The WD2000 employs one of Texas Instruments’ latest chips to give an impressive resolution of 1280 x 768 pixels — HD-ready up 720p. Capable of 3000 lumens and with a claimed contrast ratio of 2000:1 (thanks to the 12-degree mirrors), you can expect great-quality images that you’re able to see in even a well-lit room.

The rear boasts more connections that you’re likely to need. There’s a DVI port that supports HDCP (High Definition Content Protection), plus five BNC connectors, VGA D-SUB, S-Video, composite and Y/C BNCs (an alternative to S-Video). For audio, there are two 3.5 inputs and an output, plus RCA inputs for the S-Video and composite channels. USB allows mouse control, while an Ethernet port means you can attach the WD2000 to a network.

Mitsubishi includes a plastic cover to hide all the cable connections, and there’s also a large remote control in the box. This has buttons to flip directly to the input you want, plus page up/down, right-click, zoom/focus, lens shift, keystone and aspect buttons. There’s a powered focus and zoom as well as horizontal and vertical keystone correction. Even better, there’s a lens shift feature, which lets you physically move the lens to shift the image left/right or up/down — it doesn’t matter precisely where the projector is mounted, you can centre the image on your screen. The only problem is that the zoom is relatively small, so you’ll need a fairly long throw distance to achieve a decent image size.

Using a variety of high-definition video tests, the WD2000 showed excellent detail and smooth, motion handling. Colour accuracy was also good, thanks in part to the Texas Instruments’ BrilliantColor, which adds yellow and white sections to the colour wheel. Yellows were better than most DLP systems, if still slightly tinged with green. Close up, you can still see grid lines too, but contrast is excellent and widescreen letterbox bars aren’t easily seen when watching movies.

Fan noise is all but inaudible in economy mode — Mitsubishi quotes 27dBA — although brightness is reduced noticeably to 2300 lumens. In presentation mode, you get the full 3000 lumens, and this makes text and charts clear even in fully lit rooms. Colour accuracy is slightly compromised — colours are oversaturated — but switching to the Auto mode improves this without losing brightness.

Our only real gripe is the perennial problem of DLP: as each colour is projected in rapid succession, moving your eyes across the image causes a rainbow effect that, once seen, can become an annoying distraction. If you’re not sure whether it will bother you, it’s worth speaking to a reseller to see if it will let you try before you buy.

Due to the high brightness, replacement lamps are relatively expensive at around $640. The good news is that they should last up to 5000 hours in economy mode. This translates to 13c an hour, making it competitive with most DLP projectors out there.

As it’s HD-ready, the WD2000 would make a good addition to a home-theatre setup, but it’s also an attractive option for anyone looking for widescreen 16:10 aspect ratio — still surprisingly rare in the consumer projector market. It’s a solid choice if you want widescreen and are determined not to wait until higher-resolution, native 1080p projectors are available.