InFocus broke into the home theater market several years ago with the introduction of its first DLP projector, the 7200, after many years as one of the world's leading manufacturers of professional LCD projectors. Many successful DLP designs and price drops later, the company's IN76 (S$3,888 (US$2,557.87)) brings true-HD resolution to the table for a price that's significantly less than in previous years. While still not the least expensive HD-resolution DLP on the market, the solid-performing InFocus IN76 still represents great value, and its unique styling is icing on the cake.

Design of the InFocus Play Big IN76 home theater projector

Our InFocus IN76 review sample had a two-tone finish that was mostly high-gloss black with metallic silver oval-shaped side panels on the left and right. It came seated on a round tabletop stand, but an optional ceiling mount can be purchased. We found the overall look sleeker and more high-tech than that of the company's more expensive DLP projectors, such as the InFocus 7205 and the 7210.

The black-and-silver remote is well-designed and, with the push of a light button on the underbelly of the unit, fully backlit. There are direct access keys for all sources, as well as aspect ratio (labeled Resize), overscan, and other functions. The GUI (graphical user interface) or internal menu system is identical to that of other InFocus DLP projectors in the line, which is to say it's logical and intuitive in its navigation.

Features of the InFocus Play Big IN76 home theater projector

As with many projectors, the InFocus IN76's principal spec is resolution. The projector uses a 1,280 x 720 native-resolution DLP chip from Texas Instruments, known as the Dark Chip 2 DMD. This particular chip aids in reproducing deeper blacks (see Performance), and like all 1,280 x 720-resolution chips, it can display every pixel of a 720p HDTV source. All other sources, including HDTV, DVD, and computers, are scaled to fit the native resolution.

The feature package on the IN76 is comprehensive for a projector in this price range. While it lacks typical TV features such as picture-in-picture, as well as lens shift, a convenient extra that aids in placement flexibility, it does offer numerous setup and picture-enhancing features. Selectable color temperatures are 6,500K, 7,500K, 9,300K, and Native. Color control in the advanced menu gives you six options for grayscale calibration. Another control lets you choose to have the projector automatically select a color space--the spec the projector uses as a basis to reproduce color--or to select either the standard-def (Rec609) or high-def (Rec709) spec yourself. You're best off leaving it in auto so you don't have to go back and forth when switching sources.

There are several gamma choices, including Film, which is the most accurate gamma setting for home theater applications. Five sharpness settings in the advanced menu give you either a soft picture or one with some edge enhancement. Standard was the best, with little or no edge enhancement, and it still maintained the crispness of the picture without loss of detail. Zoom and focus dials are both available at the lens assembly on the projector.

The IN76's connectivity is solid, highlighted by an HDMI input, a DVI (for a computer or a second digital video source) input, and a component-video input. We would have liked another component-video input, but at this price, you can't have it all, and the second digital input is the important thing. There's also a composite-video input, an S-video input, and a RS-232 port, which is useful if you have a home automation system. Additionally, there is a SCART port, which is used mostly in Europe.

Performance of the InFocus Play Big IN76 home theater projector

The InFocus IN76 is a credible performer compared with its entry-level 1,280 x 720-resolution DLP front-projection competition. The all-glass lens is better than we expected. It has some chromatic aberrations that result in minor fringing around white lines, and it's a tad soft, but when you consider the price point, these minor issues are excusable. Chromatic aberrations are a reality in all projector lenses, and the softness was not severe enough to make it a major problem.

We would have preferred more accurate color, however, especially in the primaries. Color decoding is quite good, which also gives the IN76 excellent color saturation when set up properly. Grayscale in the 6,500K setting, unfortunately, was extremely minus blue, which tinged darker areas with a bit too much red. Calibration fixed this problem and improved color accuracy, especially the look of skin tones.

Black-level performance was on a par with that of other DLP projectors we've tested that use the Dark Chip 2 DMD chip. The IN76's depth of black was certainly convincing but not quite as strong as more expensive projectors with the Dark Chip 3 chip. Video processing was clean, with solid 2:3 pull-down detection and no visible false-contouring artifacts.

During the opening scenes of the Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back DVD, space and other dark material were rendered convincingly with few visible artifacts, and we saw plenty of details in the shadows. During Chapter 10, however, we noticed some softness in the face of Han Solo when he tells the base commander he has to leave. Faces were a little pastel or clay-like in appearance, which was a sign of lack of detail. Conversely, at the beginning of Chapter 3 of the excellent DVD The Thin Red Line, with the Navy ship cutting through the water, detail was adequate.

HD from our Time Warner HD cable feed looked mostly excellent with rich color saturation and plenty of detail. Skin tones were rendered quite naturally. Bright material popped on Discovery HD, HDNet, and INHD and INHD 2. Dark concert footage on both INHD and HDNet had some low-level noise or dithering, which appeared as subtle dark snow or moving motes in darker areas and was visible from the seating position, but wasn't overly objectionable.