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Best Projector under $1500

post #1 of 47
10/28/11 at 8:53pm
Thread Starter 
Hello,

I'm new to projectors and trying to figure out the best one out there under $1500. It'll be going in my basement (see picture below) and there's not a ton of ambient light. Although I prefer not to have a projector which I would have to always keep the lights off, since I would also use it for watching tv, sporting events, etc in addition to movies.

I've been doing some research - looks like the Epson 8350, Mitsubishi HC4000, and the Optoma HD20 are some of the most popular ones. Not sure if any new models came out recently - seems like these have been out for awhile. Also saw the Epson 3010 - not sure if the picture on that is alot superior to the 8350, or it just adds 3D.

I'm really looking for a 1080p projector which has the best overall picture. Don't really care whether or not is has 3D. My room layout is pretty easy, so I don't suspect I need the advance lens shifting that the LCD projectors have - although it's a nice to have.

I appreciate all your suggestions!

My Future Home Theater Room:


Thanks!
Dan
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post #2 of 47
10/28/11 at 9:42pm
I would look into the BenQ W6000. Solid blacks, lens shift, DLP pop, very bright. Hard to beat for the $1499 I am seeing from trusted retailers.

If PQ is essential, I would also recommend painting your walls and ceiling a darker color.
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post #3 of 47
10/29/11 at 11:08am
Those are all good choices of course we just got the 8350 and love it to death. We had the Sanyo z4 before and paid 1800 for that about five years ago so I'm amazed at how far pj's have come in five years. We paid close to 1k for the 8350 and it blows the z4 out of the water.
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post #4 of 47
10/29/11 at 12:12pm
I was looking at that w6000 as well. Right now I am between that, in the $1450 range or the Mitsubishi 4000 at $1050, so about $400 difference. I have a small room, good light control but would occasionally like to use it durning the day for a football game, and a neutral white 92" screen. I really don't know if I need lens shift or not. It will be ceiling mounted.
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post #5 of 47
10/29/11 at 12:20pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by ack_bk View Post

I would look into the BenQ W6000. Solid blacks, lens shift, DLP pop, very bright. Hard to beat for the $1499 I am seeing from trusted retailers.

If PQ is essential, I would also recommend painting your walls and ceiling a darker color.

Definitely looks like a nice protector. Have you compared it to any of the other projectors? Curious how much better it is compared to the Epson 8350 or Mits 4000, which are few hundred cheaper.

I was thinking of painting the back wall a dark color (where the screen is getting projected). Also thinking of painting a screen on the wall instead of having a separate screen. Anyone have any experience with that, and recommendations on paint?
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post #6 of 47
10/29/11 at 12:23pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by frogpond1 View Post

Those are all good choices of course we just got the 8350 and love it to death. We had the Sanyo z4 before and paid 1800 for that about five years ago so I'm amazed at how far pj's have come in five years. We paid close to 1k for the 8350 and it blows the z4 out of the water.

The 8350 is definitely one of my top choices based on the reviews and current price. How does it look in different situations, such as dim movie watching vs well lit sporting events, etc?
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post #7 of 47
10/29/11 at 12:24pm
There are two options I would recommend for the screen. There is Screen Goo which comes is different shades of gray depending on your projector model. This will run a couple hundred bucks for a 100-120" screen I believe. The results with Screen Goo are pretty impressive in my opinion. For a cheaper option, Projector Central has had good results with Sherwin Williams Proclassic Satin in the stock Extra White color. This runs about $22 a quarter.
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post #8 of 47
10/29/11 at 12:32pm
We watch everything from HD tv, HD sports, to Blu-Ray movies and PS3 games. I have seen the Mits in action but that was in a retail setting and not ideal. Looked nice but at the time we weren't shopping for a new pj and the price was higher than it is now. So for comparisons we have our old z4 and our friends old Sony. The 8350 pumps a lot of light even in Natural mode which is what we use. Natural mode is still much, much brighter than our old z4 even with some lights on. I have used Dynamic for video game presentations with little light control in our store and people are blown away by it. I think in the three weeks we have had it I have sold three for Epson...gee I should get a cut
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post #9 of 47
10/29/11 at 12:37pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by dapriett View Post


Definitely looks like a nice protector. Have you compared it to any of the other projectors? Curious how much better it is compared to the Epson 8350 or Mits 4000, which are few hundred cheaper.

I was thinking of painting the back wall a dark color (where the screen is getting projected). Also thinking of painting a screen on the wall instead of having a separate screen. Anyone have any experience with that, and recommendations on paint?

I find it to be a step up from both the Mitsubishi and the 8350. I just bought an Epson 3010 (I want 3D). But for $1499 the BenQ would have been my top choice for a 2D projector. I have seen it in action and it puts out a great picture.
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post #10 of 47
10/29/11 at 12:46pm
+1 on the Benq W6000
I've seen it and the 8350 in action multiple times, under $1500 it is a tough one to beat for 2D only. It has better contrast and sharper than any of the other projectors mentioned including brighter! You're not going to do better at this price range for an all around unit IMO. not long ago this was a $2500 projector, it was never considered entry level.
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post #11 of 47
10/29/11 at 12:52pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Joesyah View Post

+1 on the Benq W6000
I've seen it and the 8350 in action multiple times, under $1500 it is a tough one to beat for 2D only. It has better contrast and sharper than any of the other projectors mentioned including brighter! You're not going to do better at this price range for an all around unit IMO.

How is the fan noise on the Benq W6000? Some of the reviews I've read said it can be loud - and it'll most likely be mounted above our seating area.
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post #12 of 47
10/29/11 at 12:57pm
That's one thing about the 8350 is we always thought the z4 was quiet but the 8350 fan noise is non existent.
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post #13 of 47
10/29/11 at 1:00pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by dapriett View Post

How is the fan noise on the Benq W6000? Some of the reviews I've read said it can be loud - and it'll most likely be mounted above our seating area.

Noise levels are subjective. What I find unobtrusive you may find bothersome.
With that said, I found it not to be a problem in my friends setup. He does have a very nice surround system. Watching movies it never bothered me. It has a slightly higher fan noise over the 8350. You have to take in to consideration the lamp wattage, which is 280 watts. The 8350 I believe is a 200 watt lamp projector. The 80 watts give you a substantially brighter best mode, nearly double that of the 8350.

Do you know what spl levels you normally watch movies or TV?

I also have a good friend with the 8350. It's not a bad projector by any means. But once you've lived with the image of the w6000, you'll instantly see what sets these two apart in IQ.
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post #14 of 47
10/29/11 at 1:22pm
One thing that is more apparent is watching HD and what source it's from. Football on CBS HD looks like crap compared to Fox. Right now we're watching a race on VS at Laguna Seca and it looks crystal clear. Of course it could be Comcast.
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post #15 of 47
10/29/11 at 1:33pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Joesyah View Post

Noise levels are subjective. What I find unobtrusive you may find bothersome.
With that said, I found it not to be a problem in my friends setup. He does have a very nice surround system. Watching movies it never bothered me. It has a slightly higher fan noise over the 8350. You have to take in to consideration the lamp wattage, which is 280 watts. The 8350 I believe is a 200 watt lamp projector. The 80 watts give you a substantially brighter best mode, nearly double that of the 8350.

Do you know what spl levels you normally watch movies or TV?

I also have a good friend with the 8350. It's not a bad projector by any means. But once you've lived with the image of the w6000, you'll instantly see what sets these two apart in IQ.

Actually found an iphone app to measure my current spl levels, while watching a college football game - was around 45 db. I have a surround sound system, plan on setting up the same in the basement.

Maybe what I need to do is order both the Benq & Epson so I can compare, then just return one of them.
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post #16 of 47
10/29/11 at 1:34pm
Don't want to hijack the thread, but would the w6000 be too bright on my
92" screen?
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post #17 of 47
10/29/11 at 1:35pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by frogpond1 View Post

Amazon goes through Electronics Expo and EE's price on the 8350 fluctuates on a week to week basis. We were going to go through amazon but with the Patriots game going to be on we weren't going to wait. Best Buy's price is 1300-1400 but EE has brick and morter stores so BB price matched it. At the time EE had it for 1055 which I'm sure it will go down to again.

Hmm, maybe I should check that out - thought they only matched local stores (looks like EE is in NJ).
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post #18 of 47
10/29/11 at 1:39pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by l.todd View Post

Don't want to hijack the thread, but would the w6000 be too bright on my
92" screen?

My buddy has a 106" screen and the image is fine. You can always lower the brightness and calibrate to match your screen. The lamps will dim over time. I would rather have more brightness than I need than not enough.
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post #19 of 47
10/29/11 at 1:43pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by dapriett View Post

Actually found an iphone app to measure my current spl levels, while watching a college football game - was around 45 db. I have a surround sound system, plan on setting up the same in the basement.

Maybe what I need to do is order both the Benq & Epson so I can compare, then just return one of them.

The W6000 at 3 feet above your head would be around 26 to 28db in low lamp mode.
So at 45 db I doubt it would be something that would take you out the game.
Most movie viewing is done at much higher levels.
My buddy's is mounted just above our heads as well, since his ceiling is only 8 feet.
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post #20 of 47
10/29/11 at 1:44pm
hows the lens shift on the 6000?
i am planing on a 120" screen but my ceiling is only 8'
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post #21 of 47
10/29/11 at 1:47pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by frogpond1 View Post

One thing that is more apparent is watching HD and what source it's from. Football on CBS HD looks like crap compared to Fox. Right now we're watching a race on VS at Laguna Seca and it looks crystal clear. Of course it could be Comcast.

I feel your pain with Comcast...

Quote:
Originally Posted by l.todd View Post

Don't want to hijack the thread, but would the w6000 be too bright on my
92" screen?

I'm looking at around a 120" screen, so I'm curious how both the W6000 and 8350 would look on that. Hopefully that's a good size for the room - wall is 13'6" (162 inches) wide, and the ceiling is 8'8" (104 inches) tall


http://pl.an/y9pq5v
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post #22 of 47
10/29/11 at 1:50pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by domingos1965 View Post

hows the lens shift on the 6000?
i am planing on a 120" screen but my ceiling is only 8'

On the 106" I mounted the lens of the projector at the top of the screen, 13 ft away. The W6000 has better lens shift than just about any DLP out there in the price range, most don't have it at all. lol

This is where the LCDs are much easier to mount. You can mount the 8350 within or above, below or to the side of the screen within reason and still get the image where you want it.

As long as you can get the w6000 far enough away in throw distance, you should be fine with the 120" screen.
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post #23 of 47
10/29/11 at 2:00pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by dapriett View Post

I feel your pain with Comcast...



I'm looking at around a 120" screen, so I'm curious how both the W6000 and 8350 would look on that. Hopefully that's a good size for the room - wall is 13'6" (162 inches) wide, and the ceiling is 8'8" (104 inches) tall


http://pl.an/y9pq5v

I've seen the 8350 on a 120 and 130" screen. You have to use it in one of the other than best mode settings to get what I call a bright, vibrant image if not in a bat cave.

The larger the image and the closer you are to the screen, the more you'll notice the pixel grid. The W6000 will have better motion and pixel fill by comparison. Colors and black levels are deeper in the bright scenes as well.
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post #24 of 47
10/29/11 at 2:13pm
No disrespect but I would challenge that statement. Our living room has curtains but we still get ambient light and it's set on Natural which is one of the lowest settings and it's bright and vibrant. Plus we can turn our lights on an still get a bright, vibrant picture. I also haven't seen the pixelization on a larger screen for presentations whether it's games, pc or other hd source.
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post #25 of 47
10/29/11 at 2:16pm
Unless your looking for 4000 lumens which it sounds like your used to which you aren't going to get for for under 2k.
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post #26 of 47
10/29/11 at 2:20pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Joesyah View Post

+1 on the Benq W6000
I've seen it and the 8350 in action multiple times, under $1500 it is a tough one to beat for 2D only. It has better contrast and sharper than any of the other projectors mentioned including brighter! You're not going to do better at this price range for an all around unit IMO. not long ago this was a $2500 projector, it was never considered entry level.

Exactly. For $1499, IMHO, this is going to give you the best picture of all the projectors mentioned in this thread. You would need to step up to the more expensive Epson 8700 IMHO to compare. And I am not a BenQ fanboy, I don't own this projector, but I have spent considerable time with it along with the Epson 8530 and 8700 and I preferred the BenQ. But at the time it was closer to $2000 when I was looking at it and the 8530 was a much better bargain.

The one thing I will say is I have heard BenQ customer service can be more difficult to work with if you have any issues and Epson customer service is top notch, even on their cheaper models.

OP, I would read Art's review of the W6000 at projectorreviews.com I thought his review was spot on and clearly he was reviewing this projector when it was selling for $2500, not $1500.
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post #27 of 47
10/29/11 at 2:23pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by frogpond1 View Post

Unless your looking for 4000 lumens which it sounds like your used to which you aren't going to get for for under 2k.

LOL, and you simply would not need 4K lumens. 2K+ lumens is alot for a non 3D projector. 3D is where you really want a projector that can crank out lumens due to losing about 70% or so of your brightness with the glasses on.
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post #28 of 47
10/29/11 at 2:24pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by frogpond1 View Post

No disrespect but I would challenge that statement. Our living room has curtains but we still get ambient light and it's set on Natural which is one of the lowest settings and it's bright and vibrant. Plus we can turn our lights on an still get a bright, vibrant picture. I also haven't seen the pixelization on a larger screen for presentations whether it's games, pc or other hd source.

No disrespect interpreted, natural mode is not best mode. I'm thinking more of cinema mode.The cinema mode looked too dark to me and the person that bought the unit. I found natural to work best on a 130" in a none dedicated room I installed an 8350 in. By comparison the unit installed in a bat cave on a 120 using cinema mode looked very bright. So yes, I understand what you're saying.

We never notice what's missing or there, until we see a display that does a better job of it. That's when you'll notice the grain in fast moving scenes. Or the grayish blacks in the bright scenes.

No pj is perfect, they all have strengths and weaknesses. Not fair to compare these two, as they were made for two different price classes any way.
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post #29 of 47
10/29/11 at 2:26pm
Here's another problem with comparing pj's, HD standards, there are none. I've worked in the film/tv production business for 20 years and each show is done on a different hd camera and edited either with Avid, Final Cut, Premier, etc. The cameras make a HUGE difference and not all formats are the same and then of course it depends on how it's all compressed, etc. American Hoggers for instance looks like **** but Storage Wars is crystal clear. Lots of factors to think about.
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post #30 of 47
10/29/11 at 2:35pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by frogpond1 View Post

Here's another problem with comparing pj's, HD standards, there are none. I've worked in the film/tv production business for 20 years and each show is done on a different hd camera and edited either with Avid, Final Cut, Premier, etc. The cameras make a HUGE difference and not all formats are the same and then of course it depends on how it's all compressed, etc. American Hoggers for instance looks like **** but Storage Wars is crystal clear. Lots of factors to think about.

Yes I agree with you, but if you take the same movie, say "Batte of LA" or "TRON". If I threw the same recording on both units. I wouldn't have to tell you which one was the w6000 or the 8350. The images they throw are just that different. Whites are super white on one and a little dingy on the other. Details are razor sharp on one and the other softer. Colors look almost wet on one and the other pale by comparison.
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