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Recommendation for projector under 1000$

573 views 17 replies 8 participants last post by  Dave in Green 
#1 ·
Hello

Im interested on buying a cinema projector to my living room

the budget is up to 1000$

i have a watching distance of 12.5 ft and it will project on a screen and i will only watch at the evening in a very dark room with no lights on.

my question is which projector has the best picture in my price range? meaning good sharpness and contrast black levels etc...

i saw few projectors which looks fade a lil with no good black levels and contrast so I'm lil bit worried. i have to mention that i do have a tv for day watch.

ill appreciate if you guys recommend some models that you think are best for my budget

Thanks a lot
 
#6 ·
The BenQ's are great. DLP in general would have better contrast than 3LCD.
 
#9 ·
Funny, I was just going to post this same question.

A friend of mine just asked me, since I'm into home theater and projectors, for a recommendation for a projector under $1000. He said it would be primarily for presentations but would like it to be good for the occasional movie or sports.

I have a JVC RS600 and am familiar with options in that range, but I don't know anything about projectors in this price range, so I don't even know where to start researching.

Anyone have additional suggestions besides the Benq HT2050 and Epson 3500? Or is it agreed that these would be the best two to look at in this range?

Also, how is the rainbow effect on the Benq? I used to notice it on an old Sharp my brother had over 10 years ago. I believe I've read that the RBE is less noticeable on modern DLPs (for those who are sensitive to it). What is the general feeling about RBE on this DLP?

Appreciate any feedback.
 
#11 ·
The Epson 3500 has some added features that the BenQ HT2050 doesn't have, such as a larger lens zoom range and substantial vertical and horizontal lens shift. Also the 3500 produces more lumens and is considered more of a bright room projector while the HT2050 is more of a dark home theater model that can also work in modest ambient light. If you need the options the 3500 offers then it's worth the extra money. If you don't the HT2050 is generally acknowledged to be about the best all-around performer for less than $1,000.
 
#13 ·
It helps when you watch 3D since the glasses would be locking half the light.
 
#17 ·
The 2050 and 3050 are identical projectors. The 3050 has the best hand picked parts and is better calibrated out of the box. Other posters that have seen them side by side say there is very little difference between them.
 
#18 ·
The HT3050 is calibrated to Rec 709 on the BenQ assembly line and the HT2050 is not. Users have found that they can tweak the HT2050 to the point that it's so close to the HT3050 that most would not spot the difference.

The BenQ models only have a few inches of vertical lens shift, so they're not like more expensive models with significant vertical and horizontal lens shift that allow much greater flexibility in the orientation of the projector with the screen. But even a little vertical lens shift can be useful for fine-tuning the height of the image on the screen if after the projector and screen are mounted the image is a few inches off from being square.

An alternative to lens shift is to have a fully adjustable mount that allows the projector to be moved at least a few inches in all directions to square the image with the screen. Otherwise the projector and screen need to be mounted in exactly the correct orientation to get the image squared on the screen.
 
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