Projector recommendations

[JBrax]

So, I now have a dedicated room and have been shopping for a projector. It’s all a bit overwhelming because while I have a basic knowledge I really don’t understand many of the listed specs. I’d love to have a projector like @Sonnie but unfortunately it’s way out of my budget. I keep seeing the Epson 5050UB pop up but it’s now a 2 year old model. My preferred budget is $3-$4K but I could maybe bump it up a bit if I’d gain a considerable upgrade in doing so. I’ve always been a fan of Sony and many of their offerings are north of my stated budget. It looks like many of the JVC’s also get glowing reviews. My main focus is obviously movies but it will also pull sports watching duties and a little PS5 action from time to time. I’ll post up some pics of the room later today. Please help me out with some recommendations!

 

[JBrax]

Here are some pics of the room. I apologize this room is currently in a state of disarray from the recent move. My thought is mounting the projector on the inset part of the room and putting the screen on the wall across from it. The distance is about 14.5’ so I think I should be good on the throw distance?

 

[JStewart]

How wide a screen will that spot accommodate (factoring room for the intended speakers)? Is HDR important? Will the light colored carpet, furniture and wall colors stay? How far will eyeballs be from the screen?

 

[JBrax]

Yes, room colors and carpet will stay. HDR is a must! The space will definitely accommodate the 120” screen I want. Seating position should be approximately 10’ from the screen. Another thing is light in the room can be taken to complete darkness.

 

[mechman]

The one thing that I’ve been waiting for that would make me change out my 5050 would be an affordable laser with comparable black levels and decent color coverage. I believe LG has one coming out soon if it hasn’t already. But I haven’t had the time to check out what people are saying about it yet. It’s the HU810PW or HU810PB.

 

[JBrax]

The short throw lasers are AMAZING! Just so expensive!

 

[mechman]

Ok I went down the rabbit hole a bit and looked into it. From what I gathered, the 5050 is still the preferred pj at it’s price point. Also, Epson offers refurbished units at full warranty for ~30% off on it’s site occasionally.

My only beef with he Epson is that when you engage the color filter, brightness does take a hit. But I’ve never been a big brightness cheerleader. I sit pretty firmly in the deep blacks camp.

You can get dynamic tone mapping with an HD Fury Vertex 2 if you choose the Epson too.

 

[mechman]

The short throw lasers are AMAZING! Just so expensive!

That LG is a long throw projector. I think it’s the first laser that isn’t short throw.

 

[JBrax]

Ok I went down the rabbit hole a bit and looked into it. From what I gathered, the 5050 is still the preferred pj at it’s price point. Also, Epson offers refurbished units at full warranty for ~30% off on it’s site occasionally.

My only beef with he Epson is that when you engage the color filter, brightness does take a hit. But I’ve never been a big brightness cheerleader. I sit pretty firmly in the deep blacks camp.

You can get dynamic tone mapping with an HD Fury Vertex 2 if you choose the Epson too.

Yes, the 5050 is consistently in the reviews. Might just be the one?

 

[Todd Anderson]

Hey Jeff- At that price point, go with the Epson and one of the Panasonic 4K players (820 or 9000). The biggest problem with projectors and HDR is brightness. The JVC NX7 and NX9 have tone mapping capabilities that work miraculously well, but I'd avoid older JVC models that claim 4K/HDR (PQ is highly variable from film to film because they have terrible tone mapping tech onboard).

Panasonic's 4K players have excellent tone mapping capabilities that send a 4k image to projectors that look great. And you can't go wrong with Epson's 5050x. It's the only one I'd buy if I were you.

 

[JBrax]

Hey Jeff- At that price point, go with the Epson and one of the Panasonic 4K players (820 or 9000). The biggest problem with projectors and HDR is brightness. The JVC NX7 and NX9 have tone mapping capabilities that work miraculously well, but I'd avoid older JVC models that claim 4K/HDR (PQ is highly variable from film to film because they have terrible tone mapping tech onboard).

Panasonic's 4K players have excellent tone mapping capabilities that send a 4k image to projectors that look great. And you can't go wrong with Epson's 5050x. It's the only one I'd buy if I were you.

Thanks for the info Todd! I really like those JVC’s but the finance committee will absolutely not sign off on $10K+ at this time. I’m leaning towards that 5050. I think I’ll be ok on the brightness front because there’s zero natural light.

 

[Todd Anderson]

Jeff - while the colors in your room aren't ideal, I wouldn't sweat them too much. Grey on the walls and rug is a step in the right direction... white in ceiling is going to be reflective, but the room is small enough that you're going to be getting a lot of light from your PJ.

Worst case would be a room with red. Red reflecting back on your screen would be a big no-no. And, if the light grey is too light, you could always take it a shade or two darker without changing the color of the room! ;-)

 

[Todd Anderson]

Thanks for the info Todd! I really like those JVC’s but the finance committee will absolutely not sign off on $10K+ at this time. I’m leaning towards that 5050. I think I’ll be ok on the brightness front because there’s zero natural light.

The 5050 is excellent... Mech obviously owns one and can vouch for it. I've seen it in action at Epson's booth at CEDIA. As long as you run it in the equivalent of a Cinema or Film mode, you'll be given an excellent cinematic experience. And that's the goal of Epson's engineering team. It's a brand that's very in tune with what enthusiasts want performance-wise.

Like I said, if playing 4K discs is a goal, getting the 820 or 9000 is the right move. @Robert Zohn sells them at his shop. Great place to buy, and you'll be able to ask him for tips on setup! ;-)

 

[JBrax]

Ok, appreciate all of the feedback! I really don’t want to paint the room as it’s basically brand new. We’ll see? I’ll definitely throw some business Robert’s way. Time to find a deal on that 5050.

 

[JBrax]

Befo

 

[JBrax]

Before I pull the trigger is this Sony worth the additional funds?

 

[Todd Anderson]

Hmm... yeah, I think you are beginning to tread in territory that’s better. Honestly, Jeff, if the budget *might* be stepping in that direction, I think you owe it to yourself to search for pricing on a JVC NX5... because the NX5 has JVC’s well regarded Frame Adapt capabilities.
See what Rob Sabin has to say about that in his reviews of the Sony and JVC over at Projector Centeal.

I’d call AV Science and see what their pricing is (sometimes they carry B stock JVC, too!!!)... I’d also call Robert @Value Electronics... and give Projector People a call. The only way to get an idea of best pricing is to chat on the phone.

 

[Travis Ballstadt]

Hmm... yeah, I think you are beginning to tread in territory that’s better. Honestly, Jeff, if the budget *might* be stepping in that direction, I think you owe it to yourself to search for pricing on a JVC NX5... because the NX5 has JVC’s well regarded Frame Adapt capabilities.
See what Rob Sabin has to say about that in his reviews of the Sony and JVC over at Projector Centeal.

I’d call AV Science and see what their pricing is (sometimes they carry B stock JVC, too!!!)... I’d also call Robert @Value Electronics... and give Projector People a call. The only way to get an idea of best pricing is to chat on the phone.

If you also need a screen, Chris at SeymourAV is also a JVC dealer and he can do package deals, and he’ll calibrate your projector to your screen at the proper distance before shipping. Also worth a call.

 

[Todd Anderson]

Don’t forget... the JVC NX series is also sold as the JVC RS series. NX is the consumer line, RS are the same models sold to installers.

Beyond the tone mapping capabilities, JVC has the best black level performance. A huge factor in image quality.
Worth checking out... and if Epson ends up being the most appealing, you’re still going to have an excellent experience

 

[JBrax]

I’m currently negotiating with the finance committee. She was ok with the $3k but is pushing back a bit on the $8K. Whatever we decide will be a cash purchase and we dropped a considerable amount on this new house. Debt free at the moment and want to keep it that way. Still negotiating so we’ll see?

 

[Travis Ballstadt]

I’m currently negotiating with the finance committee. She was ok with the $3k but is pushing back a bit on the $8K. Whatever we decide will be a cash purchase and we dropped a considerable amount on this new house. Debt free at the moment and want to keep it that way. Still negotiating so we’ll see?

One more tip. Before you lock in to negotiate $8K for a JVC, speak with a couple of the dealers mentioned above and make sure that you’re negotiating with the most accurate number.

 

[JBrax]

One more tip. Before you lock in to negotiate $8K for a JVC, speak with a couple of the dealers mentioned above and make sure that you’re negotiating with the most accurate number.

Definitely will be calling around!

 

[keylooper]

One thing to consider (may not matter to you) is the Epson isn’t native 4K, instead uses their pixel shifting technology. The Sony 295 is the cheapest native 4K projector. I, personally, just installed the JVC NX5 and am extremely happy with it. I’m at around (don’t remember the exact number) 19’ throw on to a 150” screen. Blacks are black, picture looks amazing, etc. So, if your finance department won’t let the budget stretch then no doubt I’d go for the Epson in that ~$3k range. If you can get it up some (msrp is double) I’d do (and did) the NX5/RS1000. The Sony 295 will save you ~$1k and still give you native 4K. The NX7/9 (RS2000/3000) are amazing but you’re really bumping your budget up for them.

 

[keylooper]

Oh, and heed the advice to call around. Not only can it save you some money, I’ve also heard of warranty issues when buying through some Amazon resellers due to them not being official dealers. Just be careful.

 

[JStewart]

If you also need a screen, Chris at SeymourAV is also a JVC dealer and he can do package deals, and he’ll calibrate your projector to your screen at the proper distance before shipping. Also worth a call.

Great advice and don't discount the value of getting the best screen for what you're looking get out of the projector with the room and looking for HDR and sports (possibly with more ambient light?)