Projectors: Reviews

This Optoma 720p DLP projector is the best option if price matters more to you than performance. Black levels are not as rich as those of more expensive projectors, but are still fine for most viewers. Color accuracy is… very good, and brightness is excellent. The lack of lens shift and a small zoom can make installation tricky and a slow color wheel makes DLP rainbows a little more common for those few who are susceptible to that effect. Spending more gets you better installation flexibility and more cinematic images.

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While more expensive projectors are better performers, the Optoma HD20 is the class leader among similarly priced peers. Blacks aren't the deepest you'll find, but should please all but the pickiest of viewers. Picture… quality is otherwise excellent with great colors even without a calibration. Brightness is high, which means the HD20 is a good choice for use in a family room or living room. On the downside, the HD20 is a DLP projector, which could spell trouble for those very few people who can see the rainbow effect. No lens shift and a short zoom range can make for a tricky installation in some rooms. A feature meant to deepen blacks is more of a distraction than a help. Everyone says, however, the value is undeniable for those who want a true big-screen experience at home.

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Critics love the balance of price and performance offered by the Epson Home Cinema 8100. Though it is a bit more expensive than the Optoma HD20 above, experts say that the pluses are worthwhile for those who can budget… the extra cost. Blacks still can't quite beat the very best, but those projectors are all more expensive. Colors are excellent right from the start, and there are lots of controls for tinkerers to play with to their heart's content. Brightness is good in most modes, and a Living Room mode boosts things up even more -- and without overly hurting picture quality -- for viewing in well-lit spaces. Large amounts of lens shift and a generous zoom range make placing this projector a snap in just about any room. The use of LCD technology means DLP rainbows are not a worry at all.

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This Sony LCoS projector is widely hailed for its top-shelf image quality. Color accuracy is a major strength -- comparing well to high-end videophile projectors costing four times as much. Blacks are also deep and inky,… though some competitors do just as well or even a small amount better in that category. There's enough lens shift and zoom range to make it easy to install the VPL-HW15 in just about any room. While things look best in a darker room, there's enough brightness to withstand a reasonable amount of ambient light and still provide a terrific picture. LCoS technology means none of DLP's dreaded rainbows, and pixel structure is essentially invisible, even at very close distances. Some say that sharpness is a little on the soft side, but others say it is perfect, giving films a more cinematic quality.

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