from www.wired.com

Meridian D-ILA1080 MF1

Like a Shelby Mustang, this projector starts life as a stocker (from JVC). Then Meridian soups it up with a Faroudja outboard video processor and tunes it to perfection by color-correcting its three LCDs pixel by pixel. It even ships with an "optimization report" from the tech who hand-tweaked it. The result: pleasingly accurate color and spot-on performance from any HD video source.

WIRED: Full-res HD (1080p). Aced every single one of our video-processing tests. Picture looked clear even four feet from our 110-inch test screen.

TIRED: Offers single component and DVI inputs — and that's it, no HDMI. But if you have the roll to score this rig, you can afford a digital switchbox, too.

$25,995, meridian-audio.com

Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 1080

At first the picture was a tad dark. But after cranking up the brightness and contrast, it looked every bit as good as any LCD or plasma we tested — and almost as good as projectors clocking in at many times the price. We also appreciated its two-way lens adjustment, which simplifies off-center and short-throw installations. But what really kills is the price: $3K for righteous 1080p.

WIRED: Simple, useful menu system. Excellent video processing, which means a great picture from just about any HD source. Quiet.

TIRED: Cream-colored case looks like a relic from an '80s boardroom. Thankfully, it'll likely end up ceiling-mounted and out of sight.

$3,100, epson.com

Sharp XV-Z20000

Sharp's flagship DLP home-theater projector delivers what you'd expect for $9K: a bright, clean picture, noticeably smoother than most 1080p projectors we tested. Color wasn't perfect out of the box, but with easy-to- navigate menus, which offer more adjustments than any other projector — or TV — in our test, we quickly fixed it. It's smart, too, handling off-kilter HD sources with ease.

WIRED: Image looks great even at arm's length. Separate picture-setting memory for each input, of which there are plenty. Remarkably quiet.

TIRED: Overly simplistic remote buries basic functions beneath several menus. Similar-quality LCD light-thrower costs much less.

$9,000, sharpusa.com

ViewSonic ViewDock PJ258D

Despite its 1,024 x 768 native resolution and packaging boasting that what's inside "supports multiple HDTV formats," the ViewDock offers only component, composite, S-video, and VGA inputs. That means no HD for you, Hoss. But if you're looking for a projector that can have some fun, you're in luck. Drop your iPod into the built-in dock and play iTunes videos on the big screen.

WIRED: It's light, portable, and comes with a carrying case. Football games and iTunes downloads on the wall — this would make the perfect frat-house player.

TIRED: 4:3 aspect ratio. Video-processing power? Nope. Projector remote will control docked iPod, but interface is counterintuitive.

$999, viewsonic.com

PROJECTORS
Model	Price	Technology	Screen Size (inches)	Resolution	Inputs	Rating
Meridian D-ILA1080 MF1	$25,995	3-LCD	N/A	1080p	Component (BNC), S-video, composite, RGB	8
Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 1080	$3,100	3-LCD	N/A	1080p	HDMI, 3 component, S-video, composite, VGA, D4/SCART, RS-232c	7
Sharp XV-Z20000	$9,000	DLP	N/A	1080p	2 HDMI, DVI, 2 component, S-video, composite, RS-232c	7
ViewSonic ViewDock PJ258D	$999	DLP	N/A	Standard def	S-video, component, composite, VGA, iPod dock	4