Sharp DT-500 Home Theatre Projector Review

The Sharp DT-500 DLP projector is part of Sharp’s High Definition Home Theatre Projector series and has a native resolution of 1280 x 768 (WXGA) provided by a DarkChip 2 DLP chip by Texas Instruments.

The DT-500’s brightness level of 1200 ANSI lumens is the highest in Sharp’s high definition home theatre projector range and more than suitable for its intended home theatre application. At 1200 lumens a moderate amount of ambient light is tolerable while still projecting a suitably bright projected image. The 4,000:1 contrast ratio is excellent.

Texas Instruments DarkChip 2 DMD Microdisplay Chipset

The Sharp DT-500 projector is based on microdisplay technology having a single Texas Instruments DarkChip 2 DLP chip. The chip has millions of tiny mirrors that switch on and off some 15,000 times per second to create the video output required. This sort of speed is required for delivering sharp pictures for sport and other fast movement video.

One of the features obtained with using the DarkChip 2 DMD is BrilliantColor which is a Texas Instruments trademarked technology for delivering improved brightness and a wider range of colors. Traditionally, most display devices render images using a combination of the three primary colors red, green and blue. The full gamut of colors visible to the human eye cannot be reproduced using this approach, with the color space subset covered not including vivid colors such as yellow and cyan commonly seen in nature. By processing up to six color channels BrilliantColor allows vendors, such as Sharp, to create multi-primary color systems by adding colors such as yellow, cyan and magenta colors for color rendering. As well as increasing the color space which can be rendered with the added color filters the system also utilizes the light source more efficiently with a 50% increase of 50% brightness. In the case of the XV-Z3000, Sharp are using a 6-segment color wheel capable of x5 speed. The higher speed and large number of segments greatly reduces the possibility of viewers noticing any rainbow effects associated with single chip/color wheel DLP projection systems.

Another benefit of BrilliantColor technology derives from its use of floating point arithmetic for more accurate rendering calculations. According to Texas Instruments, this results in less noise and more accurate colors at the display with over 200 trillion color shades being possible.

Dual-Iris Mechanism with Three Modes

The Sharp DT-500 has a Dual-Iris Mechanism for their optical engines. One iris is for projecting images and the other for adjusting illuminating conditions. Also, the remote control can be used to select from the Quick set modes (via remote control) high-contrast, middle, and high-brightness are available adjust for screen conditions for watching movies, sports, or other video feeds.

Sealed Optics

Sharp seal the optical mechanism for their DLP projectors to prevent dust, dirt and smoke from entering core parts of the optics.

Projector Setup Flexibility

The DT-500 has little to offer in the way of set-up flexibility and the details of how you would position the projector should be considered carefully before purchase.

The small throw offset angle of the DT-500 could provide some setup difficulties with ceiling mount height.
There is no lens shift for keystone correction
The lens has some zoom (1.15:1 ratio) however, it is fairly limited giving little flexibility in distance of the projector from the screen.

Connections

The DT-500 has a single HDMI input which is better than some in Sharps other high definition projector series which do not have one at all. Twin HDMI inputs are now fairly much an essential with the proliferation of 1080p high definition signals available. Neither swapping cables or a switching box are attractive options.

There is also only a single DVI input

Video Scaling

The DT-500 uses Sharp’s proprietary TrueVision Image Processing, which up-converts standard resolution signals to the native resolution of the projector.

Lamp Life

Lamp life is quoted as up to 3,000 hours.

Warranty

The DT-500 comes with a one year warranty on parts and labor. One year seems to becoming common for projector warranties however, some still come with two years.

Comparison

Other projectors in the Sharp high definition home theatre range include the XV-Z20000, XV-Z12000, XV-Z10000 and the XV-Z3000.

The XV-Z20000 is a higher specification, more recent, projector with the major differences from the DT-500 being:

higher resolution of 1080p (1920 x 1080)
higher 12000:1 contrast ratio
lower brightness of 1000 ANSI lumens
twin HDMI inputs
has lens shift
greater zoom range

The more prominent differences between the XV-Z12000 specifications and the DT-500 are:

higher contrast ratio of 7000:1
lower brightness of 1000 ANSI lumens
no HDMI input
has lens shift
greater zoom range

The XV-Z10000’s major specification differences to the DT-500 are:

higher 6500:1 contrast ratio
lower brightness of 1000 ANSI lumens
no HDMI input
has lens shift
greater zoom range

The XV-Z3000’s major specification differences to the DT-500 are:

higher 6500:1 contrast ratio

Resources

Projection Screen Selection

Extending Projector Lamp Life

Replacement Projector Lamps and Bulbs Guide

User Reviews and Price Comparisons

DLP¿ Projector with 1200 Lumens

Projector-Gear Projector Ceiling Mount fits SHARP DT-500 Projectors

Specifications


HDTV Compatible	Yes: 1080i, 1035i, 720p, 576p, 576i, 540p, 480p, 480i
Aspect Ratio	4:3/16:9
Resolution	1280 x 768
Brightness	1200 ANSI Lumens (in High Brightness Mode)
Contrast Ratio	4000:1 (in High Contrast Mode)
Maximum Screen Size	300″ (Diagonally Measured using 16:9 Aspect Ratio)
Projection Distance	100″ (16:9 widescreen) Throw Distance 9′11″ - 11′6″
Display Method	DLP DMD from Texas Instruments
Inputs	2 Component (Y, Pb, Pr) 1 Composite Video (RCA) 1 S-Video (4-Pin DIN) 1 HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) 1 RS-232C Serial Port (9-Pin D-Sub)
Anamorphic DVD Capable	Yes
Output	1 - DC 12V Trigger Out
Computer Compatibility	XGA, Mac® 19″
Video System	NTSC/NTSC 3.58, 4.43/PAL/PAL (60Hz)/PAL-M/PAL-N/SECAM
Lens Type	1-1.15x Manual Zoom Lens Focus
Projection Lamp Type/Life	275W SHP/ up to 3000 Hours
I/P Conversion and 3-2 Pull Down	Yes
Gamma Correction	Yes
2-D Digital Keystone Correction	Yes
Color Temperature Adjustment	Yes
Color Management System (CMS)	Yes
Advanced Picture Mode	Yes
OSD Help Menu	Yes
Quick Start Function	Yes
Picture Freeze	Yes
TrueVision Image Processing	Yes
Brilliant Color Technology	Yes
Detachable AC Cord	Yes
Wireless Backlit Remote Control	Yes
Optional Digital Decoder Required	Yes (for HDTV)
Built-in Audio	No
Power Source	100-240V AC, 50/60Hz (Multi-Voltage)
Power Consumption	355W (5W in Standby)
Optional Ceiling Bracket	AN-CM250
Dimensions (w x h x d)	12 13/32″ x 4 19/64″ x 11 1/32″ (Main Body Only) 12 13/32″ x 4 47/64″ x 11 37/64″ (Including Terminal Cover)
Weight	8.8 lbs.
Limited Warranty	1-year parts and labor.