I'm researching 1080p projectors in the <$3K range and am trying to decide on which one.
I'm looking for true 1080p, support for HDMI 1.3, including 24p and Deep Color, and the best available picture quality for the price.
My HT has a 116" 16:9 screen. Support for anamorphic lenses is NOT important to me (the lens by itself would cost my entire projector budget).
So far, here's what I found. Are there others worth considering that are in the same price range? (I would really like a JVC RS2, but the $8K price is just more than I can do...
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- Panasonic PT-AE2000U: Native 1080p, HDMI 1.3, Deep Color, 24p, about $2,700 street price. LCD, so superior installation flexibility, and a built-in filter eliminates screen door. Some people are pleased with the color accuracy and picture quality; some are not (maybe a calibration issue?). There are also sporadic complaints of dust blobs getting in the light path, requiring this projector to be serviced.
- Sony VPL-VW40: Native 1080p with HDMI 1.3, Deep Color, 24p, about $3,000 street price. This gets good reviews for overall picture quality (LCoS light engine) but its light output is on the low side for a 116" screen. On the other hand, reviews of other PJs say that their light output is reduced to about 1/3 of the rated spec when adjusted for accurate video performance. But I'm not sure if this represents superior bang for the buck or not (Sony rarely wins in that category).
- Epson Home Cinema 1080UB: Around $2,800. Native 1080p and good brightness/contrast; some favor it over the Panasonic for picture quality. Some report reliability issues - don't know if those have been resolved. Don't know if it supports Deep Color and 24p.
- BenQ W5000: A 1080p DLP with decent lens shifting for about $2,500? Looks tempting, but it's only HDMI 1.2 (no Deep Color or 24p). I'll probably give this one a miss. If it had more current video processing capabilities, it would have been my first choice...
- Sanyo Z2000: This can be had for about $1,500 after rebate, but it's said to be much weaker in performance than the other 1080p models. I also think it lacks HDMI 1.3, Deep Color, and 24p. Is this even worth considering?