Hitachi CP-AW250N Ultra Short Throw LCD Multimedia Projector Review

Hitachi CP-AW250N Projector Highlights

Hitachi CP-AW250N Projector Overview

The Hitachi CP-AW250N is an ultra short throw WXGA (1280×800) LCD projector that will likely find a home in a small to medium-sized conference room or classroom.  What makes the CP-AW250N an “ultra” short throw projector?  Well, where most short throw projectors need to be at least 3 feet from the screen to project an 80” diagonal image, the CP-AW250N can do it from a distance of 10” from the screen.  With the projector as close as 4” from the screen, it’s still able to project an image that’s 4 feet wide (60” diagonal).  A short throw projector typically uses a fixed convex lens projecting upward to achieve its goals, but the CP-AW250N uses a fixed lens projecting on a convex mirrored surface to reflect and expand the image onto the screen.  As with regular short throw projectors, this use of a fixed lens requires the user to place the projector at the proper distance for the screen size desired, as well as at the proper height, thus complicating setup.

The CP-AW250N features a specified output of 2500 lumens with a 2000:1 contrast ratio.  The CP-AW250N is also quite portable, with a weight of only 8.6 lbs., but its need for placement precision caters more to a fixed installation.  To that end, Hitachi offers and optional wall mount for the CP-AW250N that allows for placement right above the screen. The CP-AW250N also has networking capability to allow for monitoring of multiple projectors from a remote location, as well as providing (through auxiliary software) the ability to display up to four images simultaneously from four networked computers.  The CP-AW250N’s network capabilities also allow for email notification of problems such as scheduled maintenance or problems with temperature, lamp failure etc.  PC free picture presentations from a USB thumb or hard drive are also possible with the CP-AW250N.