When we last compared sub-$2,500 projectors (December 2003) Dell was unable at the time to supply us with a review model. We were eager to see what their brand new sub-$2,000 projector was capable of, but it's taken it a while to complete the circuitous route to our offices.

Now costing just under $1,900, the Dell 2200MP is set to give other similarly priced projectors a good run for their money. It does this with its feature-set, which is quite high for such a low-priced model.

This includes a 1,200 Ansi lumens brightness and a massive 1,700:1 contrast ratio, two specifications alone that outclass the projectors from our previous Labs. The 2200MP comes with RGB D-Sub, S-Video and component video inputs, as well as audio in. The projector's capable of displaying up to 800 x 600 resolution in both 4:3 and 16:9 widescreen and is also able to throw an image measuring from 71cm to 8.6m diagonally over 1.2 to 12m.

We tested the screen with DisplayMate plus PC and DVD inputs, and were impressed with the results. Regardless of the slightly grainy picture, the projected image is crisp, clear and highly legible even when we decided to also try it out in a light room with the image projected on a darkish wall. It's hard to believe that you can get such an image for the price. This is a projector well suited for the boardroom but also for home use in the lounge-room.

The 2200MP is quite portable, weighing only 2.1kg and coming with its own hard-shell carry case. The only problem is that there's only a one-year warranty (with the lamp covered for the first nine months only), and extending this to three years costs over $700, over a third of the cost of the unit.