$999 HD1080p compared to High End 1080P Home Theater Projectors

[roehoved]

The 5th element! God It's long time I have seen that movie :)

[Edel99]

Thanks for the video!!!

[JISINSANE3]

The cheaper one has better color.

[HoBustinJopson]

ive had the optoma h20 for over a year now. it's AWESOME. i use it for blu ray movies, xbox and sports games.

[ahnahoj]

Anyone know if you can choose between in 60hz or 120hz in the menu system of the higher end home theater projectors or do you have to suffer from the "overflow" of frames, which makes it look like crap(or at least to me it does)? I bought a high end sharp LCD tv years back and it suffered from this as well and it ended up at the garbage dump. I do not like to make the same misstake again :)

[davmodf]

I own the Epson 6500ub and it is definitely a big step up over my entry level DLP projector. But, I'm a little confused by your claim of a 120hz frame rate on the Epson. The unit I have gives a framerate on the info menu and the manual of just under 60hz. with or without FI on unless I'm playing a Blu Ray in which case it's just under 24hz. Where does your claim for 120hz come from?

[ProjectorPeople]

@davmodf Hey there. We got the frame rate straight from the horse's mouth, err, I mean the manufacturer's spec sheet.

Unfortunately, YouTube won't let us post links in replies. If you google Epson 6500UB, one of the first sites to pop up will be Epson's home page. Click the link and you'll find the spec sheet there. The fourth bullet point is "120 Hz FineFrame™ tech. for smoother video."

Let me know if you have any trouble finding it.

[gccarvalho]

what is the best projector full hd with the price until 1000U$???

[Roflbrowser]

@gccarvalho HD20 hands down

[austinr524]

just makes me want to watch the 5th element.

[PlaystationLounge]

Multipass!!

[Liquidzer0]

I dont know, to me, the optoma is brighter, crisper and has better color--skins tones ever look better. Just my opinion

[lakersin2025]

The Epson looks way better. Blacks are much blacker in space scene and movement is cleaner but it did look like the actors were talking in ffwd for some reason. I want to find a shootout between the optoma hd20 vs the viewsonic pro 8100 now.

[wyattkavin]

great job, the differences in features and the difference in cost

[jinfire109]

5th element

[augray17]

hi. very nice video.. what is the movie called with bruce willis??

[nlavagna]

Hello.. is already some 3d projector? Dell's s300w claims that is 3d capable showing movies at 120hz, but I can't find any review. It's because it's new in the market? Thanks!!

[ProjectorPeople]

@nlavagna Yes, you are correct. This 3D business is still new for home theater applications, though they have been using it in education settings for a couple years now. There are no defined standards set yet for home theater 3D, so expect some news in the next few months about 3D projectors.

[manosglp]

Thank you very much for your reply!it seems that the Vivitek h1080fd is the best 'entry level' choice!

[manosglp]

It seems that the VIVITEK H1080FD is the best 'entry level' choice...thank's for your help!!!!!!

[manosglp]

OPTOMA HD 20? OR VIVITEK H1080FD?I'm confused.....which one should i buy?help!

[ProjectorPeople]

@manosglp The biggest differences between the two is connectivity, built-in speakers, and throw distance. Both projectors are essentially the same imagewise, though each manufacturer tweaks them differently for a difference out of the box.

Also, don't be afraid to call a projector expert to help answer more questions. They may also be able to get you a better price.

[ProjectorPeople]

@manosglp We also have a Projector Comparison page on the site that can give you a head to head look at the specifications for each projector.

[TheDuddaMan]

I just got an HD 20 that shit plays good as hell I love the pic and I don't have any screen it's well worth the money get one

[AnimeNanashi]

I don't doubt that the high end projector is quite a bit better, but is it really worth $1,000+ more to be able to shift the image? I think it would be cheaper to move the mount really. The only thing I can think of is if you move around a lot, and in that case, I'd imagine you wouldn't need such a high resolution. GOOD video though, thanks!

[Jtp101z]

looked the same to me

[daniel9940]

what movie is that

[ProjectorPeople]

It's the Fifth Element

[threnodyfilm]

120hz is NOT a frame rate, it's a REFRESH rate. NOTHING to do with what was shot on film, or what the frame rate of the video file is. Please correct these types of things so we don't see consumers who are misinformed.

[ProjectorPeople]

Thanks for the suggestion. noted.

[weekendtotaal]

ive ordererd a hd20 for €875 today i hope it is good=D

[Bradbssargdons]

me too! i mean the difference in the high end projector images verses the HD20 Optoma is well apparent but the HD20 is just incredibly affordable. I read somewhere that an equivalent projector 5 years ago would have cost 15 grand or more. so hopefully in a couple years, the really good ones will have a big price drop.

[RAM4486]

i like the hd20 the ub looks like its in fast forward

[Bradbssargdons]

i was thinkin the same thing. it looks so real that it looks fake or 'fast forward-ish'. wonder why it looks that way?....

[wreckerpecker]

What is the greatest distance from screen usable for a projector? Is it better to be close or far? I have a room almost 17' wall to wall and 9' ceiling height. Hanging a projector from the ceiling is not practical because it will be vaulted. Also, what brands should I be looking at? I plan to have connection to computers and DVD player. Looking for bang for buck mostly

THX

[ProjectorPeople]

Hi Wrecker, it is going to depend on which projector you purchase and the size of the screen you want. Each projector has a different "throw distance" that determines the size of the image from X distance. As you go further back, the image gets larger and dimmer. But a zoom lens gives you greater range of feet to meet your target. Also, there are vaulted ceiling mount options available, so that could work for you. I'd recommend calling a sales person. They'll do the throw distance math for you.

[ProjectorPeople]

Also, as for what brands to look for, you've got a pretty wide range these days. Our best sellers are the Panasonic PT-AE4000U and Epson Home Cinema 8500 UB in the high end category. We also have some very popular $999 true HD1080p projectors that are new to market this year. They typically won't have the zoom lens or lens shift of the high end units I mentioned. So you'd have to be more careful with throw if you take that route. Also, there are high end DLP projectors for those who prefer DLP.

[oooanthonyooo]

what screens are you testing these on ?

have you heard of diamond screens and do they live up to the hype?

[ProjectorPeople]

@oooanthonyooo Love, love, LOVE the Black Diamon screen! They're a tad pricey though. So, for your question, i guess it depends how much hype you've heard. Even a lower lumen, lower contrast projector offers a very rich color and very deep black on a BD screen. The BD also actually nearly eliminates the reflection off the screen, which means the room is actually darker with a BD in it. Its the cheapest way to get a 106-inch plasma-like image, but it still ain't cheap at $2500-3000 or so.

[skital]

How does the the 142" (or is it 143?) Black Diamond 2? I used only a few lights at the most and a Sharp DT-500 projector. So I can turn the static iris on or off. Will I get a plasma like picture with it and will it retain good dark scenes still?

[ProjectorPeople]

@skital i haven't seen the Black Diamond with that projector, but I've seen it with a 900 lumen projector and it looked really good. In some ways, the BD screen looks better than a plasma because you get less reflection. But there is always a difference when looking at a reflected image versus an active light source. That said. A 142-inch plasma would cost a bit more - if you can find one for sale. If you get a 2.35:1 aspect ratio it'll be 142". Also, make sure you call for the best price!

[oooanthonyooo]

very true but consider ur alternitives ..

best buy has " onsale" a LED super thin tv for Sale: $2,499.99 and thats at only 55 inches ...

Ill take the 106 inch please ..

Remember this Projector people . There is only 1 reason why most men dont have a Projector in the house and that is wifes

[ProjectorPeople]

@oooanthonyooo I like the LED TVs, but there is a difference, as you say, between 56 and 106-inches. We can ways to convince any wife to purchase a projector. We've been doing it for years! :) One trick, if you have kids, is to have them watch one movie and play the Wii on a projector... outdoors... on a hot summer night... Your kids will think you're magic... and the greatest parents in the universe! Always a good feeling. If you don't have kids, call us for additional suggestions. :)

[oooanthonyooo]

dude laser disks had to be fliped every 30 to 45 min remember.. besides its not too long till all dvds will be switched over to downloadable content or smaller sd cards

[ProjectorPeople]

You are probably right for high end home theater, but for schools and churches, and even for those who don't have an HD home theater yet, those connections can make the difference between a show or no show. Since they don't have a need to make HT projectors smaller just yet, the connections don't hurt, and can provide some flexibility. But yeah, don't use either on your giant projection screen unless you love a crappy picture. :)

[ivalero]

I have a question for the experts. As far as I knew, that crappy ''digital video feel'' on movies shown on new screens was due to 60Hz not being able to be split evenly across 24f. now, being 120 a multiple of 24, 120Hz is capable of dividing evenly the frames, thus keeping the ''movie feel''. So 120 solves the problem. 60 gives that awful look. Am I right?

Thanks!

[ProjectorPeople]

Actually we there are times when the advantage goes to either the 120hz and 60hz refresh rates. Events/movies are ideally watched in the same format they were filmed or recorded natively. Some folks that think 120Hz looks too realistic for traditional movies. A movie like Avatar, or other animated pictures, won't likely suffer as much from the effect. HD sports are also very nice in 120hz. On many 120Hz you can select 60 or 120Hz so you can pick your rate. Does that answer the question?

[ivalero]

Yes! Thanks a lot. For some reason I thought 60Hz was the ''realistic look'', which bothers me a big deal. Now I can get an optoma/vivitek/benq 1080p projector, as movies are what I'm going to watch mostly, this is great news.

[george5563]

best explanation ever of how to choose a projector!!!!

[TheJayster1234]

the lower the hrz rate the better it is for movies

[Anoon]

the Epson looked alot better, due to the optoma's brithness details are washed out as if they are being over exposed. You can really tell during the part where the alien is flying the ship. You can also see towards the end of the video the Espon has a much more natural color.

[obscure741]

what about 120 hz for gaming would it be good

[ProjectorPeople]

it has the connectivity for gaming and would probably do a pretty good job. there may be some games where the darker areas are hard to see - in the shaddows, etc. But if you're playing Rock Band, no problems.

[obscure741]

awesome review thank you

[Unity0Is0Power]

Yeah... Aren't most movies captured at 24Fps... Little true frames and many fake ones lie in 120Hz/fps.!!?

[echo676]

120HZ ruins the whole point of movies being shot at 24P mode.

[jackbrando]

I hate the 120hz option! It takes even the most beautiful image and turns it to shit!

[mtothem93]

lol? what u mean?

[jackbrando]

120 hz can take a beautiful film image shot by Vittorio Storaro and turns it into something that looks like it was shot on a video camera. 60hz actually mirrors the shutter effect of watching film projected. Ask any cinematographer what they think about 60hz vs 120hz and they will tell you that. If you're going to watch football it's fine. But if you're trying to emulate the cinema effect you would never use it. Surprised that two people found the time to give a negative vote on that one!

[corradosexy]

you are correct this guy does know that 120hz is crap

[spydyrman420]

very great job overall. Learned a lot.

[Anoon]

the epson has better blacks and I believe looks more like it's been calibrated, while the optima is too bright and the colors too pushy. The 120hz is really kinda weird, it makes movies look like home video which I don't really like, but I have yet to watch a whole movie in 120hz so I will hold off further judgement till then. As of now though I feel like it kinda takes away the traditional movie look that we have been used to since tv has been out practically.

[omegaslast]

wow that 120hz "3d" look is basically what i expect a home movie of christmas to look like, not at all what i would think of a professional film SHOULD look like. to anyone who isnt blind that isnt a "feature" its something that should be disabled.

[tf51d]

It may be me but from this video the Optoma actually looks better. Look at the detail of the star field, you can see many more stars then the Epson model.

[bobkilla430]

i agree, i thought the optoma looked alot better, the 75000 contrast ratio is dynamic which =hype. svideo is going out anyways and so is optical. there is no use for either of them anymore bc hdmi is better and the norm for hd.

[corradosexy]

I have the optoma hd20 and it has the best picture compared to other projector costing up to $10.000 and $15.000

[albert2090]

Had those projector been Professionally Cablibrate? Or just manufacture setting?

[ProjectorPeople]

Hello albert. We used out of the box settings for this demonstration.

[Volokh333]

I'd like to see how the new $999 Vivitek compares.

[ProjectorPeople]

Me too! We will do a shootout of the $999 projectors and maybe the new entry level Mitsubushi and post our thoughts after we have them all in stock to compare.

[Lotrioni]

its $999 and also £999 in the UK. why?

[ProjectorPeople]

The suggested selling prices are set by the manufacturers, so I would guess it's thought by Optoma to be a good price point in both markets. I'm not privy to the reasoning is behind that decision though.

[stryker7x]

wow thanks you finally made a very good detailed and well made video I would take the optoma HD20 LCD will gradually loose it's black level overtime due their technology also the Optoma is brighter capable of handling bigger screens plus is way cheaper yest it's black level is not the best but you get what you paid for if you want more prepare to spend more

[ProjectorPeople]

Glad you liked the video! We are open to suggestions for future videos if you have ideas.

[stryker7x]

well this video helps many projector newbies in several ways, overall it gives explanation to the technologies and performance to cost ratio. If I where Projector People I would post a 5 to 8 min. video introduction explanation specs. and a minute or two of true video performance of each of the new Home and Office projectors that you currently offer for sale. but I got say this video helps a lot unlike several of which you guys upload it last year with the Panasonic PT line ..... thank you

[ProjectorPeople]

We do have our demo area at hometheaterpeople. We have most of the HT models released before this June up for comparison. We use the same camera, source material, and space to film them. You can do a head-to-head comparison there for a sense of the true video performance. But we don't do many video introductions to new products so often. I will add that to the list of things to do as the new products come out and see what I can do. Thanks for the feedback!

[pogobull]

great vid

[ProjectorPeople]

Thanks pogobull, glad you liked it. Hopefully we're getting a handle on what people are looking for from us. I've heard some good and bad feedback on this one. Some feel like it's not a fair fight since we are comparing an entry level to higher end projector. Others are glad they were able to get a better sense of the differences between them. Glad this one helped you make up your mind. We are open to suggestions for future vids if you have any.

[pringals]

The Epson 6500 is obviously a more superior projector. I would have preferred to see the Epson 6100 up against the HD20. How about a side by side with the HD20, X10, and 6100? ... That's my current short list... That is until Mitsubishi releases their 3800 budget beast in October.

[ProjectorPeople]

We put these two projectors together because people ask every day about how the new $999 projectors stack up against the current best sellers. All want to know if they should spend the extra cash, or if they'll be happy with the $999 units. BUT, we will be adding all of the new projectors to our home theater people showroom when we get them in. The showroom gives a more apples to apples, than this quick feature comparison. Should add all those you mention and more. The 6100 and X10 are up now.

[vertigo135]

The Epson is better, but the Optoma has the best quality/price ratio...

Buy the projector that fits your budget.

[MrBee671]

Optoma FTW!

[trexx32]

have some balls projector people and give us some ratings

[ProjectorPeople]

If you read the notes on the description, those might be helpful. Both have their pro's and cons.

[movecana]

i dont getit which one has the better quality?