Projector Reviews

• Full-On/Full-Off Contrast Ratio—3,927:1; ANSI Contrast Ratio—168:1
• Measured Resolution with the Leader LT-446: 480: 480 (per picture height) 720p: 550 (pph) 1080i: 690 (pph)
• DC Restoration (poor, average, good, excellent): Excellent
• Color Decoder(poor, average, good, excellent): Excellent
• Measured Color Points: Red Color Point: x=0.659, y=0.327 Green Color Point: x=0.265, y=0.660 Blue Color Point: x=0.151, y=0.040

The top chart shows the Cinema 550's gray scale relative to its color temperature at various levels of intensity, or brightness (20 IRE is dark gray; 100 IRE is bright white). The gray scale as set by the factory, in the 6000 color-temperature mode and the 2.4 gamma mode, measures fairly cool with dark images and fairly warm with brighter images. After making adjustments using the Photo Research PR-650, the gray scale measures fairly accurate on the low end, goes slightly cool in the midtones, and then back to accurate with the brightest images. It was within 294 Kelvin of D6500, the accurate color temperature, across the entire range. The lowest window was too dark to measure but was visibly warm.

The bottom chart shows the gray scale (or color temperature) relative to the color points of the display's red, green, and blue liquid-crystal panels. These are off those specified by SMPTE. Red is oversaturated. Blue is very slightly oversaturated and slightly purplish-blue. Green is oversaturated and slightly bluish-green.

After calibration, and using a full-field 100-IRE white (11.78 foot-lamberts) and a full-field 0-IRE black (0.003 ft-L), the contrast ratio was 3,927:1. Using a 16-box checkerboard pattern (ANSI contrast), the contrast ratio was 168:1. The best contrast ratio was achieved in the Theatre setting. The brightest image was achieved in the Dynamic setting and produced 28.35 ft-L with a 100-IRE field and 0.059 ft-L with a 0-IRE black, yielding a contrast ratio of 481:1.—GM