1080p Home Theater Projector Comparison Report - Image Quality-6

Posted on August 2, 2011 by Art Feierman

Mitsubishi HC7000

My key statement in the review: "Post calibration, flesh (skin) tones are excellent. I found the HC7000 to really look good on all types of skin tones, in a wide variety of movies and other content." What more could you ask for?

Optoma HD8200

While the HD8200 didn't pick up any major awards, skin tone handling wasn't the problem: I wrote: Once the HD8200 has been calibrated, the balance between red and blue, becomes excellent, and skin tones now look extremely good. They look good enough, that once or twice, (since I change projectors frequently when reviewing), I could occasionally forget that I had the HD8200 up, and not my reference JVC RS20, at least in terms of accurate skin tones.

Sanyo PLV-Z3000

Right from last year's comments: The PLV-Z3000 managed to still have a very slight color shift to yellow green after calibration, and it can be noticed in skin tones. I suspect a more in-depth calibration can solve that, however. In the review I stated: "Post calibration, skin tones are very good, given the slight yellow-green emphasis. I find that in Pure Cinema mode, however, (perhaps, in part due to limited brightness), that faces tend to look a little dark and flat".

Remember, we tend to quibble over fine points, for the hard core enthusiast that cares about every minor flaw. In other words, don't get me wrong, this one looks pretty good too.

Sony VPL-HW15

In the VPL-HW15 projector's review the comments included: After calibration, skin tones were excellent, and, while not the very best I've seen, certainly better than most, including almost all other home theater projectors selling for under $3000.

$3500 - $10,000 Home Theater Projectors

InFocus SP8602

The InFocus Screen Play 8602 looks great on skin tones. At the moment, only the RS25 and RS35 of the dozen plus projectors sitting here, can match or potentially beat the SP8602 when it comes to skin tones. I wrote this about it, in the recent review: Quite honestly, Mike's calibration of the SP8602 resulted in a great picture. Still, I don't think over all, that the colors are quite as excellent as the InFocus IN83 projector, which I had here for a very long time, but never managed to put another projector up against it that had better, more natural color. That said, after his calibration I'd have to say the SP8602, in terms of skin tones, may well be the next best (in fairness, how perfect, will depend on what approach the calibrator takes). In my statement above, relating to the two JVCs, for the InFocus SP8602 to be right up there, Brilliant Color needs to be Off.

JVC DLA-RS15

With our calibration giving us a much more accurate, and more consistent color temperature, the skin tones of the RS15 are looking to be truly excellent. The projector just looks vibrant on skin tones. Not the dark vibrant, that is associated (by me) with the DLP "look and feel" but more of a mid and bright range vibrance. In this regard, it is more vibrant than even the more expensive JVCs, which seem a touch "dark" overall, by comparison.

JVC DLA-RS25

Excellent skin tones. THX mode does a great job, but our individual calibration even slightly improved on that. Between the RS25 and the InFocus SP8602 I can't really tell you which has the better skin tones. The dynamics are slightly different, despite the overall colors being close and equally natural looking.