The best value for money LCD PJ in my humble opinion at the moment is the AE300 at an amazing £940.
Hardly any VB... although a slightly PJ.
I'm gonna rock the boat a little here and say that the Z2 is not worth the extra £400+
I've demoed the AE300 and AE500, owned a Z2 and demoed an HS20.
The HS20 is the best LCD PJ I've seen.... but for £940 the 300 is a an absolute steal.
Don't be fooled by the latest models. I think the Epson panels on the AE500 and Z2 are flawed. You shouldn't have to mess around with service settings to get rid of VB.... I don't care if the PJ is classed as 'budget' or 'entry level'.
Make an even better compromise.... if you have money to spare... buy an HS20. If you don't buy an AE300 and use what you would have wasted on a Z2/AE500 to buy lots of lager, DVD's and a better screen.
cheers
Doc.