Projector Review

Perfectly portable, nicely bright, and easy to set up, the Hitachi Performa CP-RS55 home theater projector bridges the gap between corporate and residential environments with 1500 lumens of brightness. It features progressive scan technology, which lets you enjoy realistically beautiful images with no flicker.

Its Equalizing function (Gamma Correction and Color Balance) lets you make adjustments to achieve desired picture quality, and three picture mode settings (Normal, Cinema and Dynamic) allow you to choose the best mode to match the source. It also offers a Whisper Mode option, which reduces fan noise to 32 dB and provides quiet performance in a variety of applications--from living room to boardroom or classroom.

The 800 x 600 SVGA resolution is projected in a 4:3 aspect ratio. Other features include a 300:1 contrast ratio, 1-watt mono speaker, 4x digital zoom, progressive scan, manual focus, digital gamma correction, reverse image function for ceiling mount, and a Kensington security slot for added protection. It offers the following connection options:

• Composite AV In: 1


• S-Video In: 1


• PC RGB In: 1


• Stereo mini-jack audio In: 1


• 9-pin D-Sub connector: 1

The CP-RS55 is one of the first projectors to be aimed explicitly at both the business and home markets. To accomplish this, Hitachi has brought together an impressive combination of performance and value.

In outward appearance, the CP-RS55 is not going to turn any heads. It is housed in a silver-gray exterior with a no-nonsense rectangle design. Mobile presenters, however, will appreciate the fact that it is the lightest model in this roundup. In fact, at 4.9 pounds, it is one of the lightest budget projectors we have ever tested. It does not come with a carrying case

Hitachi PERFORMA CP-RS55 Details

Resolution, Video: 540 TV lines
Resolution, RGB: 800 x 600 pixels
Colors: 16.7 million
Aspect ratio: 4:3 native; 16:9 compatible
Throw ratio (distance:width): 1.8L1
Brightness: 1500 ANSI Lumens in normal mode; 1125 ANSI Lumens in whisper mode
Lamp life: Up to 2000 hours
Contrast ratio: 300:1
Speaker: 1 (mono), 1 watt
Input signals, RGB: VGA, SVGA, XGA, SXGA, MAC13", MAC16", 480i, 576i, 480p, 1080i, 720p
Input signals, Composite video: NTSC, NTSC4.43, PAL, SECAM, PAL-M, PAL-N
Vertical keystone correction: Digital keystone +/- 15 degrees
Video input: 1 S-Video, 1 composite, 1 RGB (15-pin D-Sub)
Video output: n/a
Audio input: 1 stereo mini jack
Audio output: n/a
Item width: 11.22 inches
Item height: 2.87 inches
Item depth: 7.94 inches
Item weight: 4.85 pounds

What's in the box: Home theater projector, remote control (with batteries), RGB cable, filter cover, power cord, printed operating instructions


Hitachi PERFORMA CP-RS5 prices