Open Air Cinema's seasonal timing on bringing out its 16x9-ft inflatable projection screen is a bit off, but who knows -- maybe picking one up now will give you something to look forward to once the ground thaws. Or, be our guest and set up what's billed as "the largest screen available for backyard use" in the snow, call the neighbors over and break out the hot cocoa. For $999, you'll get a 220-inch screen that should put an end to any arguments about who has the biggest TV, and -- mercifully -- a blower that will inflate the rig in seconds so you can spend time getting the projector (not included) set up "just so." We figure that if you're going to be outside, you might as well splurge on the largest screen, but there are also 12-foot and 9-foot versions available for $599 and $449, respectively.

Clearly, just one hue for JVC's DLA-HD750 1080p projector wasn't enough, but the outfit's making darn sure that few people ever see the alternative color. Just 200 of the all white DLA-HD750-W models will ever be released, and so far as we can tell, they'll all be up for grabs in Japan. As for specs, you can expect a delightful Full HD native resolution, 50,000:1 contrast ratio, 900 lumens, twin HDMI ports, VGA / S-Video / composite inputs and a ¥756,000 ($7,940) sticker. What? You didn't expect such a rare beast to be a bargain, did you?

[Via AboutProjectors]

Mitsubishi's 1080p HC6500 has been shipping for just over a month now, but if you've been holding off from unloading $2,500 until you saw a bona fide review, you can finally have a peek and move on with life. CNET was able to wrap its retinas around the expansive image beamed out of this sexy piece of front-projection goodness, and overall, it had incredibly positive things to say. For instance, the deep blacks were applauded, skin tones were "natural," noise wasn't an issue at all and the input selection was quite stout. The only real rubs critics had were that it wasn't perfectly calibrated out of the box and the fact that it's up against some stiff competition -- neither of which are particularly "negative" traits. The bottom line? It's an "excellent all-round performer for the money," or in other words, you can finally commence with that trigger pulling.

If the BlackWing Three was just a touch too rich for your blood, yet you dug what Cineversum had going on, have a look at this. The BlackWing One 1080p digital video projector relies on three 0.6-inch LCoS panels (all with a 1,920 x 1,080 native resolution, obviously) and comes pre-calibrated for optimal performance right out of the box. Additionally, it features a 15,000:1 contrast ratio, 1,400 ANSI lumens, two HDMI 1.3 sockets, an RS-232 control port and a "futuristic deep metallic-black ABS plastic chassis" designed by France's own Antoine Béon. The first batch is scheduled to hit North America in mid-December for $6,500 apiece, but those up for spending more can have their unit splashed with a custom color.

RPTVs with SXRD panels may have fallen from the Sony roadmap, but the tech still gets some love with the company's front projectors. We got our own hands on the VPL-HW10 model at CEDIA 2008, and it passed the styling test quite well, thanks. The lucky folks at CNET have put the unit to test, where it turned in a solid performance that holds up pretty well given the $3,500 price point. Sure, the unit isn't a retina-searing light canon and the grayscale calibration deviated from ideal in the red and green, but overall picture quality -- you know, what you'll appreciate when not watching test patterns -- stood up quite well. And if you're stickler for black level performance, it's hard to beat SXRD in a beamer.

[Via TVSnob]

Hitachi's latest trifecta wasn't designed for your surely swank abode per se, but we suppose those with enough cash and willpower can do anything they darn well please. That said, the CP-X10000 (1,024 x 768), CP-WX11000 (1,280 x 800) and CP-SX12000 (1,400 x 1,050) can all handle professional (read: lit) settings with ease, featuring 7,500 / 6,500 / 7,000 lumens, respectively. The whole lot also boasts a 2,500:1 contrast ratio, 10-bit signal processor, HDMI / BNC connectors, Ethernet, an RS-232 control port and a lamp good for 10,000 maintenance-free hours. Mum's the word on price, but don't worry, these are going on the corporate card anyway.

[Via I4U News]

Optoma is pitching its TX1080 DLP projector as a "crossover" model that's happy in living rooms as well as boardrooms, and with a 1080p DarkChip DLP with BrilliantColor and a 3700 lumen lamp, it sounds like it should fit the picture quality bill pretty nicely (the 2200:1 contrast figure seems a bit low, but it's not worth debating CR numbers). Add in the $3500 price point and it's not beyond the budget of home buyers looking into front projection, and the network management features sound like a great item if your IT department needs to approve the purchase. So yeah, if you're in the market for a HD DLP beamer around $3000 this holiday, add another one to your candidate list.

With the holidays at hand, all these improbably-small projectors we've been seeing around for the past year or so are starting to land in force, and 3M's MPro110 is certainly a contender. The little unit shoots a VGA image onto screens as large as 50-inches (though we wouldn't recommend it), with a long lasting LED backlight backing it up. We got an up-close look at the thing last night, and have a few quick notes: the image is about as dim as you'd expect, and looks exponentially better the smaller the area you're trying to project on -- at about 30-inches in a decently lit room the image was insufferably dim, but at around 17 or 18-inches we were getting some pretty good definition brightness. The projector autofocuses plenty fast, which is clutch for a "handheld" projector, but it does get fairly warm despite its LED usage. Overall, we can't fault the projector too much, with a $359 pricetag and a "paperback book" form factor, but the application is certainly limited at the moment, and we're guessing these will be getting a lot better in the future. The MPro110 is now shipping.

Let's get one thing straight: Barco's DP-1200 isn't meant for any of those "amateur" home cinemas. But then again, you could probably piece that together on your own after digesting the 205-pound weight specification. This digital cinema beamer packs a 0.98-inch DLP Cinema chip, 2,000:1 contrast ratio, twin DVI / SMPTE 292M inputs and a drool-worthy 2,048 x 1,080 native resolution. Unfortunately, Barco's not releasing a retail price to the public, but those who aren't afraid of gigantic numbers can certainly phone up a dealer to get the ball rolling.

[Via AboutProjectors]

We know, there are an uncomfortable amount of capital letters in that headline, but Canon's really looking to get your attention with this one. The planet's very first WUXGA (1,920 x 1,200) LCoS projector was originally expected to be available sometime this fall, but it looks as if those in Japan will be forced to wait until "early December" to indulge. It's probably not a huge deal though, 'cause we're certain you needed another couple of months to cover that ¥1.5 million ($14,823) asking price. As for American availability? Not a clue, but we hear importing isn't too much trouble.

[Via AboutProjectors]

With Halloween just around the bend, Mark Gervais' creation is just too timely too ignore. Originally conceived around this time last year, the Hallowindow projector rig turns your peaceful, totally plain home into a nightmarish haunted house with just a beamer, a white sheet, a source, some speakers and Mark's own animation DVD. All's that left for you to do is hop on past the break for a pictorial setup guide and pick up the Hallowindow DVD from the read link. Oh, and before you pass this off as just a gimmick, give the video (also waiting after the break) a look. It's spooky, we tell ya.

Samsung Korea has just dropped the dime on three new projectors. No word yet on pricing or a release date, but there are a few tantalizing details. For high definition video buffs, the SP-A900 offers full HD resolution, a contrast ratio of 12,000:1, Texas Instruments DarkChip4 chipset and 1,000 lumens brightness. The SP-D400 comes complete with a 3,000:1 contrast ratio and 4000 lumens brightness. As for the SP-L300, you get a 3LCD data projector with 3000 lumens brightness and an onboard speaker. Along with some swank design, all three of these projectors feature HDMI input.

InFocus' latest may not offer 1080p, but it also won't force you to sell your outhouse in order to stomach the sticker. This 720p beamer leverages DLP BrilliantColor technology and offers up 1,800 lumens, a 2,500:1 contrast ratio, a lamp life ranging between 3,500 and 4,000 hours and an array of ports including HDMI 1.3, component, composite, S-video and VGA. If you don't exactly have the coin to bring home the Play Big IN80, here's your man. It's available now for $1,099 (MSRP).

Straight up, Toshiba's latest beamer wasn't designed with the home theater in mind, but that doesn't mean it's unfit for your abode. The TDP-WX5400U arrives with DLP BrilliantColor technology along with DynamicBlack tech to offer "incredible contrast in images and video, with darker elements providing a superior black image." All that hubbub aside, you'll also find twin lamps to offer up 5,400 ANSI lumens (or 2,700 with a single lamp), an optional interchangeable color wheel, native 1,280 x 800 resolution, automatic vertical / horizontal keystone correction and enough ports to shake a stick at. At $6,299, though, you'll want to figure out a way to slap it on the corporate card (legally, of course).

[Via AboutProjectors]

Mitsubishi's HC6500 / HC7000 projectors got official in late August, and now it's time to pay up if you've been eying either one. Both of the 1080p beamers are shipping to those with the requisite coin, and speaking of, neither is particularly cheap. The latter checks in at $3,995, which buys you a 72,000:1 contrast ratio and 1,000 ANSI lumens; the former demands a little less at $2,495 and offers up a 15,000:1 contrast ratio and 1,200 ANSI lumens. Hit up your nearest Mitsu Diamond dealer to set up a preview session (and talk 'em down from MSRP, obviously).

[Via AboutProjectors]