Mitsubishi may not be the first name that comes to mind when you think projectors (or TVs at all, perhaps) but they've made rear-projection TVs for ages, and recently have made several inexpensive projectors that perform extremely well.

The latest, the HC4000 ($1,495) has a 1080p DLP chip as its image creator. Mitsu claims 1,300 limens and an ANSI contrast ratio of 750:1 (if accurate, quite impressive). All-glass lenses are used, which is rare for this price point. Glass lenses potentially offer a host of image quality improvements over the more common plastic lenses.

Mits projectors have always been known to be quiet, and the HC4000 seems to continue that trend at a claimed 25 dB in Low mode. A rated lamp life of 5,000 hours is good for this category. Nearly all projectors rely on user-replaceable lamps, essentially light bulbs on meth.

The HC4000 has a two-year warranty and weighs only eight pounds, so bringing it to your next LAN party is totally an option.

mitsubishi-hometheater.com