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Two of the projectors we tested, from Hitachi and Panasonic, use LCD display technology, while the rest employ Texas Instruments' Digital Light Processing (DLP). Only in the last year have high-def DLPs fallen below the $2,500 mark, and the sudden surge of affordable models means even more choices for consumers seeking the ultimate home cinema experience.
If a front projector is in your future, here are a few things to keep in mind:
LOOK FOR AT LEAST 720P RESOLUTION. These eight projectors all have specifications of 1,280 x 720 (designated 720p) or 1,280 x 768 pixels, which is enough to make both DVD and full HD sources look great. If you're serious about watching movies and sports, avoid lower-resolution or non-widescreen projectors.
INSIST ON A DIGITAL VIDEO INPUT. You'll need a digital connection, namely DVI with HDCP (high-definition copy protection) or HDMI, to guarantee full compatibility with future high-def disc formats like HD DVD and Blu-ray. Also, nearly all of the units I tested exhibited a better picture through their digital jacks.
PERMANENT OR PORTABLE? The ceiling is the best place to permanently mount a projector. But if you're storing your projector between showings or carting it around, look for a compact model with a long zoom and "lens shift," which let you easily adjust image size and position for more flexible placement.
CONTROL THE LIGHT. Plan on closing the blinds, watching at night, and generally controlling ambient light any way you can. The darker you can get your room, the better the projected image will look — and pitch black, just like in a movie theater, is best. If you don't want to go through the hassle of darkening a room, then a front projector probably isn't for you.
I used test instruments to tune each of our eight projectors for the best image quality before assessing the picture on an 80-inch Stewart GrayHawk screen (with test patterns as well as DVD and HDTV program material). I looked primarily at three criteria. In the CONTRAST sections, I discuss image brightness, the projector's ability to recreate a realistic black, and how well the picture shows difficult details in shadows. COLOR refers to how natural and accurate colors are, as well, the projector's ability to track an industry-standard color of gray from black to full-on white without introducing hints of other unwanted colors — something we call "grayscale tracking." And I looked at each projector's ability to reproduce all the DETAIL inherent in DVD and HDTV source signals. I was also keeping an eye on picture uniformity — the picture's consistency and lack of artifacts across the entire screen image.
Brief write-ups on the projectors follow (alphabetically), as well as my picks for the best performers and best values in the group and complete lab data.
BenQ PE7700
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The Short Form
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| $2,000 ($3,000 list) / 15 x 4.5 x 11.8 IN / 10 LBS / benq.us / 949-255-9500 |
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Plus
|
| •Bright image •Accurate grayscale |
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Minus
|
| •Weaker blacks •Limited controls |
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Key Features
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| •1,280 x 720-pixel DLP Projector •Inputs 1 HDMI; 1 component-video; 1 S-video, 1 composite-video; 1 RGB/VGA/component-video (5xBNC), 1 RS-232C control •PRICE $2,000 ($3,000 List) Full Lab Results |
CONTRAST The DVD of the sci-fi thriller The Island offers up a lot of white and black and in-between, making it a great choice for testing black level, picture uniformity, and grayscale accuracy. The BenQ PE7700 strutted its stuff on this disc with one of the brightest pictures of the group (along with the Optoma), but its black level was the least impressive. Yes, dim scenes, such as when Lincoln Six Echo (Ewan McGregor) visits Tech Services, still had plenty of impact. But when compared with some other projectors — the InFocus, for example —the blacks were just a bit lighter. Good shadow detail was evident among the pipes in the background in a scene where Lincoln shares a drink with McCord (Steve Buscemi).
COLOR After calibration, the BenQ's grayscale accuracy — which has a big impact on overall color fidelity — was tied for second-best of the eight projectors. The numerous shots of white and off-white hallways looked as natural as I expected, and skin tones had a nice vibrancy. As Jordan Two Delta (Scarlett Johansson) looked up at a knock on her door, I appreciated how her face showed a good range of tones from pinkish to darker tan.
DETAIL Almost all of the PE7700's aspect modes failed to show all the detail in 720p-resolution test patterns, but happily the "Real" mode did not. Fine details in the DVD, such as Jordan's long blonde hair, looked crisp, and HDTV programs I watched exhibited characteristic sharpness. The Fox show 24 was a good example — as Chloe (Mary Lynn Rajskub) and Kim Bauer (Elisha Cuthbert) discussed the show's hero, Jack (Kiefer Sutherland), I could easily see the small links in the chain Chloe wore and the creases in Kim's bottom lip. Like most of the projectors in the shootout, the BenQ PE7700 had excellent focus, and no color fringing or edge enhancement was visible along fine lines.
Hitachi HDPJ52
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The Short Form
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| $2,300 ($3,500 list) / 14.3 x 5.8 x 11.8 IN / 10.4 lbs / hitachi.us / 800-448-2244 |
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Plus
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| •Good blacks •Lens-shift control |
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Minus
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| •Screen-door effect •Some image softness |
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Key Features
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| •1,280 x 720-pixel LCD Projector •Inputs 1 HDMI; 1 component-video; 1 S-video, 1 composite-video; 1 RGB/VGA; 1 RS-232C control •PRICE $2,300 ($3,500 List) Full Lab Results |
CONTRAST LCD technology has come a long way toward producing a convincing black, and that quest is aided in the Hitachi by a valuable mechanical iris control. I adjusted it to coax a relatively inky black out of scenes in the shadowy corners of The Island's murky Tech Services department — though turning it down any further to get the very deepest blacks just made the image too dim for my large screen size and prevented me from achieving my target brightness. This projector is probably best suited to a screen smaller than 80 inches.
COLOR After calibration, the Hitachi's grays were a bit less consistent than those of most of the other projectors. In particular, it became a little red in the middle of its brightness range — a tint that was visible in the light gray ceiling of The Island's lab, for example. Primary colors were pretty accurate, with the exception of green. In a direct comparison with the more accurate Samsung, for instance, an illustration seen in an elevator looked a bit yellow.
DETAIL LCD projectors are known for "screen door" effect in which the grid lines between pixels can become apparent at normal viewing distances. While this was certainly more subtle on the Hitachi HDPJ52 than I've seen on some other LCD projectors, the many white fields in The Island made it more obvious than with any of the other projectors in the test. For instance, when Lincoln passed by a backlit "Department of Labor" placard, the white looked slightly grainy, and when I moved closer, the grain resolved into the fine grid of pixels. Despite a sharp look overall, I did notice that tiny details on the right side of the screen — Jordan's blonde hair as she leaned over a pregnant lady, for example — seemed softer, an apparent fault with the lens. HD scenes from the ESPN SportsCenter studio also didn't have the same razor quality as on, say, the InFocus or the Optoma.
InFocus Play Big IN76
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The Short Form
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| $3,000 / 14.3 x 4.8 x 14.3 IN / 9.3 lbs / infocus.com / 888-282-7529 |
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Plus
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| •Consistent grayscale •Excellent detail |
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Minus
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| •Awkward setup •Less-saturated color |
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Key Features
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| •1,280 x 720-pixel DLP Projector •Inputs 1 HDMI; 1 component-video; 1 S-video, 1 composite-video; 1 RGB/VGA/component-video (5xBNC), 1 RS-232C control •PRICE $2,000 ($3,000 List) Full Lab Results |
CONTRAST The InFocus had no trouble reaching my target brightness, and its black level remained impressive despite the lack of a mechanical iris control — though its blacks weren't quite as deep as some of the other projectors'. That said, its powerful light output could easily drive screens larger than my 80-incher. The shadows in the ruined building that Lincoln and Jordan use as their hideaway after escaping the island had plenty of detail, although I couldn't quite make out as many cracks in the stones as on the Samsung.
COLOR Excellent grayscale tracking both before and after calibration — second only to the Samsung — laid the foundation for the IN76's solid color performance. As with several of the other projectors, the color of green looked slightly off — a highway sign, for example, looked a bit too pale and undersaturated — but I appreciated the projector's accurate flesh-tone rendition. During Lincoln's attempted seduction of Jordan, her skin looked suitably golden, if a bit less punchy than on the Samsung or the BenQ (due mostly to my having to turn down the color saturation slightly to achieve the most accurate hues).
DETAIL Unlike a few of the other DLPs, the InFocus Play Big IN76 nailed every resolution test pattern via both its component-video and its HDMI digital video inputs, with no artificial edge enhancement evident, and it showed stellar detail on both DVD and HDTV program material. I could almost read the bar code on the back of Lincoln's jumpsuit, and on SportsCenter clips from ESPN HD, the graphics and woodgrain of a basketball court looked razor-sharp. I did notice a few more rainbows than with, say, the Sharp or the Mitsubishi, however.
Mitsubishi HC3000U
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The Short Form
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| $2,400 ($3,000 list) / 12.5 x 4 x 9.6 IN / 6.4 lbs / mitsubishi-presentations.com / 949-465-6000 |
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Plus
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| •Good contrast •Numerous controls |
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Minus
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| •Inconsistent grayscale •Some softness |
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Key Features
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| •1,280 x 768-pixel DLP Projector •Inputs 1 HDMI; 2 component-video; 1 S-video; 1 composite-video; 1 RGB/VGA/component; 1 RS-232C control •PRICE $2,400 ($3,000 list) Full Lab Results |
CONTRAST The Mitsubishi HC3000U has more controls that affect contrast than most, and after playing with all of them I was able to achieve a suitably inky level of black. I closed the iris, turned down the lamp power, twiddled with picture controls, and engaged BrilliantColor. Its boost in brightness enabled the Mitsubishi to turn in the third-best measured contrast ratio of the group — better than that of the LCDs but not quite as good as that of the best DLPs. Watching The Island, I got the characteristic and welcome "pop" of dark areas next to light ones during the virtual boxing match between Lincoln and Jordan.
COLOR The Mitsubishi HC3000U delivered the most inconsistent color of gray after calibration of any of the projectors, but calibration was more necessary here since it also had the bluest pre-calibration grayscale, even in its so-called "5900K" mode (which suggests a warm red image). Although the critical red, green, and blue primary colors (used to derive all others) were accurate, the uneven grayscale showed itself in many scenes by adding an undesirable cast to the picture — such as in Lincoln's bedroom, where the tones on the walls went from slightly pinkish to greenish compared with the Samsung as well as the Hitachi.
DETAIL Like most projectors here, the Mitsubishi HC3000U brought out all the detail in the DVD close-ups of faces, and I could clearly read text on the island's computer screens. HDTV, on the other hand, didn't have quite the same sharpness as on some other projectors; for example, the gray hair of a commentator on SportsCenter offered slightly less detail. The difference was exceedingly subtle, but test patterns did reveal that the Mitsubishi HC3000U couldn't quite pass every line of a 720p test pattern.
Optoma HD72
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The Short Form
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| $2,000 ($3,000 LIST) / 13.6 x 3.8 x 9.8 IN / 7 lbs / www.optomausa.com / 408-383-3700 |
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Plus
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| •Bright image •Great price |
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Minus
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| •Weaker shadow detail •Less accurate grayscale |
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Key Features
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| •1,280 x 768-pixel DLP Projector •Inputs 1 HDMI; 1 DVI; 1 component-video; 1 S-video; 1 composite-video; 1 RS-232C control •PRICE $2,000 ($3,000 List) Full Lab Results |
CONTRAST With plenty of light output and deep-enough blacks, the Optoma HD72 delivered that characteristic high-impact picture from the DVD of The Island, and the projector had enough brightness left to drive an even larger screen. But there was a bit of a falloff in shadow detail compared with the better performers in this area, notably the Samsung and the Panasonic. In one shot where Lincoln is walking down a darkened corridor, his face looked a bit less defined as he passed through shadows — features weren't quite as distinct as with the best in the bunch.
COLOR Both before and after calibration, the Optoma HD72 fell into the bottom half of the group in terms of grayscale accuracy, an effect visible in many of the bright-white sequences of The Island. The glare coming off the body of a newly debagged clone had a slightly bluish-green tint that wasn't intended. The darkest areas, such as the letterbox bars, had a slight greenish cast as well. On the other hand, many of the film's colors, like the blue and red lights during Lincoln and Jordan's fight, came across with excellent punch and vibrancy.
DETAIL The Optoma HD72 was the only one of the 1,280 x 768 DLP projectors to deliver perfect 720p-resolution test patterns, and its detail on DVD was also superb. Watching some of the in-studio segments of SportsCenter on ESPN HD, I appreciated all of the tiny squares in the announcer's blue tie and the gray hairs on his head. Highlights of an Ohio State vs. Iowa basketball game looked really good, from the rich blacks of the Iowa uniforms to the details in the wood court and the cheerleaders leaping in ecstasy at a buzzer-beating shot.
Panasonic AE900U
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The Short Form
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| $1,800 ($3,200 list) / 13.3 x 4.1 x 10.6 IN / 8 LBS / panasonic.com / 888-843-9788 |
|
Plus
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| •Deep blacks •Highly adjustable |
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Minus
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| •Dimmer image •Some softness |
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Key Features
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| •1,280 x 720-pixel LCD Projector •Inputs 1 HDMI; 2 component-video; 1 S-video, 1 composite-video; 1 RGB/VGA; 1 RS-232C control •PRICE $1,800 ($3,200 List) Full Lab Results |
CONTRAST The LCD-driven Panasonic AE900U wasn't quite as bright as most of the DLPs I looked at, but, like the other LCD from Hitachi, it had no trouble delivering nice deep blacks, again in part because of a mechanical iris control. The letterbox bars above and below the image looked inky even next to the black felt border around my screen, and the shadows behind Lincoln and Jordan as they slept in the abandoned building looked convincingly dark. Thanks to the Panasonic AE900U's highly adjustable gamma control, I was able to get great detail in shadows without negatively affecting overall contrast — for example, in the texture of a building's stone facade.
COLOR Before calibration, the Panasonic AE900U's grayscale was the most-accurate of the group, and afterward it was bested by only the Samsung and the InFocus. Grays and white looked neutral throughout The Island, and colors, such as Jordan's skin tone as she leaned over to whisper to Lincoln, had a natural, saturated look. Greens were again the exception. During the elevator ride, the quick glimpse of the island — lush and green — looked ever slightly too yellow. As with the Hitachi, I did see less uniform white fields than with the DLPs. In one early example, during the onscreen credit for Scarlett Johansson, the white sky becomes noticeably darker toward the left side of the screen.
DETAIL The Panasonic AE-900U resolved every line of a 720p test pattern, but the HD image looked slightly soft in some scenes, especially those with onscreen text. This wasn't as detectable as on the Mitsubishi or the Sharp, however, and I probably would've missed it had I not seen some of the more detailed models, like the Optoma, side by side.
Samsung SP-H710AE
|
The Short Form
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| $3,500 ($4,000 LIST) / 15.1 x 7 x 16.8 IN / 19.9 LBS / samsung.com / 800-726-7864 |
|
Plus
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| •Accurate color •Excellent contrast |
|
Minus
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| •Expensive •Some rainbows |
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Key Features
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| •1,280 x 720-pixel DLP Projector •Inputs 1 DVI; 2 component-video; 1 S-video; 1 composite-video; 1 RGB/VGA; 1 RS-232C control •PRICE $3,500 ($4,000 List) Full Lab Results |
CONTRAST The Samsung SP-H710AE led the pack in depth of black and overall contrast ratio, and its score was helped significantly by the uniformity of its image — it maintained excellent brightness and neutrality across the screen. It also delivered more shadow detail in difficult scenes. In the shot of Lincoln walking down a shadowy corridor, I could make out more of his face than on the Panasonic or the Optoma, both of which were very good in this regard.
COLOR This is where the Samsung SP-H710AE set itself apart from the rest. While its out-of-the-box grayscale didn't hew as close to the industry standard as a couple of the other projectors', it came closer than any other after calibration. This consistent gray, combined with deep blacks, lent colors a richness that surpassed the rest of the field. On the first view of Jordan across the quad, her skin looked ever so slightly more colorful and natural. Primary color accuracy, especially that of green, also exceeded that of the others, although the Optoma's red measured slightly better.
DETAIL The Samsung SP-H710AE's crisp, noise-free image matched the best projectors in the bunch. High-def 720p from SportsCenter and 24 were as sharp as could be. On 24, for example, Chloe's chain necklace and Kim's eyelashes had more detail than with most of the other projectors, ranking on par with the Optoma and the InFocus. I did see a few characteristic DLP "rainbows," and more frequently than with a couple of other projectors, but they didn't appear often enough to be distracting.
Sharp XV-Z3000
|
The Short Form
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| $3,000 ($3,500 LIST) / 12.5 x 4.4 x 11.8 IN / 8.9 LBS / sharpusa.com / 800-237-4277 |
|
Plus
|
| •Classy styling •2 component inputs |
|
Minus
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| •Inadequate presets •Inaccurate grayscale |
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Key Features
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| •1,280 x 768-pixel DLP Projector •Inputs 1 HDMI; 2 component-video; 1 S-video; 1 composite-video; 1 RGB/VGA/component; 1 RS-232C control •PRICE $3,000 ($3,500 LIST) Full Lab Results |
CONTRAST Out of the box, the Sharp XV-Z3000's picture presets all yielded a relatively washed-out black level, and only by reducing brightness and making other adjustments was I able to approach a decent black. To maintain my target brightness, however, I had to sacrifice blacks a little, so many dark images — Lincoln's foray into Tech Services in The Island, for example — looked somewhat lighter than on any of the other projectors. Clearly, the Sharp XV-Z3000 will perform better with a smaller screen — say, 70 inches wide.
COLOR After calibration, the Sharp's grayscale varied more than any other projector's. The difference was most visible in bright whites, such as in the slightly-too-blue flash that washed over Jordan during the virtual fighting section. Primary red and blue looked good, but as with a few of these projectors, green was off — making the island's grass just a bit yellow. Aside from that, I appreciated the Sharp's deep saturation, although its slightly lighter blacks did rob the colors of some richness.
DETAIL Although the Sharp XV-Z3000 resolved the finest details of the DVD, high-def revealed a slightly softer image than from several other units; test patterns confirmed the projector's inability to fully resolve 720p. The edges of text in my satellite receiver's on-screen display appeared a bit fuzzy, but the difference was also apparent in program material, such as in 24, where the chain and jewel on Chloe's necklace were a bit soft.
and the winners are...
After comparing eight projectors, I found many more similarities than differences, and the differences were by and large quite subtle. As I mentioned earlier, most viewers will be perfectly satisfied with the image from any of these very capable units. A few did rise to the top, though, so if fine distinctions in image quality or getting the best price are important to you, here are my picks for picture quality and value.
BEST VALUE: Panasonic AE900U
I had quibbles with some of its image traits, but at the end of the day the Panasonic AE900U's awesome control over the picture, its versatile lens-shift controls, and, most of all, its deeply discounted price make it my budget pick of the pack. Another excellent choice for value-conscious shoppers is the incredibly inexpensive, good-performing Optoma HD72.
BEST PICTURE: Samsung SP-H710AEAE
At the other end of the price scale is the Samsung SP-H710AE, and it really does just about everything right. Where many of the projectors could summon good contrast, deep blacks, or sharp details, none of them came close in terms of accurate color and image uniformity. If you can appreciate the fine points of its performance, don't mind its slightly bulkier form factor, and have the extra budget to spend, this is a great choice. If you'd rather spend a little less, my runner-up for best picture quality, the InFocus IN76, will please all but the toughest critics.
Choosing a Matching Screen
There's no point fielding a great quarterback without a wide receiver. Likewise, if you're buying a front projector, you'll need a big, wide screen for it to throw its image to. Here are a few tips to follow:
SELECT A SCREEN TYPE. A fixed screen stays on the wall like a picture; a retractable screen disappears when you don't need it. Retractables can be manual or electric. If you opt for an electric, you can choose to operate it with a remote or a wall switch or by turning your projector on and off. Also, think beforehand about speaker placement. For the most cinematic presentation, the speakers should go directly behind the screen, but you'll need a special screen that allows sound to pass through uncolored.
PICK A SIZE. Bigger is better ... to a point. The bigger the screen, the dimmer the image and the larger the pixels that make up the image will appear. Also, sitting too close to a huge screen can be fatiguing. A great tool for selecting the right screen size for your viewing distance is at myhometheater.homestead.com/viewingdistancecalculator.html.
CHOOSE COLOR. White is no longer your only choice for screen color. In fact, most manufacturers offer gray screens that allow for improved contrast and black levels with today's ultra-bright projectors. Some even offer black screens for use well-lit rooms.
SELECT GAIN. Every screen on the market has a "gain" rating, from less than 1 to 6. The higher the gain, the brighter the image will appear when viewed head-on. The tradeoff is a narrower viewing "sweet spot" (people sitting to either side see a dimmer image) — as well as "hotspotting," in which colors shift depending on your position. The appropriate gain for a dedicated home theater where you'll be viewing in total or near darkness is likely to fall between 1 and 1.5.
CONSIDER FABRIC AND FRAME. Beyond the reflective characteristics and quality of the screen material, a higher-end screen will have a nicer frame. Lower-priced screens snap to the front of a simple aluminum frame, while premium screens have a thick, beveled frame covered in a light-absorbing black fabric that improves perceived contrast.
BUY A TRUSTWORTHY BRAND. The top three screen makers are Stewart (stewartfilmscreen.com), Draper (draperinc.com), and Da-Lite (da-lite.com). Up-and-comers include Screen Research (screenresearch.com), Vutec (vutec.com), and Elite Screens (elitescreens.com). A decent 92-inch fixed screen probably starts at around $500 and can run to $2,000 for a premium model. Good motorized screens range from approximately $750 to $3,500.
— John Sciacca
•Read all the test benches.
•Watch the video.
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