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Looking for a Good Sub $1000 Projector and a Budget Screen

674 views 10 replies 6 participants last post by  bgeery 
#1 ·
Hey AVS!
Have been looking to get into projectors for quite sometime now. After completing a 7.1 budget system that took me years to complete, I'm finally happy with the audio side of things haha. Now onto the projector side of things. I've had a 42" Insignia TV for a couple years now in the living room, and I think it's time for an upgrade. After a couple months of lurking on these forums and researching, I'm pretty confident to go with an Epson 2040 as a projector from Amazon for $700 plus tax. I've also looked at several BenQ, Sony and Epson projectors and the Epson 2040 stuck out for me. Anyone have any recommendations that beat the Epson 2040, specs wise under a grand?

I must also say that measuring my room a 120" screen will be the perfect fit. After researching screens, I heard recommendations about getting a grey screen material to increase contrast and reduce ambient light, which ambient light is a little bit of an issue in the living room however I do have curtains so it isn't too much of a problem. Some screens that I saw were Seymour, Elite Screens, Severston and Screen Innovations. Which company should I purchase from to get a quality / budget-friendly screen? Ideally I'd like to stick with a screen around or below $500. I thought about going the DIY route however I'm busy with school and work so that really isn't an option.

Thank you in advance everyone! :)
 
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#2 ·
Silver Ticket screen from Amazon is what you want. Very good bang for the buck.

Entry-level DLP will give you more contrast than the Epson 2040 but the Epson has other advantages like inexpensive bulbs and no RBE. I own and like my 2040 (but it's not my main projector).
 
#3 ·
Found a Silver Ticket on amazon that people reviewed quite highly, I'll keep that one in mind. How do you like the 2040, does it serve well with contrast and black levels? Originally I was looking at the BenQ 2050, however it's contrast level was 15,000:1 compared to the Epson 2040 at 35,000:1?
 
#4 ·
I wouldnt describe either of those ratios as accurate.

IMO the 2040 is best used in an untreated room with some ambient light. It was born for that. In a dark room with dark walls the blacks will look gray.

An entry level DLP will have better contrast but they can't compete with the next step up at around $2k (Epson 5030 or Sony 40ES).

It seems wrong to say that the 2040 ONLY sucks at contrast when it's such an important part of picture quality but it is otherwise a very well rounded projector IMO with some features (like motion enhancement... If you're into that.. and their electronic 'sharpening') that you don't normally see at this price point.

The 2040 has an effective low lag mode for gaming, good natural sharpness, is relatively quiet on Eco mode and the internal speaker is okay for very infrequent use. It's also reasonably accurate out of the box as long as you don't use the max brightness modes that push green. One downside is placement. It's best for table top use since it lacks lens shift or any real offset (meaning the projector must be 'within' the image). It also might as well have no zoom for as much good as it provides.
 
#10 ·
I'm very happy with my BenQ2050. For around $800 I think it's the best value in the sub $1k range if picture quality is your primary concern. Spending less will get you less and IMO the BenQ is about as low as you would want to go for a semi-serious HT build. Personally, I wouldn't spend anymore either at least not unless you have significantly more to spend. At $2k you can get into a Sony 40ES or Epson 5030Ub which both have significantly better contrast/black levels. Contrast and black levels are the achilles heel of all low priced projectors and unfortunately there isn't anything in the $1000-$2000 range that will do better than the BenQ 2050 in that department.


So, for me at least, the BenQ 2050 hits a particular sweet spot in the market. It's cheap enough to compete with the truly entry level projectors while still offering up a picture that is tough to beat unless you spend significantly more for one of the aforementioned Sony/Epson models.


The Epson 2040 is enticing for it's price, warranty and potentially lower running costs with it's $79 lamps but it has even worse contrast/black level performance than competing DLPs, no lens shift which limits placement flexibility and it's an LCD meaning much worse motion performance unless you engage the dreaded 'soap opera' effect. It would be important to mention here that I don't see rainbows: a visual artifact that can make DLPs unwatchable for many. If you suffer from this then this is essentially the end of the discussion concerning your DLP options but don't assume you will see rainbows as I'm a picky viewer and an avid gamer that can pick out a variety of picture flaws and I can't see them unless I press my nose to the screen. Ironically, I am susceptible to motion blur and smear which I suspect is a result of years of being spoiled with plasma displays (I'm one of those people that could never get comfortable with LCD picture quality despite all it's supposed advantages). Beyond picture quality is the wonky placement requirements of the Epson. If it works for you in your room then it's a feature if not it's an annoyance.
 
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