Epson 3020 vs 5020 vs 6020 (1 Viewer)

[arjunsud]

Hello Roland! Glad you are enjoying your new panny! It was REALLY REALLY hard to pick but i went with the Epson 5020 at the end because of the IR vs RF 3D glasses and also because from the reviews i read/ opinions i got i heard epson is marginally brighter but has better black levels. Also unless i am mistaken the Epson is compactible with the Samsung Glasses and a replacement Active pair is about $20. It was a Very hard choice because the Panasonic has a lot of Great features like the 3D remaster/ Wavelength comparison feature and ofcourse the ability to turn 3D to 2D for our friends that do not fancy the third dimension. I tried Finding Nemo in 3D and found that it was absolutely 100% cross talk free. I was Extremely impressed as i have found this to be a rare with some of my other 3D devices ( computer montior, Sammy 58" Plasma, Laptop and Vizio TV) . The special Aquariums feature was a great test as well and i was exceptionally impressed with the Reef subselection. I defiantly think both projectors have their own positives and hope that anyone who has to make the decision in the future would find it simpler than i did!! Cheers!

 

[arjunsud]

i feel like one of the other issues worth mentioning that for better or worse swayed my decision , ever so slightly is that I was very dissapointed that Panny makes you mail in that form. I feel like it should come ready to go. Do you agree?

 

[RolandL]

i feel like one of the other issues worth mentioning that for better or worse swayed my decision , ever so slightly is that I was very dissapointed that Panny makes you mail in that form. I feel like it should come ready to go. Do you agree?

No big deal for me to mail in the form. I really wanted the 2.35 feature as that image should be larger than 1.85.

 

[Jim Mcc]

I really wanted the 2.35 feature as that image should be larger than 1.85.

Actually, it's the opposite. 1.85 is the larger image.

 

[RolandL]

Actually, it's the opposite. 1.85 is the larger image.

Yes, the Blu-ray 1.85:1 image is larger. But I enlarge the 2.35 to make it larger and fill my wall to the sides.

 

[kinane]

I have been struggling with the exact same issue, Arjunsud...including the wireless. I have read ALL of the reviews including the posts on this thread. The thing is $1000 is a HUGE jump in cost percentage wise when you go from the 3020 to the 5020. The 5020 better be absolutely mind blowing better to justify this cost. That said, sure I'm considering it....but researching for evidence. I understand the blacks and contrast ration are better but so far the main difference seems to be the lens shift capability; which I don't need. I also read the wired/wireless versions have the exact same picture. I called Epson to chat about how this is possible. I COULD wire it but it would require a swiss cheese ceiling that I'd have to repair. I am thinking I'll get the E version and then if it causes problems just exchange it or wire the HDMI cables in the future (since the E does both). I'll grant that the lens shift is a must for some but if you have perpendicular joists or the ability to place it where you need it then that feature is neutral. If anyone has more concrete evidence about the value of the 5020 I'm all ears. I sometimes feel like EPSON and the others are expected to put something every so often to boost sales. I look pretty good in last year's clothes. Arjunsud I'll be curious what you wind up with.

 

[zach454]

I also am debating on which to get, 3020 vs 5020. My room is setup pretty square and won't be very much ambient light if any, so I assume i won't need the lens shift and and don't care too much about the wirelessHD as I only need 1 HDMI cable that will be ran thru the ceiling. My one concern is, as I've experience low black levels on an older optima DLP, that does kinda suck, but how good/bad are they on the 3020? I went to projectreviews.com and read both and obviously there is a good difference between the 3020/5020, but is it really worth a $1000? What is your thoughts?

 

[Jim Mcc]

I also am debating on which to get, 3020 vs 5020. My room is setup pretty square and won't be very much ambient light if any, so I assume i won't need the lens shift...

What does that have to do with whether or not you need lens shift? If you can ceiling mount the 3020, with the lens level with the top of image, then you DO NOT need lens shift. And only you can decide if the 5020 is worth the extra money. It's not just lens shift, there's a lot of things that make the 5020 cost that much more. I would not pay the extra money, but I would never spend $2,600 for a projector anyway. Unless you are a videophile with a dedicated, dark theater room, buy the 3020. Then take care of any ambient light, paint the ceiling and walls flat black(ideally) calibrate the 3020 and enjoy.

 

[arjunsud]

Hello Kinane! Sorry I did not get back to you earlier as I wanted to Test the projector before giving you a befitting response. This may help you answer some of your questons: I have upgraded from an Epson 8350 (wonderful projector) and just to give you a comparison to the best of my knowledge: Contrast Ratios- Epson 8350 - 50,000:1 2000 lumens Epson 3020 - 40:000:1 2300 lumens Epson 5020 - 320,000:1 2400 lumens In terms of the blacks, I see a difference immediately between the picture of my 8350 and 5020. It looks damn good. Its very nice and bright and it is crisp. I basically feel like I have bought myself a 92"TV. Even during the day the 5020 with ample light pollution looks very good. My room is NOT light controlled but I can only imagine how good it would look had it to have been in a dedicated Theater. I know its a good deal of money but the way I looked at it was as follows: 1) I wanted to get as close to a HUGE TV as possible and in may ways, I have exceeded my expecations. 2) Unlike you I did need lens shift because of my placement 3) 3D was important to me and this projector makes 3D look phenominal! I have so far found NO crosstalk although that could always change in the future so far its Amazing. 4) The only thing that was dissuading me from upgrading to a projector now was the idea of getting one that was true 4k, but based on current market prices, I thought that would be unaffordable for a while Sony - 25000? Really?? lol 5) Wireless HD was not a priority as I believe if I really wanted it I could save myself 300 now and by an aftermarket product but that being said Wireless HD is not conducive to how I have my room set up. If I were you I would DEFINITELY go with the 5020 IF you are looking to buy a projector and keep it for a while. I knew that despite not having a dedicated room now, it would still be valuable to me because that may very well change in a year or so and I don't want to have to drop another couple of grand. Lastly the 6020 is very close to the 5020 in terms of performance with a few differences ( anomorphic capability, comes with extra bulb and mount ) and therefore I will leave you with a clip of the 6020 which looked exactly the same at my place at night with all the curtains drawn, do keep in mind when you are watching it, it is still a 'cam' and even though you may turn your HD settings on, it will ofcourse look better in person. Feel free to get a demo at a local dealer/shop if you have one: Please let me know if this helps or if you have any other questions!!

 

[mominayal]

Hi guys, I'm a newbie to home theatre and about to have my 1st experience with projector and screen. I'm planning on getting a 110" back diamond screen and have a dedicated room with no ambient light at all. Walls are dark brown. Trying to decide between 3020 vs 5020 vs 6020 My main question is because of no real light issues and the black diamond screen do I really need to spend the extra money on the 5020 or 6020 or will the room environment and screen make the 3020 look great? Also is not having RF on the 3020 and 5020 an issue when sitting down for a movie and just wanting to push one button to turn everything on (all my other equipment is RF) extra bulb with 6020 not very important as I'll probably lose it b4 it needs to be changed. Dosent a ceiling mount cost like 50 bucks, so that doesn't seem to be a real benefit. Extra year warranty, don't know if it's worth $1000. Thanks in advance for your help

 

[Sam Posten]

3020 has a plastic lens and no lens shift among other considerations.

 

[arjunsud]

@mominayal: holy **** for a first time venture a 110 black diamond? That is fan fricking tastic man!! Honestly with a setup like that, I would also consider that the 5020 does have a better contrast ratio and a wealth of other features like lens shift that may aid. In my opinion, when your going all out like that drop the extra $ and go from 3020 to 5020. It really is worth it. I think you will see a big difference in picture quality

 

[mominayal]

Update. After all said and done dealer talked me into a 6020. Also added control 4. Basically he hooked me up on value of trade (rotel 1582) so that when u factor the free mount the 6020 comes with it only cost me about 250 more than the 5020, and the control 4 cost the same as the harmony 1100 + rf blaster on amazon. Thanks for the advice guys. I probably would have wasted time and money with 3020 if it wasn't for u guys.

 

[arjunsud]

Control 4? Nice for what ? Did you go to hifi sales ? Let us know how you like the shiny new toy

 

[Dave Upton]

I would read the reviews online - there is quite a bit of information about black levels and absolute performance - with the 6020 clearly being better by a large margin for black levels. Anyone looking for an entry level 3D DLP with tons of light output deserves to see the W1070 from BenQ.

 

[Dave Upton]

Originally Posted by schan1269
"Bulb change on DlP"???
Are you not aware you change bulbs on all projectors?
Also, JVC/Sony (D-ILA/LCoS) are the best projectors, period.
A D-ILA/LCoS has none of the drawbacks of LCD or DLP. The only issue is cost. They carry a 40% premium over a "similarly abled" LCD/DLP.

Sam,
I'd love to debate this one with you. D-ILA/LCoS doesn't really have the best picture - and I think that it's widely accepted that DC4 DLP's are the gold standard. Why? Better ANSI contrast, more light output and a sharper picture. What you're saying was true until a couple years back - now, I think DLP smokes LCOS in the high end.

 

[schan1269]

If all you care about is MTF, sure...DC4 beats D-ILA(LCoS). Oh, but wait...the RS35 still performed better than the Samsung in that regard. I haven't completely kept track of DC3 vs DC4 projectors(and apparently since most questions considering "how much better DC4 actually is" died off this time last year, not easy to find references) I'm not disputing DC4 is the best DLP. But how many DC4 are there this year? 10? 12? 15? If it were that much better than DC3, wouldn't DC3 be $900 and DC4 already be $2000? This time last year I saw "head to head" with a Sony and (whatever it was) InFocus. Most people I know will still take the D-ILA cause sometimes a slightly softer picture is easier on the eyes. But that was this time last year. What does 2013 hold for DC4?

 

[schan1269]

I googled... DC4 DLP projector 2013 Came up with a thread at AVS essentially asking... "Ok, where are our 'Holy Grail' D-ILA/LCoS killers we were promised back in 2007?" Thread has 13 responses(started 08/2012) with even Joe Kane giving a response of the "shoulder shrug". Edit: Further reading on the DC3, DC3+ and DC4 front. Several places it has come up that "Does DC4 really even need its own class?". When a DC4 is chosen because it "meets a certain criteria" as the DMD rolling off the assembly line... I know another company that tried a similar approach. It didn't save them...and essentially made nothing more than "bragging pieces..." Kuru Signature Monitor. I actually think when Pioneer created that line...it helped to do themselves in.

 

[Dave Upton]

Granted - they're all from high end companies like SIM2, but I have looked at them side by side and still find them subjectively much better. JVC really did a horrible job with their 3D implementation, so everyone has a problem right now.

 

[schan1269]

Now that "I'm up to speed" on what DC4 is(it is amazing what was hyped back in 2007/2008 and has since been forgotten...)... It isn't exactly fair to compare $7000 projectors to $12,000+ projectors. Heck even the places I've found that talk up the rep of DC4 concede that "it is more than likely the 'other' things going into a $15,000 projector...vs the $3000 projector that are making a difference" I would also venture a guess that if JVC or Sony sold their chip to a "boutique brand"... Oh, wait they do(not sure which one)... That projector(last I checked) was $50,000. Hey HTF. I'll fall on that sword for the sake of comparo... UPS me a SIM2 and that $50,000 projector for a comparo... Pretty please...(I promise not to lose either one of them)