1080p 3D Projector under 2000/2200$?

[srinivas1015]

I'm thinking of buying a good 1080p 3D Projector sometime during the end of April/beginning of May. My budget is around 2000-2300$. I need advice on how to proceed and my available options.My screen is 160inchs (10 feet wide), so a good quality projector is what I'm looking for. Also, I want a significant increase in quality compared to my current Optoma HD67.

I want the screendoor effect to be eliminated (viewing distance is around 10 feet away), good black levels, etc.

To be honest, the 'Post Your Projector Screenshots' thread is what motivated me into doing this .

[i007spectre]

I always recommend Epson. The 5020 is great, just a little out of your price range. I own the 5010, which can be found for under $2000 now a days. I am perfectly happy with my 5010, and see no reason that I would upgrade to the 5020. So I would save some money and go with the 5010. Always do lots of research, I sure did.

[srinivas1015]

Originally Posted by i007spectre

I always recommend Epson. The 5020 is great, just a little out of your price range. I own the 5010, which can be found for under $2000 now a days. I am perfectly happy with my 5010, and see no reason that I would upgrade to the 5020. So I would save some money and go with the 5010. Always do lots of research, I sure did.

Thanks for the recommendation. I'm checking it out right now. A few hundred dollars here and there is fine but seeing how this is already an upgrade from an existing projector, I want to to pull out all the stops and get the best possible projector. I'm gonna look into the 5020 as well and compare it with the 5010 model.
I think CrazyBlue has an Epson as well.
I saw some of your Bond screenshots a few months back. It looks really good. How about the 3D?Any crosstalk?
Btw, do you notice the screen door/chickenwire effect?



What do you think of the Panasonic Ae8000u or ae7000u? I haven't looked into JVC yet. DLP vs LCD is another thing I'm thinking about. How do these fare despite being 3LCD?

[srinivas1015]

I just read that the Panasonic 7000u can display a true 2.35:1 image without an anamorphic lens. I have a 4:3 screen. Does this mean that there won't be any black bars projected on the screen? I don't mind the empty space but I hate the 'illuminated' bars above and below the image.

[kpkelley]

Originally Posted by srinivas1015

I just read that the Panasonic 7000u can display a true 2.35:1 image without an anamorphic lens. I have a 4:3 screen. Does this mean that there won't be any black bars projected on the screen? I don't mind the empty space but I hate the 'illuminated' bars above and below the image.

No. It's just a saved zoom and focus setting. Sort of like saved driver's seat positions in a car. It will automatically switch between the two. It will still project the bars above and below the screen.

[kpkelley]

Given how large your screen is, 160" 4:3(147" 16:9), perhaps the BenQ W7000 would be a good projector to consider. the W9000 is available in some regions, not sure where you would be purchasing from.

[Trogdor2010]

I'd also consider the BenQ w1070, which is a very bright 1080p 3D DLP projector at the $1000, and should produce better 3D than the Epson 3010 series. While a Panasonic 7000u will produce a better picture, the BenQ w1070 will do a better job driving that large of a screen because it is a brighter projector. I wouldn't recommend it if you are going with a 2.35:1 or 4:3 screen because of the limited zoom lens, but is a terrific value for a 3D 1080p projector.

http://www.projectorcentral.com/benq...ge=Performance

http://www.amazon.com/BenQ-W1070-The.../dp/B00A2T6X0K

Edit- The Benq w7000 is also worth considering like kpkelley said.

[i007spectre]

Originally Posted by srinivas1015

Thanks for the recommendation. I'm checking it out right now. A few hundred dollars here and there is fine but seeing how this is already an upgrade from an existing projector, I want to to pull out all the stops and get the best possible projector. I'm gonna look into the 5020 as well and compare it with the 5010 model.
I think CrazyBlue has an Epson as well.
I saw some of your Bond screenshots a few months back. It looks really good. How about the 3D?Any crosstalk?
Btw, do you notice the screen door/chickenwire effect?

The 3D is great, I think a lot of peoples complaints about in home 3D would be solved if they watched it on a bigger screen.
I have noticed very rare occurrences of crosstalk, but they are minor and gone quickly. That actually leads me to one of the things I like that the 5020 has. The auto iris works in both 2D and 3D mode. But I think the blacks are perfectly dark and deep enough with my 5010.

I sit about 6-7' from my 104" screen, and notice no screen door effect. I have even stood right near the screen and all still looks good.

Too bad you aren't near someone who has a set-up that you could demo.

As for more technical questions, I will leave that for others to answer.

[srinivas1015]

Originally Posted by kpkelley

Given how large your screen is, 160" 4:3(147" 16:9), perhaps the BenQ W7000 would be a good projector to consider. the W9000 is available in some regions, not sure where you would be purchasing from.

Originally Posted by Trogdor2010

I'd also consider the BenQ w1070, which is a very bright 1080p 3D DLP projector at the $1000, and should produce better 3D than the Epson 3010 series. While a Panasonic 7000u will produce a better picture, the BenQ w1070 will do a better job driving that large of a screen because it is a brighter projector. I wouldn't recommend it if you are going with a 2.35:1 or 4:3 screen because of the limited zoom lens, but is a terrific value for a 3D 1080p projector.

http://www.projectorcentral.com/benq...ge=Performance

http://www.amazon.com/BenQ-W1070-The.../dp/B00A2T6X0K

Edit- The Benq w7000 is also worth considering like kpkelley said.

Lens memory isn't a required feature for me. Aren't both those BenQ projectors 2000$? (the same as Panasonic7000u?)

My main aim is to make the image look really sharp and bright like on a laptop/HDTV. I'm worried that even a 1080p image won't look sharp on a screen that big.
I'm currently reading this:
http://www.projectorreviews.com/proj...5020/image.php

[srinivas1015]

Originally Posted by i007spectre

The 3D is great, I think a lot of peoples complaints about in home 3D would be solved if they watched it on a bigger screen.
I have noticed very rare occurrences of crosstalk, but they are minor and gone quickly. That actually leads me to one of the things I like that the 5020 has. The auto iris works in both 2D and 3D mode. But I think the blacks are perfectly dark and deep enough with my 5010.

I sit about 6-7' from my 104" screen, and notice no screen door effect. I have even stood right near the screen and all still looks good.

Too bad you aren't near someone who has a set-up that you could demo.

As for more technical questions, I will leave that for others to answer.

That's very good news for me . Once I narrow down the choices, I'll demo them in a store.


Btw, the Panasonic apparently allows the user to adjust the degree of parallax for 3D? Does this mean I can make the 3D more strong in movies with subtle 3D like The Amazing Spider-Man?

[srinivas1015]

I got this screen shot from the Panasonic 8000u vs Epson 5020 shootout:

(Panasonic on the left)



The 'grey bars' are the ones I want to avoid.

[kpkelley]

Originally Posted by srinivas1015

My main aim is to make the image look really sharp and bright like on a laptop/HDTV. I'm worried that even a 1080p image won't look sharp on a screen that big.

Have you considering adding a DarbeeVision Darblet to your system?

[kpkelley]

Originally Posted by srinivas1015

I got this screen shot from the Panasonic 8000u vs Epson 5020 shootout:

(Panasonic on the left)



The 'grey bars' are the ones I want to avoid.

Both of those are blown out in post processing by the reviewer to highlight the starfield. The 5020 has better blacks than the panasonic, but they aren't as different as those images make it seem.

[srinivas1015]

Originally Posted by kpkelley

Have you considering adding a DarbeeVision Darblet to your system?

I had considered adding it to my 720p projector but instead decided on going the 1080p projector route instead to get a sharper image. Once I buy the projector, I won't be able to get the Darblet immediately.
I'm sure many of you are driving 120 to 140inch screens. What do you guys make of the sharpness compared to an HDTV?

The motorized focus is a big plus for me as I'll be placing the Projector on a table and will be closing the lens cap after every use. The focus ring getting disturbed and me adjusting the focus every time as a result of this is something I want to avoid.

[kpkelley]

Originally Posted by srinivas1015

I'm sure many of you are driving 120 to 140inch screens. What do you guys make of the sharpness compared to an HDTV?

The immersive-ness of the image makes up for any perceived lack of "sharpness." TBS, the Darblet does make a nice improvement in sharpness to good material. Game of Thrones looks awesome at 158" through the Darblet, while broadcast HDTV looks ok.

[srinivas1015]

Originally Posted by kpkelley

The immersive-ness of the image makes up for any perceived lack of "sharpness." TBS, the Darblet does make a nice improvement in sharpness to good material. Game of Thrones looks awesome at 158" through the Darblet, while broadcast HDTV looks ok.

I get that but it would suck if there isn't much improvement in sharpness in going from my Optoma to whatever 1080p projector I choose. After watching a movie on my 720p laptop, the image on my 720p Optoma is significantly softer and less bright.

Without the Darblet, how would you compare the sharpness between an LCD HDTV and a Projector on a big screen?

[BluBrown]

I just got an email from projectorpeople.com that is offering the Panasonic PT-AE7000u for $1999 right now.

[i007spectre]

I love the sharpness of my 5010. And its bright, should have no trouble displaying a big picture without loss of detail.

[kpkelley]

Originally Posted by srinivas1015

I get that but it would suck if there isn't much improvement in sharpness in going from my Optoma to whatever 1080p projector I choose. After watching a movie on my 720p laptop, the image on my 720p Optoma is significantly softer and less bright.

Without the Darblet, how would you compare the sharpness between an LCD HDTV and a Projector on a big screen?

The contrast you'd get from a television set would be better than most entry-level projectors. However, once you step up to any of the projectors mentioned in this thread, that difference becomes negligible. 3LCD projectors are inherently softer than single chip DLP projector simply because of convergence issues, but for most viewers the difference isn't visible from their seating position.

[srinivas1015]

Originally Posted by kpkelley

The contrast you'd get from a television set would be better than most entry-level projectors. However, once you step up to any of the projectors mentioned in this thread, that difference becomes negligible. 3LCD projectors are inherently softer than single chip DLP projector simply because of convergence issues, but for most viewers the difference isn't visible from their seating position.

Hmm.maybe I should go for a JVC..