Best PJs on the market?

Rob Babcock · « **on:** 8 Jan 2006, 09:37 pm »

My HT rig is built around a standard def Plus Piano projector. Now with Blu-Ray and hi-def videogames coming along I need a new PJ. But I'm pretty out of date concerning specific new models.

I'm 90% determined to stick with DLP- I've yet to see an LCD FPTV at any price that can compete, but if there is one I'd be willing to check it out. Unfortunately, with the local Ultimate closing there aren't many places to actually look at one in my area, so I have to rely on reviews and word of mouth.

So, what are the top reasonably priced DLP and LCD PJs out there right now? Brightness in absolute terms isn't that important to me as my HT is completely light controlled, but contrast and black level are. It has to be able to at least display 720P and must be a native 16/9 panel. I'm willing to go used on V-Gon if it will buy me more PJ, or buy new. I did see the 9K Sharp for around $2000, which is a bargain (I have seen that one and the picture is fantastic).

Thanks for any input you have!

Rob Babcock · « **Reply #1 on:** 8 Jan 2006, 09:38 pm »

And yeah, I realize I should just check AVS forum or something, but I'm too lazy to sift thru their site.

zybar · « **Reply #2 on:** 8 Jan 2006, 09:59 pm »

Check out the Sanyo Z-4 or Panny AE-900.

I own a Marantz VP12-S1 and would buy either in a heartbeat.

I have seen and setup the Panny multiple times and it can produce an excellent picyure when configured properly.

The newest LCD pj's have caught up and in many cases passed the DLP's.

George

rosconey · « **Reply #3 on:** 8 Jan 2006, 10:05 pm »

i like pj's with feet booties -my giants ones are my favorite,the back flap is a quick release

jermmd · « **Reply #4 on:** 8 Jan 2006, 10:14 pm »

The Sony Ruby is the best projector for under $10k, the Sanyo and Panny are best bang for the buck but DLP's are getting cheaper in order to compete. I think Infocus just came out with a decent DLP FP in the $3k range.

I have the Panny 900 and it's really good. The Sony Ruby is the one to get right now if 1080P is an absolute necessity.

Rob Babcock · « **Reply #5 on:** 8 Jan 2006, 10:15 pm »

Quote from: rosconey

i like pj's with feet booties -my giants ones are my favorite,the back flap is a quick release

Well, I'll look at LCD, but the better ones I've seen up til 6 months ago simply don't look as good as DLP IMO, but maybe they've gotten better since last August.

I see Yamaha has a new one they unveiled at CES. Supposedly it's pretty damned good. At an msrp of $4k, maybe street prices will be under $3,000. I should mention that I'd like to keep it under $3,000 to $3,500 if possible.

zybar · « **Reply #6 on:** 8 Jan 2006, 10:25 pm »

Quote from: jermmd

The Sony Ruby is the best projector for under $10k, the Sanyo and Panny are best bang for the buck but DLP's are getting cheaper in order to compete. I think Infocus just came out with a decent DLP FP in the $3k range.

I have the Panny 900 and it's really good. The Sony Ruby is the one to get right now if 1080P is an absolute necessity.

Wait to buy the Sony. I have heard they are having quality issues.

Save your money and buy one of the ones I mentioned. There are great reviews on projectorcentral.com and you can also read about them on AVS.

These pj's can more than satisfy for the next year or two as triple chip DLP and other technologies become affordable.

Rob, I agree that until recently LCD wasn't up to DLP. Trust me, it is now!

George

Rob Babcock · « **Reply #7 on:** 8 Jan 2006, 10:35 pm »

One knock on some of the Infocus models has been noise- they reportedly are very loud. That's something I can't tolerate: any PJ that preplaces the Plus has to be just as quiet.

ted_b · « **Reply #8 on:** 8 Jan 2006, 10:46 pm »

Im in a similar boat in that my Runco 930 CRt pj has only some time left on the tubes, especially green. I will not spend big $$ on crt tubes, but the real problem is that LED-sourced DLP projectors are being introduced that'll revolutionize the market and will be 1080p. The thinking is that they will be affordable in 3 yrs. Sooo.....spend $2-4k in the meantime and have a great pj that will last a long time.

My native 16:9 720p pj synopsis:
* LCD is catching and in some ways surpassing DLP in the short term.

* The newer Darkchip3 DLP players are good, and the Optoma H78 is the value leader at about $3500 street. A new H72 is coming out very soon, and getting a buzz, but haven't figured where it sits.

* The LCD leaders are clearly the Panny AE900, the Sanyo Z4 and the Epson Cinema 800. The Panny and Z4 can be gotten for $2k, plus or minus. The Epson is another grand (in which case I'd also eval the Optoma DLP). Panny seems to have slight edge in HD viewing, while sharpness of Z4 is a DVD favorite. These are gross generalities, though. Both are world-beaters.

The Sony Ruby (WH100) is the new darling in the LCOS/SXRD world, 1080p capable, but is $10k list and may well be supplanted by the LED-sourced DLP projectors. $10k is not a lot in the history of projectors, but it is a lot for this changing market segment. That said, Ruby is right now da bomb.

Here's a good place to start:
http://www.projectorreviews.com/advice/hot_projectors/index.asp

fabaudio · « **Reply #9 on:** 8 Jan 2006, 10:50 pm »

Quote from: Rob Babcock

One knock on some of the Infocus models has been noise- they reportedly are very loud. That's something I can't tolerate: any PJ that preplaces the Plus has to be just as quiet.

Well, what are you waiting for? The Sanyo is SUPER quiet! Trust me it's not too painful to check out some specs and reviews on www.projectorcentral.com

Nick B · « **Reply #10 on:** 8 Jan 2006, 10:50 pm »

The 3LCD display at 1080p at the show was excellent....superior to any DLP's that I saw. I have no idea as to the cost. Companies that use that technology are listed at www.3lcd.com

Rob Babcock · « **Reply #11 on:** 8 Jan 2006, 11:04 pm »

Thanks, guys. I'll dig in over at projectorcentral. I'm just in the first stages of research right now.

A 3 chip LCD would be nice, but frankly if I had that kind of money I'd buy a 3 chip DLP. Again, I absolutely won't go over $3.5k or so- now with all the new technologies and true 1080P on the horizon. Any PJ I buy now (or in a few months) will probably be an interim one for a couple/few years.

Rob Babcock · « **Reply #12 on:** 9 Jan 2006, 02:51 am »

Wow! The LCD Sanyo sounds impressive. I especially like the low noise (they claim 22 dB

) and good optics (they claim a 100" image from distances of 9.8 to 20 feet!

). Almost unheard of in a cheaper PJ, or at least by me. Perhaps I'm out of date!

One thing I'm not positive of- is it a native 16/9 aspect PJ? The stuff I've read wasn't that specific.

I see projectorpeople has it for $2k with a spare bulb. That seems like a great price, and I've bought from them before and been very pleased.

Rob Babcock · « **Reply #13 on:** 9 Jan 2006, 03:10 am »

Okay, I see it is 16:9. Upon more reading, it sounds like the Panny may be even better for me. Less pixelation/screen door effect (my main LCD gripe) plus a better scaler/deinterlacer. ProjectorPeople has a good price on it, too.

jgubman · « **Reply #14 on:** 9 Jan 2006, 03:27 am »

Sony VPL-HS51A (MSRP $3499, street closer to $2800) is what I'm planning on picking up. The 51A is a replacement for the highly-regarded VPL-HS51, the major difference being the 51A will do 1-for-1 pixel mapping when feed a 720P signal via HDMI (the 51 does an A-D conversion on all signals).

Check projector central and AVS, someone named CLK did a detailed comparison btwn the Panny 900, the Sanyo Z4 and the Sony, Sony being tops in most all regards.

jgubman · « **Reply #15 on:** 9 Jan 2006, 03:31 am »

Oh, and watch out for the Panny 900, apparently (according to posts on AVS), it has inherent vertical banding, here's a picture of the banding:
http://img433.imageshack.us/img433/1561/bigscreen18pb.jpg

I was planning on going for the 900 until I saw these posts/photos, they were the deal killer.

Rob Babcock · « **Reply #16 on:** 9 Jan 2006, 03:31 am »

For me the extra $800 is an issue. I know it shouldn't be, but as much as I love movies, the audio part is more important to me. Honestly, if HD wasn't out there I'd be happy with the Plus indefinately.

jgubman · « **Reply #17 on:** 9 Jan 2006, 03:32 am »

Sorry about the multiple posts,

if the 1-1 pixel mapping isn't that important, the VPL-HS51s are being blown out all over the place for $2,300 (check onecall.com, you might even be able to best that price by actually calling them), which is a great price for a great projector -- my brother-in-law has a HS51 and loves it.

Rob Babcock · « **Reply #18 on:** 9 Jan 2006, 03:53 am »

Quote from: jgubman

Oh, and watch out for the Panny 900, apparently (according to posts on AVS), it has inherent vertical banding, here's a picture of the banding:
http://img433.imageshack.us/img433/1561/bigscreen18pb.jpg

I was planning on going for the 900 until I saw these posts/photos, they were the deal killer.

Hmmm...not good. Odd, too- projectorcentral reviews say there's no problem with banding. Isn't there supposed to be an adjustment for that? The knock on the Sanyo seems to be pixellation and motion artifacts vs the Panny.

Damn, I shoulda known it wouldn't be that simple.

ted_b · « **Reply #19 on:** 9 Jan 2006, 04:08 am »

The banding is a real surprise, especially for a pj that has soooo many users, so many awards and so many good reviews. I need to dig into this at AVS and report back. How about the Optoma H78 at $3500; great DLP.

Edit: Hmm, seems to be a lot of posts about it, vertical banding (VB). Seems to be likened to the macroblocking problem in DVD players...some people see it, some don't, depending on their equipment. But when you see it for the first time, it bugs the sh$t out of you forever. Net/net, Sanyo Z4 isn't reporting it, but Panny customer service saying it comes with the technology, and at least one CS rep recommended against returning the pj for risk of getting one with worse VB!!