Hi All,

I am a complete n00b to Front Projection, however, my wife and I just bought a house which has enough rooms to be able to dedicate one to a home theater.

I've been looking for a while now and was a fan of the Epson 1080 UB although now it seems that something like the Panny AE3000 has surpassed it. However, an opportunity has come along to purchase a Pioneer PRO-FPJ1 for what seems to be a significant discount. I believe forum rules prevent me from posting prices, so I won't go into details.

Unfortunately, I'm not much of an expert so beyond some basic stats, I'm useless in being able to determine which is the better projector on paper. I did see the Pioneer and thought it looked amazing. Never seen the Panny, will have to see if I can find somewhere that can demo it for me.

I hate asking this question now as I would prefer to understand a lot more about the technology to avoid having to ask such a broad question. However, the deal on the Pioneer is time limited, so I thought I'd throw myself at the mercy of the AV gurus and see what the concensus is on these projectors. I have read numerous threads but still find myself unsure of which way to leap.

I should mention the room is about 12' deep and the light control will eventually be excellent as it's a dedicated room.

So I realize this is somewhat subjective, but what do you guys think? Panny? Or is the Pioneer worth shelling out a bit extra for?

Thanks.

Others will likely comment, but I believe the Pioneer is a rebadged JVS RS2. So, depending on the price of the Pioneer and your balancing of performance compared to the AE3000, the Pioneer might be a very compelling deal.

I'm sure many would agree the Pioneer (RS2) PQ is superior to the AE3000, and a better choice unless you require any of the AE3000 features.

You might enjoy reading thru some JVC RS2/HD100 threads to get an education on the Pioneer FPj1 KURO.

Welcome to AVS and happy shopping

RJ
....

Go for the Pioneer.

Go for the Pioneer and a few other questions for you is LxWxH of the room and also what size screen do u have in mind. Pioneer is superior to the 3000U.

Go for the Pioneer... I own one and it's fantastic... I also own a Sanyo Z2000 and I've seen the Epson 1080UB in action, both of which should perform very similar to an AE3000. And, neither of the two pj's I just mentioned can get a sniff of the Pioneer in the performance category. Unless you need the extra features on the AE3000, take the Pioneer...;)

Go for the Pioneer and a few other questions for you is LxWxH of the room and also what size screen do u have in mind. Pioneer is superior to the 3000U.

The room dimensions are:

12’-1” x 14’-5" x 9'

I would prefer to use the 12'-1" dimension as then we wouldn't need to mount a screen across a window or buy a retractable screen. However, I will consider the 14'-5" dimension if it will result in a better image. I have attached a basic floor plan of the room (yes, it was originally meant to be a dinning room).

124513

The walls and ceiling are painted a dark brown, the decor will be dark colors and although there are windows they will be shuttered and covered with heavy curtains, so I think it should be quite dark.

I have been hoping for a screen size of 92" - 100". Much below that and I would start thinking about an LCD or Plasma.

My initial calculations on projectorcentral.com worried me as the screen size with a 10' throw distance to leave room for the projector and some clearance (maybe not enough) came out to a very small screen (may as well buy a Plasma/LCD). However, when I played with the zoom I found I could reach the screen sizes I want but only if I push it out to he max. I've searched AVS and it seems like people aren't too concerned with being close to the max zoom range on the RS2, although I am no where near knowledgeable enough to know what are the drawbacks of doing so.

I will keep researching but any advice people can give would be appreciated.

Thanks.