InFocus ScreenPlay 7205

The versatile InFocus ScreenPlay 7205 produces a crisp image with phenomenal colour detail. This is a slightly ordinary looking projector, with its dull light grey casing. At 325 x 350 x 109mm and 4.3kg, the 7205 is not petite, but the handle at the front of the enclosure makes carting the projector around an easy task.

The projector generates a fair amount of heat, which is ventilated through fans located on the side of the unit, behind a plastic grating. The noise of the fans is comparable to that of a computer's power supply and can be an annoyance in quiet moments of a soundtrack, especially if the projector is situated close to its audience.

We were amazed by the number of inputs located at the back of the unit. It includes a DVI port, a composite port, three component ports and two S-Video ports.

The menu system is concise and effective, accessible through the remote control or the onboard controls located on the top of the projector enclosure. Features such as input source selection, aspect ratio, brightness, contrast and overscan each have a button on the remote and on the onboard controls.

The menu button provides access to advanced controls such as the picture controls or projection settings. Within these two submenus, you can enable features such as reverse projection (in which the image is reversed for viewing in a rear projection setup), ceiling projection settings as well as gamma correction, keystoning and lamp temperature (6500K, 7500K or 9300K). We found the colour temperature setting of 6500K produced the most natural-looking colour. Setting up the projector required minimal effort. Plug a source in, cycle the source selection through the remote control (or onboard controls) and set the aspect ratio; here you have a completely configured projection in less than 30 seconds.

The native resolution of the projector is 1280 x 720 (widescreen 720p). Widescreen digital TV broadcasts in 16:9 or letterbox mode looked exceptional. The 7205 has a contrast ratio of 2200:1 and reproduced true black shades, thanks to its HD2+ Mustang DLP chip.

The lamp is rated for 2000 hours, adding up to an operational cost of about 30 cents per hour (replacement bulbs cost, at the time of writing, $599). The projector itself is expensive, but it would make a worthy addition to any home theatre or boardroom.