Although projectors are still lagging far behind plasma displays and LCDs as the solution of choice for one's home entertainment center, the manufacturers of such products keep pumping out new and improved models, hoping that they'll manage to convince at least some of the future customers. However, since most HD-capable projectors are often extremely expensive, the targeted market segment grows quite thin.

And that's also the case with the device you're about to see as follows, namely Planar's recently announced Viper model, the company's first 3-Chip DLP high-definition projector that has been designed especially for home cinema integrated solutions. Despite being marketed as a top of the line product, the projector has some curious specs, namely just 1280 x 720 pixel native resolution, 10,000:1 contrast ratio and a brightness level of solely 2,000 lumens.

According to Planar, the device can also deliver rich, accurate colors, as well as proprietary advanced video processing with 10-bit independent dual image and motion adaptive processing. Moreover, Viper's true 1080i interlacing is touted as capable of providing increased detail enhancement, while at the same time being able to reproduce with no artifacts all native film and native video formats (1080p, 1080p-24, 1080i, 720p, 576p and 480p).

Planar's high-definition projector does deliver a high level of installation flexibility, with five lens options, power zoom and focus, and horizontal and vertical lens shift, a technology that prohibits lens shift outside the image area to eliminate shadowing or clipping the image. Also included are an RS-232 automation interface with discrete on/off, input selection and aspect ratio control, as well as two HDMI 1.3 with Deep Color inputs.

As mentioned right from the start, the Viper is one expensive piece of technology. Thus, Planar's projector has an estimated retail price of around 15,495 US dollars, which, in today's slowing economy, makes it a good solution especially for those people with truly impressive bank accounts.


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