I am in the market for a new projector, I currently own an Epson Powerlite 550 and I have to say i'm just not happy with it at all. For starters in anything but HT dark modes it's extremely loud; too loud for me to enjoy a movie.

Second, I notice when watching standard DVD that it's very dim. The added colors of HD when watching my blue-ray discs still makes HD movies impressive (even though the projector is 720p). I am not sure if it's my screen or a new projector will help. I was shown a demo of a stewart screen and while it was much better I wasn't blown away by the difference. Again, my regular DVD's are very washed out and dull. When I watch the same DVD's on my 50" 720p samsung plasma in the living room everything is vibrant.

The Epson Powerlite 550 was released late 2005 so it's an older projector with 3000:1 contrast ratio. I was looking at upgrading to an Mitsu HC6000, even though it's rated at 400 lumens less than the Epson I can't help but think it will still be brighter due to me being able to watch it in a higher lumen mode due to how quiet it is so I am expecting a brighter image.

As for color sharpness in standard def I am hoping the electronics and overall quality will be better and match better with the output I am used to on my lower end 50" plasma.

Am I setting myself up for a disappointment or should I expect a major improvement going from an older Epson 550 to the newer HC6000?

Enlighten me!

I would image that the MC would have a much better picture than the Epson. I wouldnt be that concerned about the lumens difference although you never mentioned how big your sceen is so that could be a major factor why the Epson is dim. I havent seen the Mits HC6000, but its supposed to be an improvement over the 5000 which I really liked

Why did you decide on the HC6000? There are tons more that are close to the lumen output or more.

Sony VPL-VW40
Epson 1080UB
JVC RS1x

All of those will put your Epson 550 to shame. My vote would be for the VW40 and with the money you save, invest in some new equipment. Like a new screen which would give you the brightness you need. Whether it be a tad smaller or not my personal choice, more gain.

I personally got myself a new CRT projector that was given to me. Free is good, and I hope it'll last me until digitals are to my standards. But the ones I listed should make you very happy for years to come.

What advantages does vw40 have over hc6000?

take a look at the Optoma HD81-LV i think it mite work for you.
Brightness: 2500 lumens
Contrast: 10,000:1

take a look at the Optoma HD81-LV i think it mite work for you.
Brightness: 2500 lumens
Contrast: 10,000:1

I would not recommend this projector to anyone due to quality control issues that have been longstanding for quite sometime. Another reason I would not recommend this projector is if someone is looking for a projector which has lens shift of which this pj does not. Anyone looking at this projector should visit the HD81 thread that was created a long time ago to discuss this projector and its many issues. One AVS member (MRHIFI) has had 3 or 4 replacements and is still not happy from what I remember reading last, I can tell you based on his nightmare with this projector he would not recommend it.

Why did you decide on the HC6000? There are tons more that are close to the lumen output or more.

Sony VPL-VW40
Epson 1080UB
JVC RS1x

All of those will put your Epson 550 to shame. My vote would be for the VW40 and with the money you save, invest in some new equipment. Like a new screen which would give you the brightness you need. Whether it be a tad smaller or not my personal choice, more gain.

I personally got myself a new CRT projector that was given to me. Free is good, and I hope it'll last me until digitals are to my standards. But the ones I listed should make you very happy for years to come.

The Sony is just too big, the HC6000 fits in my existing location. The HC6000 is reviewed as one of the quietest projectors out there. I simply cannot handle the fan noise, it drives me insane. I don't watch movies with big silly explosions; I don't want to hear my loud fans during a nice dialog scene. That rules out the Epson, I HATE my current Epson projector. I wont even sell it because I want to smash it into many small pieces just for the satisfaction of it. I have not done much research on the JVC.


My screen size is 120" the projector sites 18 feet back. I sit about 9-10 feet away and couldn't fathom going any smaller on the screen. :)

The room is light controlled, black walls/ceiling.

I am pretty sold on the HC6000, also the Opt that was mentioned earlier has no lense shift. This is a must, my projector is in a fixed location and no lense shift = no work. I don't want some giant thing hanging from my ceiling. Screw that

I think is poorly described my projector as dim..I meant dull. The projector colors in standard def and extremely dull and the image is just poor.

I have the hc6000, I love the picture it produces. The black level is stellar, any pj with which you can do hand puppets wouldnt be a huge step up from hc6000 in black level. The sharpness of the picture is great and makes it look very 3d. The only thing someone could be dissatisfied with is the lumen output. I have 133" high power screen and a 100 hour lamp, I watch movies in full brightness (standart) mode and it's just about bright enough. Many other projectors would be too bright in full lamp on HP, and I think my hc6000 would look dim on a 1.0 gain screen at 133".

What screen do you have? Don't discount the importance of a good screen. I tell my clients that a screen is the cornerstone of a good theater room. Projectors will come and go, but a good Stewart Filmsreen could last a lifetime. It's important to match the right screen to your projector and viewing room.

might as well get the newly released 5500--specs are quite similar to the 6000 (same chip, iris, reon processor) but much less money. The replacement for tht 6000 should be out in a couple of months.

I agree. If the Mitsu is what you settled on, go with the newer 5500 (starting to come out now).

I would warn the original poster against a dim projector like the Mits HC for a 120" screen without going to a high gain screen. The reason I would warn you is because you want something a little more vibrant like your plasma (note, a projector will never be as bright and vibrant as a 50" plasma) and when the Mits dims down to 200 lumens it will be very dual without any pop. I have a 120" screen and have already gone through this with dim projectors.

I am not sure your budget but I would lean to a DLP like maybe one of the BenQ 5000 or 20000 if it is in your budget. I know these are larger projectors but sometime you have to make adjustments to accommodate the results we want. The Benqs are also said to be pretty quiet.

You may also consider using a hush box with brighter projectors like the Infocus IN8x series. I have an IN83 and on a 120" screen it has lots of pop, very vibrant, sharp, and would give you an image closer to the look of your plasma.

I HATE my current Epson projector. I wont even sell it because I want to smash it into many small pieces just for the satisfaction of it.
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What more justification for an upgrade do you need?:eek: