February 2, 2011
I have figured out how to save
you $40,000. That’s right, a full
forty thousand big ones. Step
right up, be the first of your
neighbors to learn this one
simple trick, and you too
could have $40,000. But
first, I’ll need 30 large.
Let me explain...
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Seven lenses are available for the HIGHlite Cine 260 HC, from a wide 0.77 fixed to a long-throw,
4.34-6.76:1
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Panasonic sells a lot of $70,000
103-inch plasmas. Plus there’s
shipping, reinforcing your walls,
running a dedicated 240v line,
and so on. But I get it, I really
do. An image that huge, and
most importantly, that bright is
really compelling. So $70,000
and change. Or... you could get
Digital Projection’s HIGHlite Cine 260 HC.
See, I just saved you $40,000.
The reason is in the raw, unbridled power
of this thing. On my 102-inch diagonal 1.0
gain Stewart StudioTek 100, I measured 31.4
foot-Lamberts. This is a staggering number.
Most movie theaters are lucky to get nine foot-
Lamberts off the screen. A decent home theater
projector usually gets between 15-20 ft-L.
Remember CRT projectors? Under 10.
Seven lenses are available for the HIGHlite
Cine 260 HC, from a wide 0.77 fixed to a longthrow,
4.34-6.76:1 zoom. All lens controls are motorized and there’s significant vertical and
horizontal lens shift available. If you want to
add an anamorphic lens, there’s processing
built in to stretch the image vertically. A remote
is not included, though it’s unlikely that this
projector won’t be hooked into a Crestron or
Control4-type system.
There’s myriad setup options for the
installer/calibrator, and it will need a
calibrator. Out of the box the settings
were ok, but color temperature in the most
accurate setting (labeled 7500, actually)
averaged about 600 Kelvin off the 6500 standard. After calibration, though, the
HIGHlite Cine 260 HC measured near
perfect, and tracked beautifully from
20 IRE to 100 IRE.
Color points were reasonably
accurate in the SMPTE C mode,
though they were still a little off,
but close enough to appear
accurate to the eye with regular
video material. In Rec 709
mode, green was very greenish
blue. Five different gamma
mode options is good, though
all seemed to crush blacks
slightly, requiring a slightly
higher brightness setting than
test patterns indicated.
All the aforementioned
light output comes at a cost. In
Standard mode, the black level is
0.010 foot-Lamberts. Most modern projectors
are capable of a lot darker. Economy mode
improves this slightly to 0.009 while still
putting out 26 ft-L on the other end. A bigger
or negative gain screen (all measurements
were on a neutral gain screen) would improve
these numbers. Measured contrast ratio was
around 3,000:1, which is more than enough
for a punchy image, and better than most
LCD flat panels.
Dynamic Black is an auto-iris type feature,
off by default, which reduces light output during dark scenes (like a shot of space) and
raises it during bright scenes (like a snow-covered
mountain). I measured over 13,000:1 in this mode,
the black level dropping to 0.002 ft-L. The problem
is the contrast ratio in each shot within a scene is
still limited by the DMDs (the 260 HC is a threechip
DLP design). So Dynamic Black just makes
the projector look dim on some scenes, and too
bright on others. The amount of “pop” doesn’t
change, regardless of the inflated dynamic contrast
ratio numbers. I left this feature off and just basked
in the light. One time, I held my arm in the light
path and freckles instantly emerged. Just kidding.
It took a minute.
Processing is very good across the board. The
Cine 260 quickly picks up the 3:2 sequence with 480i
and 1080i. With all jaggies tests, the size of jagged
edges on diagonal lines was very small, though
the amount was consistent across a wide range of
angles. Some processors may have fewer jaggies
across most angles, but then have large noticeable
jagged edges on lines approaching horizontal. The
Cine 260’s small jaggies are less noticeable even
though they’re apparent more often. It’s a different
approach, I guess, and I’d still say it’s better than a
lot of processors.
Scaling detail, if you’re still using a DVD
player, is above average as well. There’s a little
more noise in the image with scaled material, but
not much. A really good high-end Blu-ray player
will likely outperform the Cine 260 in this regard,
but not by much.
With Blu-ray and HD sources, the image is
excellent, with very little noise. With the correct
setup and calibration, it’s an accurate and punchy
picture.
There are a few oddities. Despite a huge case
the fan noise is louder than many other projectors.
There’s also a fair amount of light leakage from the
front. Given the price, it’s safe to assume this projector
will be in a dedicated soffit or even a separate room.
But also given that price, why the mediocre cabinet?
Another indication this projector’s intended to
be hidden is the industrial design, which could
generously be described as “Bauhaus” but probably
more accurately described as “Volvo.”
Past the objective tests, there’s the subjective. As I
finish a review, I ask myself if a product is something
I’d want to keep in my system. The HIGHlite Cine
260 HC’s brightness is so addictive, so pleasing
to the eye, it’s going to be painful to go back to
the comparatively dim and now sadly pedestrian
projectors to which I’ve grown accustomed.
770.420.1350, www.digitalprojection.com
Kudos
It’s insanely bright and
capable of a highly
accurate image on an
enormous screen.
Concerns
It is pricy. If you don’t
especially need a huge
screen, there are projectors
offering a lot
more for a lot less.
Product Specs
■ Seven lens options from a 0.77:1 fixed to a 4.34-6.76:1 zoom lens
■ 260-watt lamp
■ Three TI 0.65-inch DDR Darkchip DMDs
■ Motorized lens shift, zoom, and focus
■ Two HDMI 1.3, 2 component (1 RCA, 1 BN C), RGB-PC (D-Sub 15),
S-Video and Composite
■ RS-232 and two 12v triggers
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