AX100 moving on...Panasonic PT-AT6000E, Sony VPL-HW55ES, JVC DLA-X35 or Epson EH-TW9200 next?

[P Adams]

Hi All

After thinking that the next upgrade to our Panasonic AX-100U projector was going to be something approaching the BenQ 1070 or similar, my wife has said that she wouldn't mind if I really wanted something in the price range of a Panasonic PT-AT600E! As long as I don't update that in three years time.

We have had the AX100 for approx four years from new and use it projected onto an 84" Projecta drop down screen, approx 14 feet away from our seating position. The projector is not permanently mounted, but gets placed on a purpose built shelf just above our seating position.

This is very wife / living room friendly, and allows for the PJ to be lined up pretty much perfectly in the centre of the screen, which is a version that has an extra deep black border at the top of the roll-down

The PJ has now reached only 250 hours on the bulb. We used our Pioneer Kuro plasma mostly in the early days, but are now finding we watch films via the PJ more, so the hours on a new projector will go up, but not considerably. We've even made a mask with black velvet applied to the screen for 2.35:1 ratio films, which helps with framing, contrast and perceived black levels

We view a mixture of mainly blu rays and occasional DVDs from a Pioneer BDP-51FD player, Sony BR player and Sky HD content and are very happy but I think now is the time for a step up in quality?

The room has a mid cream carpet, white ceiling and mid toned walls, so certainly not a bat cave! We do however only watch at night with black out curtains covering two windows and patio door / windows

We demoed the PT-AT6000E against a BenQ1070 and an Epson 6100 at a retailer and had the PT-AT6000E at home for an overnight test, and found it to be very sharp, have good motion control and of course, certainly better black levels than our AX100.

So now because I can spend a touch more, do I consider the JVC DLA-X35, Sony VPL-HW55ES and Epson EH-TW9200?

Any thoughts would be very much appreciated many thanks...

 

[P Adams]

Any thoughts anybody?
(Sorry if my post was too long!)

 

[Member 518284]

if you are using a white screen in that room I'd go with the jvc x35, it has the highest native contrast so will ultimately offer you the best contrast of the 3 pj's you mention

if you choose a different screen such as an ambient reflective one (react 2.1) then either of the other 2 will give a brighter image than the jvc

I'd suggest seeing them all in a similar environment that you have against a white and ambient screen and let your eyes decide

where abouts are you btw?

Allan

 

[P Adams]

Thanks Allan

We are in Hampshire and the Projecta Procinema 84" 16:9 matte white screen has a gain of 1.0 and a viewing angle of 50 degrees L/R

 

[Member 518284]

well I would go with the JVC then in that case, its less output so will not produce as much lumens so it follows the screen will reflect less light back into the room, its this reflected light back into the room onto your reflective walls/ceiling that will ultimately wash the image contrast

so in this instance less certainly is more

you`d be more than welcome to come and see for yourself exactly what I mean, you could see how changing to a more suitable screen will allow you to see more perceived contrast and also give you the opportunity to see how a brighter pj can be used with the correct type of surface

Allan

 

[P Adams]

Thanks for the info Allan. I'll do some more research!