Mitsubishi X50
Mitsubishi X70

Mitsubishi announced the X50 and X70 in November, and they are scheduled to ship February 1. The product release reflects a design strategy that is notably similar to Epson's plan for the 700c and 710c. As with the Epsons, the X50 and X70 are two variations of the same projector. The chassis is 7.0 lbs and a moderate 339 cu in., which places it in about mid-range of weight and size among the twenty smallest XGA projectors currently on the market. The lamp is a 2000-hour, 150-watt UHP. The X50 and X70 have a 1:1.3 manual zoom lens, and support up to SXGA compression.

Like the new Epson XGA's, the display technology on the X50 and X70 is three-panel polysilicon 0.9" LCD. And also like the Epsons, the only difference between the X50 and X70 is ANSI lumens and price. The X50 is 850 lumens with a retail of $6,999, and the X70 is a blazing 1200 lumens and retails for $7,999. So whereas Epson antes up only 200 extra lumens for the incremental $1,000 between the 700c and the 710c, Mitsubishi delivers a more formidable 350 lumen boost for the same $1,000 premium.

Thus Mitsubishi and Epson are poised to take the XGA portable market by storm while most of the DLP-based products face new challenges in price/performance and continuing problems with product supply. Buyers should compare the Mitsubishi X50 to the identically priced Epson 700c, and the Mitsubishi X70 to the (also identically priced) Epson 710c.

In the X50 vs. 700c head-to-head competition, the Epson 700c is 1.2 lbs lighter and 90 cu in. smaller in volume. It also compresses up to UXGA, whereas the X50 handles only SXGA. The Epson is rated at 800 ANSI lumens, and the X50 at 850; this is a meaningless difference from a practical point of view, and it is worth ignoring. On the other hand, the Mitsubishi X50 has a 1:1.3 zoom lens, which gives a bit more flexibility than the Epson's 1:1.2. Since the lumen output of the X50 is not much more than the Epson, the smaller and lighter Epson 700c appears to have a performance edge over the X50. However, Mitsubishi offers a 3-year warranty and Epson only a 2-year. Thus you should evaluate both units for warranty suppport, technical support, and other features that may sway the final buying decision.

When it comes to the high-performance versions of these two projectors, the story is different. In comparing the Mitsubishi X70 to the Epson 710c, the size and weight stats are the same--Epson is 1.2 lbs lighter and 90 cu in. smaller. However, the X70 puts out 1200 ANSI lumens to the 710c's 1000 lumens. Many buyers will find that, for the same price, they would prefer the extra light output and accept the incremental size and weight as part of the trade-off.

Both Mitsubishi and Epson offer 24-hour roadside replacement service and technical support. However, the Mitsubishi X70 comes standard with 3-year warranty coverage, and the Epson 710c, only two-year coverage.

Bottom line: If you are looking for a fully-featured high-performance XGA portable that is expected to sell on the street for about $5,200, you are encouraged to see both the X70 and the 710c to determine which feels the best. These products will be appearing in dealer locations throughout North America by about the first week of February.