entry level full hd projector

[VJ]

Ok, I'll have to decide soon. It will be either the Viewsonic pjd6531w or the Epson EH-TW2900. I'd have to position the Viewsonic in a "coffee table layout", whereas the Epson would have to be placed on a shelf behind the coach.

Viewsonic: pro

• 3D dlp ready
• compact and lightweight
• brightness
• short throw
• slightly cheaper

Epson: pro

• 1080p
• 3lcd (no chance of rainbow effect)
• contrast
• silent (22 db)
• flexible positioning (lens shift, big zoom range
• 3 year warranty, also on lamp

Viewsonic: con

• only 720p
• dlp (2x colour wheel, possibility of rainbows)
• less flexible in positioning (no lens shift, limited zoom)
• less contrast
• more noisy (33 db)

Epson: con

• bigger and heavier device
• no 3D possibility
• slightly more expensive

I don't have much 1080p source material though (actually, none at the moment, and being in Warsay will make it impossible for me to buy many BluRays due to the language issue). The room is not too bright, but can be difficult to darken should it turn out to be too bright.
Guess it will have to come down to what I want: a compact projector with 3D option or a biggger projector with high resolution. This is difficult!

Jörg

[Fat Tone]

Start a poll.

I'd go for the Epson: Better res, I'm sure you'll be able to get material (plus xbox?), low noise is a HUGE plus in a domestic environment. 3D is quite gimmicky right now, with very few good reviews. In short get the better projector for what you can do now and sell/upgrade if/when 3D becomes a viable and quality option.

[Marshmallowman]

A few thoughts
Buying now I would defintely try to stretch it to a 1080p projector, there is enought content to justify it.

Do think about mounting out of the way, with a coffee table it is too easy to bump/spill and dust is the mortal enemy of a projector.(I lived in fear for the first month I had mine)

Defintely check replacment globe prices, I will keep mine for quite a while simply because of globe prices are so cheap I can thrash it and not worry about replacments.

3D will be a definte for my next projector, but It does seem resonably priced full 1080p 3d projectors are still a little way off.

[VJ]

Thanks guys...
I guess I was drawn in by the 3D gimmick . The Epson does seem like the best option (MM: it also allows mounting on the shelf behind me, without any problems unlike the Viewsonic).

(I've omitted the Sanyo as the plv-z3000 is more expensive and has less brightness; the plv-z700 is slightly cheaper but lower spec'd overall.)



Jörg

[Fat Tone]

Problems with 3D movies spelled out:

http://gizmodo.com/5493832/the-movie-studios-big-3d-scam?skyline=true&s=i

[VJ]

Oh, there is also the Epson EH-TW3500, which is just under 200 euros more expensive but boasts 1800 ansi lumens and 36000:1 contrast (and slightly more image processing). Would these differences be very noticable and worth the price?

FT: Yes, the current 3D rage puzzles me somewhat. 3D has been possible on computers for years now (was it Elsa that offered shutterglasses?), but it really feels like the manufacturers are pushing it. I saw Alice in Wonderland in 3D, and while the effect was nice but limited, I was glad to have read the gizmodo linked article on how to avoid a headache in 3D movies : I caught myself a couple of times looking at the out of focus area.
I was at a Barco demonstration in 1999 where they showed off their state-of-the-art 3D projection using a 3D animation (technology was dual projectors in combination with polarized lenses). While the technology used in the movie theater was essentially the same, it did not have the same impact as that demonstration 10 years ago. Also, the demonstration at a Sony center for a 3D LCD TV was disappointing (but worse than projection in the cinema): there was depth, but the objects in the scene appeared to lack thickness. I'm expecting projectors to make a move to some polarized lenses system, and maybe it is best to wait for that (shutterglasses easily set you back 150 euro). I also discovered in my projector quest that the current 3D-dlp projectors most likely will not work nicely with a 3D blue ray player: 3D is part of the hdmi 1.4 specification, and while Sony has a blue ray player that is only spec'd at hdmi 1.3 (because it doesn't support all 1.4 features), no 3D projector currently says they support or will support 3D over hdmi. So for the current crop of 3D projector, you are stuck with using a computer as the source (but currently there are only rumours of software that will allow 3D blue ray playback, no real announcements even).

Jörg

[VJ]

Epson really has a messy range of models...
I can't see any difference between the EH-TW2800 and the EH-TW2900 (I downloaded both manuals: the description of some menu items are different, and despite using the same lamp and boasting the same brightness, the EH-TW2900 consumes some 20W less). Oddly enough the 2800 is slightly more expensive. The EH-TW3000 is more expensive than the EH-TW3500, but seems lower spec'd (it can focus slightly shorter)... Why do they have to have such an extensive range?

It'll most likely go between the 2900 and the 3500, depending on the price offers I can find.

Jörg

[VJ]

While looking for the prices, I found that the EH-TW3500 is more expensive.

So it looks like the EH-TW2900, and was about to order it. However, as virtually all the online stores I found use UPS, I looked at nearby stores (even if the prices are slightly higher). And then I noticed at the store the EH-TW5000 is similarly priced. The EH-TW5000 is a higher range model from last year. The difference in specs is interesting: higher contrast (75000:1) rather than (18000:1), but I think (not sure) the HDMI ports are 1.3a rather than 1.3b. The manual learned me that it has more processing options (noise reduction algorithms, frame interpolation, ...).
So, which is the better option: the higher range model from last year, or the lower range model from this year?
(on paper I'd say the EH-TW5000)

edit: never mind, I misread the prices (different currencies... )

Jörg