MITSUBISHI XD500U-ST

Big Pictures for Small Rooms



Mitsubishi calls the XD500U-ST an ultra-short-throw projector. I'd call it a short-throw projector instead, but the truth is there's no hard-and-fast definition for either term. Whatever you call it, it's a more than reasonable choice for anyone who needs an XGA (1,024-by-768) projector that can project a fairly large image in a tight space.

This projector displayed our 2-meter-wide (98-inch diagonal) test image from just 4 feet 6 inches away. That's a lot closer than the 9 to 13 feet that most projectors need, but it's still more than the 15 inches needed by our current Editors' Choice in this category, the Hitachi CP-A100.

Yet one clear advantage the XD500U-ST has over the Hitachi unit is portability. At 4.0 by 13.1 by 9.8 inches (I1WD) and 7.3 pounds, you might not want to lug it with you on regular basis, but it's small and light enough to bring along at least occasionally. There are also plenty of connection options, including two VGA, one pass-through VGA, S-Video, composite video, RCA phone, USI3, and a stereo mini jack.



On my tests, setup was easy, with the projector automatically syncing perfectly with the incoming signal. And you can unplug the projector and pack it up as soon as you power off, a nice feature. Although the menus and controls are somewhat obscure and the image quality suffers from a few (relatively minor) shortcomings, this is a more than reasonable choice for those who need a projector for cramped spaces.—M. David Stone

PC Magazine February 2009