2. Hitachi Ultravision HDP J52

Following the lead of other brands, Hitachi has called its new-generation HD-ready model the HDP J52. The preceding model, the PJTX100, was already HD-compatible with its 1280x720 matrix. However, since contrast ratio has become an important marketing argument, the engineers at Hitachi felt the need to bring out a boosted version of the preceding model. The HDP J52 claims a contrast ratio of 7,000:1 and brightness at 1,200 lumens. Those values are probably optimistic - as they are with all manufacturers - but they show that the HDP J 52 is intended to go toe to toe with the Sanyo Z4 and the Panasonic PTAE900U. And to go those models one better, Hitachi has used glass optics and 10-bit video processing, which should add to the sharpness and fluidity of the picture.

Nothing's been left out, with horizontal and vertical lens shift, a short focal length, and a powerful zoom for easy installation in small rooms. There's also HDMI, YUV, S-Video, and cinch connectivity; a practical, backlit remote control; everything, in fact, that an up-to-date HD video projector should be wearing this year.

The Cyclops-like HDP J 52, with its huge glass eye, is very simple to install and quick to adjust. The factory calibration is very good, and all you really need to do is select the appropriate video preset - slow movie, fast movie, normal, music, sports - and choose 16:9 format. Then decide whether to activate the black mode that controls the automatic iris, and do a little tweaking on the colors to increase the saturation a little. Viewing our test patterns, we took note of the silent operation and found nothing to criticize. The picture was clear and stable, and the blacks were as deep as LCD technology can produce. The colors were saturated and fairly well balanced, and the whites were neither dull nor overblown.