Mitsubishi Projectors: Summary, Pros, Cons

Posted on October 3, 2013 by Art Feierman

I debated long and hard as to whether one or both of these Mitsubishi projectors rated our Hot Product Award. Overall, I really like both projectors. Not too loud, extremely bright if you don't need really accurate reds and yellows, and really good reds and yellows if you can sacrifice some brightness.

But, I digress. Hot Product Award - or not?

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I finally decided that I would only give the Hot Product Award to the SVGA (lower resolution) Mitsubishi ES-100. The EX-100 was close, but what swayed me on the ES-100 was the compression technology, which is very important to most people buying SVGA projectors, and the ES-100 did such a great job at it. Since compression technology is not critical for most people using XGA projectors, the EX-100, while an excellent choice, just didn't give me a compelling reason to award it.

Pros

Brightness
Color accuracy and flexibility on data (for a DLP projector)
Compression Technology
Many inputs and outputs
Economy mode extends lamp life
Styling (at least they have some)
Sound (very good, but not exceptional)
Recessed lens and lens controls
Menus
Warranty
Price/Performance

Cons

Color accuracy (at least compared to LCD projectors) if you need maximum brightness
Remote control (good except lacks full remote mousing

Typical

Manual
Zoom lens flexibility (1.2:1 ratio)
Noise levels (better than average in economy mode, typical in full power mode)

Bottom line: If you favor DLP projectors, these two models offer excellent price performance, and have especially good color handling capabilities. Add to that the great warranty, and you have a pair of excellent choices, with both being a significant step up from entry level projectors at their respective resolutions.

And, if you want a good projector for both business and home theater, you'll just have to choose between these two.