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Runco LS-7 – Review Summary-2

Posted on June 24, 2010 By Art Feierman

Runco LS-7 Projector: Pros

  • Excellent Color
  • Brightest “best” movie mode we’ve seen since the last 3 Chip DLP review several years ago. Roughly 1500 lumens does an awesome job even on large screens like my 128″ Firehawk (or larger)
  • Definitely an “ultra-high contrast” projector despite the mere 20,000:1 contrast claim.
  • Extremely dynamic image (a lot of Pop and Wow), but without looking over the top
  • Very good shadow detail performance

Click to enlarge. SO close

  • Dynamic iris action is overall pretty good. Some yo-yoing in dark, slow scenes that cut back and forth between two people. Better than the majority
  • Outputs 24 frame per second sources at 48 fps (not creative interpolation)
  • Very good remote control with excellent range, excellent backlight
  • Excellent color management, as one would expect for a projector of this type
  • Focus, Zoom and Lens shift all motorized
  • Very good menus, nicely laid out
  • Very good documentation (a rarity)
  • Pricey, especially for a 720p, but then 3 chip DLP’s do bring a lot to the party, including lots of lumens
Click Image to Enlarge

Runco LS-7 Projector: Cons

  • Click to enlarge.SO close
  • It’s only 720p native resolution
  • Only slightly more lumens in brightest mode, than best (but considering the brightness, it’s hardly a net weakness
  • Lacks CFI (creative frame interpolation)
  • Excellent sharpness – for a 720p projector – while it’s a very sharp 720p, it’s still not a match for even an average 1080p projector, when both are fed 1080p source material
  • Although most reasonable – audible noise wise, the RS35 could be a little quieter with lamp at full power. Few would consider this an issue though
  • Expensive
Click Image to Enlarge

Runco LS-7 Projector: Typical Capabilities

  • Selection of inputs
  • Lamp life typical, or perhaps a little low – 2500 hours in “eco-mode” is a little below the far more common 3000 hours in eco-mode average.

My last thoughts: I need to put this in perspective. The easiest way is to compare to my JVC RS20, or better, the RS25 and RS35. While the Runco image does not look as sharp, the color is at least as good as my JVC, the image has more pop, it’s got about twice the lumens, and, if anyone offered me an LS-7 even up in exchange for my RS20 (or even the RS25), I would definitely make the trade. True, the JVC’s have the more natural black levels, no iris action to even occasionally be noticeable, and a sharper picture, but everytime I’d watch a sequence on the Runco, and then run it again, on my RS20, the huge brightness advantage made me want the Runco every time, for movie watching. I’d miss the slight loss of sharpness, but I’d make the trade up to the LS-7, every time. And that’s despite the lack of CFI, which I’d like to have for my sports, but have managed to survive without so far.

Runco LS-7 – Review Summary
Runco LightStyle LS-7 Projector Specifications