Please help me choose the right Projector for my Home Theater.

[john_k_antony]

Hi,

I am building a dedicated home theater room for my new house. The room in 24ftx15.5ftx10ft. I am planning to put a 150" screen (11ftx6.2ft) with a seating distance of 21ft. I used some calculator from net and found that THX recommended distance for 150" screen is 20.5ft for HD contents.

Now the time has come for me to choose the right projector for my HT room. I am confused between the following models

1. Epson 8350 (Epson 3600) : 2D, 2000lumens, 50,000:1 contrast ratio, 3LCD.
2. Epson 3010 (Epson 6000) : 3D, 2200lumens, 40,000:1 contrast ratio, 3LCD.
3. Panasonic PT-AR100U : 2D, 2800lumens, 50,000:1 contrast ratio, 3LCD.

I didn't like the DLP based projectors so not including them. I saw lots of "rainbow effect" with DLP projectors I have seen. LCD looked better for my eyes.

Well, I did some research and found that if you have a dedicated HT room with no ambient light, then its better to go for a projector with less lumen output so that the blacks are rendered well. In that way Epson 8350 looks like a good option. However, Epson 3010 has the similar specs and price as 8350 and its a new model. It also has 3D. But I don't think I will be able to use 3D as my AVR - Denon 2310 doesn't support HDMI 3D pass through. And I also feel that 3D technology on projectors still has a long way to go. Because I was not impressed with some 3D projectors I have seen during my research. And 3D glasses are expensive too.

Now that I am going to project on a 150" screen, do I need more lumens to lit up the screen? Is 2000 lumens on 8350 enough for 150" screen? Or should I consider 3010 that has 2200 lumens but less contrast ration compared to other two projectors.

I also read that since Panasonic is the brightest, the blacks are not rendered as good as Epsons.

I am kind of inclined towards Epson 8350. I would really like your comments and recommendations on choosing the right projector.

Thanks,
John.

 

[aashish351]

Lumens and black levels are not related. Panasonic Home Theatre projector are excellent products, nevertheless, Epson ones are also equally rated.

If the price difference between 8350 and 3010 is not much, 3D feature is a bonus. And, you don't need to route HDMI through the AVR. Connect the HDMI directly to Projector and take the sound to the AVR via Optical or Digital (it might actually be better).

 

[kaadye]

THX recommended distance for 150" screen is 20.5ft for HD contents.

just a thought since none of the projectors you mentioned are thx certified so you might end up placing the projector at a much nearer distance and might reduce the picture size.

the dynamic contrast ratio mentioned are not of much use. also another thing to consider is the lamp life and the service and warranty that is available with the products because projector repairs can get expensive.

 

[john_k_antony]

Thank you very much for the clarification Aashish.

What I have now is I have a DVD player (soon to be upgraded to BD player) and a WD Live media player both connected to my AVR and then from AVR I connect to my display (I have a 50" TV now, that will be replaced by the projector) all through HDMI. Now I will need to switch the HDMI cable between the BD player and AVR when my source changes. I will see if I can find a a HDMI multiplexer or switch with remote.

BTW, I was reading through the specs of Epson 5010. It is much superior to 3010 on the paper. It has CFI (Creative Frame Interpolation) and blacks are much deeper. And 5010 has a whopping 200,000:1 contrast ratio and 2400 lumens. And it is THX certified. But its $1000 more expensive than 3010 :sad:. Do you guys think 5010 is worth the extra $1000?

Do you guys recommend a higher lumen projector for projecting images on to a 150" screen? or is 2000 lumens good enough?

Thanks,
John.

 

[manoj.p]

There are rated lumens and usable lumens. If you want to light up 150" screen, stick with Epson 3010. It retains most of the light output in the usable range. Also remember, all the lamps lose about 25% brightness in first 100 hrs, then it settles down. Keep that in mind.

Its better to start with more lumens, because you can tame it down. If the projector lacks lumens, there is no way to add it. If I were you, I will get 3010.

 

[deba]

How about BenQ Projectors ?

 

[john_k_antony]

I think I will bite the bullet and go for the Epson 5010 . It has high lumen output (2400 lumens) and reviews say the 3D brightness is far superior to 3010 and Panasonic.

I will keep reading more reviews online.

Unfortunately 5010 is not released in India yet. So cannot get a demo anywhere. I am planning to go get a demo of 3010 (TW 6000) this weekend at DNI home theater in Bellandur, Bangalore. They have 8350 and 3010.

Thanks,
John.

 

[john_k_antony]

How about BenQ Projectors ?

Haven't seen any BenQ in action. I am not sure about the service network of BenQ in Bangalore. I feel that Epson is better in terms of service.

 

[rajadeep]

I think I will bite the bullet and go for the Epson 5010 . It has high lumen output (2400 lumens) and reviews say the 3D brightness is far superior to 3010 and Panasonic.

I will keep reading more reviews online.

Unfortunately 5010 is not released in India yet. So cannot get a demo anywhere. I am planning to go get a demo of 3010 (TW 6000) this weekend at DNI home theater in Bellandur, Bangalore. They have 8350 and 3010.

Thanks,
John.

The 5010(TW9000) is not launched in India... Best price for TW6000 that I got so far is 95k without glasses & 1.05lacs with 2 x 3D glasses... While the 8350 is around 80k... I dont think you will notice any diff in brightness between the 8350 & the 3010... But if u really dont care for 3D then the 8350 is a superior projector to the 3010 in 2D performance... Plus it has lens shift(which might not be a big plus to you as u are making a dedicated HT room)... Another projector you can look at is a Panasonic AE4000 for 2D & the AE7000 for 3D... Although these projectors with bill & warranty are on the higher side in India... The AE4000 should run u around 1.30 lacs while the AE7000 will be 2 Lac plus... Also if you have that high a budget you can even look into the Sony HW30ES based on SXRD tech... It should run you 2 lac plus.. Personally I feel the best bang for buck 2D projector in India with B&W is the TW3600 & in 3D its TW6000... But if you are not big on 3D viewing save urself 25k & buy a TW3600 ...

 

[john_k_antony]

Thanks to you all for valuable feedbacks.

I am more inclined towards Epson 5010 now. I will get it from US for $2600 (~Rs 1,30,000). Some reviews said it is has got the brightest 3D performance among the competition including Panasonic AE7000.

BTW, I am going to see a demo of Epson 3010 (TW6000) today to see how the 3D experience is. If I am not impressed, then I might change my plan to go with a 3D projector.

What you guys think of Sony Blue ray player - BDP 480 (http://www.sony.co.in/product/bdp-s480)? Looks like its got all the bells and whistles plus 3D playback capability. It retails at INR 15K MRP.

Thanks,
John.

 

[john_k_antony]

I have decided to go for the following

Projector - Epson 5010 (TW-8000) Getting from India. I had an option to get it from US and it works out to be cheaper. But not doing that as I am worried about the service.

BDP - Region free Oppo BDP-93 (Getting from US - Bombay Electronics Chicago | 220 Volt Electronics & Appliances)

Thanks much for all the replies.

Thanks,
John.

 

[yrk1969]

I have decided to go for the following

Projector - Epson 5010 (TW-8000) Getting from India. I had an option to get it from US and it works out to be cheaper. But not doing that as I am worried about the service.

BDP - Region free Oppo BDP-93 (Getting from US - Bombay Electronics Chicago | 220 Volt Electronics & Appliances)

Thanks much for all the replies.

Thanks,
John.

How much is TW8000 here?

Thanks.

 

[manoj.p]

The Oppo player is universal, multi-voltage. You need not pay more for multi voltage. Just get is for $499.99 from Amazon or Oppo directly.

 

[rshri]

I am more inclined towards Epson 5010 now. I will get it from US for $2600 (~Rs 1,30,000). Some reviews said it is has got the brightest 3D performance among the competition including Panasonic AE7000.

Even I am interested in Epson 5010. Where can we get this in India with warranty?

 

[HTuser]

Where we can audition Epson TW6000/8000/9000 in Hyderabad?
What is the approx price for TW9000 in India?