Canon Realis SX50

Reviews say that the Canon Realis SX50 digital projector offers better image quality than any business-class portable digital projector priced under $5,000, if your computer can support its 1400 x 1050 resolution. Although it uses LCoS (liquid crystal on silicon) technology that the best movie theater projectors have, the Canon Realis SX50 is not really designed for movies, experts say. You're spending the money to give clear depictions of "engineering and architectural drawings and designs, medical imaging, scientific modeling," says ProjectorCentral.com. If you you're mainly displaying PowerPoint slides and less complicated images, reviews say the Dell 2400MP (*est. $1,200) is the best value.

The thorough reviews at ProjectorCentral.com and ProjectorReviews.com put the Canon Realis SX50 in the best context, describing it as money well spent for specialized needs. ProjectorCentral.com also offers about a half-dozen owner reviews, which is more than you'll find elsewhere, including Amazon.com, which at this writing has none. PC Magazine and PC World do extensive testing but approach their reviews in a more general sense, and say the one-watt speaker is "inadequate" for movie-watching.