1080P Front Projectors - $3,000 is the New Entry Level Price

Based on early announcements from this week's CEDIA consumer electronics trade show, there's good news for anyone who's been considering stepping up to a high-def front-projection video system: the entry-level price for a "Full HD" 1080p projector is now below $3,000.

On the eve of the show, Sanyo announced it will offer a 1080p LCD-based projector, the PLV-Z2000 this October for $2,996. This projector, which has two HDMI 1.3 inputs, a lens shift and a wide-range zoom, joins other previously announced sub-$3,000 models, including Optoma's  DLP-based HD80 model and Epson's LCD-based PowerLite Home Cinema 1080 projector. Both are now widely available.

For those looking to spend a bit less money, $1,000 is beginning to be a key price point for 720p high-def projectors. Earlier this year, for example, Optoma broke the $1,000 price barrier with its $999 HD70 model. Here at CEDIA, Epson unveiled its newest 720p projector, the MovieMate 72 ($1,200), the latest model in its all-in-one "instant theater" projector series. Design to transform almost any room into a theater, the LCD-based projector (See image above. Click to enlarge.) has an integrated DVD/CD player, an HDMI input, four built-in speakers and an amplifier, a swivel base for more flexible placement, and a wider lens shift and zoom. The projector can upconvert DVDs to a quasi 720p resolution.

For those with a bit less money, the company also introduced a 480p model, the MovieMate 50 ($800), a compact 8.4-pound LCD projector with a built-in handle, DVD/CD player and a pair of stereo speakers. Both models include a USB input for playing digital photos stored on a removable flash drive, as well as a VGA input for connecting a PC or Mac.

Targeting a higher-end customer who's not willing to sacrifice a room's space or aesthetics in order to have a home theater, Epson also showed off its new Ensemble HD system, which was developed jointly with speaker manufacturer Atlantic Technology.

The system (See image on the left. Click to enlarge.) consists of either a 720p or 1080p Epson LCD projector, a 100-inch motorized screen that drops down from a ceiling-mounted front speaker system, a projector mount with integrated rear-channel speakers, an A/V media console that includes all the system's controls and an upscaling DVD player, a 150-watt powered subwoofer that contains the system's 5.1-channel amps, and all the cables required to connect the system. A unique wire management track that mounts to the ceiling conceals all the cables from view.

The Ensemble HD Home Cinema System will be available from dealers in November. The price for the 720p system is $5,000, while the system with a 1080p projector is priced at $7,000.

Stay tuned for more announcements from CEDIA, which is being held in Denver this week.

-- James K. Willcox