Mitsubishi HC3900: Who needs a 3,000-lumen lamp?

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Last week we had a visit from Mitsubishi, whose reps told us all about their 2010 and other future ranges of video projectors. One model, the HC3900, stood out in particular for its surprisingly high brightness.

The HC3900 looks almost identical to the HC3800, but this new model has a much brighter 3,000-lumen lamp. So who exactly needs a 3,000-lumen bulb? Apparently, the new model was developed to meet demand from users who can’t (or don’t want to) get their living room pitch black, but who still want to watch a film, a sports match or play their favourite console on the big screen.

What are the consequences of a high-brightness bulb?

A first possible consequence is an increased noise level, resulting from the extra heat given off by the high-brightness bulb. The projector’s tech specs promise a noise level of 25 dB, which is identical to that of the HC3800. It’s a good sign, but we’ll definitely check the real value as soon as we get our hands on a test model. The next concern is the lamp’s lifespan. We asked the head of video projectors at Mitsubishi, Serge Garnero, about this directly. He assured us that the lamp’s increased brightness will not change the bulb’s predicted lifespan, which remains 5,000 hours in Eco mode. That’s good to know, but what about the depth of the black? It seems logical to think that an increased brightness could have an impact on the depth of the black. Unfortunately, there’s no way of telling just how much it’ll be affected without having tested the product. Watch this space for our product test!

HC3900: some specifications

• 1080p Full HD
• Contrast: 2,000:1
• Brightness: 3,000 lumens
• Lamp lifespan: 5,000 hours
• Expected price: £1,700-£1,800
• Availability: out now

In the meantime, don’t forget you can find tests of other current projectors in our product survey:


> Product Survey: Full HD Projectors


> Buyer's Guides: Our Pick of The Best Products