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Help me choose: Epson 8700 vs. BenQ W6000 vs. something else?

post #1 of 8
9/20/11 at 2:32pm
Thread Starter 
Hi all,

I'm on the market for my first projector, for movies and some HTPC use. I want a good picture for under ~$2,000 on a ~100" screen. My room has windows with opaque curtains and white walls, and I'm throwing from ~11'. I don't see rainbows.

I've narrowed my choices down to the two mentioned in the title. Alas, my ceiling isn't high enough for the Mits HC4000. Are there others I should consider (esp. since I have 1-2 months to decide)? If not, which one should I pick?

I live in the UK, FYI, so I'm going by prices on eBay.

Thanks!
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post #2 of 8
9/20/11 at 3:18pm
If you want 3D, consider the Optoma hd33, but for (2d), the other (2) projectors you noted probably produce a better image (but I've never compared them).

Check out the reviews @ www.projectorreviews.com for the Optoma hd33 and compare them to his other reviews.

One thing I would note is that the Benq is the noisier of the bunch, and the Epson has the best black levels by a good margin. Personally if MAINLY for movies, then I'd probably go with the Epson 8700ub out of the bunch or even pay a little more for the JVC-HD 250 (AVS still has a few, but not many left).

But if you want 3D, then look at the Optoma hd33 or even wait for the Epson 3010 (but won't have as good blacks and no lens shift). The Optoma hd33 has a 7.8% offset of the diagonal size, which is right at half the offset of the Mits hc4000 which would not work in your room...

The Optoma and Benq w6000 are both VERY bright so they work on larger screens better than the others mentioned.
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post #3 of 8
9/20/11 at 3:43pm
For the price i would go for the Mits 6800 over both
the fact that it has a Motorized lens shift and zoom is a huge deal..
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post #4 of 8
9/20/11 at 4:43pm
The one knock against the 6800 is it used the older organic panels and the contrast is a bit lower than some of the aforementioned, but if you need motorized controls, then it's an option, but then again so is the Panny 4000.
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post #5 of 8
9/20/11 at 4:48pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by coderguy View Post

The one knock against the 6800 is it used the older organic panels and the contrast is a bit lower than some of the aforementioned, but if you need motorized controls, then it's an option, but then again so is the Panny 4000.

A bit lower? Bro that projector probably doesn't match the Epson 8350 in contrast..lol. We're talking grayish washed out mixed to dark scenes.
But hey...then he can buy a BD screen to make him think it is better than it really is.
Why anyone would choose motorized zoom over image quality bewilders me to no end?
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post #6 of 8
9/20/11 at 4:56pm
I was trying to go easy...
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post #7 of 8
9/24/11 at 5:04am
Thread Starter 
Thanks all. 3D isn't particularly important to me (certainly not at the expense of the 2D image), so I don't think I'll consider the Optoma HD33. I might wait and see how the 3010 turns out though

As I understand from your comments:
BenQ: Brighter, sharper, noisier
Epson: Better blacks, not as sharp, quieter

From reading the Epson reviews on coderguy's cheat sheet (which is an amazing resource, btw), I'm a little concerned about the point about maintenance, and that I'd have to send the unit in for warranty to get rid of dust blobs. If I buy the projector from a US seller on eBay, this might not be practical
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post #8 of 8
9/24/11 at 8:27pm
Their customer service is good, not too many people had dust blobs on the Epson's. That is really only a big concern if you are trying to keep the projector for years and years after it is out of warranty, but it's not a deal-breaker either way.
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