Features
- 1080p resolution. Accepts 1080p/24Hz and outputs at 48Hz.
- 3 Inorganic LCD panels
- 1000 lumens of brightness
- 10,000:1 contrast ratio
- 1.6x zoom, can display a 100" picture from a distance of 10.1 feet to 16.5'
- Auto Iris system with 3 speed levels
- 50% vertical lens shift. 5% horizontal lens shift.
- Silicon Optix Reon-VX processor
- Inputs: 1xHDMI, 1xDVI-D (with HDCP), 1xVGA, 1xComponent, 1xComposite, 1xS-Video
- Lamp life: 2000 hours standard mode, 5000 hours in eco-mode
When the HC5000 released in late 2006 it was the least expensive 1080p projector, and still competed with projectors costing $10,000 more. In 2007 projector prices have fallen dramatically leaving consumers with far more options for 1080p projectors under $3,000; however, the HC5000 is still competitive with these newer offerings in both price and performance.
The Reon-VX processing chip handles all of the deinterlacing, scaling, and filtering of incoming source content before the resulting image is displayed. The Reon-VX is the younger brother to the high-end REALTA processor and features the same core algorithms and technology, making the Reon-VX one of the best processors available at this price range. As for 1080p content the HC5000 accepts 1080p at 24Hz from sources such as Blu-Ray and HD-DVD content, and displays at 48Hz. Since the display frequency is a direct multiple of the incoming source, there is no 3:2 pulldown conversion necessary eliminating any of the artifacts that come with conversion. With the myriad of image settings available Mitsubishi makes them easily accessible using the remote. Each source can have up to three different settings stored in the memory that can be cycled through with a button on the remote.
The 160-watt lamp has a rated life of 2000 hours operating in the standard mode. An eco-mode is available that reduces the lamp's brightness by 23% and extends the life to 5000 hours before replacement. Similar to other projectors in this class the HC5000 contains an Auto Iris system that automatically adjusts the brightness of the picture depending on the source material. When Auto Iris is engaged there are three speeds ranging from 1, the fastest, to 3 the slowest. Slower speeds increase the amount of time between picture changes and Iris adjustment to reduce the effect very dynamic scenes where it can be distracting.
The zoom, focus, and lens shifting are controlled by a motor allowing them to be adjusted from the remote itself. The 50% vertical lens shift lets you move the picture one-half height up or down from the neutral position. At neutral the center of the lens lines up with the center of the picture. This level of lens shift makes the HC5000 suitable for ceiling, floor, or shelf mounting. At 5%, the horizontal shift is dramatically lower than the vertical shift, requiring that the physical location of the projector is lined up laterally pretty closely with the screen. At the extreme ends of zooming and shifting the brightness levels of the projector can be affected. When the projector is at full zoom the overall brightness is reduced by 24%, however higher zoom levels make for more even light levels across the entire picture.
