|
 Mitsubishi's
new HC5000 High Definition LCD projector is their latest entry that offers native
1080p (Full HD) resolution. The HC5000 includes
the latest generation of liquid crystal panels (C2) with inorganic orientation
film and features the impressive Reon HQV processor for an outstanding picture
in your home theater system. The LCD optical engine is enclosed to prevent dust
from entering into the assembly. According to Mitsubishi, special algorithms have
been incorporated to control the dynamic iris and is said to achieve an impressive
10000:1 contrast ratio. Both HDMI and DVI connectors are provided for the ultimate
in digital connectivity. The ultra-quiet cooling assembly produces a small 19dBA
noise level in the low power output mode and results in an impressive 5000 hour
lamp life. Normal power mode has about 2000 hours of lamp life. The unit comes
in two colors, white (HC5000) and black (HC5000-BL). We reviewed the white version
and found that it blended nicely into the room decor without looking obtrusive.
The HC5000 comes with Mitsubishi's 2-year warranty with a standard 90-day warranty
on the bulb. The HC5000 is a light-weight projector weighing only 12.3 pounds
and measuring 13.1" x 4.9" x 13.8" (WxHxD).
 Motorized
Lens
The motorized optic assembly is one of the best features of this projector.
Zoom, focus and two-dimensional lens shifting is completely adjustable through
the remote or top control panel. A convenient test pattern can be generated with
a push of a button, making setup a simple and accurate process. Once the settings
are in place, the user can lock them from being changed accidentally. The light
source comes from a 160-watt high pressure lamp. The HC5000 is built with a lens
system comprised of 17 elements in 14 groups, including three extra-low dispersion
glass lenses, which results in higher performance than conventional lenses. According
to the manufacturer, this lens system dramatically improves chromatic aberration
and peripheral focus. As with most projectors, placing the unit as far back as
possible results in the best performance with uniform brightness across the screen.
 To
help deepen the black level capability of the HC5000 LCD projector, Mitsubishi
has implemented an auto-iris that is said to achieve an amazingly high contrast
of 10,000:1. The auto-iris feature will automatically control the level of light
projected from the lens by constantly adjusting the mechanism based on the incoming
video content. Unfortunately, we found this implementation to be a distraction
while watching movies. When the video encountered dark scenes, the image would
suddenly get darker shortly afterwards. This helped bring the black levels down
considerably and improved the image. However, we wish there was a better way to
do this without it being so noticeable. In many cases we preferred using the open
mode for the iris along with a calibrated picture to avoid any distractions.
 Top
Controls
The top of the HC5000 has nine buttons that allow control of
the unit without the use of the remote. Some of the buttons have dual functions
when the menu is active or when setup adjustments are being made. This is most
useful when using the projector in a tabletop configuration. We had little use
for these controls since our projector was mounted inverted on the ceiling. The
Status and Power indicators provide information about the projector
state and lamp condition. In Standby, the Power light is red. When the projector
is powered on, both the Status and Power lights turn green. If at
any time the Power indicator turns red, an abnormal condition has occurred within
the projector and service is needed. This can be as simple as the lamp needing
replacement.
 Remote
The HC5000 remote has a nice layout and is easy to operate. Buttons are backlit,
making it fairly easy to use in poorly lit media rooms. Separate power On
and Off buttons make it difficult to accidentally shut the unit off. Turning
the projector off requires two successive presses of the Off button. The
Auto Position button is used to optimizes the picture position when using
the PC input. Six dedicated input buttons select from HDMI, DVI,
PC, Component, S-video and Composite inputs. A set
of three A/V memory buttons are included for custom configurations. The navigation
buttons (left, right, up and down) work in conjunction with the Menu button.
The Iris button controls the setting of the automatic dynamic iris. Picture
controls for contrast, brightness, color temperature, color saturation, sharpness,
and gamma are also present. One great feature found on the HC5000 is the ability
to shift the projected image both horizontally as well as vertically using the
remote control. This offers the most flexibility when setting up the image onto
the screen. Typically, installers will find that the projector is slightly off
axis and the lens shift allows for moderate levels of correction without introducing
geometric distortions. It is best to place the projector as far back away from
the screen as possible for the best picture. Focus is also fully controlled through
the remote making it a snap to dial in a crisp picture. The backlighting
on the remote make it easy to see in a dark environment. When any of the buttons
are pressed, the backlight illuminates all of the keys.
 Interfaces
The rear panel of the HC5000 accommodates all of the standard video interfaces
including composite, s-video, 3-RCA component video, 15-pin RGB/component, DVI,
and HDMI. We really liked having two digital video interfaces on the unit. There
is also an RS232 port that can be used to command the projector from an outboard
controller. An IEC power receptacle is located here and accommodates a wide range
of power source options (100V-240V, 50/60Hz). The trigger output can be used with
motorized screens and provides up to 200mA of current.
 Video
Processing
While the core display technology (ie DLP, LCD SXRD, LCOS)
in a projector is closely scrutinized by the consumer, the video processing can
be equally important in the final display quality especially when dealing with
various source material. It is not uncommon to find displays that look great with
ideal source material, but fail to perform well when fed non-ideal sources. Mitsubishi's
decision to use the Silicon Optix Reon VX HQV™ (Hollywood Quality Video)
Video Processor is a good one and makes this great projector even better. All
sources benefit from 10-bit image processing resulting in accurate I/P (interlace/progressive)
conversion. Whether the source is video or film, 60 or 24 frames per second, the
picture exhibits excellent video quality with virtually no objectionable artifacts.
The high-performance
video scaler can upconvert DVD's 720 X 480 resolution to match the display's 1920
X 1080 native resolution. The Reon-VX chip reduces chroma up-sampling errors and
properly compensates for color data compressed at the production level of most
DVD titles. This results in a better reproduction of high-definition images without
the common color blur or loss. The full 10-bit 4:4:4 signal processing found in
the Reon VX HQV™ produces more realistic gradations and colors than standard
8-bit processing. In addition, the HQV™ noise reduction processing works
on a per pixel basis for the best picture possible.
Installation
The
HC5000 is a snap to install with the motorized optic assembly. Our 100" Stewart
FireHawk is located approximately 13 feet from the projector lens and aligned
right at the top of the screen. The built-in pattern generator along with the
two-axis lens shift controls allowed us to dial in a near perfect rectangle to
fill the 16:9 screen. This is essential since there are no keystone correction
feature in this unit as they tend to cause picture artifacts. The motorized focus
also help optimize the picture since we could look at the image up close while
using the remote. We
have a variety of projectors that get reviewed and it is always somewhat challenging
to find a one-fits-all projector mount. Luckily, Peerless Industries has an excellent
mount that allows us to quickly install and remove any projector with ease. Their
latest PRG Precision Gear Projector Mount helps us align the image and
get the review done with little pain. Even with the projector mounted directly
over our heads, the
fan noise produced by the HC5000 is extremely quiet in the low output mode.
The standard power mode increases fan noise slightly, but is still quiet
compared to most projectors we have reviewed. We
connected three main cables to the HC5000; two digital and one analog. The 20-meter
VizionWare Hi-Wirez HDMI cable was connected from our Sony PlayStation3 directly
to the projector HDMI input. We ran multiple video sources (analog and digital)
to our DVDO iScan HD+ scaler and then sent the video through a 20-meter AudioQuest
DV-1 cable to the DVI input on the HC5000. Finally, our setup
made use of the RGB inputs where we connected our HTPC (Home Theater PC). By setting
the PC to a native resolution of 1920x1080, we matched the output with the resolution
of the display. This gave us a huge 100-inch monitor with excellent resolution
to play games or surf the net. Display
Primaries
 Color
accuracy is an important attribute and the primary and secondary colors define
the palette. The primary colors produced by the HC5000 were measured from our
100" Stewart FireHawk filmscreen using the GretagMacbeth Eye-One Pro Spectrophotometer
along with the Milori ColorFacts PRO software. The CIE chart shows where the ideal
primaries are located with the smaller three points joined by the darker lines.
The measured primary colors are indicated by the red, green and blue markers connected
together with the white triangle. Only colors inside the triangle can be produced
by the projector. Each primary color was very close to the ideal value with green
slightly shifted towards yellow. This has been somewhat common in many of the
projectors we have reviewed. Both red and blue were right on target and the secondary
colors were quite accurate as well. The color accuracy measured here had much
to do with the excellent color performance we saw on the screen. Flesh tones took
on a very natural look and color saturation was excellent. In summary, this projector
has excellent color accuracy.  Color
Tracking
We calibrated the RGB input of the HC5000 since our VP300 only
supports analog outputs. The calibration works the same for each of the inputs
on the HC5000 with memory setting for each. We set the Sencore VP300 HDTV video
generator to 1080p/60fps. We set the black level using the PLUGE pattern and checked
that the stair step levels did not crush the blacks or whites. The Gamma
was set to Cinema and the Color Temperature was set to Medium
when initial reading were taken. According to the manual, this setting gets us
close to 6500°K. We then set the Color Temperature to User and
adjusted the grayscale tracking using the RGB contrast and brightness controls.
This let us dial in the best setting for both low and high IRE levels. We took
all of our measurements using DataColor's ColorFacts PRO connected to a GretagMacbeth
Eye-One Beamer. The pre-calibrated grayscale was a little on the high side, but
not bad out of the box. Once calibrated the HC5000 tracked 6500°K very well
across all measured IRE levels. The final color temperature measurements only
deviated about 200°K from the ideal 6500°K target across all of the IRE
levels.
We
achieved a full contrast ratio of about 2000:1 (11.3fL/0.006fL)
after calibration
with 500 hours on the bulb. The projector
was set to the Standard lamp mode with Iris set to 2. The
best black levels were achieved with the Low lamp setting and with the
Iris
set to 2.
We would have liked to see an option for the
Iris setting that did not dynamically change with the video content. Currently,
this only exists when the Iris is set to Open. Performance
There was a time that I wouldn't even consider an LCD projector solely based on
early experiences with these units. However, after spending a great deal of time
with the HC5000 my opinion has forever changed. Being very sensitive to flicker
and therefore the rainbow effect (DLP color wheel flicker) associated with my
Optoma H77 and all single DLP projectors, my preference goes to LCD given the
price and performance. The
motorized focus, zoom and lens shift feature proved to be a benefit when small
tweaks need to be made during installation. The dense pixel structure would normally
require two people to set the focus, but with the fully motorized controls it
is an easy one person task. As mentioned earlier, the HC5000 projector is amazingly
quiet even mounted directly overhead. It is significantly less noisy than what
we consider to be a quiet Optoma H77. The
menus are rather small even on our 100" viewing screen.  For
this review we had a large selection of high definition source material that included
Blu-ray, HD-DVD and satellite programming from Dish Network. We also had content
from standard DVD with both analog and digital interfaces to the HC5000. Blu-ray
discs had incredible resolution and with the latest firmware update for our PS3,
we had the ability to playback movies in full 1080p at 24 fps (frames per second).
Best of all, the HC5000 had no problem accepting 1080p video at 24 fps even though
the user's manual does not mention it. The image shows the HC5000 information
screen with the resolution and frame rate detected by the projector while using
the Sony PS3 as a movie source.
 It
has been a while since we have used our Toshiba HD-A1 HD-DVD player and we encountered
a slight problem with the playback of the new Planet Earth HD-DVDs. However,
updating to the latest software on the HD-A1 through the ethernet connection got
us back online. The 1080i video from the player was sent to the HC5000 where it
was converted to 1080p. The video performance was astonishing. It is easy to spot
motion artifacts on our screen, but we didn't see anything objectionable with
the HC5000 and it made watching full 1080p one of the best experiences ever. The
HC5000 showed little signs of false contouring on difficult scenes. We attribute
much of this to the 10-bit processing used in the Silicon Optix Reon VX HQV™
(Hollywood Quality Video) video processor. Many of the HD movies were stored on
our Dish Network ViP-622 DVR. These programs were sent to the HC5000 in 1080i
with excellent resolution. While few compression artifacts could be seen due to
bandwidth limitations in the transmission of the Dish signal, the video looked
superb and made movie watching a great experience with this projector.
All
our analog video sources were processed with an external DVDO iScan HD+ deinterlacer
and scaler and sent to the projector through a DVI connection. However, we did
run some tests that showed the HC5000 internal processing was equally as good
if not better on analog sources. This is amazing for a projector in this price
range. We figured that most users will not bother with analog sources unless legacy
equipment is being used especially with DVI/HDMI enabled DVD players dropping
in cost. Conclusion
The HC5000 has forever changed my view of LCD projectors. The picture was rich
in color and had high contrast with ample light output on our FireHawk screen.
In addition, the 3-panel LCD inherently eliminated the annoyance I have with the
color wheel on single chip DLP projectors. The cooling system on this projector
is very quiet which allows for overhead mounting without distracting the viewers.
The on-screen menus are noticeably small and can be difficult to read for us older
folks especially if the screen size is not very large. An option to increase the
size would be great. The HC5000 offers both HDMI as well as DVI digital interfaces
for maximum flexibility with digital components and we took full advantage of
this. For those with multiple HDMI sources, an outboard video switcher may be
needed. Multiple HDMI inputs on the projector would be nice, but can quickly run
up the setup cost with long HDMI cables. We recommend getting a good quality cable
for the long run. Having
owned a DLP projector for the past several years it was refreshing to see the
advancements made with today's LCD technology. In fact, my first impression told
me that this projector was going to become a part of our reference setup. No longer
did I have to put up with the color wheel artifacts (rainbow effects) associated
with my single DLP projector. Since me eyes are very sensitive to this issue,
the HC5000 with its 3-LCD 1080p design provided an excellent picture without this
distraction. Full
bandwidth 1080p video sources coming from our Sony PlayStation3 produces incredible
video images on the screen without objectionable artifacts. Both 60Hz and 24Hz
frame rates are supported in 1080p modes. The onboard Silicon Optix Reon VX HQV™
video processor is first rate with the ability to properly deinterlace and scale
incoming video to the native 1080p resolution. Contrast is somewhat limited with
the lack of deep black levels, but still produced a punchy and high resolution
picture with excellent color saturation. Best of all, the HC5000 is surprisingly
quiet making it an excellent choice for those with seating near the ceiling mounted
unit. So
for well under $4500, consumers can now get full 1080p video with some of the
best video processing available in any projector. Add in the power focus, zoom,
and 2-D lens shift capability and you have a projector worth every bit of the
asking price.
-
Kevin Nakano | 
