As part of a continuing effort to offer heart-pounding big-screen excitement without the equally heart-stopping prices, Sony, JVC and Mitsubishi are coming out with new, better-performing 1080p front projectors at the same, or lower, prices as current models. The announcements were made at last week's CEDIA trade show in Denver.

These models, however, don't match the new entry-level 1080p price points previously announced at the show by companies including Epson, Optoma and Sanyo (see the previous CEDIA projector blog here.) They do, however, in some instances include higher-end features, such as name-brand video processors and bumped-up brightness and contrast ratios.

Sony hit the show with the news that it was already replacing its popular VPL-VW50 projector--CR’s highest-rated model--with a new one, the Bravia VPL-VW60. Despite improvements, which include better brightness, improved contrast and newly designed SXRD (LCoS) panels, it carries the same $5,000 price tag. Sony also showed a super-high-end model, the VPL-VW200, which will sell for about $15,000. The VW60 is available this month, while the VW200 debuts in November.

Mitsubishi also showed up with a replacement, the HC6000, which kicks the current HC5000 model to the curb starting next month. Priced less than $4,000, the 3LCD projector has an improved iris and better contrast, the company said, along with two HDMI connectors, a powered lens shift and zoom, and built-in Silicon Optix HQV video processing.

JVC took a slightly higher priced road with two 1080p three-chip D-ILA projectors that use new LCoS-based D-ILA chips and sport 30,000:1 native (not dynamic) contrast ratios, the company claimed. However, only one model--the DLA-HD100--is destined for traditional consumer electronics retail stores (the other will be sold to integrators and custom installers). Features include HDMI 1.3 inputs, built-in Gennum VXP video processing and the ability to stretch 2.35:1 images to fill 16:9 screens, thereby avoiding black bars above and below the image. Price wasn’t completely finalized, although the company said it would be somewhere south of $8,000 when it becomes available in November.

While 1080p is currently state of the art, JVC won the “spoiler” award at the show by offering a demo of an even higher resolution now on the horizon. Dubbed “Quad HD” by some as it boasts four times the resolution of 1080p projectors, the JVC prototype projector offered a 4000x2000p image that looked absolutely stunning. During its CEDIA press conference, JVC said the “4Kx2K” projector was initially being developed for professional applications, such as airline flight training, but that it could eventually find its way into home theaters. We can’t wait. On second thought, given the anticipated price, maybe we can.

--James K. Willcox