InFocus ScreenPlay 4805 projector

A solid projector that's just as comfortable playing movies as displaying pie charts.

InFocus produces a seemingly endless range of projectors, but most are aimed at the type of people who want to explain things to you through the medium of pie charts. This model, however, has been crafted specifically for use in the home.

The 4805 is a DLP jobbie, but thankfully it's almost totally free of the frequently associated rainbow effect. And despite the resolution being relatively low, pictures still look incredibly smooth and lifelike. DVD movies played back through this light box are bursting with colour and shadows, and dark scenes are handled with ease.

On the negative side, the short zoom range of the lens means it can't create really big images in smaller rooms, and the fan is also noisy, even when operating in economy mode. It really is distracting during quieter scenes in movies.

It's a shame that InFocus couldn't have done more to tame the fan, as in practically all the other areas, this machine puts in an excellent performance.