Hitachi CP-AW250N Projector – Performance

CP-AW250N Brightness

The CP-AW250N is rated at 2500 lumens.  While that’s about normal for a projector in its class, the CP-AW250N, probably due to its ultra short throw, appears brighter.  In Daytime mode (the brightest), we measured 2427 lumens, which is right on the money for a projector rated at 2500 lumens.  The other modes were as follows: Normal – 2324, Cinema – 2013, Dynamic – 1998, Board (Black) – 2427, Board (Green) – 1820 and Whiteboard – 1332.  Basically, in any mode, the lumen output of the CP-AW250N is more than enough to handle its intended screen size range of 60” to 100” diagonal.

Uniformity is not bad for such a short throw, dropping a maximum of 20% (with an average of about 15%) from the center to the edge of the displayed image.

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Networking

The Hitachi CP-AW250N has network control capabilities that are becoming standard with most of today’s multimedia projectors and are consistent with Hitachi’s other projectors.  Connecting the CP-AW250N to a computer network via its RJ-45 jack permits remote management, scheduling and control of one or more projectors.  As an IP address is set for each projector, multiple projectors can be connected to the network and controlled via a web browser by any computer on the network as well.  Unlike some of the competition, the user can also run presentations over the network to one or more projectors.  A single projector can also display presentations from four PCs simultaneously.  The user can also check the lamp hours as well as enable warning notifications by email.

Audible Noise

The CP-AW250N has a rated noise level of 35 dB in Normal lamp mode and 29 dB in Eco lamp mode.  Both of these noise levels are typical for projectors in the CP-AW250N’s class.    Subjectively, the CP-AW250N is fairly quiet in Eco mode and not objectionably loud in Normal lamp mode.  It’s unlikely that even the higher noise level would be an issue in normal use.  The 10-watt built-in speaker may not deliver a lot of clear sound, but it’s adequate to overcome any projector noise.  Presenters who regularly use sound would likely use externally powered speakers for clarity purposes.