Canon LV-8225

Canon LV-8225

The Canon LV-8225 ($799 direct) manages to be both a fairly impressive projector for the price and just a bit of a disappointment. The impressive part includes its level of image quality for both data and video, and the small size and weight for an LCD projector. The disappointment comes from a number of small issues, like the lack of an HDMI connector, which limits the projector's usefulness for video. The ultimate result is a projector that's definitely worth considering, but isn't the no-brainer best in class that it could have been. In most ways, the LV-8225 is fairly typical for a lightweight WXGA (1,280 by 800) projector, although its 2,500-lumen rating is a little low for the category by today's standards. In the last few months, ratings in the range of 3,000 lumens have become increasingly common, as with the Casio Green Slim XJ-A250 ($1,399.99 direct, 4.0 stars), the Editors' Choice NEC Display Solutions NP-M300WS ($1,099 direct, 4 stars), and the Editors' Choice Optoma TW610ST ($1,000 street, 4 stars). On the other hand, 2,500 lumens is no dimmer than it used to be, and it's always been considered bright enough for the kinds of applications these projectors are meant for—both portable and permanently installed.