Joining Planar's debut PD7060 is this £600-cheaper model. The only difference is the PD7060 has a contrast ratio of 3500:1 compared with 2500:1 here. Planar hails from the US, but there's a distinctly European feel to its curvy, black and silver design

Versatile connections, Impressive picture performance, Few of DLP's traditional flaws

Limited zoom, Occasional issues with dark images and blacks

As compelling a high-def projector as you'll find for the money

We're so spoiled these days that we expect a projector costing £3,500 to feature a 1080p resolution and a contrast ratio in the tens of thousands, rather than the 1280 x 720 native pixels and 4000:1 claimed by the ProjectionDesign Action! M20

Ground breaking colours, 3D sculpting

Single digital video input

Unique colour wheel adds a new dimension to this fantastic projector. It seems expensive, but you get plenty for your money

Already known for its burgeoning line-up of beamers, in the growing community of 1080p front projectors Epson is a new kid on the block. Epson may be fresh faced, but it has also come up with one of the cheapest of all the Full HD models out there

Great value for money, Pleasing HD images

Too much picture noise, Little shadow detail

Not perfect but good value for money for anyone investing in next-generation discs

These days it's just not enough to be HD Ready. If you now want to appeal to the AV cognoscenti, you need to be Full HD, with a native pixel count of 1920 x 1080. Cue Panasonic's PT-AE1000, the manufacturer's very first full HD projector

It's Full HD, Good HD connections, Great picture performance

SmoothScreen can affect picture sharpness

A great all-rounder - you won't find better at this price

There's a revolution taking place in the home cinema projection world. The dominance of LCD and DLP technology is being challenged by two new kids on the block: SXRD from Sony, and now DILA from JVC

Full HD, Extraordinary contrast ratio, Magnificent video processor

No D-Sub PC input

Superb quality and performance with no real weaknesses - a sure-fire winner

Most projectors need to be a long way from the screen to deliver massive pictures, but not this DLP model from Toshiba. It uses an ultra short-focus lens to generate a 2.5m (100in) image when placed just 1.3m from the screen

Good short throw performance, Impressive speaker output

Flakey surround sound performance, Disappointing resolution

Has some distinct positives but poor resolution and a variety of sound niggles let it down

Infocus' IN76 projector is the manufacturer's replacement for its impressive Screenplay 5700, and the first bit of good news is that the IN76 costs a sizable £700 less than its predecessor...

Stylish, Future-proof, Incredible picture, Fluid moving scenes

Vertical keystone adjust kills resolution

A killer performance from a well priced projector

With DLP finally getting competitive with LCD in the budget HD Ready projection market, LCD really needs to be on top of its game to stay in contention. Hitachi seems to acknowledge this with its new, LCD-based PJ-TX300

SirF StarIII GPS chipset with Ephemeris Extension support, Wi-Fi, 11-pin mini USB interface, Powerful graphics card, Useful media buttons, High contrast ratio, Decent value for money

Virtual keyboard, Micro SD card slot, 128MB (shared) ROM, No HDMI port, No TV tuner, Detailed setup required for best quality

It may require some tweaking for best performance, but Hitachi has produced an excellent LCD contender

As the budget HD Ready projection market gets more competitive, the number of brands getting involved is dwindling. But Epson's still there, and has in fact just launched a new 'flagship' home cinema projector...

2.33GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7600, 1GB 667MHz DDR2 RAM, 100GB hard disk, Sony DW-Q520A DVD writer, 512MB Nvidia Quadro FX 2500M, Good colour performance, Stylish looks despite large footprint, Long features list

Poor battery life, Weight, No quick-release cap, Disappointing colours

Performance is good, but not great, and at this price isn't enough to wholeheartedly recommend it

Skimming over the spec sheet for the Yamaha DPX-1300, you may get the impression that this DLP projector isn't anything special, but a quick look can be deceptive. Ok, so the native resolution is just 1280 x 720

Easy to set up, Vibrant, well-detailed picture

Very expensive

If you get past thinking this is an awful lot to pay for the features you get, this Yamaha won't fail to impress you