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Mitsubishi HC4000 1080p Video Projector Review

By Mike English

VERDICT:  DEFINITE BUY!  Mitsubishi has taken a best in class unit, the HC3800, and made it better with the new HC4000. New this year is a wider ANSI contrast ratio, and lower stand-by power consumption. Colors are phenomenal for an entry level projector, with special care shown toward skin tones. Real contrast looks improved, with a slight improvement in the already impressive black level. As well, the HC4000 produces clean, accurate whites. Noise, even in full lamp mode, is barely noticeable. This may be another Projector.com Editor’s Choice award winner.

By the Numbers:

Mitsubishi HC4000 - 1920x1080P, Texas Instruments Dark Chip 0.65” DLP DMD, RGB RGB Colour Wheel with Brilliant Color, DDP3021 10 Bit Panel Driver, 24P Direct Output, 1300 ANSI Lumens, 4000:1 Advertised Contrast Ratio, 750:1 ANSI Contrast, 25dB (Low Mode), 5000 Hour Low Mode, 1.38 – 2.06 Manual Zoom

Mitsubishi HC4000 Video Projector Overview

Right out of the box the HC4000 shows it’s strength. The presets are strong and varied, appropriate to a wide variety of room and ambient lighting conditions. Our test unit looked great in Cinema mode in a fully dark room, while good picture and color were maintained with the overhead work lights on by using the Sports mode setting. Color, as expected, was phenomenal.

Mitsubishi HC4000 1080p Video Projector Setup

Setup is identical in all respects to the HC3800. Because the HC4000 is a DLP projector, optical lens shift is unavailable. This makes projector placement that much more critical. If you’re planning on ceiling mounting the HC4000, plan to have the projector above the screen. How much depends on the size of the projected image. For a 106” diagonal image, factor around 15 ¾”. This can make selecting the right mount quite important, given that standard mounts tend to be somewhere around 6” top to bottom. Look for a slim-line mount, like the PM2K from Percheron. It’s one of the slimmest mounts available at about 2” total height. Getting the right relationship between the projector and the screen eliminates the need for keystoning. If your ceiling is too low, not to worry – the HC40000 provides a + or – 15 step keystone setting.

As I’ve said, out of box picture performance is particularly impressive. The on-screen display is little changed, which is a good thing. Mitsubishi uses a graphical tab system to navigate the menu, and it’s definitely growing on me. The menu system is well laid out with the settings pretty much where I expect them to be.

First Impressions
Like any good projector, it’s not just about the numbers. Mitsubishi, much to their credit, publishes an ANSI contrast ratio of 750:1, with a full on full off contrast of 4000:1. The represents a real improvement over the 650:1 ANSI Contrast of the HC3800. It’s a difference you can see immediately – the HC4000 has even more “pop” that it’s predecessor. Lifelike colors literally jump out at you, making this projector an excellent value.

For source material, I used “Curse of the Golden Flower”, “BBC’s Planet Earth”, “The Fifth Element” and “Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl”, all on 1080P Blu-Ray. “Golden Flower” can make or break a projector, with it’s incredibly dynamic color range. Many displays have a hard time maintaining accurate, realistic skin tones while also showing the incredibly lush, intricate costumes and sets, particularly in the fight scene between the Emperor and his Son. The HC4000 was able to realistically render the shimmering gold armor worn by the Emperor while at the same time maintaining excellent flesh tones.

The HC4000 suffers in one area, and only by comparison. We have this unit installed beside the Panasonic PT-AE4000U. In comparison, I want better blacks out of the HC4000, but only in comparison. Side by side the Panasonic is a better unit, but it’s also a much higher price point, so it’s not really a fair comparison. Remember, the HC4000 is also 30% less than the Panasonic. In most installations, you won’t have a better unit like the Panasonic to compare against. Have no fear however. The HC4000 is clearly, noticeably better than any entry level projector I’ve seen. Mitsubishi has definitely made a broad, clear line in the sand.

The remote is the same as last year – small, ergonomic with a conveniently placed “rest“ for your finger on the back. It offers an easy on the eyes backlight that’s activated by pushing any button on the keypad. Most of the controls you’ll want to access quickly are easily located, given that the remote is quite simple and uncluttered.

Here’s a quick cheat sheet on the settings I used on the test HC4000:

Gamma Mode Cinema

Contrast 13

Brightness -6

Color 3

Tint 0

Sharp 1

Color Temp medium

Brilliant Color ON (it’s kind of cheating but I like it for the extra “punch”)

The Mitsubishi HC4000 Bottom Line