Projector Reviews

Full-On/Full-Off Contrast Ratio: 1488:1; ANSI Contrast Ratio: 370:1

Measured Resolution with the Leader LT-446: 480: 460 (per picture height)720p/1080i: Out to the limits of the 1280-by-720 chip

DC Restoration (poor, average, good, excellent): Excellent

Color Decoder (poor, average, good, excellent): Excellent

Measured Color Points: Red Color Point: x=0.639, y=0.335 Green Color Point: x=0.311, y=0.599 Blue Color Point: x=0.156, y=0.071

The left chart shows the SP-H700AE'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 6500K color-temperature mode, and in the Mode 1 gamma mode, measures extremely close to D6500, the accurate color temperature, throughout the grayscale range. After making adjustments using the Photo Research PR-650 in the user menu, the gray scale measures slightly closer. After making adjustments in the service mode (how it will be set up in the field), the color temperature measures even closer still, within 95 Kelvin across the entire range.

The right chart shows the gray scale (or color temperature) relative to the color points of the display's red, green, and blue color-filter-wheel segments. These are extremely close to those specified by SMPTE. The second red point shows the location of the red color point before calibration. Green and blue each moved closer, but to a smaller extent. Due to the resolution of this graph, their pre-calibration points were omitted for clarity. The color points listed to the left are post-calibration.

Using a full-field 100-IRE white (20.83 foot-lamberts) and a full-field 0-IRE black (0.014 ft-L), the contrast ratio was 1488:1. Using a 16-box checkerboard pattern (ANSI contrast), the contrast ratio was 370:1. The best contrast ratio was achieved in the Bright setting. The best black level was achieved in the Theater setting and produced 0.011 ft-L with a full-black field on an 87-inch-wide, 1.0-gain Da-Lite Da-Mat screen (15.92 ft-L with a full white field). The contrast ratio in this mode was 1447:1.—GM