Home cinema projects its best image yet

The Life: The prices of home cinema projectors keep falling, making it easier to recreate a theatre-like experience right in a family room.

Acer H5360 DLP includes many desirable features in a small package.

Not long ago, home theatre enthusiasts had to shell out a pretty penny for a digital projector if they wanted a cinema-like experience in their living room. But these, days some of the top-rated models range from about US$700 (Dh2,571) to $2,200, down from tens of thousands of dollars less than a decade ago.

Q&A:Cameron Mitchell is chief executive of VOX Cinemas, which operates theatres in the Emirates. He discusses 4K technology rolled out in recent weeks.

What exactly is 4K technology? 4K digital projection is the highest resolution of digital cinema available theatrically. [It] is essentially four times the resolution of 2K projection, offering an incredibly high resolution and enhanced visual experience.

In what ways can an audience differentiate between those two kinds of projection? The major, and most noticeable difference, is the screen vibrancy and how much clearer or sharper images look.

This technology is still new to the Emirates. Where can theatregoers find it, and which movies will be shown using it this summer? On VOX MAX screens at Mall of the Emirates and Marina Mall. We have already screened the premiere of Cars 2 along with the Green Lantern, and anticipate the 3D releases for Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, The Smurfs, Captain America and [others].

How much more money might this technology cost ticket buyers? General cinema admission ticket prices have not changed since 1999, and VOX 4K digital ticket prices remain the same as the standard 2K digital sessions. There is a premium for 3D sessions, in line with international practices.

Size is the main advantage with projectors made by companies such as Optoma, Epson and BenQ. Their machines typically connect to a DVD or Blu-ray player and then project a movie at a size upwards of 200 inches on a wall.

The latest features normally take time to reach the home cinema market, and new 4K digital projection technology is just appearing in local theatres in the Emirates and improving the quality of films screened in 3D.

Of course, the householder who buys a projector will also need to purchase a proper audio system and screen, although a room's basic white wall may suffice at the start. A bigger concern is ensuring there's enough space in a room to place a projector on a high shelf or to hang it from the ceiling, as some models have limits on how close a projector can be to the screen.

Householders should also keep in mind that they'll have to choose between two major kinds of technology, much like the decision to go with a plasma versus liquid crystal display (LCD) big-screen TV. The two main types of projectors are LCD and digital light projection (DLP). Differences in the viewing experience tend to be minimal, experts say, but the two projectors function very differently.

Top 5: Top 5 home cinema projectors.

1 Acer H5360 DLP.

2 Optoma HD65 DLP.

3 Epson EH-DM3 Home LCD.

4 Acer X1130P DLP.

5 Mitsubishi HC5500 LCD.

Source: Amazon.co.uk

LCD projectors tend to be a little brighter and rely on crystals that manipulate light to create different shades of colour or black. DLP projectors rely on a spinning colour wheel, with light produced from a high-intensity bulb. Either way, consumers seem to be pretty evenly split between the two types.

The Quote: "Every time I go to a movie, it's magic, no matter what the movie's about." — Director Steven Spielberg