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InFocus ScreenPlay 5700
Home Theater Projector
Manufacturer: InFocus Corporation

By Floyd Pierce
SPot Senior Editor

Model number: 

2004-03-23 - " The InFocus ScreenPlay 5700 is all about bright, beautiful color. "

Review:

The color produced by the 5700 is seductive. It invites you to pull out those titles like Amalie, or some of your animated favorites like Finding Nemo that cry out for color saturation that's ever so close to being over the top. It's also one of the brightest DLP home theater projectors you'll find. The InFocus implementation of the Texas Instruments' Matterhorn 1024x576 (16:9 Native) chip brings 1000 calibrated lumens to your screen.

The Details

The 5700 comes in an attractive package, with a full set of connections on the back. In stock form you have 2 RCA Component, 2 S-Video, VGA, 1 Composite, and one D5 Component input available. With an optional M1-DA to DVI cable there is full HDCP support over DVI.



The remote is very functional and comfortable to use and includes a backlight, as all front projector remotes should (but so few do). The InFocus website also has info regarding discrete codes for universal remotes that include 16:9, 4:3 and Letterbox aspect ratios.

The standard bulb is rated for 3000 hours in standard power mode. This is a nice bump from the more common 2000-hour rated life in standard (low) power mode. High power mode should allow a bulb life of about 2000 hours, but as bright as this projector is, I doubt that many situations would require it.

Video

The InFocus D6500 color temprature setting produced a grayscale that appeared to be very close to that of my own calibrated projector.

The 5700 throws a fine image with good quality source material. On DVD's the image quality is very good. Given the bold color it produces a very sharp, engaging image, nothing to complain about there. With a high definition feed (1080i in my setup) we see a very pleasing image as well. The 1024x576 resolution doesn't allow for the reproduction of all the image detail available in an HD signal but it's still a big eye opener for the standard definition crowd. The one place that the 5700 fell down a bit in my setup was reproduction of a standard definition satellite feed. The noise and pixelization inherent in the signal was emphasized by the bright image. I will say that with my 92" Da-Lite High Power screen, the image was way over the top in brightness. I expect that with a more appropriate .8 to 1.0 gain, high contrast gray screen material the results would be much, much better.

Given the 5700's brightness, the black level and shadow detail reproduction was acceptable, but not stellar. On the other hand, this beauty can overcome a lot of ambient light. It could easily handle the sports get-together type viewing sessions where there is typically a lot of ambient light. This projector provides a lot of flexibility, and is quite capable of dealing with both high-light and low-light situations. If I were setting this projector up in my home, I'd give serious consideration to adding a moveable (or removable) neutral density filter. Flip it out of the way for the Sunday afternoon game and back in place for the dark theater DVD experience. I see this projector being able to fill the needs of the family room environment much better than many of the other DLP's.

Conclusions

The InFocus ScreenPlay 5700 has a lot going for it. The sub-$5000 MSRP, great light output, eye-popping color, and relatively long bulb life combine for a package that will make many home theater folks very happy.

Features:
  • COMPATABILITY
  • Communication: USB and RS-232
  • Computer: Digital and analog PC, Macintosh®, 1280x1024 resolution through intelligent resizing
  • Video: Component and RGB HDTV (720p, 1035i, 1080i, 1080p) DVI/HDCP for digital video and encrypted digital video Component EDTV (480p, 576p progressive scan), SECAM: M, Component, Composite and S-Video standard video [480i, 576i, 576i RGB SCART with adapter, NTSC, NTSC M 4.43, PAL: B, G, H, I, M, N]

  • INPUTS & OUTPUTS
  • 1 — 3.5mm mini-jack: IR Repeater (Niles/Xantech compatible)
  • 1 — 9-pin Dsub male: RS-232
  • 1 —Component (D5): HDTV, EDTV, Standard TV, and RGB SCART with adapter
  • 1 — Composite (RCA): Standard Video
  • 1 — HD15 VESA: HDTV RGB, HDTV component, and computer
  • 2 — 3.5mm mini-jack: 1-12v screen-drop, 1-12v 4:3 aspect "curtains"
  • 1 —M1-DA VESA: HDTV RGB, HDTV Component, Digital visual interface (DVI), computer, and USB
  • 2 — Component (Gold RCA): HDTV, EDTV, and Standard TV component
  • 1 — Component (D5): HDTV, EDTV, Standard TV, and RGB SCART with adapter
  • 2 — S-Video: Standard Video

  • DISPLAY
  • Color Wheel: Six-segment, 5x color wheel
  • Contrast Ratio: 1400:1 full on/full off
  • Focusing Distance: 5’/1.5m to ~ or infinity
  • Keystone Correction: Digital, up to +/- 20
  • Lamp: 200-Watt UHP (3000 hours); 250-Watt UHP (2000 hours)
  • Lumens: 1000 ANSI (optimized for video)
  • Modes: Front/rear/ceiling
  • Projection system: New TI Matterhorn 12° LVDS DMD
  • Resolution: 1024 x 576 (16:9)
  • Throw Ratio: 1.89:1 - 2.63:1 (distance/width)

  • GENERAL
  • Lamp Warranty: 90 days or 500 hours
  • Operating Temperature: 10° - 35° C at sea level (0 - 10,000’) ; 50° - 95° F
  • Power Supply: 100V - 240V at 50 - 60 Hz
  • Product Dimensions: 13.8" (W) x 12.8 " (L) x 4.3 " (H) (351mm x 325mm x 110mm)
  • Ships with: Power cord, Home Entertainment remote, cable cover, SCART adapter
  • Warranty: Two years parts and labor, one year on accessories
  • Weight: 9.5 lbs/ 4.3kg
Rating:

Performance:
Value:

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