REVIEW • NEC's
MT1050 Digital Projector
by David Nagel
Executive Producer
Creative Mac
dnagel@digitalmedianet.com
The
last time I took a look at a digital projector, it was the VT540 from
NEC. It was a great piece of equipment priced in the $6,500 range. (You
can read that review here.) This time we move up the scale a bit to
NEC's MT1050, a $10,000 model that packs a whole lot of power in a portable
design.
In the review of the VT540, I noted that the thing I liked least about it was having to return it to the manufacturer. This one is even more difficult to let go of, but this time around I'm contractually obligated to get it back to NEC on a firm date, so no stalling. (My enthusiasm for the VT540, incidentally, was the cause of NEC's new evaluation policy. Naughty me.)
So what do you
get for the extra $3,500? For one thing, you get more than twice the
ANSI lumens—2,100, to be specific. Even in "economy"
mode, the MT1050 outputs 1,600 lumens. This projector is bright, and
it looks great, even in strong, indirect sunlight.
MT1050 Projector at a Glance Manufacturer:
NEC Overall Impression: Sharp, clear, bright output in a number of lighting situations and surfaces. Very rich color. Key Benefits: Bright, clear, beautiful output; nice remote; easy to set up; broad control over picture settings. Disappointments: The factory settings definitely need to be tweaked to get the best picture. Recommendation: Strong Buy |
You also get stunning
picture quality. I was a bit surprised when I first installed it, though.
My immediate impression was that the picture quality was actually inferior
to the VT540. I soon discovered, however, that this was the fault of
the factory settings, not the projector. Playing around with the settings
allowed me to do something I couldn't do with the less expensive model—namely
project absolutely rich, warm, accurate colors without sacrificing detail
or fidelity in the lighter areas of the image. The abundant onscreen
image quality controls provided everything I needed to get my picture
looking just right.
The spectacular
image comes courtesy of a 1.3" p-Si TFT with a native 1,024 x 768
resolution with 24-bit color depth, up to UXGA with NEC's Advanced AccuBlend
It has a contrast ratio of 350 to 1, and it uses NEC's Vortex technology
for uniformity, color, depth and detail for data and video images, providing
very little dropoff at the edges of the image.
The little things
The MT1050 continues to impress even beyond its picture quality. The
remote control, for example, is quite functional, with numerous controls,
including a trigger switch for making onscreen selections. (Controls
are also accessible via buttons on top of the unit.) It also has a built-in
laser pointer.
In terms of
connectivity, the MT1050 offers a USB port; two RGB ports with miniplug
audio input; composite video; S-video; YCbCr Component (optionalÊcable);
and HDTV (1080i, 720p, 480p and 480i, with optional cable). And it includes
IR for external control. For output, it includes an RGB monitor port
and miniplug for audio.
Like the VT540,
the power cord connects to the front of the projector. Unlike the VT540,
the power cable comes straight out of the front, rather than using a
90 degree connector.
|
Our
Related Sites |
The unit can be
mounted in any common configuration and includes three screw feet (one
in front, two in back) for adjusting height and angle.
Finally, the
MT1050 includes a PC Card slot, which allows you to download an entire
presentation onto a card and run it from the projector itself, eliminating
the need for a host computer, if desired.
The bottom line
This is an outstanding projector. You can actually get it for a lot
less than its suggested retail price. I've even seen it in the low $7,000s,
which puts it in the same price bracket as the VT540 but gets you a
projector that's a league above.
Final recommendation: strong buy.
| Keep up on the news with our weekly Pro AV newsletter! |
 |
