Normally, a new performance plateau is defined by products at the highest possible prices, followed by less expensive models as more consumers fund larger manufacturing volumes. For some reason, however, this is not the case with 1080p front projectors. S...

The Phantom of the Opera is another wonderfully detailed movie on HD DVD, which was faithfully reproduced by the HC5000. The busy backstage, Baroque theater decor, and jewels worn by Christine in her debut performance were beautifully rendered. Color was...

HDTVs are becoming increasingly affordable as price erosion takes a firm foothold with this technology. Still, as with so many things in life, you most often get what you pay for in hometheater equipment. Front projectors have never been more attainable i...

If you can afford about $1,000 more, you can do a lot better in terms of picture quality and performance in a single-chip DLP projector. However, if you are on a really tight budget, the PT-AE900U is capable of a reasonably good home-theater experience, p...

There's nothing like a front-projection display system in a dedicated home theater to give you a true cinematic experience. The good news is that like all digital display technologies, front projectors are becoming increasingly affordable

However, it is difficult to find a better projector overall for $3999. The HDPJ52 is definitely superior in performance, aesthetic appeal, and setup flexibility to the similarly priced Panasonic PT-AE900U LCD projector (reviewed on page 94)

The star of this year's CEDIA Expo was undoubtedly the VPL-VW50, the third generation of 1920x1080 SXRD front projectors from Sony. Listing for just half the price of the previous-generation VPL-VW100 (which garnered TPV's Product of the Year award for 20...

Despite the few problems I've cited, the VPL-VW50 produced a beautiful picture, especially considering its list price of only $5000. That makes it the second lowest-priced 1080p front projector on the market (the lowest being the Mitsubishi HC5000, an LCD...

Optoma is making great strides in the affordable DLP projector arena. The $3495 HD7100 is a 1280x720 DarkChip3 device, with quality optics, four-way lens shift, horizontal and vertical keystone correction, manual zoom and focus, easy-to-navigate menus, an...

When powering up, the HD7100 defaults to DVI. It takes a long time (15-20 seconds) to recognize another active input. This can be annoying if you are trying to switch back and forth from DVI to component, as I did with the HQV test disc. A couple of times...

We are witness to the beginning of a new era in front projection. As CEDIA Expo 2006 so clearly demonstrated, the market is about to be flooded with 1080p front projectors, many with list prices below $10,000. Among them is the Optoma HD81, one of the fir...

HD DVDs were even more beautiful. There was a bit of contouring in the opening sunrise of Training Day, but the Los Angeles skyline was crisply detailed, and the color was excellent- green foliage didn't pop as much as I expected from the primary measurem...

When you're watching a sci-fi flick with lots of action in outer space, does the inky black of the cosmos draw you into its infinite depths, or does it appear washed out and flat? Do the stars shine intensely or merely appear as white dots on a somewhat d...

With such a strong track record in front projectors, it's really no surprise that Sharp's latest effort is so exceptional. Once it's calibrated, detail and color are sensational, and blacks are sublime. The only shortcoming is shadow detail, and even that...

Optoma has established a strong reputation as the king of value-oriented DLP projectors that offer serious bang for the buck. At a list price of $3000, the HD80 undersells all other 1080p DLP projectors by a wide margin. And aside from a few drawbacks, it...

The JVC DLA-HD1 is one heck of a projector, with the best blacks I've yet seen. Detail is exceptional and shadow detail is better than many displays can manage. Aside from the frustrating menu system, I'd be very happy living with this puppy.

During my time spent with the Optoma HD70, I was continually impressed that so little money can buy so much front projector. It offers an extensive feature set, and the overall picture quality was excellent. If youâ're on a budget but crave the big-screen