Hitachi PJ-TX300 Cinemaster Home Cinema Projector Review
Hitachi refuses to take off its gloves in the continuous fight for home cinema improvement. And that’s why we’ve got their PJ-TX300 Cinemaster, to see if its performance is fighting fit. Hitachi claims their latest advancement in home cinema is one of the best models available, so we were excited to see for ourselves. Design |
| A striking design is always a good starting point, so we were happy when we got the PJ-TX300 out of the box. The sleek and compact device is draped in high-gloss black, with a neatly designed and situated lens. It has a vent at the front to the left of the lens situated to the far right. All controls are on the top above the lens area. The dimensions total at 340W x 113H x 298Dmm, and weigh a tiny 4.7kg. All connectivity takes place around the back of the device, which is also glossy black, where you’ll find the power port too. See our video review for a detailed description of its controls. |
| Setup/Installation |
| It took us 4 minutes to get the PJ-TX300 out of the box and turned on. The easy set-up was great, with good step-by-step instructions in the quick start-up guide. Connections are all colour coded, for ease of use. The brilliant horizontal and vertical lens shift feature guarantees an aligned picture wherever you put the projector too. You’ll just need to adjust the dial to get the optimum focus. We suggest getting a 150watt UHB bulb in, just in case the included one blows, as Hitachi have kindly forgotten to put one in the box. |
| Features |
Hitachi has supplied the PJ-TX300 with an average amount of features for picture performance, connectivity and an easy set-up. For picture, the most desirable feature is the powerful 10,000:1 contrast ratio, alongside the super focus ED x4 lens, to provide a faultless picture performance. The 10-bit digital video processor, and 3LCD technology is also provided to guarantee superb picture quality. Fast motion movies and video games won’t phase the PJ-TX300, as it is equipped with a motion adaptive progressive scan to keep blur and slur down to a minimum. Hitachi has promised the PJ-TX300 will provide robust and intense colours with its colour adjustment feature. Connectivity Projectors are generally great connectors as a rule. And this Hitachi PJ-TX300 isn’t defying this rule, by including a HDMI socket, 15-pin D Sub PC port, Composite Video RCA jack, and a S-Video Mini DIN 4-Pin port. So connectivity will raise no problems. |
| Performance |
| We wanted to compare the PJ-TX300's performance against that of the Optima MovieTime DV10 to see if it was as good or better so we set them up side by side. In order to push the Hitachi PJ-TX300 to its limits, we wanted to try out the projector with HD, SD, a DVD, and games console performance. So, one at a time we linked up the Philips DVP5960 DVD player and XBOX 360, along with a Sky Plus Box subscribed to HD channels. Saving the best for last, we played on the Xbox 360 first, and were amazed by the outstanding performance. Motion was handled expertly, and wonderful colour made the experience a whole lot more realistic than normal. Next up was the Pride and Prejudice DVD, and again, the colours were fantastic, with amazingly deep detail. Standard definition TV was fine too, the only downfall to mention was a waxy overtone on skin, and a lack of depth when it came to colour. After this slightly deficient SD performance, we were completely bowled over by the epic HD performance. Realistic doesn’t come close to describing what we saw when watching BBC Sport HD. The astounding colour and unconventional levels of detail just blew us away. Motion didn’t come to mind as it was handled so well, with absolutely no interference or substandard picture performance at any point. Comparing every source of information and its performance to that of the Optima Movietime DV10, there really is no comparison. Hitachi's PJ-TX300 is just a head above the rest. |
| Overall Opinion |
| After an indulgent 5 hours of watching the Hitachi PJ-TX300’s powerfully realistic performance, we were left completely tired out. We admit we weren’t expecting such an amazing performance, so we thank Hitachi for this pleasant surprise. Retailing at a reasonable £1000, you shouldn’t delay in adding this great projector to your home cinema system. |
| In the Box |
Remote Control (no laser pointer) Soft Carrying Case Safety Instructions (15 languages) Quick Guide (14 languages)Power Cord Batteries RGB Cable User Manual (14 languages on CD: English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese) |
By Lisa Malyon
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Pros + Attractive black design + HDMI connection + Extensive connectivity + 10,000:1 contrast ratio |
Cons - Expensive model |
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Overall Rating 
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21/11/2006 at 1:58:47pm
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