InFocus high definition home theatre projectors
Nothing beats projection for watching films at home. When we first ventured into projection it took us just a couple of minutes to mount a new 92 inch pulldown screen* at home. Then only a few more to set up a InFocus home movie projector on the table, plug the DVD in and its movie time. So easy. The picture was totally absorbing and we found it the best way to enjoy our favourite TV programs and movies. None of this was even remotely possible a few years ago. Now we look forward to winter so we can go home early put on the fire and crank the projector up. This way of viewing becomes a special event, relaxation time especially set aside and then it all goes away so our living room is back to being just that.
*More on screens later
These days larger family homes often will have a ‘rumpus’ room set up for the kids to use projectors for movies and games. Or you may like a ‘theatre’ room and have expectations of high quality viewing.
It’s no accident that we’ve chosen the award winning InFocus Projectors. They are a reputable specialist projector company with large resources that allow research and development which puts them ahead in performance, along with the economies of scale for competitive pricing.
With hi-fi everyone has a pretty good idea of what to expect when they jump between models of components but with projectors its all a bit new so we have put together a quick summary that outlines the differences between the InFocus models so you can pick which best suits you.
As technology and the uptake of projectors have improved over recent years the performance for the dollars spent has in turn markedly improved.
The InFocus home entertainment range
The InFocus X10 (NZ$ 5999) has a 1080P (1920 x1080) DarkChip1 DLP chipset for Full HD quality, previously only found on much more expensive models. The 1200 ANSI lumen brightness allows use with bigger screens and in rooms where you have greater levels of light coming in from outside. Simply put, as you go up the range you get increased brightness and contrast.
Stepping up the range comes the High DefinitionIN81 (NZ$ 10,499) – DarkChip2 and IN83 (NZ$ 13,499) – DarkChip3. The difference being the type of micromirror with the DarkChip3 giving greater contrast and a overall richer picture.
We’ve watched Lord of the Rings countless times and yet on a 1080p projector it’s like a whole new movie seeing nuances that went unnoticed before. It has optimum brightness to illuminate large screens even with ambient lighting conditions – achieved however, with out sacrificing colour or contrast. The ‘iris enable’ increases the contrast three fold. It is for the viewer to decide which they prefer.
Brilliant Colour is another user preference feature allowing improved colour when light ambient is higher.
HDMI 1.3 is the newest of the HDMI standard which increased bandwidth (4.95 gigabit per second to 10.2 gigabit per second), resulting in a new format known as Deep Colour. This 10-bit processing produces significantly more colours than the human eye can detect. The benefit however, being a much finer gray scale giving a smoother picture.
In brief the features of the InFocus home projectors include
- Iris controlled contrast
- HDMI 1.3 and Deep Colour
- Advanced DLP technology
- Video Optimised Lumens
- Colour Gamut and ISF calibration settings
- Brilliant Colour by Texas Instruments
Obviously InFocus are offering you a very wide range in terms of performance. But is there a common thread running through these choices? Would you feel disappointed if you had to opt for the entry level model because of price? Our experience suggests that InFocus projectors have a happy knack of letting you forget about them within 5 minutes of starting to watch a movie. You simply get involved in what you are seeing. We think much of this is due to the scale of the picture – a conventional TV or screen just can’t pull off the same trick whereas projection fills your whole field of view. Just as we place a premium on hi-fi systems that involve us in music, your own personal cinema does the same with movies and games.
But technology also has a lot to do with it. The latest generation of DLP – Digital Light Processing – chips combined with high quality optics, all work together to produce a convincing image with even the entry level model. You can have the confidence in InFocus projectors as it is simply something you can see.
InFocus home projectors have a 2 year warranty and 1 year lamp warranty.
Screens
You may not have considered it but screen technology is a science in itself and having the right screen will make the most of your projector investment. This is where our advice is of value to you when purchasing your projector. The options include fixed, pulldown and motorised. All in a variety of sizes and fabrics depending on the room and requirement.