Hitachi CP-A221N

Hitachi's ultra-short throw projectors have always been impressive, so it's no surprise that the CP-A221N ($1,300 street) carries on in that tradition. It can throw a big, bright image onto a screen only a few inches away; it delivers high quality data images and better than par video for an XGA data projector; and it goes beyond the basics, including features like the ability to mount it facing straight down to give you a tabletop display. Add it all up, and it's a runaway pick for Editors' Choice.

The CP-A221 is unusually small for an ultra-short throw projector. Most models from other companies, including the Dell S500wi ($1,599 direct, 4 stars), the NEC NP-U310W ($1,299 direct, 4 stars), and the Editors' Choice Optoma TW675UTi-3D ($1,800 street, 4 stars), are best reserved for either permanent installation or room to room portability on a cart. The CP-A221N is also suitable for both of those roles, but at 8.6 pounds and just 4.0 by 13.6 by 11.9 inches (HWD), it's light enough to carry by hand easily, and even use as a portable projector.

One other key difference between the Hitachi projector and the other three models is that the CP-A221N isn't interactive. That means you can't replace an interactive whiteboard with it. However, interactivity adds to the price, so if you don't need the feature, there's no reason to pay for it. Hitachi also offers a wireless tablet option ($399 list), that can serve much the same purpose by letting you draw and add annotations using the tablet.

Basics and Setup
Other than the ultra-short throw, the CP-A221N offers a typical set of features for an LCD-based XGA projector. To begin with, it doesn't show the rainbow artifacts common in DLP-based projectors. This isn't usually worth mention when talking about an LCD projector, because it's a given that there won't be any. In this case, however, most of the competition is DLP-based. So if you worry about the artifacts being an issue for someone in your audience, the guaranteed rainbow-free nature of an LCD-based projector can be an important advantage.

Setting up the projector is absolutely standard. Connection choices for data and video include an HDMI port for a computer or video source, two VGA ports for either computers or component video, a VGA pass-through port, and both S-video and composite video ports. In addition, there's a USB A port so you can plug in a USB memory key and read JPG, PNG, BMP, and GIF files directly.

Throw Distance, Brightness, and Image Quality
Hitachi says the suitable range for image sizes at the A221N's native 4:3 aspect ratio is 60 to 100 inches diagonally, with the front of the projector 3.8 to 13.9 inches from the screen. (Add 12.1 inches more to the mirror in the back of the projector, which is where the lens points, so the image can bounce off the mirror and towards the screen.) For my tests, I measured the image at 98 inches diagonally (78 inches wide) at not quite 14 inches from the screen, which is consistent with Hitachi's numbers.

Hitachi rates the projector at 2,200 lumens. That's lower than the 3,100 and 3,200 lumen ratings for the S500wi, NP-U310W, and TW675UTi-3D, but bright enough in my tests for the 98-inch image to stand up to moderate ambient light without a problem.

The projector scored well for data image quality. It did a good job of maintaining even brightness across the entire screen, which can be a problem for short throw and ultra-short throw projectors, and it sailed through our standard suite of DisplayMate tests without any serious problems. Colors were vibrant and fully saturated, both black on white and white on black text was crisp and easily readable down to the smallest size we test with, and images designed to show pixel jitter were rock solid even with an analog connection.

The projector's native resolution limits video to standard definition, so a 16:9 image falls far short of the level of crispness you'd expect at 720p, much less 1080p. However, the projector will accept signals all the way up to 1080p before scaling them down. More important, aside from the lack of fine detail. it handles video unusually well for a data projector.

I saw a slight hint of posterization (shading changing suddenly where it should change gradually), and problems with shadow detail (losing details based on shading in dark areas), but only in scenes that tend to cause those problems. I didn't see either issue in the vast majority of our test clips, and I didn't see any other important issues. The quality isn't a match for a typical home theater projector, but it's good enough to let you watch a full-length movie without being distracted by obvious flaws in the image.

Other Issues

The A221N's 10-watt mono speaker is another plus. The audio systems in most projectors in this weight class are hardly worth having. The A221N, however offers reasonably good sound quality, and enough volume to fill a large conference room or mid-size classroom.

One other feature, which I've already mentioned, is that you can mount the projector facing down to turn a tabletop into a display. Not all ultra-short throw projectors can manage this trick. Facing down changes airflow, which can lead to overheating and shorter lamp life. However, the A221N is designed for facing either down or forward, and Hitachi even sells an optional tabletop mount for it ($200 street).

Also worth mention is that although the projector's fan is loud enough in Normal mode (with a 34 dB rating) to be a little distracting if you're sitting right next to it around a table, switching to Eco mode drops it to whisper quiet (rated at 28 dB). It doesn't hurt either that Eco mode increases lamp life from a claimed 3,000 hours to 5,000. At $329 (list) per lamp, that can lower the total cost of ownership significantly.

As should be obvious, the Hitachi A221N does what it promises, and does it well. Small enough to be portable and bright enough for permanent installation in a conference room, it can give you a big image in tight quarters, so you don't have to worry about shadows from anything near the screen. It offers high-quality data images and useable video?which is more than you can say for a lot of data projectors. And its long lamp life in Eco mode can save money over the projector lifetime. If you need an ultra-short throw projector with a native XGA resolution, put the Hitachi A221N high on your short list.

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