Mitsubishi HC6800 Projector Overview Posted on May 28, 2010 By Art Feierman 1. Mitsubishi HC6800 Projector Review - HC6800 Projector Highlights2. Mitsubishi HC6800 Projector Overview3. Mitsubishi HC6800 Projector – Special Features - Frame Interpolation - Color Management System (CMS) - Mitsubishi HC6800 Projector: Dynamic Iris4. Mitsubishi HC6800 – Physical Tour - Mitsubishi HC6800 Appearance - Control Panel5. Mitsubishi HC6800 – Physical Tour-2 - Input/Output - Menus - Remote Control6. Mitsubishi HC6800 – Physical Tour-3 - Lens Throw - Lens Shift - Anamorphic Lens7. Mitsubishi HC6800 Projector – Image Quality - Mitsubishi HC6800 Projector: Out of the Box Picture Quality - Flesh Tones8. Mitsubishi HC6800 Projector – Image Quality-2 - Mitsubishi HC6800 Black Levels & Shadow Detail - Black Levels Comparison9. Mitsubishi HC6800 Projector – Image Quality-3 - Shadow Detail Performance - Shadow Detail Performance Comparison - Satellite Comparison10. Mitsubishi HC6800 Projector – Image Quality-4 - Shadow Detail and Dark Blacks Comparison - Thumbnail Comparison - Bottom line Mitsubishi HC6800 Blacks and Shadow detail11. Mitsubishi HC6800 Projector – Image Quality-5 - Overall Color & Picture Quality - Mitsubishi HC6800 Projector: Performance, HDTV and Sports12. Mitsubishi HC6800 – Performance - Mitsubishi HC6800 Brightness - Mitsubishi HC6800 Projector - Uncalibrated - The Effect of zoom lens positioning on brightness - The Effect of low lamp (eco) mode on brightness13. Mitsubishi HC6800 – Performance-2 - Sharpness - Sharpness Comparison - Playstation Video Comparison14. Mitsubishi HC6800 – Performance-3 - Computer Monitor Comparison - Mitsubishi HC6800: Bottom Line Sharpness - Light Leakage - Mitsubishi HC6800 Image Noise - Mitsubishi HC6800 Audible Noise15. Mitsubishi HC6800 Projector Calibration and Settings - Mitsubishi HC6800 Color Temperature - Color Temp over IRE Range (Best color temp) - Lumen Output at various Color Temps at 100 IRE - Mitsubishi HC6800 Basic Settings - Settings for measurements (default values are in parenthesis)16. Mitsubishi HC6800 Projector Calibration and Settings-2 - Mitsubishi HC6800 Post Calibration Grayscale - Color Temp over IRE Range (Post calibration) - Gamma settings - Dynamic Iris - Mitsubishi HC6800 RGB Settings - Medium Ref. Color Temp, User 1 Gamma 17. Mitsubishi HC6800 – Projector Screens - Mitsubishi HC6800 Projector Screen Recommendations18. Mitsubishi HC6800 – Competitors - HC6800 vs. Epson Home Cinema 8500UB, Pro Cinema 9100 - Mitsubishi HC6800 vs. BenQ W6000 - Mitsubishi HC6800 vs. Panasonic PT-AE4000 - Mitsubishi HC6800 vs. Sony VPL-HW15 - HC6800 vs. JVC DLA-RS15 - HC6800 vs. LG CF181D19. Mitsubishi HC6800 Projector – Warranty20. Mitsubishi HC6800 – Review Summary - Mitsubishi HC6800 Projector - The Bottom Line - HC6800 Brightness - Mitsubishi HC6800 Color Performance21. Mitsubishi HC6800 – Review Summary-2 - Sharpness - Black Level Performance and Shadow Detail - The very bottom line22. Mitsubishi HC6800 Projector: Pros, Cons, and Typical Capabilities - Mitsubishi HC6800 Projector: Pros - Mitsubishi HC6800 Projector: Cons - Mitsubishi HC6800 Projector: Typical Capabilities23. Mitsubishi HC6800 Projector Specifications The Mitsubishi HC6800 home projector is the middle of three 1080p home theater projectors from the fine people at Mitsubishi. It is stradded by the rather excellent and award winning HC3800 – a low cost DLP projector selling for under $1500, and the more expensive, ultra-high contrast HC7000. Like the more expensive model, the HC6800 projector is marketed only through local dealers. As is typical that means it will sell for more than a similar product that is available online. For those of us who are not DIY – do it yourself – types, this isn’t a big deal. If you are hiring a home theater dealer to handle your installation, then you aren’t likely to pay much premium. Dealers do have to make a living. If you want a local dealer, for example, to install a projector you buy elsewhere, somehow, some way, they will end up with more income on the installation, as they will no doubt be trying to make up for the lost profits on the projector. The HC6800 sells for under $2500, but that’s still a good bit more expensive than the most obvious competition, such as the Epson Home Cinema 8100 but about the same price as the Pro Cinema 9100. Epson, offers the 8100 online, and the 9100 is an almost identical product but sells for a lot more through local installing dealers only. In other words, the Mitsubishi HC6800’s direct dealer equivalent model is the 9100, and based on that one, the HC6800 price is reasonable for a local install only type projector of its calibre. But, it’s time to discuss the HC6800 itself. The HC6800 sells for under $2500, but that’s still a good bit more expensive than the most obvious competition, such as the Epson Home Cinema 8100 but about the same price as the Pro Cinema 9100. Epson, offers the 8100 online, and the 9100 is an almost identical product but sells for a lot more through local installing dealers only. In other words, the Mitsubishi HC6800’s direct dealer equivalent model is the 9100, and based on that one, the HC6800 price is reasonable for a local install only type projector of its calibre. But, it’s time to discuss the HC6800 itself. The first thing I do want to point out, is that it is far brighter than the more expensive HC7000. In fact, Mike measured it, post calibration at 589 lumens in “best” mode. I do believe that makes it the brightest “best” mode, LCD projector we’ve seen in a year, though a number of LCoS projectors are in the range. Only the LG CF181D, so far, of the LCoS projectors is both near the Mitsubishi’s price, and is brighter. A couple of DLP’s also can best the HC6800 in best mode. The point is the HC6800 home projector has a goodly amount of lumens and that will allow it to do well, with say, a 110″ diagonal screen in a typical darkened environment, or maybe even a 120″ diagonal. It can be pushed a bit larger than the Epsons and some others, but really only by an extra 6-12 inches diagonal. The HC6800 does have a dynamic iris, and an impressive contrast ratio number, but, it really does not have the black level performance to take on projectors like the Panasonic PT-AE4000, the Epson “UB” projectors, Sanyo Z3000, and I presume, the newly announced PLV-Z4000. Nor can it match the better DLP’s in blacks, such as the BenQ W6000, another direct competitor. But, we’ll deal more with those issues later in the report. On the other hand, it’s black performance is in line with the aforementioned Epson 8100/9100, the LG CF181D and other competitors. The HC6800 is in some ways, elegant. It looks good, it’s power everything – zoom, focus, and lens shift. Styling is, well, more styled than most, and nicely done in it’s black case. In that regard it bests projectors like the Epson’s which are nothing to look at, and manual everything. Ergonomically, it’s better than most. 1. Mitsubishi HC6800 Projector Review - HC6800 Projector Highlights2. Mitsubishi HC6800 Projector Overview3. Mitsubishi HC6800 Projector – Special Features - Frame Interpolation - Color Management System (CMS) - Mitsubishi HC6800 Projector: Dynamic Iris4. Mitsubishi HC6800 – Physical Tour - Mitsubishi HC6800 Appearance - Control Panel5. Mitsubishi HC6800 – Physical Tour-2 - Input/Output - Menus - Remote Control6. Mitsubishi HC6800 – Physical Tour-3 - Lens Throw - Lens Shift - Anamorphic Lens7. Mitsubishi HC6800 Projector – Image Quality - Mitsubishi HC6800 Projector: Out of the Box Picture Quality - Flesh Tones8. Mitsubishi HC6800 Projector – Image Quality-2 - Mitsubishi HC6800 Black Levels & Shadow Detail - Black Levels Comparison9. Mitsubishi HC6800 Projector – Image Quality-3 - Shadow Detail Performance - Shadow Detail Performance Comparison - Satellite Comparison10. Mitsubishi HC6800 Projector – Image Quality-4 - Shadow Detail and Dark Blacks Comparison - Thumbnail Comparison - Bottom line Mitsubishi HC6800 Blacks and Shadow detail11. Mitsubishi HC6800 Projector – Image Quality-5 - Overall Color & Picture Quality - Mitsubishi HC6800 Projector: Performance, HDTV and Sports12. Mitsubishi HC6800 – Performance - Mitsubishi HC6800 Brightness - Mitsubishi HC6800 Projector - Uncalibrated - The Effect of zoom lens positioning on brightness - The Effect of low lamp (eco) mode on brightness13. Mitsubishi HC6800 – Performance-2 - Sharpness - Sharpness Comparison - Playstation Video Comparison14. Mitsubishi HC6800 – Performance-3 - Computer Monitor Comparison - Mitsubishi HC6800: Bottom Line Sharpness - Light Leakage - Mitsubishi HC6800 Image Noise - Mitsubishi HC6800 Audible Noise15. Mitsubishi HC6800 Projector Calibration and Settings - Mitsubishi HC6800 Color Temperature - Color Temp over IRE Range (Best color temp) - Lumen Output at various Color Temps at 100 IRE - Mitsubishi HC6800 Basic Settings - Settings for measurements (default values are in parenthesis)16. Mitsubishi HC6800 Projector Calibration and Settings-2 - Mitsubishi HC6800 Post Calibration Grayscale - Color Temp over IRE Range (Post calibration) - Gamma settings - Dynamic Iris - Mitsubishi HC6800 RGB Settings - Medium Ref. Color Temp, User 1 Gamma 17. Mitsubishi HC6800 – Projector Screens - Mitsubishi HC6800 Projector Screen Recommendations18. Mitsubishi HC6800 – Competitors - HC6800 vs. Epson Home Cinema 8500UB, Pro Cinema 9100 - Mitsubishi HC6800 vs. BenQ W6000 - Mitsubishi HC6800 vs. Panasonic PT-AE4000 - Mitsubishi HC6800 vs. Sony VPL-HW15 - HC6800 vs. JVC DLA-RS15 - HC6800 vs. LG CF181D19. Mitsubishi HC6800 Projector – Warranty20. Mitsubishi HC6800 – Review Summary - Mitsubishi HC6800 Projector - The Bottom Line - HC6800 Brightness - Mitsubishi HC6800 Color Performance21. Mitsubishi HC6800 – Review Summary-2 - Sharpness - Black Level Performance and Shadow Detail - The very bottom line22. Mitsubishi HC6800 Projector: Pros, Cons, and Typical Capabilities - Mitsubishi HC6800 Projector: Pros - Mitsubishi HC6800 Projector: Cons - Mitsubishi HC6800 Projector: Typical Capabilities23. Mitsubishi HC6800 Projector Specifications Mitsubishi HC6800 Projector Review Mitsubishi HC6800 Projector – Special Features