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Big things in small boxes
A new contender for best entry level LCD projector?
By Max Christoffersen
June 2002
The Mitsubishi SL1-U LCD Projector $5999
Sleeper:
n; A product that doesn’t have a high market profile but should due
to high performance: eg : ‘The Mitsubishi SL1-U is a sleeper home
theatre projector.’
You may not find this dictionary description any where any time soon, but if things were fair on the home theatre projection front you would. Because this projector may just be a big reputation killer.
But let me back up a bit. Mitsubishi have been doing the rounds for some time with assertive newspaper and magazine ads profiling their corporate/office range of LCD projectors.
Like many others I was noticing them but also wondering whether their projectors may make a good fit with the needs of home theatre enthusiasts. I mean what is the difference between a projector designed to display office information to the suits vs a projector designed to play at home with the movies?
Well that question was emphatically answered with the delivery of the Mitsubishi SL1-U LCD projector.
On the surface LCD projectors are all beginning to look the same. The SL1-U fits this description: Same small A4 sized footprint; same lamp size; same remote size; same input configuration. It was all familiar territory with other competing products all being based around the same performance envelope and price point. And the SL1-U is no exception. This is a contender for best entry-level LCD projector and there are some saying it wins hands down.
Here’s why. Mitsubishi have made much of their light output specifications in their corporate advertising. To paraphrase: If you don’t have 1000 lumens you don’t have enough. And to an extent they are right. Light output is important, but only if you want to move away from a light controlled room. Most home theatre users prefer life in the dark and irrespective of projector type, CRT, DLP or LCD, a dark room will always provide superior results.
Some are using 700 lumens or less and finding the light is enough for typical screen sizes. But change that screen size and 1000 lumen projectors begin to come into their own. My own screen is 96”x54” and the SL1-U filled the screen easily with a bright image with minimal pixelation. And while the image is restricted to SVGA 800x600 resolution the results were quite exciting. Here’s why:
Almost without exception the quality that stands out on digital (LCD and DLP) projection is the tight focus. From the first minute the FBI warning comes up on DVD with large cleanly defined type, the family in the cheap seats are quiet and happy to view the results.
What about the screen door? ‘Who cares.’ Lack of black level? ‘What’s that?’ Reduced resolution ‘Sit down and shut up!’ And that’s how it goes.
The plug and play simplicity of the SL1-U combined with a clean crisp image is not unique to this small projector but it does win the day. Combine its light output at this price point and Mitsubishi have a projector that is going to win some battles with other manufacturers who have aggressively promoted to the home theatre market.
Other bonuses with the SL1-U come in the form of its flexibility
with
ceiling or floor mount options, keystone correction and low level fan
noise. Manual zoom and focus, a built-in line doubler and inputs
ranging from composite to S-video and RGB/component via 15 pin round out
the projector's functionality. While a range of digital image
manipulation tricks are included to maximise image resolution and
colour uniformity. Another nice touch is the ability to control each
individual primary and secondary colour without affecting other
colours or brightness. This all adds up to a very impressive
performance: the Mitsubishi SL1-U isamong the most satisfying LCD
images I've yet seen!
On the report card; the SL1-U showed good colour uniformity, no pixel failure, no evidence of colour blotching, correct (if still somewhat fluorescent) colours at times and such tight focus that I was still pondering how good it was in comparison to my CRT days after it went back.
The only area where the Mitsubishi failed to knock over other leading contenders was in the user interface. While the on-screen menu is quite simple to use, the remote features an unusual key layout that looks innovative to begin with but soon ends up being more complicated than it needs to be.
If you think I’m leaning towards digital projection, you’re right. They continue to get better in key areas and while the SL1-U failed the black test, what can’t be forgotten is the clean image and tight focus. If you can live with a little screen door pixelation, you can easily live with this projector. The other benefits of LCD projection at this price are too great to easily dismiss.
This product may be a sleeper, but I suspect Mitsubishi won’t be sleeping on the home theatre front for too much longer!
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