Chris, To try to answer your questions: 1) I love my TX100. My only regret is that I didn't wait a few months for the price to drop even further. You are getting the best bang for your buck with this model (especially through Eastporters). The only issue worth noting is that the horizontal lens shift did not provide as much flexiblity to position the projector as far from the center of the room as I would have liked (although the vertical lens shift is more than adequate). But if you have the option to place the unit close to the center of the room then this is a non-issue. 2) I purchased the TX100 from Eastporters last December. I was a little weary dealing with this unknown online company, so I decided to put down a small downpayment and pick it up myself since I am only a 30 minute drive away. These guys basically purchase through PriceJapan and resell the merchandise here at much lower retail prices than what you can get at any big box store. The advantage of going through Eastporters (as opposed to buying through PriceJapan yourself) is that they give you a fixed price so that you don't have to deal with a fluctuating exchange rate, duty, customs, etc. When I bought last year, they were basically running this business out of their dorm room, so I would question the longevity of this business and investment into their new warranty program. Although, I have got to say it looks like the demand for their service has picked up quite a bit so perhaps Eastporters could be around for a while. The projector itself is a Japanese model so unfortunately the default language is also Japanese. Therefore the only extremely small problem I had was finding the right on screen menu option to change everything to English. Once you do that you're in business. I've been happy ever since. Hope that helps.

I'm pretty close to replacing my 56" Zenith with a front projector. I'm leaning towards the Hitachi PJTX100 from Eastporters in Canada, since the price is so good ($1825 all incl.) I'll opt for the extended warranty & shipping. I'll primarily be using it for dvds and satellite. I'll also use a chipped xbox to play xvids at 720p over component cables. Eventually I'll upgrade the satellite to HD, so I don't want to limit myself with an ED projector. My basement's about 15'x25' with 2 small windows to one side. A totally dark room is easy. I have 4 pot lights with individual dimmers for each, although after seeing my friend's home theatre, I'm thinking of re-wiring. I haven't finished the ceiling which is 8' high. I've just got a couple of questions. 1)Any opinions on the TX100? It got a good review in Sound and Vision, a very good rating at CNET & great reviews from 49 users on this site. 2)Has anyone had the nerve to deal with Eastporters? I'm sure nothing wrong with them & the warranty & shipping to Japan options are nice, but there's just something about grey market goods. 3)Sound and Vision thought the TX100 had a sharper picture than the Panny AE700. Any thoughts about this & a comparison to the Sanyo Z3? Thanks for any help. Chris