ViewSonic PJ552 LCD Projector

Projectors are a different breed of multimedia displays, for those who haven't been down that road before. With DLP and LCD competing for support, both with their pros and cons, and prices dropping, multimedia projectors are becoming a realistic solution for many home theatres.
I purchased Viewsonic's PJ552 projector to replace a Benq PE5120 DLP projector. While it's native 4:3 format and lack of DVI input make the PJ552 more at home in a boardroom or classroom, it's bright picture, component inputs, and XGA resolution make for a bold and bright cinema experience.
As an LCD projector, the 'rainbows' that are present (to some, me included) with DLP projectors are non existant. The rounded pixels of XGA reduce the screen door effect common to lower res LCD projectors and, with some tweaking, this projector is capable of very vivid colours. The only gripe I have with the picture is that the contrast ratio (400:1) leaves some dark areas without much detail. Things are visible, just a little muddy, especially in low light.
The advertised 1500 lumen is suitably bright to get a clear bright image in a low light room. In whisper mode, which boosts bulb life by 2000 hrs., the dB level of the fan drops, but the picture changes very little. This brings me to the warrantee (odd, I know.) There is a one year warrantee on the bulb, and three years on the projector. I was impressed also to see that Viewsonic offers a first year express exchange if unsatisfied. Great service if the retailer does not offer a similar one.
Finally, the price. When I purchased this projector, Best Buy had it on sale for $899.99 cdn and regularly sells for $400 more. The PJ552 is regularly in stock there and is frequently on sale, so is easily available for under the $1000 mark. Overall, this was a great buy and I would strongly recommend it to those who are looking for a good projector with lots of features, or are interested in an entry level home theatre projector.