Home Theater DLP Projector 1080p
High Quality Glass Lens
1300 ANSI Lumens
4000:1 Contrast Ratio
This review is from: Mitsubishi HC3800 1080p Home Theater DLP ProjectorI just received my Mitsubishi HC3800 three days ago, upgrading from my much-loved Optoma HD70 which has given me over two years of home theatre spectacle. This was not an upgrade I would have anticipated, but when the early reviews indicated that the Mits was an exceptional projector, I got interested right away. As happy as I was with the quality of the HD70 image, I looked forward to the day when I could afford a full-HD 1080P projector. And now that I've got one, I'm very pleased. It's great to know that my new setup is delivering the most that HD can give.You may be aware that the first shipment of these projectors had a problem with random shutdowns. Mitsubishi has responded speedily to resolve this problem. Check for a firmware release other than 1.0 to confirm that your unit has been fixed. Pressing the UP, DOWN, and ENTER keys simultaneously on the projector (not the remote) will display the firmware release. Mine is 3.0.Another issue that has been reported occurs in the display of widescreen black-and-white movies. The left, center, and right of the image show variations in color, one side looking too blue and the other too red. I put on my Blu-ray of YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN to check for this problem and am happy to report that I saw no indication of color in the projected image.The final issue is concern about the projector synchronizing with the HDMI signal. I have a receiver with four HDMI inputs, all of which I use, and a 25' HDMI cable connecting the receiver to the projector. I have noticed that the projector struggles slightly more with the HDMI handshake than my Optoma did, but the image so far has consistently stabilized after a few seconds. If a bit of flicker during the initial FBI warning disturbs you, you may want to hold off on this unit!Now that I'm done with the issues, let me say that this projector puts out a breathtaking picture that obviously packs more punch than the Optoma. I've checked out at least a dozen Blu-rays so far, and my favorite is the (UK) ZULU, which looked beautiful on the Optoma but now looks like a 3D movie. The red uniforms leap off the screen. The image is also extremely sharp, as the early reviews mentioned, no doubt the result of the glass lenses. At this point I have done NO tweaking of the settings, and eventually I may do some minor adjustments, but out-of-the-box this thing looks great. (I did a lot of tweaking on my Optoma.)It's wonderful to get something that makes me want to enjoy all of my favorite movies yet again. I feel as giddy about this projector as I did when I first went from my 65" SONY CRT rear projector to the Optoma. Given the price, this projector is going to be hard to beat. I had been seriously thinking about the Optoma HD20, another 1080P projector, in light of my positive experience with the HD70, but the early rave reviews of this unit convinced me otherwise. I'm glad I forked over the extra dollars and got this one!...
This review is from: Mitsubishi HC3800 1080p Home Theater DLP ProjectorI've put about 100 hours on my 3800 so far and here's the skinny:* It has a great picture with lots of color saturation and enough lumen for my 144 inch screen with a little ambient light.* Picture adjustments are a bit confusing, but little needed done anyhow, so no big deal.* Installation with the 30+ degree lens offset is a bit tricky and makes for a limited use depending on your room.* NOW THE BIGGIE - It has to go in to Mits for some problems. And they are: 1) The picture goes from cold (blue) on the right side of the screen to warm (brown) on the left side of the screen. This is only visible, yet very visible, in white or light color images. 2) There is an artifact on the lower left side of the screen that looks like a dirt smudge in the shape of a football about the size of a football on this 144inch screen. It is not on the outside of the lens or the screen and is probably dust on the optics inside. Which is also probably what causes the cold / warm issue mentioned above - dust on the internal optics. 3) There is a distinct clicking sound coming from the projector in about 1 minute durations whenever my forced air furnace kicks on. Naturally, heat rises to the ceiling where the projector is mounted about 4 inches down from. The extra heat causes the fans to kick on high (I guess) and makes a discernible "clicking" sound. It is annoying in anything but very loud scenes.Well, that's about it. I discovered all of these issues about 50 hours ago, but I am not taking down the projector until after the Super Bowl. I have to say, the image is nice and sharp with deep colors. The quality issues, however, I guess confirms why the 3800 cost me about $1300. Would I buy it again? Well, yes. Given its warranty, price and the other choices out there, even with these issues, I still think this was the best choice for me. I love DLP and the image of this projector confirms as to why. And, when taken into consideration with everything you buy these days, perfection is not the norm. I think Micro$oft conditioned us for that, but I digress.Note: I do have the 3.0 firmware.UPDATE: 10/26/2010 - Working like a champ. Mitsubishi retooled / reworked this model and it appears that they have them working like they should. True, I originally went through 3 of these before I got one that worked without issues. However, it has worked so well that I went and purchased another unit a few months ago. So far, both units are working fantastically. The image is truly amazing! One projector is shooting a 144 inch image onto a homemade screen and the other a 135 inch image onto a StudioTek 130 (the benchmark of screens).. The pictures are truly amazing. Everyone is blown away when they see what these inexpensive little projectors can do. ...
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