Holiday Buyer's Guide 2007: Projectors

There are those home theater fanatics who still appreciate the projector despite it's typical large hit on the pocketbook and the fun of setting it up and calibrating it. For those willing to go for it though, they're rewarded with the most theater-like experience outside of the movie theater around. This list is for you. TVSnob's 5 recommended projector buy's this holiday season.

SharpVision XV-Z20000 Projector

Damn expensive, but a damn fine projector. Prepare to take a hit with the $9980 price tag, but after you've dealt with it, prepare to be wowed by this front projector from Sharp. Utilizing DLP 0.95" DarkChip3 1920 x 1080 technology from Texas Instruments in addition to Sharp's Computer Video & Integrated Composer (CV-IC System III) technology, the SharpVision will electrify you with full 1080p, 12000:1 contrast ratio, 1000 ANSI lumens and a 100 inch screen throw distance.

Dell 1201MP Multimedia DLP Projector

One of the best of the budget projectors, the Dell features a maximum brightness of 2000 lumens, a 2100:1 contrast ratio, and supports a range of television and video standards including NTSC, NTSC 4.43, PAL, SECAM, and HDTV. It also supports interlaced and progressive scan resolutions up to 1080i. Definitely a top choice for those in the market for a budget projector as it currently sells for only $565!

JVC DLA HD1 Projector

Middle of the range in terms of price as it will set you back about $4800, but the DLA features full HD resolution, a native 15000:1 contrast ratio as well as a 2x zoom lens, lens shift mechanism, and front fan intake and exhaust for maximum flexibility in the projector's placement. No need for a room devoted to this projector!

BENQ W10000 DLP Projector

Featuring a Texas Instrument's 1080p resolution chip, 1200 ANSI lumens and a solid package for setup and optimization, the BENQ W10000 is a deal considering the mid-range price tag. A wide range of preset picture modes, selectable color temperatures, and a range of HDMI and component inputs make calibration for best performance fairly simple. Definitely a top performing projector. Price: $4500.

Sony VPL-VW100 Projector

With the best price-to-performance ratio around, the VPL-VW100 is an HDTV-ready projector with a widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio, 3 SXRD panels each with 1920x1080 pixels, 5ms pixel response time, and a 15000:1 contrast ratio. This is currently the lowest-priced 1080p front projector on the market and with an image brightness of 800 ANSI lumens, it also produces one of the crispest pictures with the deepest blacks available. In addition, right now you'll save $2600 off the list price of $9000 and pay only $6399! Definitely take this deal while you can get it!

November 12, 2007

Holiday Buyer's Guide 2007: Projectors