The latest high-def projectors make a welcome alternative to having a massive slab of a TV dominating your living room. They're sleek, quiet and these days give nothing away in either resolution or contrast ratio.

Taking our lead from four of the most respected home cinema magazines on the market, we've rounded up our 10 favourites from our reviews pages. It's a mixed bag of technologies, and prices, so our opinions are of course subjective. LCD and DLP are obviously well represented, as is JVC's excellent DILA technology.

The one that's missing is Sony's SXRD technology. The VPL-VW50 didn't quite make our final 10, but we look forward to making space for the Full HD VPL-VW100 - keep an eye out for that review soon on Tech.co.uk.

In the meantime, here's our list. This is the only place where you'll find multiple reviews of one product - all written by home cinema experts.

Top 10 high-definition projectors

10 Hitachi PJ-TX300 (LCD / £1,300 / 720p / 10000:1)

Projectors that cost 10 or 15 grand certainly are impressive, but what we never mention is the reality that very few people have that kind of money to spend. The PJ-TX300 gets you into the high-def projector game for a far more reasonable £1,300. We won't pretend the quality is nearly as good, but for the price you won't find better. Reviews: What HDTV , What Home Cinema , What Video , Home Cinema Choice

9 SIM2 Domino 80 (DLP / £6,000 / 1080p / 4000:1)

The D80 simply oozes style. And to be fair, for £6,000 it should. Thankfully, though, it excels on the inside too. To borrow an advertising catchphrase, this is a 'reassuringly expensive' projector, and its pictures are rich and detailed. Elsewhere it gives a little away to its top-end Japanese rivals, but the D80 should still be part of any audition. Review: Home Cinema Choice

8 Epson EMP-TW1000 (LCD / £2,600 / 1080p / 12000:1)

The Epson takes its place in this elite group for being the cheapest Full HD projector on the market right now. Suitable for use in a small room, its superior resolution gives it an advantage over just about every other projector in this price bracket. We can't quite claim that no compromises have been made, but not by much. Review: What Video

7 InFocus IN78 (DLP / £2,000 / 720p / 3500:1)

At first glance, the IN78 may not seem to deliver InFocus' usual fantastic value for money, but look closer. You won't find the DarkChip3 DLP chipset on many other projectors at this price, and the performance benefits are immediately obvious. In the end you're left thinking that two grand is a snip for an HD-ready projector this impressive. Reviews: What Video , What Home Cinema , Home Cinema Choice

6 Planar PD7060 (DLP / £1,900 / 720p / 3500:1)

US manufacturer Planar's second UK projector is unashamedly cheap - but you won't find any corners cut. Sure, it's not 1080p, but its DarkChip 3 chipset produces great pictures regardless. In the DLP value stakes, you'll not find a better projector for under two grand. Review: What Video

5 Sharp XV-Z21000 (DLP / £7,000 / 1080p / 12000:1)

For a Full HD DLP projector, the XV-Z21000 is actually quite cheap, and it further does its price justice by being an accomplished performer. It may not have the cachet of its more illustrious rivals from SIM2 and ProjectionDesign, but is just about able to match them when it comes to delivering home cinema excellence. Reviews:What Home Cinema , What Video

4 Panasonic PT-AE1000 (LCD / £3,500 / 1080p / 11000:1)

LCD is definitely the cheapest projector technology for delivering Full HD. In that context, £3,500 isn't actually that cheap, despite the PT-AE1000's rather industrial looks. Happily, though, its picture performance tells a very different story, with exceptional contrast ratio and brightness (though not at the same time). A groundbreaking LCD projector. Reviews: What Home Cinema , What Video , Home Cinema Choice

3 SIM2 HT3000 (DLP / £11,999 / 1080p / 6500:1)

Unlike the ProjectionDesign Model Three, SIM2 managed to cram its Full HD circuitry into one box. And it also had the distinction of reaching the market first - just. But the HT3000 is no place-holder, it's a well-rounded and complete high-def projector that delivers consistently excellent results across the board. Review:Home Cinema Choice

2 JVC DLA-HD1 (DILA / £4,500 / 1080p / 15000:1)

JVC's DILA technology offers a welcome alternative to LCD and DLP, and on paper it certainly seems to have a lot going for it. A whopping 15000:1 contrast ratio immediately gets our attention, but it's the picture quality that really seals the deal. This is a very good projector indeed, and at this price there's nothing even close to it. Reviews:What Home Cinema , Home Cinema Choice , What Video

1 ProjectionDesign Action Model Three 1080 (DLP / £15,000 / 1080p / 7500:1)

The Model Three was in the vanguard of DLP's charge for Full HD glory, but what a superb effort it is. To charge £15K for a projector you need to get virtually everything right, but happily, ProjectionDesign has done just that. It's big and bulky, and requires an external box for all the processing wizardry that's going on, but the results are outstanding. If you can afford it, it's the best projector out there right now. Review:Home Cinema Choice