Using the Denon DVD-2910 DVD player, set for HDMI and 720p output, we began our viewing evaluation in a totally dark room. Powering up the projector we found that the HD4000 had no auto source detection which means you must manually select the input that you are using. This is somewhat disappointing considering the cost of the projector and we think that it should not have been omitted. As the projector began to warm up in the dark room, we did note a small amount of light leakage emanating from the side fan discharge vent. This would not be a problem if the projector was ceiling mounted but may be a distraction for individuals that install the projector on a tabletop in front of the viewing position. We also noted that the projector was significantly louder than the previous projector we reviewed, the Optoma HD72 .

We selected the DVD The Legend of Bagger Vance . This older DVD has beautiful cinematography, wonderful color, and a great inspiring story line. The HD4000 displayed wonderful color and black level, but the image looked soft, lacking fine detail. We also detected a small amount of posterization and solarization in scenes that were bright. These anomalies were pretty easy to detect in the shots that contained the sky or the sun.

A pot of gold?

We can tell you for sure that this legend is false because we viewed so many rainbows evaluating the HD4000; we have become experts on the subject manner. The simple fact is that this fatal flaw is more than prevalent when viewing video material on this projector. We believe that even those that are not sensitive to the RBE phenomenon would be able to view them when using the HD4000. We can only assume that this must be due to a slow color wheel speed, a timing issue with the color wheel, processor, and/or light engine.

We thought it would be fitting to select Mission Impossible 2 as our next evaluation DVD in anticipation of the sequel Mission Impossible 3. Once again the Mitsubishi displayed nice deep blacks and rich vibrant colors, but the rainbow effect (RBE) completely overwhelmed us to the point that we could no longer proceed with the evaluation. The RBE displayed by the HD4000 is very disappointing considering it is being marketed as a multi-media projector.

Operation report

The HD4000 never failed to start nor did it shut down. The projector recognized all interlaced and progressive signals when using the Component, Composite and S-Video inputs. The HD4000 also had no trouble syncing to a computer resolution of 1280x720 @ 59.94 Hz with the RGB input.

We did run into some trouble with the HDMI input. We tried many different resolutions and refresh rates with our G-Force based HTPC connected to the HDMI input and we were unable to establish sync with any of them. We have had no trouble synching with other projectors previously reviewed and the Optoma H-72 had no trouble syncing with the same HTPC with multiple resolutions and refresh rates.

Conclusion

In the past, we have been strong proponents of the Mitsubishi brand. The manufacturer has a strong track record of producing some of the best video display devices in the industry. Unfortunately this wasn't the case with the HD4000. Although it produced very bright vibrant images and nice deep inky blacks, we found the images' fine detail lacking. The HD4000 produced the dreaded rainbow effect more often than not and at times became almost painful to watch.

The HD4000s lackluster build quality, fit and finish, and the ho hum aesthetic characteristics of this projector made it look more like a board room projector than one suited for home theater applications. The lack of updated technical data and misinformation on both the Mitsubishi website and the marketing material had us wondering if the projector had been rushed to market.

We feel that this projector should have performed much better considering its relatively high price point and Mitsubishi track record. The Mitsubishi did produce very bright images and it has a 3-year warranty but other than that we don't believe this projector would be suitable in the home theater environment. We must say that we were disappointed with the HD4000's video performance and feel there are much better alternatives at much lower prices. The Mitsubishi HD4000 fell well short of our expectations and it is therefore NOT recommended.