Mitsubishi HC3800 DLP HD Projector (The Perfect Vision 86)

Amazing Color Accuracy at an Affordable Price

February 17th, 2010 -- by David Birch-Jones
Source: The Perfect Vision

User Interface

On Screen Display

No change here from other Mitsubishi projector models, as the OSD combines their familiar graphic icons with clear text. The groupings are mostly logical in layout, and unlike the majority of projectors out there, the OSD remains on screen for as long as you like, which is very helpful at setup and when making adjustments further down the road.

Remote Control

The remote’s nicely contoured back panel fits comfortably in the user’s hand, while dedicated buttons provide extensive picture adjustment controls and help control the projector’s various inputs. The remote features backlighting, although the backlight level is a tad on the dim side, and isn’t adjustable. Overall though, the projector’s remote control design is a good one, featuring discrete power on and off buttons, along with individual buttons for the three user-adjustable picture memories.

RECOMMENDED SETTINGS

Color: -5
Tint: 0
Sharpness: 0
Color Temperature: Medium
Lamp Mode: Economy
Gamma: Auto (2.2 result)
Color Management: Off
CTI: Off
Brilliant Color: Off
1:1 pixel-for-pixel mode: Overscan 100%

PERFORMANCE

Blu-ray Evaluation: Billy Idol In Super Overdrive Live

Detail

Indie label Eagle Rock Entertainment is doing a fine job of cranking out great-looking (and mostly very good-sounding) Blu-ray HD concert discs, and this recent release of Brit rocker Billy Idol in concert features super crisp HD detail, although the quick cuts and numerous close-ups might be just a tad too detailed—it seems our Billy is drenched in sweat almost from the get-go.

Color

With the color control turned down a few notches from the factory default, the Mitsubishi puts out a wonderfully colorful picture that isn’t over-emphasized in any way. A check with the colorimeter shows the Mitsubishi’s colorimetry is just about spot-on perfect, in terms of the ITU Rec.709 HD color gamut standard—an amazing result given the HC3800’s very affordable price. No need for the Brilliant Color feature either.

Blacks

The blacks are exceptionally good for such a budget-priced projector, and close-ups of Billy and his satin-anodized black microphone show off the deep blacks very well. In the low lamp mode, there’s still plenty of brightness, and the blacks improve noticeably (and lamp life increases substantially as well).

Shadow Detail

Wide shots of the stage show the dark brick stage walls and ceiling, and numerous shots of the audience in the venue show very good shadow detail. This is another area where the Mitsubishi performs as well as much more expensive models.

Artifacts/Noise

None noted.

Broadcast HDTV Evaluation: 2010 Winter Olympics (NBC)

Detail

To get the most detail, you’ll want to make sure the overscan is set to 100% (pixel-for-pixel). With the numerous on-screen graphics presented during the various competitions, the Mitsubishi delivers crisp detail, with no noticeable color fringing at the edges (sometimes a problem with single-chip DLP projectors).

Comments

blindjim (not verified) -- Fri, 02/19/2010 - 12:19

I own a Ben Q PE 7700 DLP projector, and am seeking one more for replacement and trickle down aspirations. The recent Epson LCD selling for $1600 appears as a far better choice than the Mitsubishi, wouldn’t you think? 4000 hr lamp life in any mode sure is a real life good thing! Aren't DLP pros often without lens shiftings options in general, apart from keystone up/down correction? As a 1080P unit, shouldn't upsampling SD to HD DVDs be considerably better and more HDMI inputs be available? For $100 more, going to an 3 panel LCD pro from Epson, these items are eliminated, and the feature set of memory, interface options, lens shift and upsampling are all addressed. Further, aren't most DLP pros inherently better at blacks and natural color reproduction over that of LCD? i WONDER TOO WHY NO POINT OF FACT COMPARISONS WERE MADE TO OTHER CLOSELY PRICED PROJECTORS. I think most enthusiasts are looking predominately at sticker price and then towards the feature benefit story so similarly priced units ought to be made mention of in these articles and will certainly add to the story's credibillity and usefulness. Personally the most appropriate comment in this account was the note on this being an entry level piece… and as such, it’s not a great value given it’s Reviewed results, feature set or flexibility. BTW… how come no mention of the noise level was made? That’s important too.

gunpunk (not verified) -- Wed, 03/03/2010 - 04:13

all awsome great projector 10/10 value for dollar fine picture /contrast colour rendition all very good best value for money i love it you will

mongoose (not verified) -- Fri, 03/05/2010 - 13:23

There is a lot to be said for a single chip DLP projector. Convergence issues on 3 panel LCD's are common, with many units being returned with a slight blur. A single chip DLP tend to be very sharp !. For movies my own viewing of the HC 3800 showed a bit more sharpness than the Epson 8100. I also did not think the Epson 8100 did such a great job with upconverting.SD.
However, your other points are well taken. The Epson with all of it's flexibility benefits,fan quietness and great Epson service make it an equally great buy....and in fact will work better for most people's home theater space. The 8100 looks to be a bit better for general HD too.. I am more interested in the cinema capabilities in a very dark room. That is where the HC3800 shines......if it will work in your space (room size,ceiling height etc).

mongoose (not verified) -- Fri, 03/05/2010 - 14:05