3D Movie Projector Advice Please...
Discussion
I have had a home cinema / projector system for about 10 years.
I have had the current projector for about (gulp) 7 or 8 years. It is a Sony Cineza VPL HS2 which I am sure is pretty poor by today's standards. TBH, I am not even sure how it compared with the standards when I got it, but over the years we have been happy with what we had and often enjoyed the "event" of watching a big screen movie without wishing the picture was somehow "better."
However.... I would now like to replace it with something that is better and will let me show 3D Blueray HD movies. Not really being into AV things, I am at a bit of a loss as to what would be a good buy for a fairly decent quality item for a fairly occasional user. In terms of budget, having just bought a Samsung LED tv at Christmas for about £1500 I was hoping/wondering/(wishing) that there might be something suitable within that?
Help, advice, pointers and recommendations welcome.
Edited to add:
The helpful bloke on the phone at Richard Sound in Edinburgh has recommended an Epson EH-TW6100 and will set up a demo for me tomorrow.
I have had the current projector for about (gulp) 7 or 8 years. It is a Sony Cineza VPL HS2 which I am sure is pretty poor by today's standards. TBH, I am not even sure how it compared with the standards when I got it, but over the years we have been happy with what we had and often enjoyed the "event" of watching a big screen movie without wishing the picture was somehow "better."
However.... I would now like to replace it with something that is better and will let me show 3D Blueray HD movies. Not really being into AV things, I am at a bit of a loss as to what would be a good buy for a fairly decent quality item for a fairly occasional user. In terms of budget, having just bought a Samsung LED tv at Christmas for about £1500 I was hoping/wondering/(wishing) that there might be something suitable within that?
Help, advice, pointers and recommendations welcome.
Edited to add:
The helpful bloke on the phone at Richard Sound in Edinburgh has recommended an Epson EH-TW6100 and will set up a demo for me tomorrow.
Edited by renmure on Sunday 5th January 13:49
With 3D projectors in that price range, most will be DLP based. This is good for image quality, as DLP technology makes crosstalk and ghosting near impossible. The byproduct however is what's called rainbow effect. Some people are affected by this, some are not. This is where a demo comes in handy.
The Epson that Richer's mentioned to you is LCD based so wont have this issue, and it's a good performer at that price point. There's a proper review of it here: http://www.avforums.com/review/epson-tw6100-eh-tw6...
Other options come in the way of BenQ and Optoma, both of which are DLP based but worth demo'ing to see what you make of it (if it's at Richer Sounds, they stock both brands so shouldn't be an issue).
Avoid WhatHiFi reviews as they just produce garbage on a 'how much are we getting paid' basis. AV Forums, as noted above, is a good place to start.
The Epson that Richer's mentioned to you is LCD based so wont have this issue, and it's a good performer at that price point. There's a proper review of it here: http://www.avforums.com/review/epson-tw6100-eh-tw6...
Other options come in the way of BenQ and Optoma, both of which are DLP based but worth demo'ing to see what you make of it (if it's at Richer Sounds, they stock both brands so shouldn't be an issue).
Avoid WhatHiFi reviews as they just produce garbage on a 'how much are we getting paid' basis. AV Forums, as noted above, is a good place to start.
Thanks to both. Today has been spent searching AVForums to death (great Search facility and just shows how a Search Function should work)
Unfortunately it seems quite easy for the beginner to get a bit bamboozled but it was reassuring that both the Optoma and BenQ were also mentioned by the guy from Richer Sounds as being in the same ball park as the Epson. I am guessing that I will drive through to Edinburgh tomorrow and be suitably impressed with that one and get it..... hopefully
Unfortunately it seems quite easy for the beginner to get a bit bamboozled but it was reassuring that both the Optoma and BenQ were also mentioned by the guy from Richer Sounds as being in the same ball park as the Epson. I am guessing that I will drive through to Edinburgh tomorrow and be suitably impressed with that one and get it..... hopefully
Some good advice here:
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Also a different review of the Epson EH TW 6100 here:
http://www.whathifi.com/review/epson-eh-tw6100w
which basically says it's the best thing ever.
I assume you are aware, but the EH-TW6100 is the same device but in black, without the wireless HDMI and about £200 cheaper.
I'd be very interested to know your thoughts as I'm hoping to buy a PJ in the next few weeks and the Epson is at the top of my list.
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Also a different review of the Epson EH TW 6100 here:
http://www.whathifi.com/review/epson-eh-tw6100w
which basically says it's the best thing ever.
I assume you are aware, but the EH-TW6100 is the same device but in black, without the wireless HDMI and about £200 cheaper.
I'd be very interested to know your thoughts as I'm hoping to buy a PJ in the next few weeks and the Epson is at the top of my list.
Well, it was an interesting day
Went through to Richer Sounds in Edinburgh for the demo and was blown away by the projector, both in 2D and 3D.
As I said above, my current Sony projector probably was a fairly low standard to beat, but it always did the job and seemed more than good enough to me, so it might be poor comparison... but WOW!!
Anyhow, I happily handed over my cash and headed home as a happy chappy. The demo room used the black hard-wired version of the projector rather than the wireless. I wanted the hard wired one anyhow I don't really have any problems running the cables to the unit. Took me an hour or so to connect everything up when I got home and have just spent the last hour gawping at Avatar in 3D on a 120 inch screen.
Only downside it that the unit only comes with one pair of glasses and additional pairs are about £80 per pair. However, it seems that the glasses that came with my Samsung 3D LED TV also work although to be fair the Epson ones are far more comfortable to wear so I guess I will need to get another set for Mrs R. But... happy me
Went through to Richer Sounds in Edinburgh for the demo and was blown away by the projector, both in 2D and 3D.
As I said above, my current Sony projector probably was a fairly low standard to beat, but it always did the job and seemed more than good enough to me, so it might be poor comparison... but WOW!!
Anyhow, I happily handed over my cash and headed home as a happy chappy. The demo room used the black hard-wired version of the projector rather than the wireless. I wanted the hard wired one anyhow I don't really have any problems running the cables to the unit. Took me an hour or so to connect everything up when I got home and have just spent the last hour gawping at Avatar in 3D on a 120 inch screen.
Only downside it that the unit only comes with one pair of glasses and additional pairs are about £80 per pair. However, it seems that the glasses that came with my Samsung 3D LED TV also work although to be fair the Epson ones are far more comfortable to wear so I guess I will need to get another set for Mrs R. But... happy me
renmure said:
Well, it was an interesting day
Went through to Richer Sounds in Edinburgh for the demo and was blown away by the projector, both in 2D and 3D.
As I said above, my current Sony projector probably was a fairly low standard to beat, but it always did the job and seemed more than good enough to me, so it might be poor comparison... but WOW!!
Anyhow, I happily handed over my cash and headed home as a happy chappy. The demo room used the black hard-wired version of the projector rather than the wireless. I wanted the hard wired one anyhow I don't really have any problems running the cables to the unit. Took me an hour or so to connect everything up when I got home and have just spent the last hour gawping at Avatar in 3D on a 120 inch screen.
Only downside it that the unit only comes with one pair of glasses and additional pairs are about £80 per pair. However, it seems that the glasses that came with my Samsung 3D LED TV also work although to be fair the Epson ones are far more comfortable to wear so I guess I will need to get another set for Mrs R. But... happy me
Great, looking forward to seeing it for myself.Went through to Richer Sounds in Edinburgh for the demo and was blown away by the projector, both in 2D and 3D.
As I said above, my current Sony projector probably was a fairly low standard to beat, but it always did the job and seemed more than good enough to me, so it might be poor comparison... but WOW!!
Anyhow, I happily handed over my cash and headed home as a happy chappy. The demo room used the black hard-wired version of the projector rather than the wireless. I wanted the hard wired one anyhow I don't really have any problems running the cables to the unit. Took me an hour or so to connect everything up when I got home and have just spent the last hour gawping at Avatar in 3D on a 120 inch screen.
Only downside it that the unit only comes with one pair of glasses and additional pairs are about £80 per pair. However, it seems that the glasses that came with my Samsung 3D LED TV also work although to be fair the Epson ones are far more comfortable to wear so I guess I will need to get another set for Mrs R. But... happy me
I believe all active-shutter glasses will work with all active 3D devices, so as you have discovered glasses from one device will work with other devices but don't take that as gospel. You do also get 'passive' 3D devices (active glasses won't work on passive systems and vis versa) so it's all complicated...
Only thing to add for completeness... my eyesight isn't perfect. I have one strong eye and one weaker eye. It has never been an issue watching telly or even cinema at home without specs and the 6(ish) meter distance from seat to screen is just about the edge of my comfort zone but my "good" eye probably does most of the work.
I have quickly realised that this active 3D lark requires both my eyes to do their fair share and explains why I struggled to see things as sharp as everyone else. But, the Epson glasses allowed me to wear a pair of specs underneath so that is perfect, although the spending has continued as I have gone to Specsavers and got a pair of ultralight rimless prescription glasses which will fit even better
I have quickly realised that this active 3D lark requires both my eyes to do their fair share and explains why I struggled to see things as sharp as everyone else. But, the Epson glasses allowed me to wear a pair of specs underneath so that is perfect, although the spending has continued as I have gone to Specsavers and got a pair of ultralight rimless prescription glasses which will fit even better
renmure said:
Only thing to add for completeness... my eyesight isn't perfect. I have one strong eye and one weaker eye. It has never been an issue watching telly or even cinema at home without specs and the 6(ish) meter distance from seat to screen is just about the edge of my comfort zone but my "good" eye probably does most of the work.
I have quickly realised that this active 3D lark requires both my eyes to do their fair share and explains why I struggled to see things as sharp as everyone else. But, the Epson glasses allowed me to wear a pair of specs underneath so that is perfect, although the spending has continued as I have gone to Specsavers and got a pair of ultralight rimless prescription glasses which will fit even better
Never thought of that, I wear glasses myself...honestly I'm really not interested in 3D (although 'Prometheus' and, to a lesser extent IMHO, 'Avatar' were worth it) so I'll live!I have quickly realised that this active 3D lark requires both my eyes to do their fair share and explains why I struggled to see things as sharp as everyone else. But, the Epson glasses allowed me to wear a pair of specs underneath so that is perfect, although the spending has continued as I have gone to Specsavers and got a pair of ultralight rimless prescription glasses which will fit even better
Just to update this (even though it's not my thread...)
I just bought the Epson EH-TW6100.
To be honest I didn't compare it to the DLP based ones. After some research into the 'rainbow' effect I decided it would drive me crazy, even if I couldn't see it I'd be looking for it. Given that I notice the refraction patterns off my eye lashes and have to have special glass for my glasses so they don't glare I assume I'm quite susceptible to that sort of thing. No one was happier when CRT's and their headache inducing flickering went away.
I'm very happy with the projector. Temporarily projecting onto a 76 inch white screen with a gain of 1.0 it can produce dazzlingly (literally) bright pictures, even in 'eco' mode it's as bright as you can comfortably deal with even in the more subtle 'natural' mode.
I do understand the black level issue but it isn't a concern for me. The contrast ratio is so high the blacks look pretty dark, perhaps in absolute terms not quite on par with my modern LED but better then my 6 year old 32inch LCD screen and when combined with such brightness it just isn't an issue. If it really bothered you you could use a grey screen with a gain of 0.8 or so and make the blacks even better, it has the brightness to spare.
Oh, and I do not notice the operation of the auto iris either on the image (it's not like the dynamic contrast on a TV as I assumed it would be) and the sound it makes is subtle, you only hear it in an otherwise silent room. I have left it on, this coming from someone who has every image processing mode off on every TV they use.
In every other way; colour, detail, noise of the unit itself and even the sound it produces it's better then I expected.
I just bought the Epson EH-TW6100.
To be honest I didn't compare it to the DLP based ones. After some research into the 'rainbow' effect I decided it would drive me crazy, even if I couldn't see it I'd be looking for it. Given that I notice the refraction patterns off my eye lashes and have to have special glass for my glasses so they don't glare I assume I'm quite susceptible to that sort of thing. No one was happier when CRT's and their headache inducing flickering went away.
I'm very happy with the projector. Temporarily projecting onto a 76 inch white screen with a gain of 1.0 it can produce dazzlingly (literally) bright pictures, even in 'eco' mode it's as bright as you can comfortably deal with even in the more subtle 'natural' mode.
I do understand the black level issue but it isn't a concern for me. The contrast ratio is so high the blacks look pretty dark, perhaps in absolute terms not quite on par with my modern LED but better then my 6 year old 32inch LCD screen and when combined with such brightness it just isn't an issue. If it really bothered you you could use a grey screen with a gain of 0.8 or so and make the blacks even better, it has the brightness to spare.
Oh, and I do not notice the operation of the auto iris either on the image (it's not like the dynamic contrast on a TV as I assumed it would be) and the sound it makes is subtle, you only hear it in an otherwise silent room. I have left it on, this coming from someone who has every image processing mode off on every TV they use.
In every other way; colour, detail, noise of the unit itself and even the sound it produces it's better then I expected.
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