I need some expert advice.... I'm in the market for a new projector and have decided to shell out for a 1080p. After many hours on this and other similar sites I've narrowed my search based on price and features to the following models (which many others have too):
- BenQ W5000
- Epson 1080UB
- Optoma HD806
- Mitsubishi HC5500
I've read many good things about each of these projectors, but curiously not nearly enough bad things to make this decision easier. A local dealer who sells Optoma and Mits scoffed when I told him the BenQ was on my short list... he assures me they are junk. That said, the BenQ is my cheapest alternative @ just over 2K Cnd...and the Optoma is the most expensive @ 2.7K Cnd. Can anyone offer up some candid opinions on the realiabilty of these projectors; one biased opinion is not enough for me! Thanks in advance for your help.
Well I was in similar situation and went with the w5000. Looked at the optoma 803, contrast and blacks were not as good.
I disagree I would not go with an optoma and Im guessing many would agree it will be plauged with issues. The benq had issues but they have all been fixed, optoma does not seem dedicated to fixing there issues.
W5000 is bright super sharp two things very important to me.
So is the optoma but if its anything like the previous models it wont match black level.
I watched kill bill the other day which really showed off the projector on blue ray, great colors, lots of pop thanks to the dynamic iris, and good blacks in the final scene and extremely sharp. Shadow detail is also among the best on these machines.
The 806 and benq sound very similar, bright, sharp, lots of 3d pop seem to be the similar strong points, the benq has a manual and dynamic iris, I believe the optoma does but they have had poor iris implementation in the past, but optoma if its anything like previous projectors will have other problems and optoma has been a nightmare for some. The benq did but they finally ironed them out now with firmware fixes which came quickly. The w5000 also allows for perfect color calibration now with cca and cms. I doubt the 806 can.
The epson is also very good, but a different animal, better blacks for sure, not as sharp or bright calibrated.
I think the 5500 is a good projector I only seen it for a short period, but according to art at projector reviews it wont match the benq.
I don't own any of those, but bought a BENQ 6200 in early 2004. It has worked flawlessly for me ever since. Like you, I am looking for a new projector. Here is my short list (at least right now):
Epson 1080
Epson 6100
Sanyo Z700
These range in price from $1600 to $2000 US. I think I will wait to see how the sales look on black Friday, and then pull the trigger. By the way, I looked on the Costco website, and I did not see the BenQ you mentioned. Is it only available in stores?
Quote:
Originally Posted by leonp /forum/post/15062229
I don't own any of those, but bought a BENQ 6200 in early 2004. It has worked flawlessly for me ever since. Like you, I am looking for a new projector. Here is my short list (at least right now):
Epson 1080
Epson 6100
Sanyo Z700
These range in price from $1600 to $2000 US. I think I will wait to see how the sales look on black Friday, and then pull the trigger. By the way, I looked on the Costco website, and I did not see the BenQ you mentioned. Is it only available in stores?
Having owned the Epson 720. Their customer service is great, but if your original unit has a problem, they will send you a refurbished unit and those are far from perfect. I had to exchange my unit 4 times. And each unit had an issue. This will stop me from ever buying another LCD projector or one from Epson again. The polarizers, and the convergence is a big issue with Epson projectors.
Stick with DLP. No polarizers and certainly no convergence. A white screen actually looks white, not tinted with green and red.
Forgot about the polarizer problems, I said ok to the Epson but eightninesuited is right the DLP will look cleaner / sharper plus the ansi contrast will be more than double. If you're not sure what's great about ansi CR, it's the ability to show bright white and dark black at the same time with a much larger spread. It creates a more 3D pop to the image.
Thanks everyone for taking the time to comment! It looks like the field has narrowed to the Epson and the BenQ. Both have really good deals...the BenQ here:
BTW, sick setup! I'm in Edmonton as well, and have been looking mainly @ Audio 5.1. All the big box stores are getting out of projectors and Costco only had one sad projector setup in the corner hidden from view.
Quote:
Originally Posted by kwr1979 /forum/post/15065199
Hey PioManiac,
BTW, sick setup! I'm in Edmonton as well, and have been looking mainly @ Audio 5.1. All the big box stores are getting out of projectors and Costco only had one sad projector setup in the corner hidden from view.
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