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A year ago you couldn't touch a 1080p projector without dumping $10,000. But now these home theater centerpieces bring full high-def resolution, a bevy of color-adjustment options and images brighter than a solar flare -- often for less than three grand.
Jonathan Snyder/WiredWhen we powered up Mitsubishi’s latest low-buck projector, its luminous picture exploded onto the screen, cutting through the house lights in our test theater. Rendering vibrant, accurate color with little adjustment, the sharp picture stood out among our test units with not a single jaggy to be seen. The nearly silent machine emits an easily ignored hum. (Most projectors whoosh like a jet engine at takeoff.) Thanks to motorized zoom and horizontal/vertical lens shift, positioning the image on install is easier than any other projector we tested.
__WIRED __ Extra-clear picture shows off full 1080p resolution. Automatic iris adjustment is buttery smooth, and motorized image adjustment is a blessing from the projector gods.
__TIRED __ Only basic color adjustment options. Blacks aren't as deep as other models we tested.
__Price/maker: __ $3,000, Mitsubishi
Jonathan Snyder/WiredA $5K ringer in our $3K test field, the Sony couples sharp performance with a design that thrills even the most critical home-cinema snob. But you'll need a dim room to take full advantage of its detailed-but-dark image. Pigments looked acceptable after we selected one of the projector's color temperature pre-sets, but perfectionists (and art school grads) will revel in the VW60's in-depth, Photoshop-like hue adjustments. Budget theater builders take note: Sony's VW40 model offers many of the same features in a model priced $2,000 less. But cheap out and you will sacrifice contrast ratio.
__WIRED __ Stunning image detail visible. Superb, easy-to-understand remote. Curvy black case screams "I paid up the wazoo for this." Reasonably quiet.
__TIRED __ You paid up the wazoo for this. No direct control of noise reduction. Pulsing black levels are sometimes visible during auto-iris movements in light-to-dark scene transitions.
__Price/maker: __ $5,000, Sony
Jonathan Snyder/WiredThis capable projector's inky blacks and high-res picture are somewhat spoiled by a poor out-of-the-box color balance. We managed to correct it, but only after spending hours mucking about in the Epson's complex (but effective) color-management menus. And whenever we selected a new default picture/iris setting, the image changed, requiring us to once again twiddle the color. Still, we loved the 1080UB's detailed picture -- and its ability to blast the screen with light on its brightest (dynamic) iris mode.
__WIRED __ Easy physical install -- ceiling mount is included. Bright image looks great even in daylight. Separate color adjustment for skin tones.
__TIRED __ Noisy, especially on high-brightness modes. Clunky remote.
__Price/maker: __ $3,000, Epson
Jonathan Snyder/WiredJonathan Ive, Sanyo needs you. Inside the Z2000's Ambien-bland white box we found a projector capable of decent color representation and a detailed picture -- but not without effort. We spent a lot of (read: too much) time with the Sanyo's unique eyedropper-style color adjustment tool, and were pleased with the results. But crap contrast ratios rendered us disappointed in less-than-stellar movie performance.
__WIRED __ Manual vertical/horizontal image shift simplifies installation.
__TIRED __ Case looks like love child of Xbox and toaster oven. Gimmicky motorized lens door is certain to break. Fan buzz is more irritating than watching the collective works of Uwe Boll.
Price/maker: $3,000, Sanyo
