This article was taken from the April 2013 issue of Wired magazine. Be the first to read Wired's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by <span class="s1">subscribing online.
Get the best out of <span class="s2">Blu-ray by adding an HD projector to your home cinema
How we tested
We projected colourful, high-contrast Blu-ray films such as Avengers Assemble on to a 2.5-metre screen, to gauge black-level performance, colour and handling of frame-rate. We also measured fan and auto-iris noise during operation, and the maximum ambient light-levels allowed.
Epson EH-TW8100
Essentially a stripped down version of Epson's flagship EH-TW9100, this model offers the same mega contrast and is bright enough to be used in a room with low levels of ambient lighting.
Shadows are detailed, but blacks aren't quite inky. The projector's auto iris also makes a low, grumbling noise that you'll need to drown out. The 3D performance is top drawer -- but infuriatingly, no 3D glasses are supplied.
Wired: Wonderfully clean 3D
Tired: Blacks border on dark grey
Score: 7/10
Price: £2,250
[epson.co.uk
](https://www.epson.co.uk/)
ViewSonic Pro9000
This 2D-only projector uses an LED laser light source - so you'll never need an expensive replacement bulb. Colour reproduction is excellent, delivering believable skin tones and rich reds, though blacks are not deep.
Wired<span class="s3">: <span class="s2">LED Laser
Tired:<span class="s2"> Needs a fully blacked-out room
Score: 6/10
Price: £1,600
viewsoniceurope.com
Sony VPL-HW50ES
Powered by Sony's Silicon X-tal reflective display, this projector boasts blisteringly sharp, high-contrast images.
Candy-coloured action romps such as Avengers Assemble look bright and punchy, and the projector's black-level performance is also outstanding. An iris algorithm optimises sequences on the fly, adjusting for the best possible contrast, and 3D content is watched via active-shutter glasses (it comes with two pairs).
Wired: Sharp images
Tired: 3D suffers from slight crosstalk
Score: 7/10
Price: £3,000
[sony.co.uk
](https://www.sony.co.uk/)
Panasonic PT-AT6000E
Aimed at home-theatre enthusiasts, Panasonic's projector is built to meet the high standards of the Digital Cinema Initiative specification -- the digital technical proficiency level established by major US film studios. HD images are crisp and colour reproduction richly lustrous. The PT-AT6000E also delivers the best 3D in our test group, with low crosstalk and a natural smoothness to fast movement.
Wired: Impressive calibration options
Tired: Bland design; a tad complicated
Score: 7/10
Price: £3,000
[panasonic.co.uk
](https://www.panasonic.com/uk/)
JVC DLA-X95R
This extravagantly specced JVC projector uses hand-picked components and bespoke tuning to maximise native contrast levels (not to mention the price tag). It also offers 4K e-shift2 image processing to give a claimed resolution of 3,840 x 2,160, but it's not really a 4K projector -- it produces an offset subframe of the original image to boost quality.
Wired: High contrast
Tired: Not truly 4K
Score: 8/10
Price: £10,000
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
