Back in college, everyone would dread being entrusted any work with the ancient projector. Reason: the projector bulbs were notoriously flimsy and expensive. So, if the bulb blew up, which it did at regular intervals, anyone within a 10-metre radius would have to chip in for the replacement. But that was over a decade ago.

So the first thing that interested me in NEC’s new NP500G projector was its Eco-mode which ensures that the lamp lasts longer and reduces noise to a minimum. The unit also uses less power in this mode. Moreover, it even has a meter indicating how much longer the bulb and filter will last in normal course.

That’s not all. This was the first projector I’d seen where the colour split was not so obvious—in most the projected image splits into the Vibgyor from certain angles. The unit also has wall colour correction so that the image looks good even on coloured walls. The auto adjust button puts the image to the best fit for the conditions, while the aspect ratio selector allows users to choose the best screen mode—this is ideal if you are watching movies.

Though the company would like to project this as a business accessory, it works fine for home viewing too. I used it to watch a DVD movie and the effect was big-screen all the way. To add to the viewing pleasure, the menu has presets for movies, presentations and so on, which pick the best setting for the task at hand.

... contd.