InFocus X9 Black Levels & Shadow Detail

Posted on November 18, 2008 by Art Feierman

The InFocus X9 claims only 2500:1 contrast - the normal number expected from the Darkchip2 DLP processor used. The X9 is without any enhancement features such as dynamic irises, which are found on many projectors to improve black level performance. As a result, black level performance is pretty basic, but comparable to what we have enjoyed on most projectors until the last couple of years, with the launch of 1080p models, most of which sport adynamic iris. Dynamic irises are now also found on a number of 720p projectors, but mostly the 3LCD models, as they inherently had poorer black levels than the DLP's, without a dynamic iris.

We start with the usual HD starship image from The Fifth Element on Blu-ray. The first image, is the X9. It is intentionally overexposed so you can see the letterbox at the top and the bottom to help discern how black the blacks get. Unfortunately the older reviews did not have this image as overexposed, making a great comparison tricky.