Help with 4K pj

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Amarendra

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Hi,

I am looking at picking up a 4K pj to replace my 1080p pj. However dont want to spend a bomb on JVC or Sony. If anyone has experience of Benq or Epson 4K pjs please help. The Epson 1080p pj was fine and served me for 8 yrs. However there are some LCD related issues which it has now developed. I can either repair it or go for another 1080p pj like the epson eh tw650 for 55k or go for entry level 4K such as benq tk 800m or tk 850 which would be in the 1.2 to 1.45 lakhs range. I guess UST pjs are quite expensive at present. Any suggestions would be welcome.
 
In same boat - These are the replacement options I finalized for myself -

Epson 5050UB (EH-TW9400) -
  • Great contrast, black levels and colors
  • Expensive (I think 2 lakhs)
  • Less perceived sharpness compared to 4K DLP. Edges fuzzy compared to DLP projectors.
  • Bulky and heavy.
  • Possible ghosting/crosstalk in 3D (LCD problem, can't be helped)
  • Possible convergence issues (3LCD problem, can't be helped)
  • Possible screen-door effect (LCD problem, can't be helped)
BenQ 3550 -
  • Comparatively poorer contrast, black levels and colors (DLP problem, can't be helped)
  • Slightly cheaper (I think 1.5 lakhs)
  • True 4K sharpness. Clean edges.
  • Lighter and less bulky
  • Zero ghosting/crosstalk in 3D (DLP advantage)
  • Zero convergence issues (DLP advantage)
  • Possible Rainbow Effect (DLP problem, perception depends on individual).
  • Comparatively noiser when playing 4K content (DLP chip problem, cant be helped)
 
Last edited:
rshri said:
In same boat - These are the replacement options I finalized for myself -

Epson 5050UB (EH-TW9400) -
  • Great contrast, black levels and colors
  • Expensive (I think 2 lakhs)
  • Less perceived sharpness compared to 4K DLP. Edges fuzzy compared to DLP projectors.
  • Bulky and heavy.
  • Possible ghosting/crosstalk in 3D (LCD problem, can't be helped)
  • Possible convergence issues (3LCD problem, can't be helped)
  • Possible screen-door effect (LCD problem, can't be helped)
BenQ 3550 -
  • Comparatively poorer contrast, black levels and colors (DLP problem, can't be helped)
  • Slightly cheaper (I think 1.5 lakhs)
  • True 4K sharpness. Clean edges.
  • Lighter and less bulky
  • Zero ghosting/crosstalk in 3D (DLP advantage)
  • Zero convergence issues (DLP advantage)
  • Possible Rainbow Effect (DLP problem, perception depends on individual).
  • Comparatively noiser when playing 4K content (DLP chip problem, cant be helped)
Click to expand...
Thanks for the info. I was chatting with a projector dealer and repair guy today. He had a large Barco projector in his office for repairs belonging to Yashraj studios. He mentioned to me that it’s very difficult to tell the difference between 2k and 4K projected content from the usual viewing distance. That has also been my own experience where I can’t tell if the projected image is 2k or 4K. He also mentioned that even HDR is tricky in projectors. So unless my content is true 4K he asked me to stick with 2k projection. This coming from a person who can easily push me to buy a 4 k projector was noteworthy. On the budget 4K front however he recommended Benq w1700 or similar. Benq w1700 was his personal fav. Let’s see if I can get my pj repaired or the confusion continues
 
Amarendra said:
Thanks for the info. I was chatting with a projector dealer and repair guy today. He had a large Barco projector in his office for repairs belonging to Yashraj studios. He mentioned to me that it’s very difficult to tell the difference between 2k and 4K projected content from the usual viewing distance. That has also been my own experience where I can’t tell if the projected image is 2k or 4K. He also mentioned that even HDR is tricky in projectors. So unless my content is true 4K he asked me to stick with 2k projection. This coming from a person who can easily push me to buy a 4 k projector was noteworthy. On the budget 4K front however he recommended Benq w1700 or similar. Benq w1700 was his personal fav. Let’s see if I can get my pj repaired or the confusion continues
Click to expand...
USA equivalent of BenQ W1700 is BenQ HT2550. It has been phased out by BenQ HT3550, the projector I mentioned in my post. Its Indian/European model name would be BenQ W2700. If possible, ask him his views on that. This newer model would have better native contrast ratio.

Viewable content would be 1080p or 4K. I dont think true 2K content or projector is available or used anymore. Epson EH-TW9400 is essentially 2K but emulates 4K by continually shifting pixels. Even BenQ HT3550 also only has 1080p chip, but its able to move chip's mirrors in a way (process named XPR) that its able to project 4K pixels.
 
senthil127 said:
epson tw9400 street price is around 178000(incl taxes)
epson ls 500 -230500(inc tax)
Click to expand...
Looks like Epson still are very reasonably priced in India. Price difference between BenQ and Epson is way narrower in India compared to USA.
 
May be off topic. Apologies to OP. I also intend to get a 4K projector in 6 months time, may be Benq HT3550 or TK850 hand carried by one of my friends/relatives from USA (hopefully international travel restrictions will be normalised by that time). My question is how safe is it to hand carry a 1 lakh (may be less if purchased during Thanks Giving/Black Friday deals) projector without getting into customs hassles. Whether it will be charged customs duty since it is beyond permissible $500 limit. What if that person carries it as open box "for personal use." May be one might risk the warranty consideration. Anyone having hand carried a projector from US can help me with this query. Thanks in advance.
 
Srinivasa Rao said:
May be off topic. Apologies to OP. I also intend to get a 4K projector in 6 months time, may be Benq HT3550 or TK850 hand carried by one of my friends/relatives from USA (hopefully international travel restrictions will be normalised by that time). My question is how safe is it to hand carry a 1 lakh (may be less if purchased during Thanks Giving/Black Friday deals) projector without getting into customs hassles. Whether it will be charged customs duty since it is beyond permissible $500 limit. What if that person carries it as open box "for personal use." May be one might risk the warranty consideration. Anyone having hand carried a projector from US can help me with this query. Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Hi
I have carried a AVR in the past. It is more a question of hit or miss. If they see it in your possession they could mark it during screening and charge you.
 
Neeraj0272 said:
With my 55" tv at a 10 ft viewing distance, I can see the difference between 4k & 1080p. So on a 100" screen at the same viewing distance difference should be very noticeable between 1080p & native 4k. However this difference may be less between 1080p & faux 4k.
Also I think most of the newer content is being produced in 4k, be it movies or tv shows or on YouTube. So time is ripe for buying 4k. Except for the fact that 4k projector are very expensive compared to 4k TVs.
I think those buying for the first time should buy 4k projectors. However people like me who want to upgrade should wait a little bit more for the native 4k projector prices to come down.
Click to expand...
Noted, if I am doing an "A" "B" comparison side by side I will note the difference. But many times while playing youtube content I have to check if its 1080p or 4k. I play it on my 55 inch LG OLED but honestly cant figure out at 9-10 feet.
 
Here are some prices for those interested:

Epson 9400: 278,000
Epson 6700: 132,000

Benq:
TK800M - 94500 + 28% GST.
TK850 - 112000 + 28% GST.
W1700M - 94500 + 28% GST.

Viewsonic PX747: 140,800
 
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