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Black reproduction is the key to stunning home theater and the HC5500 LCD projector brings more life to your screen with faster transitions between light and dark scenes and sharper overall details in dark areas. This portable home theater projector projects at a full HD(1920 x 1080) 1080p resolution. Digital video output gives you seamless performance with the Blu-ray 24P next generation optical disk. And a 1.2x powered zoom and focus lens lets you enjoy the big screen even in smaller spaces.

User Ratings and Reviews

4 Stars Great price
I did a lot of research on projectors before purchasing. The Mistubishi was the cheapest I found for a new 1080p projector. Quiet, sleek, and ease of setup make this a quality purchase. However, the image isn’t quite as clear as I want it, but that may be do to projector settings and the screen I am throwing it on. Not buying the Mistubishi mount to hang from ceiling proved difficult as there are only three holes on the projector off center, and the universal mount made installation difficult. All in all, when the picture is over 100″, not really sure what more you could ask for. The more you spend the better the picture I am sure, but I am very happy with this product.

5 Stars Just get it
Picture is bright in Low lamp mode. I am not a video expert, but this unit is amazing. If it is the right price, just get it and be happy. I have owned this model for over 6 months and I’m still amazed every time I turn it on.

5 Stars Great 1080p Projector!
We purchased this projector a few months ago, and still are amazed by the picture quality. We use it in a semi-dark environment, and even with the ambient light the picture looks great! The projector is very quiet – I have to listen to ever hear it. The projector does throw a log of heat. So keep the room ventilated. Great projector. Very happy with our purchase!

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The Mitsubishi HC4900 is an affordable 1080p high definition projector. This LCD projector displays images at 1000 ANSI lumens with a crisp 7500:1 contrast ratio for an extraordinary picture that’s even more affordable. It’s a home theater projector that will bring a real cinema experience to your screen.This home theater projector features a new-generation of true HD (1920X1080) resolution, C2Fine inorganic LCD panel. Inorganic LCD components extend the life of your high definition projector and produce a more robust picture with smooth transitions and fast response. Together with all-digital HDMI and DVI connections you maintain all the image quality from your best video source to the screen.This home theater projector produces clear and bright video through an optical engine with an automatic “cat’s eye” iris that sharpens the images from your high definition projector with contrast ratios as high as 7500:1. A unique Mitsubishi algorithm optimizes contrast by constantly detecting and adjusting to video color and luminance information.The HC4900 LCD projector operates at an ultra-quiet 19dBA noise level (low mode) so you can sit back and enjoy your movies, sports, and TV without any distracting fan noise. The sleek cabinet is available in black or white and features power zoom and focus, plus lens shift, and a convenient side lamp access design to provide you with flexible options for installation. It also includes a computer input port and RS-232 connection for remote projector control.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Excellent HD 1080p Projector
By way of introduction, let me say that I am not an AV or Home Theater expert. However, I have done a lot of research in the last few weeks and finally decided on this projector. I do not regret that decision!

I originally was looking at the Mitsubishi HC1500 and Optoma HD72. Both seemed to get good reviews and the Mitsubishi was under $1,000. I went to tweeters and they only suggested a Sony projector that was almost $5,000. It was nice, but had a dedicated theater room and their lights couldn’t come up to show what it was like in normal lighting. Typically for projectors you want it as dark as possible, but I knew that it was not practical for me to have my room dark at all times. Yes, to watch a movie at night – definitely, but to watch an episode or even play an Xbox 360 game there may be others sharing the room and I can’t have them in the pitch black darkness.

I went to Best Buy and they had the Optoma HD70 on display. It looked great in the darkened room, but with the house lights on, it also looked good. It wasn’t too washed out. Of course everything will look better in the dark, but the point is it is watchable with lights on. I wanted a large screen, but I also wanted to be able to watch things with some lights on. The HC1500 had better reviews from a brightness of the screen (even in lit rooms) than that HD72, so I made up my mind to get the HC4900 after seeing the old HD70 in action.

So I came back to get it and low and behold I was still bothered by the fact that I was going to spend about a thousand bucks on “old” technology – 720p. I knew I didn’t have any pressing need to go with 1080p as I don’t have digital cable or satellite. Most of my things would be upscaled and I wouldn’t be able to enjoy the 1080p anyway. A few Xbox 360 games support it, but not a great deal. So I was going to live with the inferior 720p display. However, I found the HC4900 – the product I’m reviewing (in a very long winded way).

This projector is awesome. After rebates and looking at the lamp life, I determined that the two projectors are close in price. The HC1500 lasts at tops 3000 hours. The HC4900 lasts at tops 5000 hours. Assuming you watch 5 hours a day – which is a lot, that is 19 months versus 32 months. That amount of display time is very liberal. I just won’t use it that much, but even with those numbers and the prices of the lamps being the same I would need to replace the HC1500 lamp a lot sooner than the HC4900 lamp. So if I factored in the cost of the lamp and projected out to a year and half down the road, the HC4900 is just a little bit more. So that little bit extra for 1080p was a no brainer for me. Your mileage may vary, but I’m very happy with the purchase I made.

The picture on this projector is great with the lights fully lit, partially lit and of course the room totally dark. I’m am very happy with the results of this projector! Some people complain about the black not being black enough versus other projectors. It is fine for my uses and I can’t tell an issue. Again, I came from SD so I’m not the most knowledgeable on this, but for my viewing pleasure this 1080p for this price cannot be beat right now. This projector is super quiet as well. I have to get very close to it to hear the fan and then I have to strain. With any audio the fan noise vanishes altogether.

I have no idea how this compares to other projectors, but compared to a flat screen TV from a price perspective this can’t be beat. Just don’t forget to calculate in cost for the ceiling mount and a screen and where you will hook up all of your AV equipment. This goes for any projector obviously, but it is good to have these things laid out ahead of time. Remember projectors do not have any audio and you will need a receiver / amplifier.

5 Stars Best viewing experience for the price?
First off, here is a little bit information about my setup.

I have this unit mounted in my living room which is about 16 feet by 12 feet in dimensions. I have it ceiling mounted approximately 14 feet from the screen I’m projecting onto. I currently run one HDMI source and two component sources to the unit; my Playstation 3 (1080p), XBOX(720p), HD Cable(720p, 1080i).

And as for the unit itself:

It outperforms my best expectations.

It is almost absolutely silent. My XBOX is louder than the projector is.

The image is 100″ diagonal, crystal clear, vibrant in color, and the blacks are black. The image is perfect, I never see a delay in the image or fault in the clarity.

What I would call it’s only fault is that it doesn’t come with keystone correction. So for a perfectly even, rectangular image you have to mount the projector completely level. This however isn’t much of a fault, any time you change the keystone it degrades the resolution (or as I understand it). However if you don’t like the fact that your image is being displayed too high or too low, the projector does have lens shift feature which allows you to move the image from the left, right, up or down. So even if you have it completely even with you ceiling you can still have an eye level image.

The universal mounting bracket I got for the unit had four handles to attach to the projector, however the HC4900 has only three screw holes for mounting brackets. It however is very stable.

The ANSI lumens is 1000, but I haven’t had a problem with too much light in the room. I can watch movies with two lamps on and not experience a problem.

All and all I’m very happy with my purchase.

4 Stars Nice Projector
I got the most awsome deal on this baby at a local retailer.

I paid only $495.00 for it. It was the display unit but had only 40 Hours on the lamp based on the internal timer.

I have a HC3000U 720p Mitsubishi DLP projector as well.

I was very pleased with my HC3000U and had no real reason to spend the extra money on a 1080p projector until I got this one for such a steal.

I truly like the motorized zoom, focus and lens shift that this unit has.

It makes for a really easy installation.

As for the picture I like the color reproduction and the sharpness.

The biggest difference that I see between the HC 4900 and the HC 3000 is that the picture from the 4900 is more vivid. I always felt that the image from the HC3000 was on the soft side.

I will say that the HC4900 does not have the same quality of black levels as did the HC3000. I would imagine that this is due to the difference in the technology being used LCD vs. DLP. I oredered the Joe Kane Digital Video Essentials Blu-Ray disc and expect to receive it this week.

I am sure that once I do a calibration of the projector it will only get better.

Just one more comment for those debating 720p vs. 1080p.

Save the money. Both projectors produce an excellent picture with no real difference seen between the two. When watching a 110″ picture from at least 8 foot away you will never see the difference in the pixel count.

Unless you walk up to the screen and see the difference in pixel density you will there ver be an appreciable differnce, and nobody sits that close to the screen anyways.

Buy/More Info

Black reproduction is the key to stunning home theater and the HC5500 LCD projector brings more life to your screen with faster transitions between light and dark scenes and sharper overall details in dark areas. This portable home theater projector projects at a full HD(1920 x 1080) 1080p resolution. Digital video output gives you seamless performance with the Blu-ray 24P next generation optical disk. And a 1.2x powered zoom and focus lens lets you enjoy the big screen even in smaller spaces.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Everything that you would expect from a PJ
I did a lot of research before buying this PJ, the deciding factors for me were the Hollywood FX upscaling chip and the noise levels that are the lowest in the industry.

The upscaling chip helps upscale any lower resolution image to 1080p and does it handsomely. We will not be watching blu-ray movies all the time and this was an important factor for me.

As far as the noise levels are concerned, I have heard projectors that emit a low (or sometimes even high!) pitched whine while running, and once you know about the noise it can become very distracting. This PJ on the other is practically noiseless, you cannot hear it while it is running even if you put your ear right next to it.

Picture quality is outstanding with none of the “flicker” normally associated with fast moving objects with LCD projectors. I watch action movies and have not seen any “flicker” at all.

It does need a reasonably light controlled room as it is not as bright as an Optoma HD71 for example, especially at the “low” lamp setting, but on the other hand the “low” lamp setting is supposed to give you 5000 hours of usage.

Buy it, you cannot go wrong.

5 Stars Just get it
Picture is bright in Low lamp mode. I am not a video expert, but this unit is amazing. If it is the right price, just get it and be happy. I have owned this model for over 6 months and I’m still amazed every time I turn it on.

2 Stars Good for dark rooms
I would rate this projector 4 or above if I want to use it only in dark room. If you have reasonable ambient light in room then forget about any night scene. May be this was with my unit only so I returned. Good service from Amazon no hard time in returning.

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