in focus 5000vs4805 (1 Viewer)

[Shad R]

Has anyone had the chance to compare the 5000 to the 4805? I'm wondering if it's worth the 500 bucks difference? Also, I'm probably only going to be sitting 9 feet away from the screen, with 86-100 inch screen, so will I see the scan lines? I've seen some other projectors at this price range, like the epson and some others( i can't remember the brands) and the lines were terrible! Is infocus really THAT much better at the same price range?

 

[Jim Mcc]

I've never seen the 5000, but from what I've read there are better choices if you want a 720p LCD projector. You need to decide first if you want an LCD or DLP projector. The screen size you mention is too big for a 9' seating distance. With a 480p projector you need to sit back 2X the screen width(that gives you a screen 54" wide). With a 720p projector you need to sit back 1.5X screen width(that's a screen width of 72" wide). If you go bigger than these sizes at a 9' seating distance you will see the "scan lines" you refer to.

 

[Joseph Bolus]

Most experts agree that the 4805 provides a better overall balanced picture than the 5000 in spite of its 16:9 480p DLP engine. (With the caveat that it needs to be viewed at the 2x the screen width distance mentioned by Jim above.) The "depth" of the picture is the biggest difference in my opinion.

If you want a 720p LCD-based projector you would probably be better off with something like the Panasonic AE-700U, or even the new Panasonic AE-900 (5000:1 contrast ratio!) if you can afford it.

I personally own the Infocus 4805 and *love* it! When fed with a 1080i component signal from my HD cable box the picture is phenomenal right out of the box. (By the way, I'm sitting about 12' back from a 96" wide screen and can not see any pixels from HD sources. Curiously, I *can* detect occasional pixels in titles when viewing DVD.)

 

[Shad R]

Just curious...How did you guys buy yours? Sight unseen, because I can't seem to find a store ANYWHERE in the Denver/Greeley Area that actually has one to display. I'd like to see one before I drop the money, but that might not be possible. I went to the in focus website and got a list of the authorized dealers...turns out most of them sell this stuff out of their garage and don't have any way to display what they look like.

 

[Citizen87645]

When I was at Costco last week it had the InFocus 5000 for sale. With the store's liberal return policy you could buy and try and return if you're unhappy.