEO J
 S-VIDEO J
 COMPONENT (J
VIDEO)
• The selected signal name is displayed for approximately 3 seconds when the input signal is 
changed.
POSITION
(remote control)Set/Clear Position Adjustment mode : 
Press the POSITION button.
“POSITION” is displayed in the POSITION mode.
Image Position Adjustment: 
Press the buttons in the POSITION mode.
• Valid only in the MAGNIFY mode when a video signal is input.
• After approximately 10 seconds of inactivity “POSITION”  disappears and the POSITION 
mode is cleared automatically.
RESET (*)
(remote control)Initialize Each item: 
Select an item and press the RESET button.
Initialize Position Adjustment:
 Press the RESET button in the POSITION mode.
This function is valid only when RGB signal is input.
• Valid except for: VOLUME, LANGUAGE, H PHASE, and WHISPER.
MAGNIFY
(remote control)Set MAGNIFY Mode: 
Press the MAGNIFY “ON” button.
M
ove Magnified Area: 
Run the POSITION in the MAGNIFY mode.
Adjust Magnification: 
Press the MAGNIFY  /  button in MAGNIFY mode.
MAGNIFY magnifies the image. MAGNIFY (-
) reduces the image. 
Clear MAGNIFY Mode:  
Press the MAGNIFY button.
• The MAGNIFY mode is cleared by selecting AUTO, ASPECT, INPUT SELECT, or VIDEO, 
or changing the input signal.
FREEZE
(remote control)Set/Clear FREEZE Mode: 
Press the FREEZE button.  When the [ II ]  icon is displayed, the 
image is frozen in the FREEZE mode.
• The FREEZE mode is cleared by selecting POSITION, VOLUME, MUTE, Automatic 
Adjustment, BLANK ON/OFF, or MENU ON/OFF, or by changing the input signal.
• Do not forget to clear frozen static images.
KEYSTONE (*)
(projector control panel 
and remote control)Set/Clear KEYSTONE Mode: 
Press the KEYSTONE button.  
Adjust Keystone: 
Press the  /  buttons in the KEYSTONE mode.
reduces the width of the bottom of the projected image.  reduces the width of the top 
of the projected image. 
VOLUME
(remote control)Set/Clear VOLUME Mode: 
Press the VOLUME button to display the Volume menu, then 
press   /  buttons on the remote control to increase/decrease the loudness of the 
sound.
After the desired volume is selected, press the VOLUME button again to exit the Volume 
mode.
MUTE
(remote control)Set/Clear Mute Mode: 
Press the MUTE  button. The sound is silenced in this mode.  
						

							11ViewSonic  PJ500/PJ550/PJ501/PJ551
AUTO
(remote control)Automatic Adjustment (for RGB input):  
Press the AUTO button. Horizontal Position (H. 
POSITION), Vertical Position, (V. POSITION), Clock Phase (H. PHASE), and Horizontal Size 
(H. SIZE), are automatically adjusted. 
• Before using the AUTO feature, be sure to maximize the window of the application 
displayed on-screen. 
Automatic Adjustment (for Video Input):  
Press the AUTO button. A signal type 
appropriate for the input signal is selected automatically. This is valid only when AUTO is set  
for VIDEO on the menu. 
• This operation requires approximately ten seconds. It may not function correctly with some 
input signals.
BLANK ON/OFF
(remote control)Set/ Clear Blank Mode: 
press the BLANK button. A blank screen (no image) is displayed in 
this mode. Access the on-screen menu to set the screen color for blank mode.
MENU
 (*)
(projector control panel 
and remote control)Display/Clear Menu:
 Press the MENU button. 
Select Menu: Press the  /  buttons to select the menu (MAIN, PICTURE-1, PICTURE-2, 
INPUT, SCREEN, OPTION), and press the button or the ENTER button (on the remote 
control) to proceed. 
Select Item:
 Press the  /  buttons to select the item you want to operate, and press the 
button or the ENTER button (on the remote control) to proceed. 
Select Menu Type (for adjustment with numerical value):
 After fixing the item, press the 
button or ENTER button (on the remote control) to turn to the single type menu. To return 
to the usual menu, press the  button or ESC button.
Operate:
 Press the  /  buttons according to the menu.
•  The menu display is terminated automatically after approximately 10 seconds of inactivity.
SEARCH
(remote control)Search Signal: 
Press the SEARCH button on the remote control to search for other signal 
inputs with following command : When a signal is detected, the projector displays the 
detected signal picture. If no signal is detected, it turns back to the initial signal input.
Example : If S-VIDEO was the last input used before powering off, then S-VIDEO will be the 
selected input when the projector is powered back on.
RGB J
 VIDEO J
  S-VIDEO J
  COMPONENT VIDEO  J
(RGB)
ASPECT
(Aspect Ratio)
(remote control)Select Aspect (Ratio):
 Press the ASPECT button on the remote control to select the aspect 
ratio. 
For RGB Input or Hi-Vision 1125i/750p of COMPONENT VIDEO Input: 
4:3  Q
 16:9 
For VIDEO Input, S-VIDEO Input or 525i/525p/625i/625p of COMPONENT VIDEO Input:
4:3  J
16:9 J
SMALL  J
(4:3)
ESC (Escape)
(remote control)Escape: 
Press the ESC  button on the remote control to return to the previous menu from a 
selected sub-menu.
ENTER
(remote control)Escape: 
Press the ENTER button on the remote control activate the adjustment screen for a 
selected menu option. 
NOTE:
 Pressing the button performs the same function.
Table 3: Basic Operation  (Continued)
Item Description 
						

							ViewSonic  PJ500/PJ550/PJ501/PJ55112
MAIN Menu
To access the MAIN Menu,  press the MENU button on the remote control. This projector has 6 
menus: MAIN, PICTURE-1, PICTURE-2, INPUT, SCREEN and OPTION. To select a menu use the  
 / buttons, then press the   button or the ENTER button to select a menu item.
The MAIN Menu has seven (7) items as shown in the Table 4. 
Please select the item you want to operate with the 
/ buttons and 
press the   button or the ENTER button to start operating. Then you 
can operate corresponding to the following table.
Table 4: MAIN Menu 
Item Actions/Description
BRIGHT
(Brightness)Lighter       Darker 
CONTRAST
Stronger     Weaker 
ASPECT
(Aspect Ratio)Select Aspect Ratio
Select 
ASPECT from the MAIN menu and then do the following:
For RGB Input or Hi-Vision 1035i/1125i/750p of COMPONENT VIDEO Input , press the  
/ 
button to select one of these options: 
•4:3
•16:9
For VIDEO Input, S-VIDEO Input or 525i/525p/625i of COMPONENT VIDEO Input, press the  
/ button to select one of these options: 
•4:3
•16:9
• SMALL   (The SMALL option may not work properly with some input signals.)
NOTE: Y
ou can also press the ASPECT button on the remote control to select the Aspect Ratio.
PICT. POSIT.
(Picture Position)Select Picture Position (for 16:9/SMALL Picture)
Press the  
/ button to select one of these options:
•TOP
•CENTER
 
•BOTTOM
GAMMA Select Gamma Mode    
Press the  
/ button to select one of these options:
•NORMAL
 
•CINEMA
• DYNAMIC
MIRROR Select Mirror Status:
Press the  
/ button to select one of these options:
•NORMAL
• H:INVERT        (Horizontally Inverted image)
• V:INVERT        (Vertically Inverted image) 
• H&V:INVERT
  (Horizontally and Vertically Inverted image) 
						

							13ViewSonic  PJ500/PJ550/PJ501/PJ551
PICTURE-1 Menu
LANGUAGE Select Menu Language: 
Press the  
/ button to select one of these langauge options:
•ENGLISH
• FRANÇAIS
•DEUTSCH
• ESPAÑOL
•ITALIANO
•NORSK
• NEDERLANDS
• [JAPANESE]
• POTUGUÊS
• [TRADITIONAL CHINESE]
• [KOREAN] 
The PICTURE-1 menu has 5 items as shown in Table 5. 
Select the item you want to adjust with the 
 /  buttons and press the 
 button or the ENTER button.
Table 5: PICTURE-1Menu 
Item Actions/Description
COLOR BAL R
Adjust Red Color Balance: 
  Darker          Lighter    
COLOR BAL B
Adjust Blue Color Balance: 
  Darker        Lighter 
SHARPNESS
Adjust Sharpness (for VIDEO/S-VIDEO):  
 Sharper    
  Softer 
COLOR
Adjust COLOR (for VIDEO/S-VIDEO/COMPONENT VIDEO):  
 Darker     Lighter     
TINT
Adjust Tint (for VIDEO/S-VIDEO): 
  More Green      More Red 
Table 4: MAIN Menu  (Continued)
Item Actions/Description 
						

							ViewSonic  PJ500/PJ550/PJ501/PJ55114
PICTURE-2 Menu
The PICTURE-2 menu has 4 items as shown in Table 6. 
Please select the item you want to operate with the 
 /  buttons and 
press the   button or the ENTER button to start operating. Then you 
can operate according to the following table.
Table 6: PICTURE-2 Menu 
Item Actions/Description
V POSITION
Adjust Vertical Position (for RGB):   
Up       Down 
H POSITION
Adjust Horizontal Position (for RGB): 
  Left       Right 
H PHASE
Adjust Horizontal Phase (for RGB/COMPONENT VIDEO):  
 Right         Left   
• Adjust to eliminate flicker.
H SIZE
Adjust Horizontal Size (for RGB):   
Larger       Smaller 
• If the horizontal size adjustment is excessive, the image may not be displayed correctly. In 
such cases, please initialize the H SIZE with the RESET button. 
						

							15ViewSonic  PJ500/PJ550/PJ501/PJ551
INPUT Menu
The INPUT menu has 4 items as shown in Table 7. 
Select the item you want to adjust with the 
 /  buttons and press the 
 button or the ENTER button. 
Remember, the starting of the item AUTO performs its function at the 
same time. 
Table 7: INPUT Menu 
Item Actions/Description
AUTO Auto Adjust (for RGB): 
It adjusts automatically the H POSITION, V POSITION, H PHASE and 
H SIZE. Use this function with the maximum size window of the application.
Auto Adjust (for VIDEO/S-VIDEO): 
It automatically selects the proper VIDEO mode for the 
current input signal. This function is active only when the AUTO mode is selected at the item 
VIDEO. Please refer to the description of the item VIDEO below.
• This function may not function correctly with the PAL60 signal or some other signals.
• This function requires approximately 10 seconds.
• For the COMPONENT VIDEO, the signal type is distinguished automatically though this 
function is inactive. For HDTV signal, refer to the item HDTV below.
VIDEO Select Mode of Signal Type (for VIDEO/S-VIDEO): 
Press the 
/ button to select one of these options:
•AUTO
•NTSC
•PAL
• SECAM
•NTSC 4.43
•M-PAL
•N-PAL
Selecting of the AUTO mode activates and performs the function of the item AUTO for VIDEO/S-
VIDEO. It selects automatically the proper one of the modes above. 
Use this function when the image becomes unstable at VIDEO/S-VIDEO. (eg. The image 
becomes irregular, or lacks color.)
• The operation of the AUTO mode may not function correctly with the PAL60 signal or some 
other signals.
• The operation of the AUTO mode requires approximately 10 seconds.
• For the COMPONENT VIDEO, the signal type is distinguished automatically though this 
function is inactive. For HDTV signal, refer to the item HDTV below.
HDTV Select Mode of HDTV Signal Type: 
1080i
      1035i 
• When the selected HDTV mode is incompatible with the input signal, the picture may be 
incorrect.
SYNC ON G On/Off SYNC ON G Mode: 
TURN ON       TURN OFF   
Selecting the TURN ON turns the SYNC ON G mode on. The SYNC ON G mode enables the 
SYNC on G to be received.
• In the SYNC ON G mode, the picture may be incorrect with some signals. In such cases, 
remove the signal connector so that no signal is received and turn the SYNC ON G off, and 
then reconnect the signal. 
						

							ViewSonic  PJ500/PJ550/PJ501/PJ55116
SCREEN Menu
The SCREEN menu has 2 items as shown in Table 8. 
Please select the item you want to operate with the 
 /  buttons and 
press the   button or the ENTER button to start operating. Then you 
can operate according to the following table.
Table 8: SCREEN Menu 
Item Actions/Description
BLANK Select Mode of Blank Screen: 
Press the  
/ button to select one of these options:
• Blue blank screen
• White blank screen
• Black blank screen
The Blank Screen is for the BLANK mode. Refer to the BLANK ON/OFF of the Table 3: Basic 
Operation. The plain screen of the selected color is displayed as the Blank Screen. The Blank 
Screen is displayed also as the Start Up Screen when the TURN OFF is selected at the item 
START UP below.
START UP On/Off START UP Screen: 
TURN ON        TURN OFF 
The START UP screen is fixed screen displays when no signal is detected. This screen is active 
only when TURN ON option is selected from the START UP sub-menu.
When TURN OFF is selected, the Blue blank screen displays when is no signal is detected. 
						

							17ViewSonic  PJ500/PJ550/PJ501/PJ551
OPTION Menu
The OPTION menu has 5 items as shown in the Table 9. 
Please select the item you want to operate with the 
 /  buttons and 
press the   button or the ENTER button to start operating. Then you 
can operate according to the following table. 
Table 9: OPTION Menu 
Item Actions/Description
VOLUME
Adjust Volume:  
 Loud       Quiet 
AUTO OFF Adjust AUTO OFF Time: 
• Long (MAX. 99 min.)
• Short (Min. 1 min.)
• (DISABLE: 0 min.)
The system automatically enters the standby mode when no signal is received for the set time. 
When the DISABLE (0 min.) is selected this function is inactive.
WHISPER Select WHISPER Mode: 
NORMAL
       WHISPER 
The WHISPER mode is active when WHISPER is selected. In the WHISPER mode, acoustic 
noise level from the unit is reduced and the brightness level on screen is lowered.
LAMP TIME Refer to Lamp Time:
 The starting of this item displays the time that the projector lamp has been 
used.
Reset Lamp Time [Use this function only when the lamp is replaced!] 
: Keep pressing the 
RESET button for 3 seconds or more during the display of the lamp time. Then the menu for 
reset will appear. When you have replaced the lamp, select the RESET on the menu with the 
 button.
• Do not reset the lamp time without replacing the lamp. Reset the lamp time always when 
replacing the lamp. The message functions will not operate properly if the lamp time is not 
reset correctly.
• Before replacing the lamp, carefully read the descriptions of Lamp, Lamp Life and 
Replacing the Lamp.
FILTER TIME Refer to Filter Time: 
The starting of this item displays the time that the air-filter has been used.
Reset Filter Time [Use this function only when the filter is replaced!] : 
Pres the RESET 
button for 3 seconds or more during the display of the filter time. Then the menu for reseting the 
filter time will  display. When you have replaced the filter, select the RESET on the menu with the 
 button.
• Do not reset the filter time without replacing the filter. Reset the filter time always when 
replacing the filter. The message functions will not operate properly if the filter time is not reset 
correctly.
• Before replacing the  air filter, carefully read the descriptions of Air-Filter and Replacing the 
Filter on page 20.