4K projector recommendation (1 Viewer)

[Mark Nguyen]

Hello fellow AV’er,

I’m in the market for a new 4K projector and came here for your personal/expert advice on what you would recommend. If you have recently gone thru the same thing and decided to go with XYZ brand/model I’d like to hear your advice. Thanks in advance.

Note:
It’s dedicated media room - dark - so brightness is not overly a concern but it should have good brightness

 

[Jonathan Leigh]

Personally I'd save for one of these-- Sony VPL-VW295ES-- native 4k, superior color and brightness - everything cheaper is really just a 1080p projector with upscaling.

 

[Robert_Zohn]

I also like Sony's VW295ES, great lens and excellent color accuracy.

Another very good choice is JVC's NX5 or NX7. JVC's projectors have the very best blacks and excellent HDR tone mapping, especially when paired with Panasonic's UB9000.

 

[Mark Nguyen]

Thanks - I saw this Sony model and a few mentions of the Benq TK810. Anyone has personal experience with this Benq?

I am sure the Sony model above is better but is it worth or 3X better? (1300 vs 4900) Debating whether to spend the extra dough or if Benq is good enough.

 

[Robert_Zohn]

Mark, Benq's TK810 projector is good for what it is, a 1080p DLP that employees a 4x e-shift technology to render a 4K image on the screen. It's not in the same league as Sony's VW295ES or JVC's NX5 that are true native 4K projectors.

Also Benq's TK810 does not have the same color fidelity or capability of displaying the same % of the rec.709 or even more important the HDR color space.

 

[mark brown]

do any of these support 3d ?

 

[John Dirk]

I wouldn't rule out pixel-shifting projectors outright and, with respect to @Jonathan Leigh, the technology is not fairly classified as upscaling. You didn't mention a budget but most agree, pixel count is one of the lessor benefits of 4K. The main benefits are HDR and color gamut, both of which are markedly improved in a good pixel-shifting design.

If cost is not a major factor then definitely go for native 4K but I would suggest a little research on this topic before assuming that is the only option where excellent overall image quality is desired. I could have easily afforded one of the JVC models but ultimately chose the Epson 6050UB which does support 3D and is an amazing machine.

 

[Robert_Zohn]

Epson's 6050UB is the best e-shift 4K projector and the best projector in price category.

 

[Mark Nguyen]

Thanks guys ... after looking further into this I might be forced into a short throw projector due to my room's dimensions and screen size of 150" I want to install. Any comparable ones come to mind?

 

[John Dirk]

Thanks guys ... after looking further into this I might be forced into a short throw projector due to my room's dimensions and screen size of 150" I want to install. Any comparable ones come to mind?

You might want to spend some time over at Projector Central. They have a lot of great information on most current and many legacy models, including throw charts.

 

[Sam Posten]

do any of these support 3d ?

No. 3D is dead.

 

[John Dirk]

No. 3D is dead.

It certainly isn't dead in my HT room.

 

[Sam Posten]

It certainly isn't dead in my HT room.

Bought any new movies lately?

 

[David Norman]

Bought in 2020 -- several of them are late 2019 or 2020 movies since I'm not sure which definition of new movie you're using. A few of them not delivered yet
Taza Son of Cochise
Gemini Man
Trolls World Tour
Onward
Abominable
Star Wars IX
Maleficent 2
Frozen II
3D Rarities V 2
Long Day Journey Into Night

Extend back into 2019:
Spider-man Far from Home
Spider-man Into the Spider-verse
Infinity Wars
Lion King (2019)
Aladdin
Captain Marvel
Godzilla King of Monsters
Secret Life of Pets 2
Shazam
Pokemon Detective Pikachu
Ralph Broke the Internet
Aladdin
Alita
Dumbo
Corgi
How to Train Your Dragon 3
Lego Movie 2
Toy Story 4
Venom
Aquaman
Fantastic Beasts 2

Several other Golden Age classics
Sangaree
Jivaro
3_D Nudie Cuties

Revenge of the Creature
Creature From the Black Lagoon

Parasite -- an absolutely terrible film from the 80's

Quite a few catalog titles I missed previous years including about 20 from Germany ranging from shockingly good to pretty bad

3D TV are working, 3D projectors still being sold, 3D movies still being released into theaters and on Blu-ray -- i.e. not dead though certainly niche

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

I (and my family) never got into 3D -- just didn't really care for it even at the better theaters around NYC -- even though our main HT display has had 3D support ever since the early days of BD.

For us, it's good for relatively novel types of fun entertainment (like at Disney World, especially the Avatar: Flight of Passage 4D ride, or in 3D video gaming), but not really convincing enough, especially w/ the encumbrances of 3D glasses, for general (live-action) cinema.

I do have several titles where I paid a modest premium for 3D BD, but never actually watched them at home in 3D as I never found the 3D (as typically deployed anyway) compelling enough to buy 3D glasses to mate w/ our displays, especially given the rather noticeable loss in visual resolution and/or focus sharpness (and probably also contrast and/or tonality) in the primary 2D component of the image. Maybe I'll get around to getting some glasses some time soon before I might end up w/ a display that forgoes support -- the Epson 5050UB I'm also considering seems to include support -- but no current plans on that...

_Man_

 

[John Dirk]

Bought any new movies lately?

Just ordered the 3D version of Tron Legacy a few days ago and I have a great collection of older titles on tap whenever I get the urge. I get that new titles are not being produced in 3D to the extent they once were but, fortunately in this case, the vast majority of the newer content I see pales in comparison to films created 20 or more years ago anyway.

 

[John Dirk]

I do have several titles where I paid a modest premium for 3D BD, but never actually watched them at home in 3D as I never found the 3D (as typically deployed anyway) compelling enough to buy 3D glasses to mate w/ our displays, especially given the rather noticeable loss in visual resolution and/or focus sharpness (and probably also contrast and/or tonality) in the primary 2D component of the image. Maybe I'll get around to getting some glasses some time soon before I might end up w/ a display that forgoes support -- the Epson 5050UB I'm also considering seems to include support -- but no current plans on that...

If you ever do get the Epson 5050UB I would bet your opinion will change. It's basically the same projector as my 6050 and It does a spectacular job with compatible glasses and well-produced source material.

 

[RJ992]

No. 3D is dead.

Sadly, its responses like this, along with constant condemnations from outfits like C/Net (3D must die! 3D sucks@ etc) that helped push panel mfgrs to drop it so that we could have just the same old flat image with a new negligable coat of paint. It's the main reason i now buy very few physical discs anymore.

 

[RJ992]

do any of these support 3d ?

All of those mentioned do. Not sure about the Epson.

 

[sbjork]

All of those mentioned do. Not sure about the Epson.

JVC certainly does -- I am very happy with the 3D performance on my RS2000.