This is just a quickie notification, that our annual Classroom Education projector report is going live this week.  I know that’s off topic for this blog, but I figure some of you might be interested. As with all reports, it will go up, piece by piece.

BTW one of the most interesting projectors in the report may not be ideal for the home, but if 3D sports ever really get going, this might be a hot projector for doing 3D in sports bars, etc, considering it uses passive glasses and has over 5000 usable lumens, for the brightest 3D I’ve seen yet without spending $5000+ ($1899).  One projector handles 3D for one eye, the other handles the other eye’s 3D image.   So, if you have a sports bar, check out the Epson W16SK review.

And for those of you who think Pocket and Pico projectors are cool, and want one, we’re writing up the review of a cool Pocket projector from HB Opto.  What makes it cool?  Well, lots of features, including 3D, and SXGA resolution (1280×800).  It will handle 1080p sources, such as my PS3.  But what tends to really set it apart, is having a few hundred lumens, and being able to deliver them from a similarly sized battery pack!

As long as I’ve got your attention, coming up in the next few weeks:  Epson Home Cinema 750HD, BenQ W1080ST (basically it seems to be a short throw version of the W1070, and Acer H6510.   That’s a nice collection of around and under $1000 home theater/entertainment projectors.   Stay tuned.

How’s that for a title.  I’m getting inundated (as usual) with folks defending their personal favorites that didn’t pick up a major award this year.  So, I thought I would just remind everyone that there are more really good projectors than one can hand out awards to. These three all received our individual Hot Product Award but none received any of our Best In Class awards from the report.  Let’s start with the most obviously “neglected” great projector, the one I’ve received the most email about:

JVC’s DLA-X35 also sold as the DLA-RS46. JVC has always set the bar for great blacks.  Technically I owned the very first JVC in the “series”, the old RS1.  The RS2 and it’s later day equivalents – the higher end X75R X95R and their RS twins, took blacks to another level still.  The X35 may be the equal to the X55R at blacks but not the X75R / X95R which are quite visibly better.

OK that’s the short version, there’s probably a few more tidbits in the three way comparison between them, that I wrote a month or so ago.

BenQ W7000:  Back again for year two, I really like the BenQ W7000 as a powerfully bright DLP projector that makes the cut as ultra-high contrast – in terms of good blacks.  Not up to the Epson, JVC, Sony, but right there with the Panasonic PT-AE8000 etc.

JVC DLA-X55R Projector

Large screen capable, it’s got the looks – classic DLP look and feel in terms of color and dynamics, and it’s got some flexibility in terms of zoom lens, lens shift.  OK, it has about the shortest lamp life specs of anything in the report, but, again, it is bright.  For those who wouldn’t find the more “elegant” Sharp XV-Z30000 bright enough to rock their world, but love DLP, the W7000 has to be a great choice for about the same money, or a little less.

JVC X55R – that’s the third.  While I appreciate features like e-shift2, and Reality Creation, that is the primary difference between the X35 and the X55R.  I’m sorry, I just don’t see e-shift2 being worth an extra $1500, give or take.  Certainly the X55 is an excellent projector but I’d tell folks hooked on JVC to either buy the X35, or splurge for the X75R, which for the bucks, would be my choice, budget allowing.  -art

Click for this year’s Best Home Theater Projectors report winners, now published.

There are many more pages to the report, along with our new Guide to Choosing the Best Home Theater Projector for You, all of which will go live over the next 72 hours.

Panic Not.  The delay in the Home Theater Projector report will only take a few more days.  In the meantime, I will go forward, and publish this year’s winners on Sunday evening, but without the 50+ pages of sometimes rambling, supporting information.

The new Home Theater Projector Comparison Report report will be significantly shorter.

Here’s the good news: Accompanying the report, and including some of the best content repeated in each year’s report, will be our first ever:

Guide To Buying The Right Home Theater Projector For You.
Sometimes it takes me years for the lightbulb to go off.  (Switching to LED!)  It finally did.  The problem with all the previous HT Projector Comparison Reports is that, at the end of the day, it picked the best projectors.  Of course these projectors cover a wide range of abilities (and prices), with some projectors much better for one person’s type of use, some better for different type of usage – or environment.

The new Guide To Buying the Right Home Theater Projector For You, takes a different approach.  It will help you understand your needs.  It is User-centric, rather than Projector-Centric.  The Guide will help you understand your own situation, and enough about projector features, that you should have little problem figuring out which great projector is definitely the one for you, and which other great projectors no matter how great they are, simply aren’t a good match.  Our first attempt at something like this, of course is the 5-part video series we published a few months ago, Home Theaters: Choosing The Right Projector for Your Family or Media Room (click for part one, which covers brightness).

For you serious enthusiasts out there, there will be plenty in the Guide, that you already know, but there should be some good info for you to find.  For those considering your first home projector, and others who simply aren’t fanatical about the details, this Guide  should be just what you need, to gain a quick, and good understanding.  And I promise it won’t be “novel” length, more like a short story or three.

We are already planning at least one other video that ties into the guide: Choosing the Right Projector for your Home Theater or Cave.

Sorry for the delay!  both Guide and Report will be completed by the end of next weekend.  Come April 1st and I have to be working on our time sensitive Education Projector report that I publish each year.  -art

I promised a blog to tell you a bit about our “Smart Home” plans.  Here goes:

We’re creating a Dream Home!  It will be a Smart Home, a Connected Home, and lucky me, it’s my home (and Lori’s and Lisa’s).

As a former dealer, my old company Presenting Solutions! did some fairly high local automation, although I personally stayed focused on the online “box” side of our projector business.  Note, we mostly did automation for the Navy, and large corporations, rather than home automation.  Back then we were Crestron authorized.  It’s always been easy to automate a home if you  don’t mind throwing six figures of money at the project.  Not all of us, however, (certainly not me) have $100,000 or $250,000 to accomplish that.

Our goal, therefore is to create a Dream Home but do it with limited “old school” systems such as Crestron, AMX, Control4, and instead focus more on the new.  I’m talking  wired/wireless products supporting the Zigbee and Z-Wave alliances, and possibly Insteon too.  We’ll use “old school” were necessary, of course.

The goal is to do this affordably. Wireless for most things will drastically reduce installation costs.  Less centralized control, (but all iOS), will reduce hardware costs in a big way.  As a bonus, we expect our heating bills will drop, and our electric will plummet. Cool!  (Confession, electric will drop, but probably not “plummet” as virtually all the lighting in the house is already mostly LED and some CFL.  but I’m still looking for an average 30% further reduction in our electric bill which has already been reduced by almost 50%.  BTW, for you Android folks, I figure most things we will do using iOS you can do with your Android phones and tablets as well.

Our Dream Home is about to get Smart

Here’s a taste:

Smart Home Automation:   This will be fun.  We will automate my theater, from powering up projectors, satellite boxes, and blu-ray players, to raising and lowering my motorized Studiotek 130 screen. (If I had motorized shades – those too.)  Here’s a night image of RGB LED down facing strip lighting in our patio wall.  Right now, we can control from an RF remote, but soon, from our iOS devices such as iPhones and iPads.

We will use smart lighting.  I am currently in talks with Philips, for example, to provide their new Hue smart bulbs (RGB LED) through most of the home.  I’m talking with NEST (smart thermostat) and others about smart control for HVAC (heating/air), and working with Zigbee and Z-wave alliances for many individual products needed.

For example, while it’s cool to be able to “turn on the house lights from the driveway” or fire up the Jacuzzi, as you leave work by using an iPhone, sometimes you just want to walk in and throw a switch.  For that reason, we’ll be replacing dumb switches with smart ones that will work in conjunction with iOS, wireless, etc.

Same is true for many of the outlets around the house.  I’m having a conversation now with HAI/Leviton about supplying all those switches and outlets. Also talking with other players.

Outdoor lighting – all RGB LED, will also be smart, including energy efficient wall washers to light up the front of the house, and our garden.  Security?  of course.

The Kitchen?  Sorry, we can’t afford a $5000+ LG refrigerator that can tell me when I’m almost out of milk, but overall, we’re tackling  just about everything else in the house.

At the end of the day, the end of the Dream Home project, our Smart Home will be virtually fully controllable from an iPhone or iPad.  Now that’s “smart automation!”  If the technology progresses, by the end of the project (early 2015, we hope we will be able to voice control most of the house via our iPhones and iPads!   You know something like:  ”Siri, please lower the living room lights 30%.” Or:
“Turn on the outside patio lights, set to ‘sunset mode’.”  Or, if it’s a little cool in the theater:  ”Run the heat, theater only, for 5 minutes.”  You get the idea.

Speaking of the theater:  Finally the current 6-9 working remotes for my theater will become an iPad, or iPhone (both).  I can’t wait.  Even our waterfall and it’s lights will be controlled “smartly.”   (Darn didn’t mean to “leak” info about the waterfall.)

OK, that’s a good idea of what we will be making Smart.

The project to complete all aspects of the home is planned to take 18 to 24 months, will be rich in videos, regular blogs, photos,  This will primarily be my effort, but with help from a number of outsiders.  Much of our Dream Home project will be on the main site in the Smart Home area, but some additional information will, naturally be in the subscriber area as well as a “value add” for our “most loyal” readers.

OK…  If you have suggestions, now’s the time.  If your comments are about the Smart Home project, post them on this blog, post comments about the subscriber area on that blog, and the website changes on the first blog.

It is my hope that at the end of the day – make that by the end of the summer, the new site will be up, the Smart Home will be in progress, and overall, there will be videos and other content for all of our new subscribers.  I’m looking forward to most of you becoming subscribers, and I really intend to do what I can to make sure your subscription is a valuable and enjoyable (modest) investment.  -art

Life is getting crazy, but I’ve been meaning for weeks to tell everyone, some details about the new Projector Reviews website, or should I say, redesigned and expanded.

There’s a lot to tell you.  The site is currently being redesigned, by a company I recently hired. Expect the new www.projectorreviews.com site should launch end of May, or June.   I’m going to tell you a good bit, but the important thing is, if you would like to make suggestions, now, is the time. Wireframes of the new Projector Reviews website will finished and coding started in a few weeks.  Comment to this blog, if you would like to help us with those good suggestions!

The three aspects of the new site that are of greatest note are:

• Major new ProjectorReviews.com look and feel.  The new site engine will be WordPress based, rely more heavily on graphics a great User Interface,  and use of panes for showing multiple photos.  These changes will help accomplish two things.  No more incredibly long page swith 20, 30, 40 or more screenfuls, that are typical of current reviews.  Along with this the number of banners per page (not counting the microbannes) will be only about half of current levels.  So, the new site should be cleaner/less cluttered, and easier to navigate.
• Major new expansion:  Smart Home Automation. Our move into this related area, will be launched with a Dream Home – connected home automation project.  I figure everyone with a home projector would probably like to have it in a theater, and anyone with a theater, would like it automated – why not?  And once you are automating, why not the rest of your house, as long as it’s not absurdly expensive, and can save on electric and heating, and…

Thus look for our new section “Smart Home by Projector Reviews.”   The Smart Home will be an ongoing creation starting from an existing “pretty dumb” home, over the next 18-24 months, one project at a time.  We will deal with an entire house, so when done, we’ll  have wireless control of most things,

via wifi and other technologies, and virtually everything will be controllable by iPhone, iPad, Android… For a taste here’s one image  showing the living room fixer upper we bought, shortly after we replaced the flooring (first thing we did).  No, the floor, isn’t “smart, but all those lights you see will be.

• Subscriber Area:  We at Projector Reviews want to give you more information!  We realize we have a large number of occasional or regular visitors, and also newbies (no offense)  that visit regularly while shopping for their first projector.  Our new subscriber area, will primarily add new content to the total, rather than take some of the content that has always been free, and put a price tag on it.  Why not more info for free?  Great idea, but, we are “the press”, and since I know you are all internet users, you likely know well, that monetarily; the online press struggles to survive on advertising.  Oh, our site traffic has almost doubled in the last four years, but advertising revenues are pretty much stuck in low gear.  I need to add  full time reviewer, that only a subscriber  area can help pay for.  Such is life, or as Robert Heinlein made famous “There Ain’t No Such Thing As A Free Lunch” (The phrase and the acronym are central to Robert Heinlein‘s 1966 science-fiction novel The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, which popularized it) – wiki  (one of my fav short SF books, a classic!  -a)

That’s what’s up here at Projector Reviews – big picture.  Now a few details about each:

To give you a “taste” of the new site, which is still in wireframe design, here’s a shrunken down image of the the upper half of the homepage wireframe:

Preliminary (partial) Wireframe of Projector Reviews new homepage

Look for lots of panes for comparing images.  For example, for our usual Fifth Element Starship image, now there will be the usual 420 wide image, but instead of 6-10 individual images from other projectors below it, those will be a single pane, and you can just scroll through to compare the same image, from different projectors, to the projector being reviewed.  When youlick for a larger version, you’ll get 2 1000 wide images across one above the other, with the image from the review projector and below it, the large image of the selected competitor.  Then you can just click to change competitor images.  Cool?

Next I want to tell you a bit about the subscriber area benefits. and the Smart Home, connected home – Dream Home project.   But, this blog is already too long, so I’ll do two more blogs – one on the new subscriber area and all the goodies it will include, and the second blog will tell you about the Smart Home Automation section and project.

And don’t forget, our 2013 Home Theater Projector Comparison report will publish in the next week!

thanks! -art

TANSTAAFL!

I was in contact with Panasonic’s projector group today, as I seemed to remember hearing about a price drop on their flagship PT-AE8000 home theatre projector, when I was attending CES.

Well, I remembered correctly.  Turns out that Panasonic has dropped the MAP price of the

Panasonic's PT-AE8000 Projector - 3D capable - package now $300 less

PT-AE8000U from $2999, to $2799.00.   Note please:  Until end of last year (12/31/12, Panasonic was offering 2 pair of 3D glasses and a year of extended warranty (making it 3 years (or 3000 hours whichever comes first).

They’ve changed that as well.  The new PT-AE8000 romo – through 1/31/13 (a couple of days yet), provides that 3rd year warranty, and the 2 pair of 3D glasses, plus Panasonic has added a $100 rebate, when you register the projector with them.

Panasonic likes these ending soon rebates, etc.  It creates some urgency.  But, fear not.  While there are no guarantees, they do tend to renew them (sometimes with changes), almost endlessly.  Still, don’t blame me if the rebate next month is less valuable.

Now let’s put the changes in perspective.  Essentially we are looking at total decrease in cost of $300.  The $200 price drop, and the addition of a $100 rebate.  What makes that so interesting is that it pretty much gives the Panasonic PT-AE8000 pricing parity with their most direct competitor, the Epson Home Cinema 5020UB.   That’s not surprising, because in past years, it almost always was the Epson that sold for more.

The net $300 in savings also increases the pricing advantage over Three more expensive projectors:  The Mitsubishi HC8000D (review posting this week) at $2999 (but 3D glasses, emitter, are optional), while the Sony VPL-HW50ES is $3999 with glasses and spare lamp, and the JVC DLA-X35 is $3499…

One thing to think about.  Since the glasses come as past of the rebate, you don’t get them when you take delivery of the projector. That means you are waiting weeks? before you can watch 3D.  Since many of you are likely to own more than 2 pair of glasses (for visiting friends), you might want o buy a pair or two when you purchase the Panasonic.

I’m not sure the  $300 lower package will change most people’s decision when choosing between these projectors mentioned (my favorites around the price).  That said, it just might for some of you.  And, of course, if you were already intending to go with the Panasonic PT-AE8000U projector, you end up $300 richer.  Go for it?     -art

New Mitsubishi HC8000D 3D DLP Home Theatre Projector

This Mitsubishi H8000D is another DLP projector from Mitsubishi, similar to the white HC79ooDW we reviewed a couple months back, but finished in black, and with additional performance.  It offers higher contrast: 330,000:1, claims 1300 lumens, and sports a 6 segment 6X color wheel.

Mike has calibrated it, and it already looks much better than before it did when taken right out of the box, without adjustment (I spent about 5 hours with it pre-calibration), the  Cinema and most other modes exhibit too much red, which is easily noticeable on skin tones.  When I was first watching it, I “solved” that problem temporarily. just by turning down the color saturation slightly to make it more watchable.  Still, it was a lot better looking than the LCDTVs on display at Best Buy, just to have a perspective.

Mike’s calibration made a world of difference.  (OK, that might be a little much, so:  made “significant improvement!”)  Of course that’s for those of us seeking superb color accuracy.  Mike determined to calibrate this projector with Brilliant Color turned off.  (On low cost DLP projectors, if the Brilliant Color option isn’t too severe, he usually calibrates with it on.  This is a decision I normally leave for him.   Of course if you are hiring a pro calibrator, you might want both calibrated, since with this projector there’s more than a few extra lumens with it on.

The Mitsubishi HC8000D isn’t  a low cost  projector rather it street prices for about $2999, same as the projector it replaces.  As is typical of DLP projectors, it’s not particularly bright.  Still in 2D, no problem at all filling my 124″ 2.35:1 screen when watching wide screen movies, in my theater environment.

3D was a bit tougher, of course.  One real difference between this HC8000D and the lower cost model, is that this one has “custom” 3D glasses.  When you are viewing in 3D, you have a choice.  You can hand everyone these new glasses, or you can use the “universal” type that the HC7900DW has.  Why bother?  Easy.  Per Mitsubishi, you get a brighter image in 3D with their “special” glasses.  Works for me.  So far I’ve only watched about half of the Avengers in 3D.  Based on that, I’d say the projector is doing a respectable job at about 100″ diagonal with a typical 1.3 gain white screen.  When I tried to push out to fill my screen with a widescreen movie for a few minutes I definitely felt brightness was a problem.

As I’ve said many times in recent years, Mitsubishi doesn’t build light canons.  Their emphasis has never seemed to be on brightness.  Thus, I’ve usually recommended their projectors for screens 110″ diagonal or less (depending on all the usual variables.

That’s all I’ve got for you now.  The photo shoots I’m doing are:  HDTV sports, (in a few minutes), and all the movie based tonight late, and tomorrow night.  Also I’ll have a chance to run the Mitsubishi HC8000D for black levels and shadow detail, against the usual Epson Home Cinema 5020UB, but I also plan to probably embarrass the HC8000D, because the JVC DLA-X95R arrived yesterday.  Timeline wise, Mike will pick that one up for calibration on Monday, return on Tuesday.  Then I’ll also shoot some side by sides with what is sure to be outstanding black level performance (and picture), as one would expect from a $11,999 “hand built” projector with the JVC label on it.

Enough!  Photo shoot time for the HC8000D.

Hang in there.  -art

A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned that we were expecting the JVC DLA-X75R, essentially identical to the DLA-RS56U from the JVC Pro division, and the Mitsubishi HC8000D.  I had hoped both would arrive before this weekend.

Alas, a few changes.  In speaking with Mitsubishi this past week, they now tell me that an HC8000D 3D projector will ship out and arrive sometime late this week.

JVC also had a problem.  The JVC DLA-X75R it turns out would not be available until a new batch arrived at the end of January.  I would say “darn” or something more emphatic, but for JVC’s alternative:  They are instead, shipping me this week, a DLA-X95R, the JVC flagship home theatre projector. The JVC Pro group’s virtually identical twin is the DLA-RS66U.  Both use “hand selected” components, with the rest going into the next lower down models – DLA-X75R and DLA-RS56.  These two are are $11,999.$4,o00 less at $7999.  Essentially JVC has no price reductions this year, only the addition of the DLA-X55R model we reviewed recently.  Thanks to previously having both the “hand built” and standard projectors in house previously, I’m comfortable addressing both projectors, with just the one.

We’ve had the opportunity in the past to compare JVC’s premium projectors with hand selected optics, light engines, power supplies, etc., against the standard version.  Folks there is a very real difference. Oh, it’s possible that the best X75R coming off the line can match the least of the X95R projectors, but expect visibly better optics for openers, that’s what really impressed us last time.  And JVC manages to claim 130,000:1 contrast instead of 90,000:1, which is also nice, however slight  (takes a doubling to have a easily detectable difference when compared side by side, unlikely that we can tell the difference if not viewed at the same time.  Still, overall, we expect the X95R projector to “look and cook” just like the X75R, except that it will be have a better picture – perhaps not a truly significant difference to most, but it will be there.  Remember, these JVC projectors are the ones with mind boggling black level performance, without needing a dynamic iris.  I can’t wait for it to “land”  We reviewed the X55R which had extremely good black level performance, but blacker blacks are certainly available on some competing (and less expensive projectors using dynamic irises.

So, now it’s a race – which will arrive first.  Mike is standing by to calibrate them.  I truly expect to receive at least one before the weekend, and have that first one posted next week, with the second review only 4-5 days behind.  So, hang in there!

It’s almost obvious, but both of these projectors are fully 3D capable, using active shutter glasses.  The JVC will come with a plug into the back emitter for RF 3D.  The HC8000D?  Best I recall from CEDIA, the 3D emitter for the Mitsubishi (and glasses) are optional.

Both Mitsubishi and JVC claim 1300 lumens.   One interesting thing about the Mitsubishi, is that it can use universal glasses, or (not at the same time) get a brighter image out of glasses specific to the HC8000D that won’t work with the HC7900D.

OK, I’ll likely be doing First Look “reviews” of both, or certainly, on which ever arrives second, to keep you updated.

Other than those two home theater projectors, I’m also expecting JVC to get us their “entry level” DLA-X35, which comes in two “designer flavors”:  The DLA-X35W and DLA-X35B, are the same projector just the W comes in a white cabinet, and the B in Black finish.  Both are $3499.95 (gee, why didn’t they make them $3499.99 to capture those last 4 cents?)   I mean, seriously, (not really), when your product is about $3500 do you still need to be playing around with pennies?

Enough, the reviews will come soon enough for you, we hope!

I had intended to do three or four blogs from the CES show.  So much for good intentions.  Part of the problem was that I didn’t see a new home theater projector that I haven’t seen before, until I visited Optoma, Wednesday afternoon – that is, half way through Day 2 of CES.

“That’s not too bad” you say, but, I am under NDA regarding the Optoma projectors (non-disclosure agreement).  You know the old saying:  ”I could tell you, but then I’d have to kill you”  (or me).  I can tell you that Optoma will likely have three new projectors before CEDIA.  The first, probably in the summer.

Plenty of picos and pocket projectors, however.  I will blog about those in the next 24 hours. That said, this year pico’s come in all shapes and small sizes.

This first show blog will be a quick rundown of some of the projectors that I did see there, many of which
were announced at CEDIA and IFA back in September:

On the first day of the show, I met with Panasonic, who was showing

two previously announced projectors, the PT-RZ330 the 1080p model in black, and the PT-RW330 which is WXGA.  Both are 3500 lumens, and claim 20,000 hour life to their solid state Laser/LED light source.  Lest you think that sounds highly energy efficient, at full power these two projectors both draw 460 watts (“Normal” mode).  However, there are two low power consumption modes:  Ecosave 1 and 2, which draw 200 and 178 watts respectively.  Now we’re talking decent energy efficiency.

These two projectors Panasonic showed are LED/Laser projectors, but they are commercial projectors.  These were previously announced.  I believe one had originally been scheduled to ship by now, but running a bit late.

Here’s more skinny on these two Panasonic projectors.  Both sport Digital-Link, which allows them to receive data over a single cable up to 328 feet long.  Both sport 2:1 zoom lenses and full lens shift.

These may not be aimed at the home, but if black levels are respectable, they could be high power home entertainment projectors.   I would, on the other hand, expect to see these projectors in sports bars, and in digital signage.   I did not get to see them in operation, but requested to review one or both of them, over the upcoming months.

Mitsubishi was again showing their HC8000 projector.

Here’s the news on that one.  It’s going to be a race to the finish. Mitsubishi says they will ship me one this coming week.   We’ll see which projector gets here first:

Mitsubishi HC8000D or the JVC DLA-X75R.  JVC said they, too were definitely shipping one of those my way, within days of the show ending.  Folks those will my next two reviews, it’s only a question of which one first!

I did see a new projector for the first time on the first day of the show – Tuesday, but that was the Epson Home Cinema 750HD, their new 720p 3D capable, $899 projector that I blogged about, morning of the 7th.  That, blog, however, was based on a telephone briefing pre-show.  The HC750HD was embargoed until Tuesday morning.  That is, I was briefed, but not allowed to publish.  Well, on Tuesday, I finally got to see the Epson 750HD in action.   They had it set up in their ballroom at the Aria Hotel, in a side by side with Optoma’s venerable (been a round for a while), GT750, a 3D 720p single chip DLP.  In the side by side Epson was touting the advanatages of having the same number of color lumens as white lumens.  (2700).  By comparison, in brightest modes, the Epson easily had richer, brighter colors although the Optoma looked respectable until you looked at the Epson.  In “best mode” the Optoma’s colors were better, but the Epson was noticeably brighter.

That’s it for now.  I’ll be blogging some more about the show, over the next couple of days.  Pico projectors are next, and also the LG “TV”.

LG's new Ultra Short Throw Projector based TV

Wait, gotta mention that one now.  LG in their massive and spectacular booth, was showing a 100″ image coming from a larger black ultra short throw projector (with a digital light source I believe) that sits less than a foot from the screen.  I like that they are marketing the projector as a TV.  Too many folks out there are barely conscious of projectors existing for the home.  LG’s marketing this one could help increase home theater projector awareness.   The room was bright, the picture not quite ready for prime time (nor ready to ship), but you get the idea.  The LG lacks 3D, but my biggest concern, is the high price.  Expected to be under $10,000 but by how much?

In a sense, the LG is trying to accomplish what Epson attempted with their Ensemble HD complete systems, which I thought were awesome.  That is, get projectors into the houses of people who otherwise believed that getting a new LCDTV is easy, and a new projector too complicated.

Of course I visited all the usual suspect booths, including SIM2, BenQ…

That’s it for my first blog post CES.  Hang in their home projector fans.  There will be more.  -art