Top 3 projectors for 3k

timmorris

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I've been asked by my brother to replace his aging Sony CRT lump with a decent projector for in the region of 3k. I'd hope to be able to get 1080P for that. I'm about to upgrade my scaler so I'll be throwing my Lumagen HDQ in his direction.

I've never bought, touched or even thought about a projector before so I'm flying blind.

Tim
 
Panasonic PT-AE1000E RRP £3500 with 3 year warranty, Ebay £1900 with only 1 year warranty
1080p , 2 X HDMI(1.2 I think) and all sorts of other goodies, look it up
 
1080p projectors available for that price are:
Sony VPL-VW50 (Pearl) (SXRD + DI)
Mitsubishi HC5000 (LCD + DI)
Epson TW1000 (LCD + DI)
Panasonic PT-AE1000 (LCD + DI)
Possibly Optoma HD81 (DLP + DI)
Maybe BenQ W9000 ( DLP)
JVC DLA-HD1 is a bit more, but the only one that stands out above the crowd.

There is a lot of discussion of all these around here, but there will be as many opinions as there are replies. All are good, but you kinda get what you pay for, one way or another.

Nick
 
Thanks - that at least gives me a starting point.

Tim
 
Sony VPL-VW50 (Pearl) (SXRD + DI)
Mitsubishi HC5000 (LCD + DI)
Epson TW1000 (LCD + DI)
Panasonic PT-AE1000 (LCD + DI)
Possibly Optoma HD81 (DLP + DI)
Maybe BenQ W9000 ( DLP)
JVC DLA-HD1

And if we had to narrow this down to 3? Any we could eliminate for whatever reasons?
 
And if we had to narrow this down to 3? Any we could eliminate for whatever reasons?

Obviously, if he suffers from rainbows, then you would eliminate the DLP's.

And if you didn't like Dynamic Iris enhanced contrast you could eliminate those (although I believe you can turn it off, but then you're not getting anywhere near their 'quoted' contrast).

That just leaves the JVC HD1.

Simple really ;)
 
I got nothing better to do on a Bank Holiday Friday:

Sony VPL-VW50 - 47x17x39cm - 11kg - 15,000:1 - 900 ANSI - 3,000 hours
Mitsubishi HC5000 - 33x12x35cm - 5.6kg - 10,000:1 - 1,000 ANSI - 5,000 hours
Epson TW1000 - 40x12x30 - 5.6kg - 12,000:1 - 1,200 ANSI - 2,000 hours
Panasonic PT-AE1000 - 46x13x30 - 7.2kg - 11,000:1 - 1,100 ANSI - ?? hours
Optoma HD81 - 41x11x31 - 4.5kg - 10,000:1 - 1,400 ANSI - 2,000 hours
BenQ W9000 - 49x19x39 - 9.4kg - 8,500:1 - 1,200 ANSI - 3,000 hours
JVC DLA-HD1 - 45x17x41 - 11kg - 15,000:1 - 700 ANSI - 2,000 hours

Hours are in low lamp mode (ECO)
ANSI is in high lamp mode
Dimensions are all in Centimeters, weights are all in Kilograms

So it depends what you want,
If you want brightness (plan to use it in a medium light room) then the Optoma/BenQ/Epson should be considered and the Sony/JVC ignored.

And none of these figures tell you anything about picture quality, ease of use etc..

For example the Optoma has no lens shift, so you have to mount it center to your screen, the Sony has a good following on this forum, the Epson is the latest of the group to hit the market and you can (while stocks last) get a free PS3 with it.

Also worth finding out is the size of image you can get from the distance you have, as this will vary quite a bit.

Time to get googlin ;) And once you have it narrowed down to 2 or 3, then it's time to get ringing around to find someone who can let you demo them, preferably in the same location on the same day with the same sources.
 
For 3k and below, i would definitly look at the Sony Pearl stunning projector for the money...i have been considering changeing to the HD1 but the PQ still blows me away from the Sony !
 
can't give a top 3 as I haven't seen three of them but if you get a good HC5000 then its stunning
 
can't give a top 3 as I haven't seen three of them but if you get a good HC5000 then its stunning

I am sure it was one they were displaying at the the Bristol Show and HD looked superb thru it :thumbsup: and definitly great value if under 3k !
 
lets be honest any of the quoted projectors are going to be extremely good.

there isnt a bad 1080p projector on the market right now.

i would go for the cheapest one you can find
 
I agree that they are all good, but if you plan to do any daytime viewing you can't say the Sony or JVC is a wise choice.
 
brightness is a weakness with all 1080p pj's at present, I would argue that if brightness was really important then you need to look at the best 720p has to offer.
 
i have a panny ae1000 and have been watching it night and day for the last week (due to a faulty screen which wont go back up at the mo) and can say its very very bright!

I generallt watch everything on cinema 3 mode, i'm usuing just under half zoom on a 7 foot wide screen. picture is stunning!!!!! watched a fair few films on sky HD, starwars ROTS was absolutley breathtaking!!!!!

All for £1899 delivered, it was my perfect choice!!!

However, for the record, i haven't seen the JVC HD1 but i dont doubt that it's a better PJ, mainly for the blacks and contrast. But it's also DOUBLE the price of mine so way out of my price league (this is my first ever PJ)...Maybe eveentually when i have dedicated room for my PJ and earning a bit more i would upgrade, but this will easily see my into the next 3 years!!!!!
 
i can also confirm that the AE1000 is fine for use during the day.
 
I agree that they are all good, but if you plan to do any daytime viewing you can't say the Sony or JVC is a wise choice.

Or instead of stepping down the resolution you could invest in decent blinds :)
 
Thanks for the replies, it has certainly got me thinking. There's a Stewart screen in place together with an existing ceiling mount. I'll have to get my tape measure out and work out the throw calculations which I'm sure will narrow it down a bit. We've bought 4 panny panels from out local service agent so I'm sure if I decided to go that route I'd be able to get a fantastic price.

Tim
 

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