BenQ has a series of short throw projectors targeting the education and office markets. The BenQ MP782 is one of them offering WXGA resolution and can be positioned as close as 36 inches from the screen. The primary advantage is that a presentation does not have to be disrupted with people trying to cross in front of the projector.

The next phase in projection technology is the availability of 3D. These standards are being firmed up and expect to see more on this as the year progresses. The DLP® Link technology used in the BenQ Projectors requires only one projector (as opposed to two perfectly aligned projectors required today).

The BenQ supports WXGA (1280 x 800) and uses the BrilliantColor Technology. The  BenQ 3D Color Management provides the freedom to fine-tune color intensity to meet any preference. It lets users independently adjust the hue, grain, and saturation levels of all six color wheel tones (red, green, blue, cyan, magenta, and yellow) without colors compromising each other). The projector has a contrast ratio of 2,400:1 and is rated at 2500 Lumens. It supports Analog RGB, DVI-D, S-Video and Composite Video. It also has a Stereo Mini Jack and RCA L/R audio inputs. The MP782 ST weighs close to 8 lbs. Since the education market is targeted, the MP782 ST has two onboard speakers.

There are other short throw projectors in the market. In a previous article, we had written about the InFocus short throw projectors. The BenQ offerings are comparable and trending the latest technology offerings like 3D support. BenQ has a reputation for offering cutting edge quality products and we expect this product to carry on with that tradition.

Technorati Tags: 3D, benq, business projectors, DLP, education, WXGA

The introduction of the Benq W1000 Home Entertainment Projector incorporating DLP Technology makes a huge impression in the home theater market.

With its 10bit color-processing generator and the 6 color segment, it actually gives more brightness and lightening effect to show a more realistic and life-like image. The lighting output is delivered by UNISHAPE, which efficiently produces its lumens for an eye-catching visual effect. Every owner can adjust the color, brightness and lightening effect using the 3D Color Management control mode. This is especially useful when the high definition resolution is up to 1080p (but can also be adaptable to other resolutions from 480i).

The projector can be connected to video boxes such as: Xbox, Blu-Ray DVD, video-games, and even the PSP3. With easy to use and simple to understand multiple video port formats, players can switch over from their video-game to a DVD player without troubling themselves by changing multiple cables.

The main attraction of this projector is the color and the real life display. It also has other nice features that cannot be ignored in today’s global world; such as its multiple language (17 to be exact) display and support for NTSC, PAL and SECAM standards. It weighs about 7 lbs and is easy to carry and travel with. The image display size ranges from 24” to 300”.  A PC port is also supported for presentations.

The Benq W1000 has quite a good feature set but the important ones are those associated with the image (brilliant color and brightness display) and its connectivity to multiple inputs, especially for gaming. It is a great projector to impress your friends and you can do it even without stepping out of your cozy home.

Technorati Tags: 1080P, benq, Home Theater, Projectors

Following up on the previous article, I would like to add some more information on thePanasonic  PT-AE4000U 1080P Home Theater Projector’s features. As mentioned in the previous article, the price for the AE4000U is lower than its predecessor.

The comparisons are with respect to the previous model, AE3000U. The use of inorganic LCD panels result in an improvement in the contrast images that are much sharper and brighter. The “Detail Clarity Processor 3” is set at level 2 as the factory default. It has up to 7 levels and based on the viewer’s choice, it can be set to any other level. The higher the level is set, the better the resolution enhancement of the image output but the final level should be set to what the viewer is comfortable with.

As in the AE3000, the AE4000 has similar functions such as the user friendly menu-interface. This function actually remembers the settings you may have made initially and helps to direct you to your choice settings. Another interesting feature is the Split Screen Calibration. This function allows you to split your screen image into two parts. Adjustments to color, frame size and image output can all be carried out on one half of the still image, thereby showing you the changes you are making with reference to the previous one.

The AE3000 is being constantly compared to AE4000 in all reviews seen on the net. It is a cheaper, better product. If you are trying to decide between the two, don’t waste any more time. Just get the AE4000!

Check out Amazon. They usually have good prices, whether from their store or their partners.

Technorati Tags: 1080P, Amazon, home theater lcd projector, LCD, Panasonic, PT-AE4000U

About a year ago Sanyo announced the availability of the PLV-1080HD Home theater projector. The price has now spiraled down to about $1100, very close to the Sub $1000 projectors offered by Optoma and Vivitek.  The PLV-1080HD is the entry level projectors in a series that includes PLV-Z3000 and PLV-Z700, both rated highly.

The PLV-1080HD is a Full HD LCD (1080P) with the 3LCD panel and uses SANYO’s proprietary 3D color management system. The contrast ratio is 10,000:1 and is rated at 1200 Lumens. The projector has 2 HDMI, 2 Component Video, 1 S Video, 1 Composite and VGA type RGB ports. These are more than adequate to connect the latest HD to older analog sources. Additional features include an electronic shutter that protects the lens from dust when not in use and a fan, rated at only 21dB. The projector does weigh nearly 17 lbs.

Now that there are so many choices in the price range, how does the PLV-1080 HD stack up to the competition? One, it has been the market a lot longer than the Optoma HD20 and the Vivitek H1080FD. In some ways, this is tried and tested model. Reviews at Amazon have been mostly positive. The offerings from Mitsubishi, H3800, and Epson, 8100UB, are a little more expensive but have similar features. Unless you put them all side by side and look at them, it probably wouldn’t matter which one of these you choose. Read the reviews, look at the features, check your wallet and then decide which one to get.

Technorati Tags: 1080P, 3lcd, Home Theater, lcd projectors, PLV-1080HD, sanyo projectors

In October 2009, Panasonic announced the PT AE4000U 1080P as their replacement for the AE3000U home theater projector. Any new model that is released usually has more features and improvements from the previous one but it is accompanied by a higher price.  What is significantly different is that it is cheaper than the AE3000U. I hope this sets a new trend in pricing: newer technologies, improved features and cheaper prices. What could be better?

The AE4000U is rated at 1600 Lumens and has a contrast ratio of 100,000:1. It is based on the 3LCD technology that 1080P LCD based projectors are adopting. The lamp life is projected at 2000 hours. The projector weighs in at 16 lbs. The inputs comprise of 3 HDMI Ports (more than adequate to hook up DVDs and Games), S Video, Component Video, Composite, RGB, 12 Volt Trigger.

The street price of the AE4000U is about twice the cost of the Optoma HD20 and Vivitek H1080FD but I think the improvements and features more than justify the additional cost. So, what does the competition look like? Quite a few!! Most notable are the Mitsubishi HC6800 and Epson 8500UB. If you have about $2,000 to invest in a projector get the Panasonic. The other two are great projectors but I think this is a little better. You will not regret your decision.

Please check out the article which summarizes a few notable features of the AE4000U.

Technorati Tags: 1080P, AE4000U, home theater projectors, Panasonic

Last month InFocus announced the availability IN3900, a series of projectors for collaborative efforts. It used their LiteBoard™ technology, which allows users to interact with a presentation using a wireless wand to annotate and highlight. It makes a presentation much more effective and professional without having to go to a PC (the source) to use the mouse.

The two projectors in the series, IN3902 and IN3904, have similar specifications. They are rated at 3000 lumens and a contrast ratio of 2000:1. The native resolution of the IN3902 is XGA (1024×768) and of the IN3904 is WXGA (1280×800). The input connections are more than adequate for the business and education markets and support HDMI 1.3, VGA and Component. Both these projectors are based on DLP® technology from Texas Instruments. Most notable is the 5 year warranty that is offered for these projectors.

A very unique feature is USB support which allows a presentation loaded on a USB memory stick to be used. It beats lugging around a Laptop for a presentation. Additionally, it has built in WiFi support allowing multiple users to interact with the projector. The projector can also be managed over the network. This feature should be a god send for the IT support team at a company who can remotely access and control the projector. They could use the proprietary InFocus messaging to schedule events and alerts over the network.

The home theater market is where the excitement is but these projectors for the business market incorporate practical innovations to optimize business efficiency from managing the projectors to lowering the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). After all that is what businesses are looking for! Check out the IN3902 and IN3904 if you are looking for a projector for your business.

Technorati Tags: business, education, infocus projectors, WXGA, XGA

About a couple of months ago both Vivitek Corporation and Optoma, announced the availability of the “below $1000” 1080p projectors. I expect both these affordable projectors to fly off the shelf during this holiday season. Until this announcement the best price you could get online with multiple discounts for a 1080p projector was about $300 higher.

These projectors may not have the rich feature set of the higher priced projectors but if you are just planning to watch a movie with good picture quality, have a tight budget (like most of us)  and don’t care about bragging rights, these are projectors are just right. The higher prices you may for marginal improvements may not be worth it.

The Vivitek H1080FD has a native resolution of 1080p (1920×1080) resolution, 1800 lumens of brightness and a contrast ratio of 5000:1.  It comes with multiple input options; most notable are the two HDMI ports. The others are Composite Video, S-Video, Component Video, RS-232c and a 12v Trigger.  The projector is based on the DLP® chipset from Texas Instruments to ensure the digital images don’t fade or degrade over time.  It has an estimated lamp life of 3000 hours.

The Optoma HD20 also has a native resolution of 1080p, 1700 lumens and a contrast ration of 4000:1. Optoma states that the ANSI contrast ratio, a better measure of contrast, is 500:1 which matches it against more expensive projectors. The input ports match those of the Vivitek H1080FD (it does not have a S video port) but the estimated lamp life is 4000 hours, about 33% higher.

If you are on a budget and a home theater enthusiast, you cannot go wrong by buying either the Optoma HD20 or the Vivitek H1080FD. And, by the time you reach the end of life of these lamps, the next newer, faster, cheaper, technology would have arrived.

Technorati Tags: 1080P, H1080FD, HD20, home theater projectors, under $1000 projectors

The Optoma HD8600 is a high end home theater projector was announced in September 2009. The product is primarily available through dealers and installers. I have not been able to locate its availability on the web, yet.

The HD8600 uses Texas Instruments’ DLP® DarkChip3™ DMD Technology, and incorporates Optoma’s proprietary enhancements to deliver a stunning image.  It is rated at 1600 ANSI lumens and has a contrast ratio of 50,000:1. The HD8600’s price is approximately $7,500. I don’t expect much discounting since the sales channels are primarily through installers.

Something unique about the HD8600 is the availability of three interchangeable PureOptics lenses, which when combined with the projector’s center lens placement and full lens shift, provides many options for improving uniformity for the entire image. Each of these lenses is optimized to work within its designed zoom range to optimize the image.

As with any high end home theater projector, the HD8600 provides multiple inputs addressing a wide range of applications, ranging from gaming to home theaters.  It has three HDMI inputs, VGA-in, component video, S-Video, composite video, RS-232, and two +12V triggers and IR receiver.

The question is how much better is the projector over the Panasonic AE4000U or similar projectors? Is it worth spending $5000 over the Panasonic AE4000U for the HD8600? I am not sure! Also, check out the Mitsubishi HC3800 and Epson 8500UB.

Technorati Tags: DLP Projectors, home theater projectors

The PowerLite® series Epson 8100UB and Epson 8500UB were announced in early September 2009 at CEDIA. The arrival of the 8500UB is been eagerly anticipated and, especially, enthusiasts want to know how it stacks up to the Panasonic AE4000U. Epson is firmly in the LCD technology camp and have launched products that are market leaders.

Both these projectors are based on 3LCD™ and provides a viewer an excellent image quality for an outstanding home theater experience.  The 3LCD projectors use an advanced, three-chip optical engine for brilliant color and image quality. Notable features common to both are very low fan noise, preset color modes, higher lamp efficiency and up to 4000 hours of lamp life, depending on usage modes. Additionally, they have numerous inputs; 2 HDMI 1.3a inputs with Deep Color support, high definition component video input, S-video input, composite video input, and VGA-type RGB input

The Home Cinema 8100UB reaches a 36,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio and has a brightness of 1800 Lumens. It is shipping now and has a street price under $1500. This price compares favorably to the Mitsubishi HC3800. The Home Cinema 8500UB has a contract ration of 200,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio and brightness of 1600 Lumens. It is slated to ship towards the end of November 2009 and has an estimated initial street price about $2300. The Panasonic AE4000U which it goes head to head with is $300 cheaper. So, which one is better? The jury is out since they are very close and it depends on your personal preferences. Research them both and buy the one that fits your requirements. If it is a decision based on price, buy the Panasonic AE4000U. It is cheaper and comparable.

To summarize, both the Epson 8100UB and 8500UB are great projectors at their individual price points and are on par or better than their competitors.

Technorati Tags: 1080P, Home Theater, lcd projectors