Runco QuantumColor Q-650i LED-DLP Projector

Thomas J. Norton has posted a review of the Runco QuantumColor Q-650i LED-DLP projector ($10,000 at Home Theater. His conclusions:

“You can get slightly better black levels and shadow detail with a few competing (and even cheaper) lamp-based projectors. They will also be bright enough to light up a larger, modest-gain screen in a way this Runco can’t. And they’ll likely offer 3D to boot. But none of them will provide better color or crisper detail than the Q-650i. Nor will they offer the freedom from concerns about gradual lamp deterioration.

You’ll never have to worry after 1,000 hours or so if your picture has somehow gone south, prompting the need to write a check for a new lamp and another for a fresh calibration. In fact, the 650i doesn’t even have a amp timer. I expect that LED-based consumer projectors will eventually offer higher brightness and cost less. But that will be a gradual process, one that is sure to be slowed significantly by the requirements of 3D home projection, which is none too bright even with a lamp behind the lens. But for now, the Q-650i is the most affordable 2D LED projection game in town, and I enjoyed every minute I spent with it.”

You can read the full review here.