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HOME THEATRE VIDEO PROJEC Are you about to buy a home theatre setup? For the very best home theatre experience you need a high-definition projector. This survey will help you make an intelligent selection, enabling you discriminate between high definition, standard definition and data projectors and also gain an overview of the different projector types. By Barrie Smith H ome theatre should be exactly that: a room in your home that will replicate as closely as possible the real cinema experience. That experience can only be created with a projector and a big screen … preferably wall size. While LCD and plasma TV manufacturers are busy expanding the screen dimensions of these display devices — Samsung has got to a 102-inch (2.6 metres diagonal) plasma screen — these massive flat screen TVs are not a realistic solution to your needs for a home cinema. They do have drawbacks, such as the amount of heat generated by such a display, the weight of a 4-metre screen, the continuing problem with plasma burn-in … and don’t even think about the price! You may find you’ll have to sell the house to buy one! Talk cinema at Hoyts or in the home – and you’re talking projection; digital video projection that can take a digital signal from the nearest transmitter or DVD player, plus multi-channel surround sound. There is a big selection of projectors to consider – there are around 30 different brands of video projector on the Australian market. Some makers have one model in their range, others three or more. Investment Let’s lay out the territory. For a home cinema, you need a suitable room, a projector, the signal source (broadcast programming in analog or digital, SD or HD or a DVD player) 8  Silicon Chip Photo: Len Wallis Audio and a multi-channel audio system. Oh, you may think it advisable to invest in a ‘proper’ screen, with a suitably reflective surface and matte black surrounds. Then again, many people make do with a white painted wall. The selected site for Cinema Chez Nous will ideally be a largish room that can be easily darkened. A room that is beset by high ambient light levels is patently unsuitable: even high output projectors don’t look good in a bright room. Anything up to eight speakers will have to be accommodated in the scheme. A room with ‘bright’ acoustics from parallel, painted walls is far from ideal. Two theatres in my local multiplex could win an Oscar for poor sound – due to precisely this reason – so at least, in this respect, you have the opportunity to outclass your local picture palace. You will also need somewhere to mount the projector, such as a floor-mounted console or an in-ceiling installation. And seating: preferably comfortable armchairs … don’t forget King Kong lasted two hours and fifty minutes – and the DVD version of Gone With the Wind lasts an excruciating 238 minutes (near enough to four hours!). In the above plan I’m talking about a front projection set up. If you want to get really classy and hide the projector behind the screen, letting it throw the image in a back projection mode, most projectors can provide for the picture to be laterally flipped to enable this set-up. But then you need to allow for the extra real estate behind the screen! siliconchip.com.au CTOR SURVEY There’s a lot more to all of this but you get the general idea. Possibly the most crucial decision you must make before even deciding on the make or model of projector is to get your head around the technology used to bring the picture to the screen. resulting in colours that slowly shift to red or blue. DLP (Digital Light Processing) DLP projectors (also known as DMD or Digital Micromirror Device) use a panel composed of hundreds of thousands Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) LCD projectors can use a single panel or three separate LCD panels. With the latter, each panel is devoted to one of the red, green and blue signals fed into the projector. As light passes through the LCD panels, individual pixels are opened or closed, to allow light to pass or be blocked. This action produces the on-screen image. To separate the individual pixels, LCD projectors use a microfine grid to prevent one pixel’s light from affecting the neighbouring pixel. Although the grid is essential to maintain picture quality it also entails some loss of light, which is partially absorbed as it impacts on the liquid crystal layer. Some projectors use a micro lens array in front of the grid to concentrate and direct the incoming light. Most reviewers feel that LCD produces a sharper image than the DLP approach (below) and delivers more on-screen light output, using the same wattage lamp. LCD’s failings (in some models) are: the “screen door effect” caused by the inter-pixel spaces; lack of a decent black and appreciable contrast and dead pixels may mar the picture. LCD panels are known to slowly decay over time, siliconchip.com.au With 3LCD-based projectors, the white light from the lamp is separated into the three primary colours by the dichroic mirror/filter. Each beam of light then passes through its appropriate colour LCD panel for processing. Each individual pixel on the LCD panel will turn on or off (partially or totally) to create the desired brightness and colours needed on screen. August 2006  9 Each Digital Micromirror Device (DMD) chip is made up of millions of tiny mirrors. Each mirror is dedicated to an on-screen pixel. White light from the lamp goes through the red, green and blue (and in some cases white) colour wheel. As the coloured light passes into the DMD, the specific mirror will reflect it by tilting at varying angles at a very fast speed. Like LCD projectors, in the LCOS system white light from the lamp is separated into the three primaries by the dichroic mirror/filter. The coloured light rays then travel to the liquid crystal panels, which reflect the appropriate colors and brightness on the screen (in similar fashion to the DMD chip). of moving micro mirrors, controlled by underlying semiconductor electronics and a spatial light modulator. When fed a digital video signal a DLP chip’s mirrors can reflect a completely digital image onto the screen. The DLP panel’s micro mirrors are mounted on tiny hinges so they can tilt either towards or away from the light source, creating either a light or dark pixel on the screen. This happens several thousand times a second. The white light generated by the lamp in a DLP projection system passes through a colour wheel as it travels to the surface of the panel. The colour wheel filters the light into red, green and blue; mixtures of these primaries can produce all the intermediate hues, such as brown, purple, etc. High-end DLP projectors use a 3-chip configuration with no colour wheel. Consumer projectors use a single chip DLP panel and a colour wheel, having anything up to eight segments, to avoid the so-called “rainbow effect”. This is more visible to some people than others and may be seen as a momentary multi-colour shimmer due to the fact that not all the colours in an image are projected at the same time. DLP projectors can be smaller than LCD models and produce less heat. They suffer less from the “screen door effect” than LCD models because the control circuitry surrounding each mirror isn’t as large. DLP technology may not be quite as colour-accurate but the colours will not shift over the course of its lifespan. The Interface n quality, the highest on-scree If you’re aiming for jector is pro d signal source an the interface between important. mposite, in this listing have co Virtually all the units ks these lin o inputs. Being analog broadcomponent and S-vide n itio fin stard with a High De liver de really don’t cut the mu n ca ion ect nn component co r. cast signal, however a playe s from a decent DVD very satisfactory result l transfer ita dig the s wa e) ac erf DVI (Digital Video Int high-end ra ult HDTV and other HDMI. method of choice for by d de rse pe now being su video displays but is , al) DVI-A of DVI: DVI-D (digit There are three types alog]). an tegrated [digital and (analog), and DVI-I (in e) is the ac erf Int n Multimedia HDMI (High Definitio ressed mp co un ng rti rrier, transpo new digital signal ca y the displa device channel audio data to 10  S ilicon Chip d multivideo an Liquid Crystal on Silicon (LCOS) LCOS is a new display technology that shows great promise, possibly able to yield even finer resolution and clarity than LCD or DLP but so far, there are very few LCOS models available. Philips, Intel and Toshiba have all explored LCOS and “walked away”, failing to see a commercial return on the development costs. At this stage, LCOS is more expensive than LCD or DLP. LCD uses transmissive technology; DLP uses a reflective method. Consider LCOS as a hybrid of LCD and DLP. It is a reflective technology that uses liquid crystals instead of individual mirrors. In LCOS, liquid crystals are applied to a reflective mirror substrate. As the liquid crystals open and close, the light is either reflected from the mirror below or MI to DVI . It is possible to get HD through a single cable I, should , going from HDMI to DV cables, so compatibility a DVI ect nn wever, you cannot co not be a problem. Ho with HDMI input. source to a projector the input listed here will handle s tor jec While all pro n actually n image signal, few ca of a true High Definitio . A model d pixels on the screen put all those lines an e downag im n 20 pixels on-scree that delivers a 1280x7 e result Th e. ag im el 20x1080 pix samples the original 19 will be t t the absolute best tha they is pretty good but is no en wh rs y or HD DVD playe obtainable with Blu-ra are finally released. s than with an output of les Note that any projector fin de ition. ot be regarded as high 1280 x 720 pixels cann n), 1080i sca e 720p (progressiv An HDTV signal is in the t. ma (progressive) for (interlaced) or 1080p siliconchip.com.au GREAT VIEWING ANYWHERE ITALIAN DESIGNED & BUILT SUPPORT SOLUTIONS OMB Support Solutions For LCD & Plasma Monitors, TV’s, VCR’s, Decoders, Speakers, Microwaves and More... INSTALLERS / DEALERS FREE Full Colour Catalogue Available Contact Us Today! siliconchip.com.au AUSTRALIAN DISTRIBUTOR: WES AUSTRALASIA, 138 Liverpool Road Ashfield, NSW 2131 Tel. 02 9716 0741 Fax. 02 9798 0017 Email. wes<at>wes.net.au August 2006  11 UHP lamps – the heart of modern video projectors While the technology behind the LCD, LCOS and DLP panels used in modern video projectors is impressive, all that would count for nothing without the UHP lamp which provides the very high light output to drive them. UHP stands for “ultra high performance” or “ultra high pressure”, depending on which literature you are reading. UHP lamps are very expensive to replace, typically $500 to $700, and their life is typically around 3000 hours. That very high cost is much greater than the lamps used in 35mm slide projectors and the difference is due to the complex technology used in UHP lamps. A UHP lamp is a high-pressure mercury discharge lamp. The mercury vapour arc is typically only 1mm long, established between tiny tungsten electrodes. When the arc is up to full temperature (at just a little less than the melting point of tungsten – 3000° K), the mercury vapour pressure is between 200 and 290 bar (3000 to 4300 psi!). The very high pressure is used to obtain a flatter spectral output from the discharge but even so, filters Replacing the ~$700 UHP lamp in a video projector is not a job for the faint-hearted – in fact, it should only be attempted by professionals with access to all the right gear and software. 12  Silicon Chip Extra close-up of the business end of the Sony UHP lamp, clearly showing the spiral ignition coil wrapped around the “burner”. You can also see the tiny arc gap in this picture. are required to provide a white light output. The entire lamp (the burner) itself is typically less than 50mm long and is mounted longitudinally in a parabolic reflector with the arc situated at the focus and usually with a spiral electrode around one half, for igntion. The lamp requires a high voltage to ignite it (up to 5kV) but when established, the arc runs at around 65V and 2A for a 120W lamp. Hence the lamp also requires complex electronics to ignite and drive it, similar to that used for high-intensity gas discharge lamps in up-market cars. Lamps should only be replaced by qualified technicians with access to the projector’s internal software to reset the timer to zero. Pictured at the top of this page is a selection of projector lamp assemblies from Sony, Panasonic and Philips. This shows a selection of UHP lamp burners rated at 100W, 150W and 250W. Notice the very small gap between the tungsten electrodes. siliconchip.com.au blocked. This modulates the light and creates the image. LCOS-based projectors usually use three LCOS chips, for the red, green and blue image data. Both LCOS and LCD projectors deliver red, green, and blue light to the screen simultaneously, leading to a more colour-saturated picture than straight DLP. LCOS advantages include: inherent high resolution; minimal inter-pixel space which delivers a smoother and more natural picture. Disadvantages are: low contrast in some models, limited lamp life and more expensive lamp cost. Canon has spent hugely getting LCOS into shape. They did the same thing with CMOS sensors for digital still cameras and were so successful they managed to encourage other companies like Sony and Nikon to follow. But LCOS is also a fickle technology, which is why InFocus, NEC, Sony and the other big guys aren’t even dealing with it. Bounce too much light off an LCOS chip and the image contrast ratio goes kaput. Ratchet down the lamp brightness to the point at which contrast is good and the image will be too dim for viewing in large areas such as conference rooms. In Canon’s approach, the light is allowed to pass through the projector’s polarising beam splitter to bounce off LCOS chips in parallel waves to maximise contrast, and in vertical/angled waves to maximise brightness. The system handles the projector control light in horizontal and vertical directions independently; something never before accomplished with an LCOS projector, says Canon. Usually, to get 2500 lumens using LCOS technology, a projection lamp must be larger and more powerful than those used to power equally bright LCD or DLP models. But Canon’s system allows for the use of a smaller lamp and smaller components, so making the projector more portable. The future of LCOS is still debatable but it is one to watch. JVC’s D-ILA Digital Direct Drive Image Light Amplifier (D-ILA) Be square-on can re-centre the screen form of keystone correction that ing up sett in s blem pro ious obv the ed er digital or optical corOnce you’ve solv image. This will consist of eith , killing the ling cab as h suc ters mat ma, your home cine rection. you next face the major LCD/DLP/etc image room’s ambient light and so on, With digital correction, the s term in ure pict n cree on-s the pixellated image challenge of optimising the is corrected by a reshaping of ess. before the picture aren squ ess of rectilinearity or to produce on-screen squaren screen, you the at ed aim tly rrec inco is or If a project reaches the lens. stone, both lateral and al lens is shifted to engage with the problems of key With optical correction, the actu e projectors this can vertical. square up the final image. In som hallthe is ure pict en scre idal ressive control of ezo imp An off-square, trap be very sophisticated and afford em. syst tre thea e hom up set rly mark of a poo the screen image. e – to begin with – to optical correction In general terms, it’s best practic Both work very well but I feel that ned alig e sibl pos as ely clos as of control available. position the projector lens has the edge, due to the amount reasons are e ther find then You imum distortion as tre. min with the screen cen Optical correction also delivers furniture in ble: ieva ach ly rare the screen image. is t tre spo cen to mum why this opti the lens is actually shifted etc. to distortion but also the way, inconvenient location Digital correction can not only lead jecpro the n itio pos y arel squ Also take great care to introduce artefacts. surface so that you get ral and vertical keytor’s lens parallel to the screen A projector which offers both late . tion ge. solu ima a rectilinear stone correction is the best market have some the on ors ject pro all lly, nkfu Tha siliconchip.com.au August 2006  13 “MERLIN” Practical and Versatile Mini Broadcast Audio Mixer natural look of DLP projection. Technology aside, the key to a satisfactory viewer experience is the quality of the screen material used to display the picture and the ambient light environment of the home cinema… this is not to forget the quality of the source programming. Scanning method Safe External Switchmode Power Supply Broadcast Quality with Operational Features and Technical Performance identical to full sized Radio Station Mixing Panels Permanent Installation is not required, the “Merlin” is as easy as a Stereo System to “Set Up”,all connections via Plugs and Sockets The “Merlin” originally designed for Media Training use in High Schools and Colleges is a remarkably versatile Audio Mixer Applications: Media Training - Basic Audio Production - News Room Mixer - Outside Broadcasts - Radio Program Pre Recording On-Air Mixer in small Radio Stations - “Disco Mixer” The “Merlin” is an Affordable Professional Audio Product Buy one for your School, College, Community Radio Station, Ethnic Radio Broadcast Association or for yourself For Details and Price, please contact us at ELAN Phone 08 9277 3500 AUDIO Fax 08 9478 2266 2 Steel Court. South Guildford email sales<at>elan.com.au www.elan.com.au Western Australia 6055 technology uses the LCOS principle and was developed by JVC. The chip is a CMOS design which has the benefit of placing the matrix addressing switches and electronics right behind (not between) the light-modulating liquid crystal layer. The result is a 93% fill factor and virtual elimination of the “screen door effect” so that that images can be as smooth and natural as film with fine reproduction of details in the original image. Other pluses are high brightness, high resolution, high contrast and analog gradation. Sony’s SXRD This design appears to be similar to that of LCOS displays but with some proprietary refinements. SXRD, like LCOS, is reflective; light passes through a liquid crystal layer, which controls the light from each pixel, then is reflected back out. In the QUALIA projector, three SXRD devices (red, green, blue) can fit on a chip measuring just 0.78 inch diagonally. This radically increases the amount of light that can reach the screen and reduces the “screen door” effect. Other benefits are rapid response time with none of the image lag that afflicts most LCD devices. A contrast ratio of 3000:1 is claimed for the SXRD panel itself. The pure Xenon lamp has a more even color spectrum than the UHP lamps used in most digital home theatre projectors. Look’n’feel Many people find the choice of a projection display technology (LCD, DLP or LCOS) becomes a subjective chore. Some prefer the sharpness of the LCD image or the more 14  Silicon Chip Progressive or interlaced scanning? We’ve all grown up with interlaced scanning in our home TV sets and it was only when computers, using progressive scan, started to proliferate in the domestic scene that most of us became aware that there was another way to ‘paint’ an electronic picture. Interlaced scanning was initially a means to rapidly get a picture onto the phosphor-coated screen of cathode ray tubes; the benefit was less transmission bandwidth. On your television set, half the lines (called a field) are displayed at 50 times a second (Hertz) and then the other half are woven in at 50 times per second; the eye’s persistence of vision enables the two halves of the raster to knit a complete, flickerless video frame. In PAL we have two interlaced 50Hz displays or 25 complete pictures in each second. NTSC uses a 60Hz system, delivering 30 complete interlaced pictures every second. At one stage quite a few manufacturers marketed 100Hz TV sets, using internal digital frame stores to double up the 50Hz interlace halves and deliver a faux-50Hz display. This seems to have lost market appeal in recent times. Progressive scan in the home TV appeared when high quality sports broadcasting came into its own. With progressive scan you get 50 complete pictures every second. LCD and plasma monitors typically only display video signals in a progressive scan format. LCD monitors do not use phosphors and are not susceptible to screen burn. Ghosts Fastidious viewers soon notice the response lag of LCD systems — both with flat pan el teles and projectors. A fast response time is the tim e in milliseconds it takes for the LCD cells to change from active to inactive and back again. A quicker respons e time gives fast and more accurate on screen action. In subject matter such as sports programming and video games it can be annoying to find that the ball, cursor or similar will ‘ghost’ or ‘sub marine’ across the screen, without showing a smo oth transition from A to B. If you like watching ultra-rapid action in your movies, or you’ve hooked up you r PlayStation to the projector to play games, you sho uld look for one with a response time of less than 25m s. ViewSonic has developed LCD technology with a rated response time of just one millisecond. Using a ViewSonic OverDrive chip, a plu g-in replacement for a microprocessor designed to speed up the PC in which it is used, it seems set to appear in computer displays first. No doubt the high-speed displays will also be attractive to other digital program ming viewers; the serious gaming market is one whe re players will spend extra dollars to achieve high perf ormance. siliconchip.com.au what’s life? ...if it’s all work and no Home Entertainment C R E A T I O N Home Theatre I N N O V A T I O N Home Automation I N S T A L L A T I O N I N S P I R A T I O N 64 Burns Bay Road Lane Cove NSW 2066 • Ph (02) 9427 6755 Fx (02) 9427 2490 • sales<at>lenwallisaudio.com.au www.lenwallisaudio.com.au Admark 14-A29SilChp siliconchip.com.au August 2006  15 The Listing Some manufacturers market projectors intended for data display as well as home theatre use. Data projectors typically have small displays, usually 800x600 pixels; far from HD quality! Only one is included in the listing. As best as can be determined, the following listing covers the models ideally suited for home theatre, which also usually possess all of the appropriate video interfaces. All projectors will accept signals in the PAL/NTSC/SECAM standard as well as those in Standard and High Definition. Considerable care was taken in the assembly of this information, quite often obtained with great difficulty. If there is the odd discrepancy, you may have to lay it at the feet of the individual company and its negligence in assuring that the correct info was supplied or placed on its Web site. We surely tried! So let’s get on with the listing. . . ACER BARCO ACER PH110 CineVERSUM 60 (www.acer.com.au) Display: DLP. Native Aspect Ratio/ Resolution: 16:9/854x480. Brightness: 1100 ANSI Lumens. Contrast Ratio: 2000:1. Lens: f2.5 to 2.7/20.2-24.2 mm; 1.2x zoom. Audio/Video Interface: S-Video, composite and component video, HDTV. Price: $1999. Acer has five other models, suitable for data and video display; prices range from $1299 to $4199. ACTION! (www.ambertech.com.au) ACTION! Model One Mark II (and Mark III) Display: 1DLP. Native Aspect Ratio/ Resolution: 16:9/1280x720. Brightness: 1000 ANSI Lumens. Contrast Ratio: 3000:1 (4000:1). Lens: 1.3x zoom. Audio/Video Interface: S-Video, composite & component video, DVI-D. Price: $10,999 ($21,750). ACTION! Model Two Display: 1DLP. Native Aspect Ratio/ Resolution: 16:9/1280x720. Brightness: 1000 ANSI Lumens. Contrast Ratio: 4000:1. Lens: 1.3x zoom. Audio/Video Interface: S-Video, composite & component video, DVI-D. Price: $9999. ACTION! Model Three Display: 1DLP. Native Aspect Ratio/ Resolution: 16:9/1280x720. Brightness: 2500 ANSI Lumens. Contrast Ratio: 7500:1. Lenses: Optional range. Audio/Video Interface: S-Video, composite & component video, DVI-D. Price: $42,000. 16  Silicon Chip (www.pioneeraus.com.au) Display: 1DLP. Native Aspect Ratio/ Resolution: 16:9/1024x576. Brightness: 900 ANSI Lumens. Contrast Ratio: 2000:1. Lens: two 1.3x zooms. Audio/Video Interface: S-Video, composite & component video, DVI. Price: $7,999. CineVERSUM 70-Ultra Display: 1DLP. Native Aspect Ratio/ Resolution: 16:9/1280x720. Brightness: 1000 ANSI Lumens. Contrast Ratio: 2700:1. Lens: 1.3x zoom. Audio/Video Interface: S-Video, composite & component video, DVI. Price: $10,999. CineVERSUM 80 Display: 1DLP. Native Aspect Ratio/ Resolution: 16:9/1280x720. Brightness: 1000 ANSI Lumens. Contrast Ratio: 3000:1. Lens: range of lenses. Audio/Video Interface: S-Video, composite & component video, DVI. Price: $19,995. CineVERSUM 110 Display: 3DLP. Native Aspect Ratio/ Resolution: 16:9/1280x720. Brightness: 3000 ANSI Lumens. Contrast Ratio: 2500:1. Lens: range of lenses. Audio/Video Interface: S-Video, composite & component video, SDI (optional), DVI. Price: $44,999. CineVERSUM 120 Master Display: 3DLP. Native Aspect Ratio/ Resolution: 16:9/1280x720. Brightness: 3000 ANSI Lumens. Contrast Ratio: 2500:1. Lens: range of lenses. Audio/Video Interface: S-Video, composite & component video, DVI, SDI (optional). Price: $44,999. siliconchip.com.au BENQ CINEO BENQ W100 CINEO1 (www.benq.com.au) Display: 1DLP. Native Aspect Ratio/ Resolution: 16:9/853x480. Brightness: 1100 ANSI Lumens. Contrast Ratio: 2500:1. Lens: f2.6-2.77/20.4-23.5mm; 1.2x zoom. Audio/Video Interface: S-Video, composite & component video. Price: $1499. BENQ PE7700 Display: 1DLP. Native Aspect Ratio/ Resolution: 16:9/1280x720. Brightness: 1100 ANSI Lumens. Contrast Ratio: 2500:1. Lens: 1.37x zoom. Audio/Video Interface: S-Video, composite & component video, HDMI. Price: $2799. BENQ PE8720 Display: 1DLP. Native Aspect Ratio/ Resolution: 16:9/1280x720. Brightness: 1000 ANSI Lumens. Contrast Ratio: 10,000:1. Lens: f2.4-2.8/32.1-43 mm; 1.35x zoom. Audio/Video Interface: S-Video, composite & component video, HDMI. Price: $9999. In this company’s range are six additional models, suited for office presentations. At 1.9 kg in weight, the PB2250 is a portable unit. The PB8260 offers a 3500 ANSI lumens output and wireless operation. (www.ambertech.com.au) Display: 1DLP. Native Aspect Ratio/ Resolution: 16:9/1280x720. Brightness: NA. Contrast Ratio: 3000:1. Lens: 1.3x or 1.5x zoom. Audio/Video Interface: S-Video, composite & component video, DVI. Price: $15,500. CINEO3 (two models) Display: 1DLP. Native Aspect Ratio/ Resolution: 16:9/1280x720. Brightness: 3500 ANSI Lumens. Contrast Ratio: 7500:1. Lens: Variable lenses. Audio/Video Interface: S-video, composite & component video, DVI-D. Price: $25,999 and 29,999. DELL (www.dell.com.au) 1100MP Display: DLP. Native Aspect Ratio/ Resolution: 4:3/800x600. Brightness: 1400 ANSI Lumens. Contrast Ratio: 2100:1. Lens: f2.5/28.8-34.5 mm; 1.2x zoom. Audio/Video Interface: S-Video, composite & component video. Price: $1299. 2300MP (www.canon.com.au) Display: DLP. Native Aspect Ratio/ Resolution: 4:3/1024x768. Brightness: 2300 ANSI Lumens. Contrast Ratio: 2100:1. Lens: f2.4-2.7; 1.2x zoom. Audio/Video Interface: S-Video, composite & component video. Price: $2199. CANON XEED SX50 3400MP Other Canon models, possibly more ideal as data projectors, include LV-7240, LV-7245, LV-S4, LV-X5. All of these are portable models and all use LCD panels. Of particular note is the LV-7565 — a “large audience” device, using an LCD panel with 1024x768 pixel resolution, a 4:3 aspect ratio and with a light output of 5100 ANSI Lumens in “brighter mode”. 5100MP CANON Display: LCOS. Native Aspect Ratio/ Resolution: 4:3/1400x1050. Brightness: 2500 ANSI Lumens. Contrast Ratio: 1000:1. Lens: f1.85-2.5/22.0-37.0 mm; 1.7x zoom. Audio/Video Interface: S-Video, composite & component video. Price: $7689. siliconchip.com.au Display: DLP. Native Aspect Ratio/ Resolution: 4:3/1024x768. Brightness: 1500 ANSI Lumens. Contrast Ratio: 2100:1. Lens: f2.7-2.88/28.43-32.73 mm; 1.15:1x zoom. Audio/Video Interface: S-Video, composite & component video. Price: $2399. Display: DLP. Native Aspect Ratio/ Resolution: 4:3/1400x1050. Brightness: 3300 ANSI Lumens. Contrast Ratio: 2500:1. Lens: f2.6-2.87/39.1-46.92 mm; 1.2x zoom. Audio/Video Interface: S-Video, composite & component video, HDMI. Price: $4999. August 2006  17 EPSON HEWLETT-PACKARD EMP-TW20 mp3322 EMP-TWD1 DVD player/projector While not marketing its range as specifically for home theatre use, HP’s models are interesting nonetheless. (www.epson.com.au) Display: LCD. Native Aspect Ratio/ Resolution: 16:9/854 x 480. Brightness: 1200 ANSI Lumens. Contrast Ratio: 1000:1. Lens: f1.7-2.1/16.6 mm. Audio/Video Interface: S-Video, composite & component video. Price: $1699. Display: LCD. Native Aspect Ratio/ Resolution: 16:9/854 x 480. Brightness: 1200 ANSI Lumens. Contrast Ratio: 1000:1. Lens: f1.7-2.1/13.7-20.5 mm; 1.5x zoom. Audio/Video Interface: S-Video, composite video. Price: $2499. EMP-TW600 Display: LCD. Native Aspect Ratio/ Resolution: 16:9/1280x720. Brightness: 1600 ANSI Lumens. Contrast Ratio: 5000:1. Lens: f2.1-2.8/21.4-31.7 mm; 1.5x zoom. Audio/Video Interface: S-Video, composite & component video, HDMI. Price: $2999. At the time of this listing, Epson also had another 10 or so additional models in their range, most of which are intended for office use. An interesting and additional trio are described as multimedia projectors; an example is the EMP-9300, which has an ANSI output of 2500 Lumens; contrast range of 1100:1; 4:3 aspect ratio and 1400x1050 resolution. FUJITSU (www.fujitsugeneral.com.au) FUJITSU LPF-D711 Display: 3LCD. Native Aspect Ratio/ Resolution: 16:9/1920x1080. Brightness: 1200 ANSI Lumens. Contrast Ratio: 3300:1. Lens: f1.8-2.1; 1.7x zoom. Audio/Video Interface: DVI-D and (via supplied selector) S-Video, composite & component video, HDMI. Price: $39,999. LED light illuminasage a major change to It’s tiny but it may pre projectors. tion sources for video tor ($1799) FF1 Micro LED projec its e: on Toshiba has tor … and world’s first LED projec is claimed to be “the palm of a the lightest!” It fits in world’s smallest and resolution a s ha , battery powered le ab rge ha rec is , nd ha io. It comes d a 1500:1 contrast rat of 800x600 pixels an . with a fold-away screen the palm of etProjector also fits in ck Po D LE s hi’ bis tsu Mi 750 grams d un aro s erated, weigh your hand, is battery op 18  Silicon Chip (www.hp.com.au) Display: 1DLP. Native Aspect Ratio/ Resolution: 4:3/1024x768. Brightness: 2400 ANSI Lumens. Contrast Ratio: 2000:1. Lens: 1.2x zoom. Audio/Video Interface: composite & component video. Price: $3108. Two mobile models: HP mp2225 and mp3135 ($2499 and $3999). These weigh only 1.1 kg and 1.7 kg respectively. ANSI Lumens output: 1400/1800; Aspect ratio/resolution 4:3/1024x768; 1400/2000:1 contrast range; S-Video/composite & component video. Two conference models: HP xp7010 and xp7030 ($5000 and $6000). ANSI Lumens output: 2200/3300; Aspect ratio/resolution 4:3/1024x768; 800/1000:1 contrast range; NTSC/PAL/SECAM/HDTV; S-Video/composite & component video. Three ‘versatile’ models: vp6315, vp6325 ($1499, $2299). ANSI Lumens output: 1600/2000; Aspect ratio/resolution 4:3; Contrast range 2000/2500:1; S-Video & composite video. HITACHI (www.hitachi.com.au) PJ-TX200 Display: LCD. Native Aspect Ratio/ Resolution: 16:9/1280x720. Brightness: 1200 ANSI Lumens. Contrast Ratio: 7000:1. Lens: f1.8-2.4/20.0-31.9 mm; 1.6x zoom. Audio/Video Interface: S-Video, composite & component video, HDMI. Price: $3299. While not specifically described by Hitachi as home theatre projectors, another five models range in price from $2199 to $10,999 and offer a variety of performance specifications. Top of the range is the CP-SX1350W, delivering 3500 ANSI Lumens output; 1400x1050, 4:3 aspect ratio/resolution; 500:1 contrast ratio; PAL/NTSC/SECAM/ HDTV; S-Video, composite & component video. rce. The uential 3-LED light sou and is powered by a seq p operation g life, quick on-off lam benefits of LEDs are lon Mitsubishi e d and low cost. Th with no warm up perio 600 pixels 0x 80 tive resolution of has a DLP panel, a na US$799. and a 4:3 aspect ratio. using an msung’s Pocket Imager: Sa is nt tra Another en ms and gra 0 device weighs just 69 ntrast Ostar LED light, the co a d an ns of 420 ANSI Lume has a claimed output ratio of 1000:1. siliconchip.com.au INFOCUS JVC IN72 DLA-SX21EH (www.internationaldynamics.com.au) Display: DLP. Native Aspect Ratio/ Resolution: 16:9/854x480. Brightness: 900 ANSI Lumens. Contrast Ratio: 2000:1. Lens: f2.4-2.6/21.0-25.0 mm; 1.2x zoom. Audio/Video Interface: S-Video, composite & component video, HDMI. Price: $2699. IN74 Display: DLP. Native Aspect Ratio/ Resolution: 16:9/1024x576. Brightness: 1000 ANSI Lumens. Contrast Ratio: 3000:1. Lens: f2.4-2.8/21-27 mm; 1.31x zoom. Audio/Video Interface: S-Video, composite & component video, HDMI. Price: $3499. IN76 Display: DLP. Native Aspect Ratio/ Resolution: 16:9/1280x720. Brightness: 1000 ANSI Lumens. Contrast Ratio: 3000:1. Lens: f2.4-2.8/21.0-27.0 mm; 1.31x zoom. Audio/Video Interface: S-Video, composite & component video, HDMI. Price: $5999. SP7205 Display: DLP. Native Aspect Ratio/ Resolution: 16:9/1280x720. Brightness: 1100 ANSI Lumens. Contrast Ratio: 2200:1. Lens: f2.7-3.1; 1.31x zoom. Audio/Video Interface: S-Video, composite & component video, HDMI. Price: $7999. SP7210 Display: DLP. Native Aspect Ratio/ Resolution: 16:9/1280x720. Brightness: 1100 ANSI Lumens. Contrast Ratio: 2800:1. Lens: f2.7-3.1; 1.31x zoom. Audio/Video Interface: S-Video, composite & component video, HDMI. Price: $10,999. SP777 Display: DLP. Native Aspect Ratio/ Resolution: 16:9/1280x720. Brightness: 2000 ANSI Lumens. Contrast Ratio: 5000:1. Lens: Various, ranging from 1.2x to 1.55x zoom. Audio/Video Interface: S-Video, composite & component video, HDMI. Price: $23,999. siliconchip.com.au (www.jvc-australia.com) Display: 3D-ILA. Native Aspect Ratio/ Resolution: 4:3/1400x1050. Brightness: 1500 ANSI Lumens. Contrast Ratio: 800:1. Lens: 1.3x zoom. Audio/Video Interface: Composite & component video. Price: $11,999. DLA-HX2E Display: 3D-ILA. Native Aspect Ratio/ Resolution: 16:9/1400x788. Brightness: Not specified. Contrast Ratio: 1500:1. Lens: 1.3x zoom. Audio/Video Interface: S-Video, composite & component video, DVI-D. Price: $13,999. DLA-HD2KE Display: 3D-ILA. Native Aspect Ratio/ Resolution: 16:9/1920x1080. Brightness: Not specified. Contrast Ratio: 2000:1. Lens: 1.3x zoom. Audio/Video Interface: DVI-D, (S-Video, composite & component video, HDMI via additional video processor). Price: $29,999. DLA-HD10KSE Display: 3D-ILA. Native Aspect Ratio/ Resolution: 16:9/1920x1080. Brightness: Not specified. Contrast Ratio: 2500:1. Lens: 1.4 and 1.9x zooms available. Audio/Video Interface: DVI-D, (S-Video, composite & component video, HDMI via additional video processor). Price: $29,999. MARANTZ (www.qualifi.com.au) VP-12s4 Display: 1DLP. Native Aspect Ratio/ Resolution: 16:9/1280x720. Brightness: 700 ANSI Lumens. Contrast Ratio: 4500:1. Lens: 1.4 and 1.9x zooms available. Audio/Video Interface: S-Video, composite & component, HDMI, DVI (via adaptor). Price: $15,950. Brightness and Contr ast Generally speaking, the brighter (higher ANSI lumens output) the better. Sta rt at 1000 ANSI lumen s for most situations. A higher co ntrast in the on-scree n picture means more brilliant whites and deeper bla cks. Toolow-a-contrast pictur e is not worth watching . A figure of 1500:1 is a start; 20 00:1 is very watchable. August 2006  19 MITSUBISHI (www.mitsubishi-electric.com.au) HC900 OPTOMA (www.ambertech.com.au) DV-10 DVD player/projector Display: 1DLP. Native Aspect Ratio/ Resolution: 16:9/1024x576. Brightness: 1500 ANSI Lumens. Contrast Ratio: 4000:1. Lens: f2.4-2.6/23.0-27.6 mm; 1.2x zoom. Audio/Video Interface: S-Video, composite & component video. Price: $2999. Display: 1DLP. Native Aspect Ratio/ Resolution: 16:9/854x480. Brightness: 1000 ANSI Lumens. Contrast Ratio: 4000:1. Lens: 1.11x zoom. Audio/Video Interface: S-Video, composite video, optical audio. Price: $2499. HC3000 H-27 Display: 1DLP. Native Aspect Ratio/ Resolution: 15:9/1280x768. Brightness: 1000 ANSI Lumens. Contrast Ratio: 4000:1. Lens: 1.2x zoom. Audio/Video Interface: S-Video, composite video. Price: $3499. NEC (www.nec.com.au) HT410G Native Aspect Ratio/ Resolution: 16:9/854x480. Brightness: 1000 ANSI Lumens. Contrast Ratio: 1200:1. Lens: f2.0-2.48/19.5-23.0 mm; 1.18x zoom. Audio/Video Interface: S-Video, composite & component video. Price: $1999. HT510G Display: 1DLP. Native Aspect Ratio/ Resolution: 16:9/1024x526. Brightness: 1000 ANSI Lumens. Contrast Ratio: 1200:1. Lens: f2.0-2.48/19.5-23.0 mm; 1.18x zoom. Audio/Video Interface: S-Video, composite & component video. Price: $2999. CSMS ring ANSI method of measu One maker feels that the e. not sufficiently accurat projector brightness is laced maker Runco has rep High quality projector bert am t-L foo the fication with outthe ANSI-lumen speci ht lig the g rin ure for measu a em measurement proced Cin products. Adopting the y an put of its projection mp co ent System (CSMS) the d ite Standards Measurem su re mo re we SI standards feels that the earlier AN mens ys. It says the ANSI Lu pla dis eo to industrial vid charce the proper performan figure does not convey e. tur kes a good movie pic acteristics of what ma measusing the foot-Lambert “B More from Runco: y the to te ica un mm co we can be t urement specification gh mi e in his home theatre al loc customer that the imag his at e ple, than the imag ing 1.5x brighter, for exam try n tha ful ing ch more mean cinema, which is mu ll appear.” 1000 ANSI Lumens wi t gh bri to explain how runco.com/csms.html There’s more at www. 20  Silicon Chip Display: 1DLP. Native Aspect Ratio/ Resolution: 16:9/854x480. Brightness: 850 ANSI Lumens. Contrast Ratio: 2300:1. Lens: f2.6-2.8/22.34-26.8 mm; 1.2x zoom. Audio/Video Interface: S-Video, composite & component video. Price: $1999. EP747 Display: 1DLP. Native Aspect Ratio/ Resolution: 16:9/1024X768. Brightness: 3000 ANSI Lumens. Contrast Ratio: 2200:1. Lens: 1.2x zoom. Audio/Video Interface: S-Video, composite & component video, DVI-D. Price: $4299. HD-721 Display: 1DLP. Native Aspect Ratio/ Resolution: 16:9/1280x768. Brightness: 1300 ANSI Lumens. Contrast Ratio: 5000:1. Lens: 1.2x zoom. Audio/Video Interface: S-Video, composite and component video, HDMI, DVI-D. Price: $4750. H-78 Display: 1DLP. Native Aspect Ratio/ Resolution: 16:9/1280x720. Brightness: 1000 ANSI Lumens. Contrast Ratio: 3800:1. Lens: f2.4-2.69/28.3-38.2 mm; 1.35x zoom. Audio/Video Interface: S-Video, composite & component video, HDMI. Price: $11,999. PANASONIC (www.panasonic.com.au) PT-AE900 Display: 3LCD. Native Aspect Ratio/ Resolution: 16:9/1280x720. Brightness: 1100 ANSI Lumens. Contrast Ratio: 5500:1. Lens: f1.9-3.1/21.7-43.1/2x zoom. Audio/Video Interface: S-Video, composite & component video, HDMI. Price: $3299. The company has a wide range of data and commercial projectors. siliconchip.com.au RUNCO SANYO CL410 PLVZ4 (www.network-et.com) Display: 1DLP. Native Aspect Ratio/ Resolution: 16:9/1024x576. Brightness: 800 ANSI Lumens. Contrast Ratio: 2500:1. 1.3x or 1.6x zoom. Audio/Video Interface: composite & component video, DVI. Price: $6999. CL420 Display: 1DLP. Native Aspect Ratio/ Resolution: 16:9/1280x720. Brightness: 1200 ANSI Lumens. Contrast Ratio: 2800:1. Lens: Optional lenses. Audio/Video Interface: composite & component video, DVI. Price: $11,000. CL610 Display: 1DLP. Native Aspect Ratio/ Resolution: 16:9/1280x720. Brightness: 1150 ANSI Lumens. Contrast Ratio: 2200:1. Lens: NA. Audio/Video Interface: composite & component video, HDMI. Price: $16,000. CL810 Display: 1DLP. Native Aspect Ratio/ Resolution: 16:9/1280x720. Brightness: 1250 ANSI Lumens. Contrast Ratio: 3100:1. Lens: Optional lenses. Audio/Video Interface: composite & component video, HDMI, DVI. Price: $20,000. VX-1000d Display: 1DLP. Native Aspect Ratio/ Resolution: 16:9/1280x720. Brightness: 1500 ANSI Lumens. Contrast Ratio: 3300:1. Lens: 1.3x zoom. Audio/Video Interface: S-Video, composite & component video, DVI. Price: $30,000. VX-2c Display: 3DLP. Native Aspect Ratio/ Resolution: 16:9/1280x720. Brightness: 2500 ANSI Lumens. Contrast Ratio: 2800:1. Lens: Range of optional lenses. Audio/Video Interface: S-Video, composite & component video, DVI. Price: $79,999. Runco has other models which begin at $53,000 and rise to $350,000. ANSI Lumens figures of 8000 are achieved with the latter. siliconchip.com.au (www.sanyo.com.au) Display: 3LCD. Native Aspect Ratio/ Resolution: 16:9/1280x720. Brightness: 1000 ANSI Lumens. Contrast Ratio: 7000:1. Lens: 2x zoom. Audio/Video Interface: S-Video, composite & component video, HDMI. Price: $3999. PLV80 Display: 3LCD. Native Aspect Ratio/ Resolution: 16:9/1366x768. Brightness: 3000 ANSI Lumens. Contrast Ratio: 1000:1. Lens: f1.8-2.1/48.4-62.8 mm; 1.3x zoom. Audio/Video Interface: S-Video, composite & component video. Price: $10,999. SHARP (www.sharp.net.au) PGMB60X (and PGMB70X) Display: 1DLP. Native Aspect Ratio/ Resolution: 4:3/1024x768. Brightness: 2400 ANSI Lumens (PGMB70X – 3000). Contrast Ratio: 1200:1 (PGMB70X – 2000:1). Lens: 1.5x zoom. Audio/Video Interface: S-Video, composite. Price: $4299 (PGMB70X – $4999). XVZ2000 Display: 1DLP. Native Aspect Ratio/ Resolution: 16:9/1280x720. Brightness: 1200 ANSI Lumens. Contrast Ratio: 2500:1. Lens: 1.5x zoom. Audio/Video Interface: S-Video, composite & component video. Price: $5499. XVZ1200 Display: 1DLP. Native Aspect Ratio/ Resolution: 16:9/1280x720. Brightness: 900 ANSI Lumens. Contrast Ratio: 5500:1. Lens: 1.35x zoom. Audio/Video Interface: S-Video, composite & component video, DVI. Price: $10,999. This company serves the market well with alternative models, configured as portable projectors and for data projection. August 2006  21 SIM2 SONY DOMINO 30H VPL-HS60 (www.audioproducts.com.au) Display: 1DLP. Native Aspect Ratio/ Resolution: 16:9/1280x720. Brightness: NA. Contrast Ratio: 2800:1. Lens: 1.3x zoom. Audio/Video Interface: S-Video, composite & component video, HDMI. Price: $9999. HT280 (www.sony.com.au) Display: 3LCD. Native Aspect Ratio/ Resolution: 16:9/1280x720. Brightness: 1200 ANSI Lumens. Contrast Ratio: 10,000:1. Lens: 1.6x zoom. Audio/Video Interface: S-Video, composite & component video, HDMI. Price: $3499. VPL-VW100 Display: 1DLP. Native Aspect Ratio/ Resolution: 16:9/1024x576. Brightness: NA. Contrast Ratio: 2300:1. Lens: 1.4x zoom. Audio/Video Interface: S-Video, composite & component video, HDMI. Price: $8999. Display: 3SXRD. Native Aspect Ratio/ Resolution: 16:9/1920x1080. Brightness: 800 ANSI Lumens. Contrast Ratio: 15,000:1. Lens: 1.8x zoom. Audio/Video Interface: S-Video, composite & component video, HDMI. Price: $14,999. HT300E QUALIA 004 Display: 3DLP. Native Aspect Ratio/ Resolution: 16:9/1280x720. Brightness: NA. Contrast Ratio: 3500:1. Lens: 1.4x zoom. Audio/Video Interface: S-Video, composite & component video, HDMI. Price: $14,999. C3X Lite Display: 3DLP. Native Aspect Ratio/ Resolution: 16:9/1280x720. Brightness: NA. Contrast Ratio: 6500:1. Lens: optional 1.4x or 2.3x zoom. Audio/Video Interface: S-Video, composite & component video, HDMI. Price: $24,999. C3X Display: 3DLP. Native Aspect Ratio/ Resolution: 16:9/1280x720. Brightness: 2500 ANSI Lumens. Contrast Ratio: 6500:1. Lens: optional 1.4x or 2.3x zoom. Audio/Video Interface: HDMI, S-Video, composite & component video. Price: $29,999. Wide or Tele one probnnected with the keyst A factor not directly co difficult in lp he e. You may need large lem is screen image siz too or big too is final picture situations where the with the fitted lens. fashion to ses operate in similar Navitar conversion len normal the of nt ras; fixed to the fro y can those on digital came the n, ose ch l de nding on mo need zoom lens, and depe No . x or narrow it by 0.65x widen the image by 1.5 . to re-site the projector .com.au) nology: (www.ambertech Through Amber Tech 22  Silicon Chip Display: 3SXRD. Native Aspect Ratio/ Resolution: 16:9/1920x1080. Brightness: 1600 ANSI Lumens. Contrast Ratio: 15,000:1. Lens: Interchangeable range. Audio/Video Interface: S-Video, composite & component video, DVI-D, HDMI. Price: $POA. TOSHIBA (www.pioneeraus.com.au) P8 Display: 1DLP. Native Aspect Ratio/ Resolution: 4:3/1024x768. Brightness: 1500 ANSI Lumens. Contrast Ratio: 2100:1. Lens: f2.0-2.88/28.43-32.73mm; 1.2x zoom. Audio/Video Interface: S-Video, composite video. Price: $3299. S25 Display: 1DLP. Native Aspect Ratio/ Resolution: 4:3/1024x768. Brightness: 1800 ANSI Lumens. Contrast Ratio: 2000:1. Lens: f2.0-2.2/18.82-21.84 mm; 1.2x zoom. Audio/Video Interface: S-Video, composite & component video. Price: $1999. MT700 Display: 1DLP. Native Aspect Ratio/ Resolution: 16:9/1280x720. Brightness: 1000 ANSI Lumens. Contrast Ratio: 2500:1. Lens: f2.0-2.2/18.82-21.84 mm; 1.2x zoom. Audio/Video Interface: S-Video, composite & component video, HDMI. Price: $4999. siliconchip.com.au VIEWSONIC YAMAHA PJ256D DPX-530S (www.viewsonic.com.au) (www.yamahamusic.com.au) Display: 1DLP. Native Aspect Ratio/ Resolution: 4:3/1024x768. Brightness: 1600 ANSI Lumens. Contrast Ratio: 2000:1. Lens: 1.2x zoom. Audio/Video Interface: S-Video, composite & component video. Price: $2699. Display: 1DLP. Native Aspect Ratio/ Resolution: 16:9/1024x576. Brightness: 1500 ANSI Lumens. Contrast Ratio: 4000:1. Lens: f2.72.6/23-27.6 mm; 1.2x zoom. Audio/Video Interface: S-Video, composite & component video, DVI-D. Price: $4999. PJ755D DPX-1300S Display: 1DLP. Native Aspect Ratio/ Resolution: 4:3/1024x768. Brightness: 2800 ANSI Lumens. Contrast Ratio: 2000:1. Lens: 1.2x zoom. Audio/Video Interface: S-Video, composite & component video. Price: $3099. PJ1172 Display: 3LCD. Native Aspect Ratio/ Resolution: 4:3/1024x768. Brightness: 4500 ANSI Lumens. Contrast Ratio: 800:1. Lens: 1.5x zoom. Audio/Video Interface: S-Video, composite & component video. Price: $6999. PJ656 Display: 3LCD. Native Aspect Ratio/ Resolution: 4:3/1024x768. Brightness: 2100 ANSI Lumens. Contrast Ratio: 400:1. Lens: 1.2x zoom. Audio/Video Interface: S-Video, composite & component video. Price: $2499. PJ862 Display: 1LCD. Native Aspect Ratio/ Resolution: 4:3/1024x768. Brightness: 3100 ANSI Lumens. Contrast Ratio: 400:1. Lens: 1.2x zoom. Audio/Video Interface: S-Video, composite & component video, DVI-D. Price: $3999. Lamp Life mes as and have a life someti Lamps are expensive when ts en . Budget for replacem 2000 short as only 2000 hours y: wa s thi tor. Figure it out re mo you first buy the projec or 00 10 of ng to the viewi me co hours lamp life equates ll sti u yo see l u’l ths and yo movies but do the ma of cinema-going. st co the n tha out better ments; ened in warm environ ort Lamp life will be sh p has lam the … ns screening sessio another factor is long the projecd make sure you clean no chance to cool. An an economy . Many projectors have tor’s air filter regularly longing its pro p is under-run, so mode, in which the lam e. tur pic r ghtly dimme life but delivering a sli siliconchip.com.au Display: 1 DLP. Native Aspect Ratio/ Resolution: 16:9/1280x720. Brightness: 800 ANSI Lumens. Contrast Ratio: 5000:1. Lens: f2.7-5.0/ 24.3–38.9 mm; 1.6x zoom. Audio/Video Interface: S-Video, composite & component video, HDMI, DVI. Price: $16,999. Useful Web Sites An excellent source of varied information can be found at www.proje ctorcentral.com and www.bigscreenforums.com … in trawling the latter, take some of the comments with a grain of salt. More info on home the atre can be found at ho metheater.about.com (note the US spelling – “thea ter”.) Another useful site is www.ausmedia.com. au … home of retailer AIM Digital Imaging. Revie ws and explanatory data galor e. Similarly, www.dtvfor um.info is a very activ e discussion site. There is an excellen t glossary on Toshiba ’s Web site: www.isd.toshiba .com.au/projectors/pr ojectors/ service-glossary.shtm l … although it omits such subjects as HDMI, DVD-I and S-Video. Another can be found at www.hdtvinfoport. HDTV-Glossary.html com/ Great tutorials are fou nd on www.projectorp eople. com/tutorials Footnote: If you need to search for info on video projec tors, as I have, I must wish you the Best of British … some major makers’ Web sites are of little help, with som e superseded models still listed and some of the specs just plain wrong, mixed up as they are with specs from mode ls intended for other markets. As paying customers, we deserve better.    SC August 2006  23