The CL-710 houses the chip in a square black box. My apologies to Runco’s industrial designer, but the projector’s only distinguishing features are a silver thermos-like tube down the middle, which houses the lens, and the aforementioned blue logo light. The latter seems better suited for a tricked-out hip-hop star’s SUV. Fortunately, you can turn the light off. The projector is also available in a long- throw version (CL-710LT, $10,995) designed to sit farther from the screen. You could hide the LT version in a space behind the room’s back wall. Otherwise, cables can be routed through an open space on the bottom of the projector so that mid-ceiling or coffee-table installations appear clean and simple. A trapdoor on the back of the unit provides finger access to the input connections. An angled power cord is about the only thing that would make physical installation any easier.

Editor Mike Wood agrees that the cool blue logo light is attractive, but finds the proliferation of such lighting on A/V products rather gratuitous. Fortunately, you can turn the light off from the user menu and just enjoy the show.