The movie-watching experience on a large front projection system simply cannot be beat. And once you have experienced it in your own home it will be difficult to once again enjoy movies on a smaller screen. The movies below were selected because they stood out in how they demonstrated the capabilities of the LPX-510.

DVD: The Fifth Element: Superbit Edition
This disc is simply incredible - and one of my favorite movies of all time to boot. Some Superbit discs are not as good as they should be, but the Superbit Fifth Element disc is an absolute superb specimen that should adorn the DVD rack of any serious home theater aficionado. I snapped a few shots of the movie below with a Sony DSC-P92 still camera from about 19'away (slight zoom was used, but the camera was completely stabilized on a tripod for each shot). No flash was used and the camera was set to Night mode (slow shutter):

I hope these images can capture a small amount of the detail that is visible on the screen. The color richness and levels of black that can be seen in this movie is amazing. Yamaha's Cinema Black mode is by far the best setting to use when you are trying to get the most out of the LPX-510 projector. If you look closely at the close up of Bruce Willis you can really see the detail of his eyelashes and the subtle textures of his skin. In the 5 megapixel master shots you can zoom in all the way and simply not see any pixel breakup in the images, including the explosion.

DVD: The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
I've used this film quite a bit for showing off speaker systems and receivers; however it is equally impressive for projection systems. While not as rich and vibrant as The Fifth Element , its detailed scenery and dark imagery deliver much in terms of shadow detail and dynamic range. Here are some shots of the movie - and the pictures tell more than I ever could with pithy descriptions:

DVD: From the Earth to the Moon
By no means is this the best DVD in terms of quality or transfer, however it is full of intensive computer models and excellent, almost scholastic-level lighting and textures. It's also a great series that qualifies for my "if you were trapped on a desert island what DVDs would you take with you" list. The shots below were much more impressive on the Yamaha LPX-510 than the last time I viewed the DVD, which was on a 32" Toshiba CRT. There is something to be said for experiencing the Apollo missions on a truly cinematic screen.

Conclusion

The Yamaha LPX-510 is a projector for home theater . It will allow you to truly configure a visual experience that will rival the local cinemas depending upon how far away from the screen you like to sit. In my experience using the unit for two months I found its performance to be absolutely exceptional. Setup was a breeze and the unit possesses an astounding amount of input and configuration options, making it fairly versatile for use in just about any controlled-lighting environment. Contrast levels on this projector are simply amazing - and not just for a front projection system, either. I could go on, but its movie night again and I've got people to entertain. Pass the popcorn.

Yamaha LPX-510 3-Chip LCD Projector Score Card

MSRP: $5495

About Yamaha Electronics
Yamaha Electronics Corporation, USA , is based in Buena Park , California , and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Yamaha. YEC offers Home Theater components and systems, featuring A/V Receivers, Amplifiers, DVD/CD Players & Recorders, Speakers, Mini-Systems, Video Projection, as well as A/V & IT Convergence Products.