MJ Acoustics. NEC HT1000 Reviews.

NEC HT1000 Reviews

September issue 2003

NEC projector is a shining star.

"Brilliant colour's, contrast, detail and realism; fantastic specification; compact dimensions;
amazing lack of noise, awesome ability in a compact case: it's a true revelation.
The technology translates into the best DLP picture we've seen this side of £8000".

Verdict: One of those 'buzz' products that gets everyone talking in the office - a true home cinema stunner.

Due to recent restrictions of What Hifi, we are only allowed to display 10% of the review, if you want to read the full review - buy the magazine.

T3 Jan 2003

NEC HT1000 DLP Projector.

First attempts are often more miss than hit, but NEC’s debut home cinema projector is a massive success.

Unlike its arch-rival Epson, business projector specialist NEC has decided, to base its first dedicated home cinema projector on DLP technology rather than LCD; The HT1000 is an XGA-capable projector based around one of the new generation of 4:3 DLP chips. This latest series measures 0.7-inch (diagonal) and features 12 degree tilting micromirrors, surrounded by a low reflectivity' dark metal; to improve image contrast.

Measured brightness comes in at an excellent 1,000 ANSl lumens, produced by a 220W NSH-type lamp (rated life 1,500 hours}. While the quoted contrast ratio is 2,000:1 this can be boosted to an incredible 3,000:1. if you take advantage of a couple of cunning enhancements that NEC has fitted.

The first is called IRIS. As the name suggests, it's a means of stopping down the lens aperture (via a lever placed underneath the lens) in order to decrease the lumens output. This has the welcome effect of raising contrast to that magic 3,000:1 figure. Enhancement number two is NEC's rather naff-sounding Sweetvision, a silicon-based solution that claims to boost digital contrast enhancement with interlaced signals (Faroudja's DCDi de-interlacing circuit is present, too).

Noise levels are fairly average at around 32dB in normal operation but can be reduced to a virtually inaudible 29dB if you activate the eco-mode. There's a slight penalty to be paid in brightness terms -output is reduced to 800 lumens -but that won't be a problem if you've got a dedicated home cinema set-up (or just a nice dark lounge}.

Rear panel connectivity is adequate, with at least one set of every connection you'll need (bar an RGB Scart) provided. Nice to see too that NEC has fitted a separate trigger for activating motorised screens. Wanna see your digital stills onscreen ? Use the PC card viewer fitted at the back.

Up front, NEC has chosen to fit an admirably short-throw lens with manual focus and zoom, capable of delivering an 8o-inch diagonal image from as close as 2.49m away. Image alignment is a doddle thanks to a novel 3D-Transform facility that offers enhanced horizontal/vertical keystone and cornerstone correction. Given the ultra-low noise level this thing generates in eco mode, a close-quarters sitting - without the aid of a hush-box -is a more than viable option.

The on-screen Display is logical and allows for an incredible degree of fine visual tuning (including blanking and overscan adjustment), though the otherwise ergonomic handset can be almost telepathic in its over-sensitivity. Bizarre to discover there's no backlighting for it, however While some will query the logic of fitting a home cinema projector with a 4:3 chip, a few minutes spent viewing the HT1000 in action is ! enough extinguish any lingering doubts-this is an awesome projector for movies.

The fact is the HT1000's contrast performance is superlative, beyond anything we've experienced from DLP at this price. Forget the IRIS contrast enhancement: you don't need it. Even in standard 2000:1 trim the NEC knocks spots off its immediate competition.

Colour rendition is vivid and resolution capability beyond any doubt. Light spillage beyond the visible onscreen display area is virtually non-existent, with none of the rather unfortunate peripheral banding that one normally expects at this kind of price level.

Our NTSC disc of Conspiracy Theory looked bitingly clean with fabulous skin-tone definition and great detail resolution in shadow-heavy areas. Black level performance, so often a DLP weakness, is particularly strong. Indeed, black level performance (so often a DLP bugbear) is particularly strong. More expensive high-end DLP projectors will, admittedly, better the HT1000's performance on this front, but considering the money you save with this, the price difference is negligible.

Yes, there's some mild evidence of the rainbow effect here, but it's well-tamed and hardly ever intrusive. There's no doubt in our minds, that you're looking at the new standard for DLP at this price point. The HT1000 is an absolute gem of a home cinema projector.

VERDICT
Don't buy a high-end DLP projector until you've seen NEC's HT1000 in action -you could save thousands.

E H C issue 18

NEC HT1000

From the office to your living room, Ian Collen takes an exclusive first look at NEC’s new home cinema projector.

Bin your bar graphs and dig out the popcorn -projectors are coming home. When NEC, maestro of the office projector, puts together something geared more to the home cinema devotee you can assume that two separate markets now exist and we know we're gonna love one of them.

Not that home cinema projectors are a new thing, with plenty of high-quality components and features passing through our test room in recent months, but we've been harsh on NEC projectors in the past primarily because of their front room imperfections. However, with the HT-1000, NEC has taken a sizeable step into our world and we certainly like the direction it's heading in.

The fresh-faced appearance of the HT1000 immediately stands out against the dreary grey casing of its predecessors. A few nice curves, a tidy array of manual controls and the smooth, clean style isn't quite beautiful but you could say it's a bit of all-white. Sorry.

A more natural attraction lies in the inclusion of component video -a definitive indication of home cinema compatibility and an always-appreciated venture beyond the standard resignation to S-Video. Staying faithful to its past, NEC has kept a few PC touches, including a direct connection for checking out digital photographs in your own home cinema darkroom.

The initial image dragged a touch during the opening sequences of Bram Stoker's Dracula but this soon disappeared as things warmed up. Thankfully the heat levels only applied to the increasing warmth of the on-screen image and not to the well-cooled and pleasantly peaceful projector.

Transylvania isn't exactly the place to get a great tan but these scenes gave an instant illustration that the HT -1000 could comfortably handle our demand for strong blacks amidst an impressively deep backdrop. As the tale headed to London and the backgrounds lightened while the plot darkened, the bolder injection of sunshine and increased reds, though a little soft, showed an impressive range of colour and contrast -and the contrast is certainly something that instantly draws attention.

NEC boasts that the HT-l000 shouts out a 3,000: 1 contrast ratio, which is an astounding, almost unbelievable figure.

“The HT 1000 showed an impressive range of colour and contrast”

Considering the highest we've seen before is possibly less than half that, this brings the same kind of amazement that a £10 bet coming in at such odds would. Of course, then you'd be able to buy a house full of these projectors.

The company does concede that this figure drops to 2,000:1 when the iris opens, but the results from its newly developed optical engine are very clear to see, with edges sharp enough to cut through the screen and a well-balanced display of strength and colour.

The toasting tones of the arena sequence in Attack Of The Clones glowed whilst the background shadows refused to fade, especially after some bolstering through the extensive, if a little tricky, menu options. A few hazy outlines appeared as the strange collection of beasties thundered after anything Jedi but this ranks nicely below the forgivable benchmark in the projector market.

With the HT-1000, NEC has brought together all of the good points we've complimented its projectors on in the past, eliminated many of the flaws, and put together a great blend of fresh technology and user-friendly features. A price has still to be announced, so we don't know how much you'll have to pay for the pleasure, but with a superbly clear image offering almost surgical precision and a range of colours suited to Picasso's palette, value-for-money shouldn't be too hard to come by. NEC welcome to the world of home cinema projectors. Please, stay a while.

Best Feature:
Whilst we could re-emphasize the freaky contrast ratio, the ease with which the image can be set into place deserves a mention. 3D Reform incorporates a digital correction facility that allows you to adjust the picture beyond the boundaries of standard four-way trapezoid correction, using simple on-screen controls to create a square image on the screen from a variety of locations around the room.