What Hi Fi Sound and Vision 12 APR 2006

InFocus IN76

£ 999 5

* * * * *

Still a gorgeous-looking and highly capable HD projector

For
Excellent image, including great contrast and colour brilliance; good looks and ease of use, too
Against
Not as capable with movement as some newer competitors

The InFocus IN76, now a comparative veteran of the projector world, is not only a great performer: it’s also a fabulous piece of room-friendly design and, even better, the neat stand helps you set it up your swiftly. Add in a short-throw lens – which means it’s possible to deliver a large image from a short distance – and you’ve got the ideal coffee-table projector.

It'ss a DLP design, with an HD-ready 1280 x 720 resolution chipset from Texas Instruments and a PixelWorks processor. And these technologies combine superbly well to present a lush, cinematic experience. Spin The Brothers Grimm, and the IN76 whips up wonderfully vivid colours, coping well with Terry Gilliam’s jam-packed frames, and you get a real feel of ‘being at the cinema’. It’s also a king of contrast, confirmed by its superb ability with the dark, difficult-to-render scenes in Blood Diamond.

Assured and confident
With DVD and high-def movies, the IN76’s blend of stark contrast, high levels of detail, firm grasp of textural subtleties and a rich yet natural colour palette makes for a thoroughly assured performance.

However, a favourite HD subject – sport – can expose the IN76’s Achilles’ heel (or should that be metatarsal?). The motion handling isn’t as quite as assured as that of the best rivals, and you will notice occasional juddering when the tackles start flying in and the ball pings about the penalty area.

That, however, is the only negative: this fine unit still receives five stars, especially at its competitive price.