Stunning Movies, Scary Price

Right up front: $5000 is a lot of money to spend on a home-theater digital projector. But once you've seen a movie played through the LS110 from InFocus, that little "I want one" voice inside your head is going to grow very persistent.

InFocus is a major manufacturer of business projectors, but the LS110 is its first product aimed specifically at the home market. This sleek, solid 6.7-pound projector offers superior color saturation, great contrast, and extremely quiet operation. Best of all, DVD movies played through my preproduction unit were free of jagged white edges around objects--an annoying and visually fatiguing characteristic of less-capable projectors. When you're done with the show, you can reclaim your living room by putting the thing away. All of this may not justify the LS110's stiff price tag, but it helps.

The projector uses Texas Instruments' Digital Light Processing dual mode technology, which helps it produce brighter and crisper images than competing LCDs can offer. Perhaps more important, the LS110 incorporates Faroudja's Directional Correctional Deinterlacing technology, which keeps contrast high and colors stable.

One of the projector's best features is its variable screen aspect--the ratio of image width to height. For television viewing, the ratio can be set at 4:3; the 16:9 setting is ideal for DVD films shown in wide-screen (or letterbox) format. You can connect VCRs, DVD players, HDTV receivers, TV tuners, and computers to the projector. The lamp is rated at 1000 ANSI lumens--plenty for living-room projection--and its excellent life expectancy of 2000 hours gives Methuselah a run for the money. A replacement lamp costs $379 (not excessive for these items).

While not for buyers on a budget, the LS110 is a strong candidate for well-heeled film buffs who refuse to compromise on quality. The rest of us will have to wait for price cuts.

SUMMARY

InFocus LS110 Excellent video quality coupled with quiet operation and plenty of viewing options make this a great home theater choice--if you can afford it. List: $5000