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This Month's Featured Equipment Reviews |
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Front Projector Forum Topics: |
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Classic Front Projector Reviews |
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Past Front Projector News |
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Home Theater Front Projectors
Categories in section: Home Theater Front Projectors
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Monday, 01 September 2008
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Written by
Kevin Miller
Introduction
Planar, a large front-projector manufacturer on the professional and industrial side of the business, broke into the home theater market late last year after purchasing Runco International, a well-known high-end HDTV manufacturer. Their recently introduced PD8150 is a one-chip DLP projector with a native resolution of 1080p (1920 x 1080), retailing for $7,999, which isn’t the cheapest option in its class, but when you consider its lineage and Runco brethren, its price tag seems to be something of a bargain. Following in the Runco tradition, the PD8150 does have the ISF C3 lockable Day and Night mode features, which allow the installer/calibrator to create two new picture modes per input, locking in the calibration settings to ensure that they are never lost. It is an excellent performer with a couple of flaws, one of which will be remedied in a ...
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Friday, 01 August 2008
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Written by
Kevin Miller
Introduction
Samsung first showed their latest flagship front projector, the SP-A800B, at last year’s CEDIA show in September of 2007. Having used the previous 720p model, the SP-H710AE, as a reference for well over a year, I had very high expectations of the new 1080p-resolution one-chip projector. Now that I have had the opportunity to live with the SP-A800B for an extended period of time, and having run it through its paces, I can say with confidence that I am not in the least disappointed with its performance. It is also beautifully designed and elegant-looking. When compared with my previous reference, the Samsung SP-H710AE, also designed by Joe Kane, the new 800B exceeds its predecessor in performance in a number of key areas. Of course, the 1080p resolution means you get more than double the number of pixels on the screen, ...
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Tuesday, 01 July 2008
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Written by
Kevin Miller
Introduction
Mitsubishi’s new HC6000, using advanced three-panel inorganic LCD panels (3LCD), replaces last year’s HC5000. It is the company’s latest 1080p 3LCD front projector. I was very pleased to discover that Mitsubishi made significant improvements in the critical area of black-level performance over the HC5000. Like the previous model, the HC6000 has a comprehensive feature package. Most of the features in the projector are intended to help you with the set-up and installation of the projector and to allow fine-tuning of the picture. This new model also utilizes an improved lens compared to its predecessor and, as a result, the HC6000 delivers sharp and highly detailed pictures. Let’s see how it compares with other 1080p-resolution projectors at or near its price range to determine its value quotient.
Design
The HC6000 is a compact, lightweight projector with a relatively small overall footprint. It measures ...
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Sunday, 01 June 2008
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Written by
Kevin Miller
Introduction
JVC’s new DLA-RS-2 is the company’s new flagship 1080p-resolution front projector. It is a three-panel LCoS, or what JVC calls DLA (Digital Light Amplifier), which is a reflective variant of LCD display technology. The DLA-RS2 is the step-up from last year’s DLA-RS1, which remains in the company’s projector line-up at a lower price point. However, it improves in only one area of picture performance over the RS-1 with a higher contrast ratio, due mainly to better blacks. While the new projector adds some cool new features, it actually goes backwards in two key areas of performance. Higher contrast ratio on the RS-2 translates into a net loss of nearly 20 percent in light output from the RS-1, which was already marginal in this area. The new projector is conservatively rated at 600 ANSI lumens of light output, which means it ...
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Tuesday, 01 April 2008
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Written by
Kevin Miller
Introduction
Sony’s latest top-of-the-line front projector effectively replaces the company’s original flagship SXRD projector, the Qualia 004. The new VPL-VW200 is not only superior in performance to the original statement piece, but also half its price. It is amazing how quickly things change in the world of video. The VPL-VW200 is a three-panel LCoS (Liquid Crystal on Silicon)-based unit with a native resolution of 1080p. Probably the most impressive aspect of its performance, once you have it set up properly, is its color accuracy. In fact, it is the most color accurate front projector under $30,000 that I have tested. Nothing at or near its price ($15,000) can come close to the performance of the VPL-VW200 in terms of color.
I am a big stickler when it comes to color accuracy, and my latest pet peeve has been inaccurate primary and secondary ...
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