Canon LV-7565

Overview
Positives: Very bright image; sharp focus and zoom; optional LAN box; stereo speakers; pop-out handle. Negatives: Large and heavy; runs hot; loud fan; needs an FTP server to project images from a network. Facts: The Canon LV-7565 has top-notch brightness, exceptionally sharp focus, and an optional network connection, but its large size and high price keep it from being our favorite in its class.

Full Review

The $8,000 Canon LV-7565 projector may be big and expensive, but it takes heavyweight power to display large images in a cavernous conference room. The LV-7565 can blast a superbright 4,428 lumens--enough for lights-on presentations--and the projector has an optional network connector that can grab images from a LAN and let you control it from any network client. While its performance is slightly better than the identical-looking, though much less expensive, Sanyo PLC-XP56 ($6,000), we don't think the small bump in power is worth the significantly higher cost. Both the XP56 and the LV-7565 run a portly 6.6 by 12.6 by 18.3 inches and weigh more than 20 pounds; clearly, neither are made for easy portability. A large handle on the LV-7565's side lets you to carry it like a suitcase, however, making it easier to haul from conference room to conference room. You can set it on a desktop or connect it to a ceiling mount, and it's capable of back projection, which creates a reversed image. The LV-7656 offers a vast array of ports for connecting to computers and A/V equipment including analog, digital, S-Video, composite video, and component video, as well as a pair of audio minijacks for the decent-sounding 2-watt stereo speakers. There's an RS-232 port connecting to the optional LAN connection kit. Canon includes analog, S-Video, and USB cables. The Canon LV-7565 has a trio of relatively large 1.3-inch LCD panels with an XGA resolution; these give it enough power to project an exceptionally bright, sharp, 33-foot diagonal image. The projector can support both typical 4:3 and wide-screen 16:9 aspect-ratio images. The projector has four directional buttons to control the onscreen menu (OSM) and other settings such as zoom, focus, and lens tilt. There's also a Bright button, which removes an orange filter but doesn't affect your image's brightness. You can adjust all of the settings on the projector itself or via large remote, which doubles as a laser pointer. There are a variety of image optimization presets for movies, graphics, and more, but we found that the standard setting worked best for business purposes. The one thing that the LV-7565 lacks is automatic correction for keystone distortion, which compensates for an image's trapezoidal appearance when projected at an angle, a feature found on many less-expensive projectors. To network the LV-7565, you'll have to invest in the $600 Canon Network Imager. You'll need to set the projector's IP address with the remote control--not an easy feat--to monitor it from network-connected PCs. Using a Web browser, you can check to see if it's in use and how hot it is running, as well as turn it off--a key feature for presenters who routinely forget to turn off their equipment. Once the projector is online, you have the option of displaying images directly from a network FTP server, though the images first need to be converted using the included Network Viewer software. The software turns your PowerPoint slide show, for example, into a series of images with neither sound effects nor transitions, which can make for a dull slide show. It can't stream video or work with live applications on the network, but it's a great way to centralize a show or lower the anxiety caused by presenters who forget to bring files or equipment. The Canon LV-7565 is one of the brightest projectors in its midsize class, putting out 4,428 lumens of light--slightly short of its 5,100-lumen spec, but still very bright. In low-power mode, with much-reduced fan noise, it was still very bright, projecting 3,601 lumens. With decent performance overall, the projector's focus was exceptional, and its uniformity was 89 percent--a tad better than the Sanyo's, though we noticed a pink line at the bottom of the LV-7565's image. Its contrast ratio of 307:1 makes text easy on the eyes. It was able to show 247 shades of gray, but most had a blue tint, which shouldn't be visible in grayscale; color performance was fairly accurate, though reds appeared slightly orange. In our tests, the Canon LV-7565 started up in a quick 39 seconds but took 1 minute and 31 seconds to cool down with the fan blowing at full speed. When on, the projector pumps out more than 1,500 watts of heat--about the equivalent of a small space heater--and its fan runs very loudly. It will require some maintenance: a pair of air filters must be cleaned periodically, and the lamp needs to be replaced every 2,000 hours. New lamps cost $450. Canon backs the LV-7565 with a three-year warranty; the lamp is guaranteed for an industry-standard 90 days. The company's Web site has product spec sheets, an image-throw calculator, and a list of repair facilities in addition to FAQs. Canon's toll-free help desk is staffed from 8 a.m. to 12 a.m. ET on weekdays and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET on Saturdays; the company promises to respond to e-mail in one day.

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