Mitsubishi HC7800D Projector – Image Quality Posted on January 31, 2012 By Art Feierman 1. Mitsubishi HC7800D Home Theater Projector Review - Mitsubishi HC7800D Projector Overview2. Mitsubishi HC7800DW Special Features - Adding 3D to the HC7900DW - 3D Gaming with the Mitsubishi HC7900DW: Lag Times! - HC7900 and the Rainbow Effect - HC7900DW Lamp Life - 1.5:1 Zoom Lens3. Mitsubishi HC7800DW Special Features 2 - HC7900DW Projector - 3D Performance - Mitsubishi HC7900 Projector: 2D to 3D conversion - HC7900DW Creative Frame Interpolation - CFI - smooth motion4. Mitsubishi HC7800D Projector Highlights - Specs for Mitsubishi HC7800D - Mitsubishi HC7800D Special Features - 1.5:1 Zoom Lens 5. HC7800D Projector – 3D Performance - Mitsubishi HC7800 Projector: 2D to 3D conversion - HC7800D Creative Frame Interpolation - CFI - smooth motion6. Mitsubishi HC7800D Projector – Physical Tour - Mitsubishi HC7800D Projector - Appearance - HC7800D Control Panel - HC7800D Projector - Input/Output7. HC7800D Menus - Mitsubishi HC7800D Remote Control - Mitsubishi HC7800D Lens Throw - Mitsubishi HC7800 Lens Shift - Anamorphic Lens - Wide Screen8. Mitsubishi HC7800D Projector – Image Quality - Mitsubishi HC7800D Out of the Box Picture Quality - Mitsubishi HC7800D Projector - Flesh Tones9. Mitsubishi HC7800D Black Levels & Shadow Detail10. Shadow Detail Performance11. Shadow Detail Performance 2 - Black Level and Shadow Detail Performance: HC7800D Projector - Bottom Line - Mitsubishi HC7800D - Overall Color & Picture Quality12. Mitsubishi HC7800D Projector: Performance, HDTV and Sports - Mitsubishi HC7800D Projector: Bottom Line on HDTV and Sports13. Mitsubishi HC7800D Projector – Performance - Mitsubishi HC7800D Brightness - Lumen Output and Color Temp for various Picture modes at 100 IRE: - Post Calibration: User "best" mode (placed in User AV Memory 1) = 668 lumens - HC7800D Brightest Mode: - Effect of zoom on lumen output (A/V Memory mode): - Mitsubishi HC7800D Pre-Calibration Color temp, Cinema Mode:14. HC7800D Color Temp over IRE Range – Post calibration: User Mode15. Mitsubishi HC7800D Sharpness - Mitsubishi HC7800D: Bottom Line Sharpness - Light Leakage - Image Noise - Audible Noise16. Mitsubishi HC7800D Projector Calibration and Settings - Mitsubishi HC7800D Basic Settings - Mitsubishi HC7800D Post Calibration Grayscale: User Mode17. HC7800D User Mode AV1, Post Calibration - HC7800D RGB Settings18. Mitsubishi HC7800D Projector Screen Recommendations19. Mitsubishi HC7800D Projector – Warranty20. Mitsubishi HC7800D – Competitors - Mitsubishi HC7800D - Competitors - Mitsubishi HC7800D vs. Epson Pro Cinema 9700UB and Home 8700UB - Mitsubishi HC7800D vs. Sony VPL-VW90ES - HC7800D vs. Sharp XV-Z17000 - Mitsubishi HC7800D vs. Optoma HD8200 - Mitsubishi HC7800D vs. Runco LS5 - Mitsubishi HC7800D vs. PT-AE700021. Mitsubishi HC7800D – Review Summary - Mitsubishi HC7800D Projector - The Bottom Line - HC7800D Color and Overall Picture Quality22. Mitsubishi HC7800D Projector: Pros - Mitsubishi HC7800D Projector: Cons23. HC7800 Projector – Brightness for 2D viewing - HC7800 Projector - 3D Brightness: - The Very Bottom Line on the HC7800D projector: - Mitsubishi HC7800D Projector: Pros and Cons24. Mitsubishi HC7800D Projector Specifications In a perfect world, our photos would perfectly reproduce the Mitsubishi HC7800D image on my screen. In the real world though, the HC7800D projector projects onto my Studiotek 130 screen. Those images are captured on a Canon 60D professional dSLR. Even so, there is always some minor color shift and other changes. From there, software (Photoshop), your browser, and your monitor, are also in the path, each adding some “color” to the image, changing it from the original HC7800D projected image. As a result, while the photos can give you a good idea of picture quality, overall, the accuracy of the color on your screen is not going to be accurate enough for really close comparisons of, say the HC7800D projector’s skin tones, compared to some other similarly good projector. Take our images, therefore, with a grain – or pound – of salt. For all of that, I believe that the HC7800D images came out very well, in terms of representing the color the Mitsubishi HC7800D projector is capable of. I do detect a slight shift to red – or rather “salmon” kind of pink. The skin tones do look better “live” than on these images, at least when viewed on my MacBook Pro. I repeat again, for the record: All home theater projectors, including the Mitsubishi HC7800D definitely look will look better live, than in even the best looking images here might suggest. Mitsubishi HC7800D Out of the Box Picture QualityClick to enlarge. SO close Rather impressive! Not only does the HC7800D have very good brightness right out of the box, combined with good color but its color quality comes very close to what many other projectors look like after they’ve been calibrated. So kudos to Mitsubishi for starting this projector out with some pretty impressive looking color, even before you make an adjustment. Click Image to EnlargeMitsubishi HC7800D Projector - Flesh TonesPost calibration, the Mitsubishi 7800 D looks downright great on skin tones. First of all it’s a classic DLP, with all that being a DLP home theater projector implies. Many of us are big fans of the general picture characteristics of DLP. I try and describe that “dlp look” as having rich looking and saturated looking colors and especially so on the darker scenes. Lots of “wow and pop” from DLP projectors, and the Mitsubishi HC7800D is no exception. However we were talking about skin tones. Once Mike calibrated this projector, skin tones look pretty much right on. Although our measurements show that the calibratred HC7800D ended up just a smidgeon to the warm side, (just a touch too much red relative to blues), the HC7800D did not exhibit what is sometimes called the “sunburned” look. You know, that is when you’ve been out in the sun for about 20 minutes too long. The Mitsubishi’s skin tones look just fine. Below you will find the usual images and some new ones that we like to show you to give you an idea of what skin tones can look like. As usual we start with a couple of images from Lord of the Rings: Return of the King. Below are our three James Bond images from Casino Royale. Each has a different lighting scenario, the first – full sunlight, the second image; indoor fluorescent, and finally, filtered sunlight in the third image. And as one would expect, that causes each image of James Bond – Daniel Craig – to have different looking skin tones. All look pretty good! 1. Mitsubishi HC7800D Home Theater Projector Review - Mitsubishi HC7800D Projector Overview2. Mitsubishi HC7800DW Special Features - Adding 3D to the HC7900DW - 3D Gaming with the Mitsubishi HC7900DW: Lag Times! - HC7900 and the Rainbow Effect - HC7900DW Lamp Life - 1.5:1 Zoom Lens3. Mitsubishi HC7800DW Special Features 2 - HC7900DW Projector - 3D Performance - Mitsubishi HC7900 Projector: 2D to 3D conversion - HC7900DW Creative Frame Interpolation - CFI - smooth motion4. Mitsubishi HC7800D Projector Highlights - Specs for Mitsubishi HC7800D - Mitsubishi HC7800D Special Features - 1.5:1 Zoom Lens 5. HC7800D Projector – 3D Performance - Mitsubishi HC7800 Projector: 2D to 3D conversion - HC7800D Creative Frame Interpolation - CFI - smooth motion6. Mitsubishi HC7800D Projector – Physical Tour - Mitsubishi HC7800D Projector - Appearance - HC7800D Control Panel - HC7800D Projector - Input/Output7. HC7800D Menus - Mitsubishi HC7800D Remote Control - Mitsubishi HC7800D Lens Throw - Mitsubishi HC7800 Lens Shift - Anamorphic Lens - Wide Screen8. Mitsubishi HC7800D Projector – Image Quality - Mitsubishi HC7800D Out of the Box Picture Quality - Mitsubishi HC7800D Projector - Flesh Tones9. Mitsubishi HC7800D Black Levels & Shadow Detail10. Shadow Detail Performance11. Shadow Detail Performance 2 - Black Level and Shadow Detail Performance: HC7800D Projector - Bottom Line - Mitsubishi HC7800D - Overall Color & Picture Quality12. Mitsubishi HC7800D Projector: Performance, HDTV and Sports - Mitsubishi HC7800D Projector: Bottom Line on HDTV and Sports13. Mitsubishi HC7800D Projector – Performance - Mitsubishi HC7800D Brightness - Lumen Output and Color Temp for various Picture modes at 100 IRE: - Post Calibration: User "best" mode (placed in User AV Memory 1) = 668 lumens - HC7800D Brightest Mode: - Effect of zoom on lumen output (A/V Memory mode): - Mitsubishi HC7800D Pre-Calibration Color temp, Cinema Mode:14. HC7800D Color Temp over IRE Range – Post calibration: User Mode15. Mitsubishi HC7800D Sharpness - Mitsubishi HC7800D: Bottom Line Sharpness - Light Leakage - Image Noise - Audible Noise16. Mitsubishi HC7800D Projector Calibration and Settings - Mitsubishi HC7800D Basic Settings - Mitsubishi HC7800D Post Calibration Grayscale: User Mode17. HC7800D User Mode AV1, Post Calibration - HC7800D RGB Settings18. Mitsubishi HC7800D Projector Screen Recommendations19. Mitsubishi HC7800D Projector – Warranty20. Mitsubishi HC7800D – Competitors - Mitsubishi HC7800D - Competitors - Mitsubishi HC7800D vs. Epson Pro Cinema 9700UB and Home 8700UB - Mitsubishi HC7800D vs. Sony VPL-VW90ES - HC7800D vs. Sharp XV-Z17000 - Mitsubishi HC7800D vs. Optoma HD8200 - Mitsubishi HC7800D vs. Runco LS5 - Mitsubishi HC7800D vs. PT-AE700021. Mitsubishi HC7800D – Review Summary - Mitsubishi HC7800D Projector - The Bottom Line - HC7800D Color and Overall Picture Quality22. Mitsubishi HC7800D Projector: Pros - Mitsubishi HC7800D Projector: Cons23. HC7800 Projector – Brightness for 2D viewing - HC7800 Projector - 3D Brightness: - The Very Bottom Line on the HC7800D projector: - Mitsubishi HC7800D Projector: Pros and Cons24. Mitsubishi HC7800D Projector Specifications HC7800D Menus Mitsubishi HC7800D Black Levels & Shadow Detail