16. Epson Powerlite Cinema 550

Epson is not a newcomer to the field of video projection, and you can tell that as soon as you look at the characteristics of the Cinema 550. It has all the features necessary to put it at the top of its class: three 0.7" PolyS TFT LCD panels with MLA (16:9 format) with native 1280x720 resolution (thus 720p with 1080i compatibility); a short focal length; a powerful zoom for displaying an 8' 16:9 image from a distance of about 16'; 1,600-lumen (ANSI) brightness with two colorimetry modes (Living Room / Dynamic); a 5,000:1 contrast ratio in automatic-iris mode, dual lens shift, and an Epson Cinema filter. In short, this projector has everything to make it the perfect product.

As for looks, saying that the 550's esthetics won't leave you cold is an understatement: you'll either love it or hate it. The white color is nothing unusual, but the ovoid shape is quite innovative, and the air vents on the front of the shell remind you of a shark's gills. On the rear are the indispensable connections: YUV, HDMI, S-Video, and cinch. In sum, nothing is missing to make this model truly HD ready. The shape of the illuminated remote control is friendly, and features a neat idea that makes life a bit easier: The backlighting button is located at the bottom of the remote, away from the other buttons, to make it easier to find.