Mitsubishi HC3000: Summary, Pros, Cons

Let's look at the Mitsubishi HC3000's pros and cons:

Pros

• Excellent overall image quality (after a basic, end user color calibration)
• Extremely good black levels (best I’ve seen, for it’s price or less)
• Fairly bright in best modes
• Very good manual (a rarity)
• Good menus, almost all functionality on four main menus
• One digital input and up to 2 component video inputs (if you don’t need to use one connector for a computer input)
• “Brilliant Color” technology offers an easy way to adjust the image dynamics to meet user preferences
• 16:9 or 16:10 capabiliities for full support of XGA resolution, makes this a good choice for doubling as an not exceptionally bright business projector
• Adustable front and rear feet
• Overall, superior price/performance
• Minimal maintainence – no filters to change or clean
• Fairly quiet in low power mode

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Cons

• Limited range of zoom lens (typical for DLP projectors in this price range)
• No variable lens shift (also typical of under $2500 DLP projectors)
• Remote control’s backlighting is dim, and hard to see in a dark room
• Lacking a second digital input (HDMI or DVI)
• Significant lens offset, requires projector to be placed well below or above the screen surface (similar to the HD72)
• Noisy fan, in high power mode
• Needs an (end user) color calibration to achieve it’s great performance
• Appears that projector must be unmounted to change lamp

HC3000 vs the Competition

The HC3000 is most similar to the Optoma HD72. Both use the 1280×768 Darkchip2 DLP, and feature TI’s brilliant Color processing. Both have significant lens offset (the projectors will sit either significantly below the bottom of the screen, or above the top of the screen (when ceiling mounted). The Optoma has two distinct advantages, first it is quite a few hundred dollars less (July 06), and second, it is slightly brighter (and brightest in class). By comparison, the Mitsubishi has one key advantage, which is it’s superior black levels and shadow detail. Secondarily, for the HD72 to produce it’s it’s very best black levels, it’s AI must be on, and that means a louder fan.

The best LCD projector we’ve looked at in it’s price range is the Sony HS51A. The HC3000 has an edge in picture quality, and black levels, but of course lacks the lens shift and wide range zoom. The HC3000 is also much brighter. So I would say, that if the HC3000 works in your room, and you aren’t susceptible to the rainbow effect, then the Mitsubishi is the better choice.

Straddling it on the other side, price wise, is Optoma’s HD7100 with Darkchip3. This I would have to say, is the overall better projector. It is similar in brightness (the Mitsubishi is slightly brighter), but the Optoma has better color out of the box, better black levels, and far better ergonomics, in terms of zoom lens, and having both horizontal and vertical lens shift which allows placement of the Optoma anywhere between just below the bottom of the screen to just above the top. Since both have a two year warranty, the real advantage of the Mitsubishi HC3000 is price. As of this writing, the Mitsubishi seems to be selling for under $2500, probably about $500 less than the HD7100.

There’s a large selection of projectors out there, spanning a wide price range. Ultimately, it still comes down to price. If the Mitsubishi HC3000 is at the high end of you budget range, it will give also give you the best picture that your available dollars will buy.

Well done Mitsubishi!