Depending on your point of view, the Hitachi BZ-1 ($1,795 street) is either a slightly brighter, higher resolution, interactive version of the Editors' Choice Hitachi CP-A221N ($1,300 street, 4.5 stars), a slightly modified version of the Hitachi iPJ-AW250N ($1,800 street, 4 stars), or a little bit of both. Whichever description you choose, it effectively cherry picks all the key features that make each of those models attractive and combines them into a hands-down winner as the new Editors' Choice for ultra-short-throw interactive projectors.

Like the Hitachi iPJ-AW250N, the BZ-1  offers WXGA (1280 by 800) native resolution and a 2,500 lumen brightness rating as well as built-in interactivity. Like the CP-A221N , it adds the one potentially important feature that the iPJ-AW250N lacks, namely: the ability to mount vertically without overheating, so you can face it straight down to create an interactive table top. Like both other Hitachi models, it's LCD based.

One possible issue for the BZ-1 is that lack of 3D support, a feature you'll find on most DLP-based interactive projectors, including the Editors' Choice Optoma TW675UTi-3D ($1,800 street, 4 stars) for example. At this writing, however, no other LCD-based business projectors offer 3D support either, so that's standard for the technology. Being LCD-based also guarantees that BZ-1 won't show the rainbow artifacts that DLP projectors typically show because of the way they produce color. So if you don't actually need 3D, the LCD-based engine counts as an advantage.

The Basics: Portability and Setup

One of the BZ-1's nicer touches is its relatively small size and weight. Ultra-short-throw projectors are generally meant for permanent installation, and they typically weigh about 15 pounds. The BZ-1 is small and light enough to easily carry by hand from room to room. Just 9.1 pounds and measuring 4.0 by 13.6 by 11.9 inches (HWD), it's even light enough to serve as an occasional traveling companion if you need to give interactive presentations on the road.

Except for the interactive feature, setup is standard. Connection options for data and video images include one HDMI port for a computer or video source, two VGA ports for computers or component video, a VGA pass-through port, and both S-video and composite video ports. In addition, a USB port lets you plug in a USB memory key to read JPG, PNG, BMP, GIF or PDF files directly.

One key difference between the BZ-1's approach to interactivity and the approach that most DLP-based projectors use is that you need to calibrate the BZ-1 every time you set it up, move it, or change resolution.

DLP projectors that use TI's interactive feature don't need calibration because the projector overlays an invisible grid on the screen, and the pen uses the grid to report where it's pointing. The BZ-1's approach, in contrast, depends on a combination of infrared and ultrasonic signals between pen and projector. If you don't calibrate the two, the projector won't know where the pen is when you touch the screen to draw, highlight, or use the pen as a mouse.

The good news is that calibration requires touching only nine points with the pen, and takes well under a minute. Also, note that one advantage for the BZ-1's approach that the pen is much thinner than the ones that come with most DLP-based interactive projectors. It's only about as thick as a highlighter, making it much more comfortable to hold and work with, particularly if you have small hands.

Big Picture, Short Distance, Looks Good

What makes ultra-short-throw projectors impressive is the size image they project from a given distance. To get a 78-inch wide (93-inch diagonal) image at the native WXGA resolution in my tests, I had to put the projector about 13 inches from the screen. Hitachi says the full range for the BZ-1 is 60 to 100 inches diagonally, with the front of the projector 4.7 to 15.4 inches from the screen.

Note that although all of these measurements are from the front of the projector, the actual throw distance is about 11 inches more in each case. As is typical for ultra-short throw projectors, the lens is near the back, shining into a mirror that reflects the image to the screen.

The BZ-1 offers the same 2,500 lumen rating as the iPJ-AW250N. That's not as bright as the Optoma TW675UTi-3D , rated at 3,200 lumens, but it's more than bright enough for the image size I tested with to stand up to typical levels of light in a conference room or classroom. Keep in mind too that perception of brightness is logarithmic, so any given percentage boost in lumens doesn't translate to as large a boost in perceived brightness.

Image quality for both data and video are among the BZ-1's strong points. The projector did particularly well on our standard suite of DisplayMate tests, with vibrant color; sharp, highly readable text at small sizes; and no problems worth mention.

Video quality was good for a data projector. It's not in the same class as home theater projectors, but its good enough to let you watch a full-length movie comfortably, as long as you're not too much of a perfectionist. I saw the same slight color balance issue that I saw with the iPJ-AW250N, for example, with grays in night scenes taking on a noticeably brownish tint. However, the image is certainly comfortable to watch for long sessions.

Interactivity and Other Issues

The interactive feature worked as expected in my tests. As is typical for Hitachi's interactive projectors, there's a slight lag between moving the pen and seeing the result, but the response time is fast enough to make using the pen feel natural. As with most interactive projectors, Hitachi provides one pen and also provides an interactive program, in case you don't already have one.

The one big difference between the iPJ-AW250N and the BZ-1 is a change to the cooling system, so you can mount the BZ-1 vertically without having to worry about overheating and shortening the lamp life. This lets you use the projector to create an interactive tabletop, and Hitachi will even sell you a table mount ($200 street) to make it easy.

The lack of an option to use a vertical mount was the one issue that kept the iPJ-AW250N from being Editors' Choice. With the Hitachi BZ-1 offering all the same strong points—from the ultra-short throw to a bright, high-quality image—and adding the ability to mount vertically, it's an easy Editors' Choice pick. As such it joins, rather than replaces, the Optoma TW675UTi-3D. If you need 3D, the Optoma projector is still the obvious choice. If you don't, and particularly if you want to avoid any possibility of seeing rainbow artifacts, the Hitachi BZ-1 is the better bet.

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