Less than 10 years ago, tri-tube video projectors reigned supreme over the world of home theater. They were imposing, very expensive (starting at $10,000), and difficult to install and sometimes to adjust. Only the hard core of dedicated enthusiasts, or else those who could afford the services of a pro installer, embarked on the adventure. And many ended up discouraged, their dream of having a real movie theater screening room in their home frustrated.

But those of us who have been more patient have watched the technologies used in video projection develop and have been very pleased to see solutions like LCD, DLP, and D-ILA appear - with the feeling that the miracle was finally going to happen. The first LCD models weren't much good for Home Theater. Initially designed for data use, the devices were very bright and had colors that weren't always faithful and blacks that were in fact closer to gray. Fortunately, DLP technology quickly arrived, and along with it some improvements - better contrast ratios, deeper blacks, and more accurate colorimetry. All that was needed was a 16/9 imager and a scaler with decent performance for video and the goal would be reached. But despite all the efforts made by manufacturers, tri-tube projectors long remained - and are still today for certain people - the best solution for home theater use.

In fact it wasn't until 2005 that consumer-market products with performance that really came close to that of their prestigious ancestors began to appear. The article you're about to read is not simply a comparison of top-of-the-line video projectors, but more an assessment of the performances of the best available technologies. The three products we've selected are each the best representative of their technology, while still remaining in a reasonable price range of between $3,000 and $6,000 (including tax). I know some of you are staring in disbelief at the association of the word "reasonable" and "$3,000." I know that's a scary figure, but you should keep in mind that you had to be ready to spend four or five times that amount for the same image quality barely five years ago. For many movie lovers, this price threshold marks an important step towards making their dream come true.