I am thinking about upgrading from a DWIN TV3. It not 1080p and the projector noise is too loud. I will be projecting onto a Da-Lite 106" screen in a dark setting with no light issues. Not sure about throw yet, but we are custom building a theater so should be flexible.

From quick research, I am considering the JVC RS1 and the Sony Pearl. Both would seem to be nice upgrades for about half the price I paid for the older projector.

Can some of you experts help me on the pros/cons of these two? Or am I stupid not to consider another one in the price range? Thanks.

I think those two should be at the top of your list to look at.

To understand the pros and cons is easy with a search. There are tons of threads about these.

the basics are the RS1 delivers 15000:1 without the use of a changing iris (modulating light level) the Sony can achieve it with one.

David-

Forget the VW-50 at this point. The VW-60 is SIGNIFICANTLY better, and not much more. RS-1...do the research.

I think those two should be at the top of your list to look at.

To understand the pros and cons is easy with a search. There are tons of threads about these.

the basics are the RS1 delivers 15000:1 without the use of a changing iris (modulating light level) the Sony can achieve it with one.

I have spent too much time reading all the opinions already...my "ask" is to hopefully get a few opinions about which of the issues are really relevent to the decision between the two. May not be fair but its not driven by laziness...rather from a non-technical person being overwhelmed. Thanks.

Hey David, let me give you perhaps the most basic rule of thumb between these two. The RS1 has better contrast in general and it is brighter. If you have ambient light issues or want a slightly bigger screen, then you might want the RS1. The Sony has very good contrast but is not as bright. It does hold the advantage of calibrating almost perfectly to ISF standards as the RS1 has over-saturated colors which can be helped but not completely fixed through calibration. If perfect color fidelity is an issue for you then you might want the VW60 (Black Pearl). The VW60 also has anamorphic Squeeze built in so you don't need an off-board scaler should you ever want to go constant height.

They are both very good projectors for price point. Another one to consider is the IN82 from Infocus.

There are, of course, other projectors you might want to consider if you want to go higher in budget such as the Marantz VP15S1, single chip DLP, Sharp 20000, again DLP, or with an even bigger budget, the Sim2 line.

Essentially the two you picked would be a good compliment for your theater.

Tell us a little more about the room it's going in, your screen size, other things like that. All those factor into getting the projector that is right for you.

Richard

I have not had an in-home viewing of the RS1 so I can not compare anything to it. I recently went from a VW50 to a Panasonic AE2000u. Now I have the VW60 to compare. If you are on a budget, you can't go wrong with the excellent color and overall performance of the Panny. It is better than the VW50 with respect to sharpness, punch, and color (Color 1 and Cinema 1). The VW60 has better blacks than the Panasonic while being brighter when optimized. Normal (as opposed to wide) comes close to the Panasonic's excellent color though a bit undersaturated. The VW60 is a bit sharper and more refined. It has more three dimensionality to it. That being said, I'd love to demo the RS2. Based upon a few sources, it appears that it may perform better than most were expecting. What a great time to buy a projector!!!

If you are considering the Pearl, then the VW60 or VW40 will likely be a better choice. Supposedly the VW40 will be the same as the VW60, just without the anamorphic stretch scaling mode. If you have no intention of doing a CIH setup, or plan on an external scaler, the VW40 would be a cheaper choice.

...The VW60 has better blacks than the Panasonic while being brighter when optimized. Normal (as opposed to wide) comes close to the Panasonic's excellent color though a bit undersaturated. The VW60 is a bit sharper and more refined. It has more three dimensionality to it...Did you have to use the convergence control on the Black Pearl?

Looking forward to your full comparison report hopefully in the VW60 vs. Panny 2000 thread here: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=936968&page=6 :D

Did you have to use the convergence control on the Black Pearl?

No. Convergence is excellent as was the Panasonic's. Every VW50 I've owned or viewed had misconvergence. They needed the alignment feature. This one does not. It would be a plus to have the convergence adjustment of the Diamond though. VW70?

My preliminary review: :)

The VW60's convergence is a huge step up in terms of sharpness and crispness of image over the VW50. They got that part right. Forgot to add that in my post before.

Richard

Hey David, let me give you perhaps the most basic rule of thumb between these two. The RS1 has better contrast in general and it is brighter. If you have ambient light issues or want a slightly bigger screen, then you might want the RS1. The Sony has very good contrast but is not as bright. It does hold the advantage of calibrating almost perfectly to ISF standards as the RS1 has over-saturated colors which can be helped but not completely fixed through calibration. If perfect color fidelity is an issue for you then you might want the VW60 (Black Pearl). The VW60 also has anamorphic Squeeze built in so you don't need an off-board scaler should you ever want to go constant height.

They are both very good projectors for price point. Another one to consider is the IN82 from Infocus.

There are, of course, other projectors you might want to consider if you want to go higher in budget such as the Marantz VP15S1, single chip DLP, Sharp 20000, again DLP, or with an even bigger budget, the Sim2 line.

Essentially the two you picked would be a good compliment for your theater.

Tell us a little more about the room it's going in, your screen size, other things like that. All those factor into getting the projector that is right for you.

Richard

Screen is 106" Da-Lite. Good Light control in dedicated basement room. So not much need for extra lumens. Mostly watch sports and network TV (720p) with some HD or Blu-Ray DVDs.

Will be installed professionally. Am not considering a scaler. Fan noise is a factor, but both of these seem to be quiet.

Does this lead me to one unit or the other?

David

Have had both the Pearl and RS1. The Pearl is not as bright nor crisp. It's not worth it IMHO to consider it at this point in time. The RS1 has great dynamic range and awesome inky blacks that more expensive models can't duplicate.

Sony's Black Pearl has gotten good reviews too. You should consider all those factors important to you and then pull the trigger.

There's too much to gain with either the new Sony or the JVC. Great viewing!

Let's see, Mayweather-Hatton tonight in HD. It will be awesome on the JVC.

My crisp comment was in regards to the Black Pearl. It's a step up from the Pearl.

Richard