Is spending more on a projector worth it?

[vij]

I have been thinking about this. Is there a significant difference in quality between budget projectors and mid/high-end projectors ?

For instance would the Sony 40ES or the Epson 8200 really outperform the BenQ 1070 in an obvious way, especially considering the BenQ projector costs Rs 100,000 less.

I have seen reviews where Sony 40ES has been hyped up in a big way - the Epson 8200 too has been praised to the skies. Both are not cheap and push Rs 2 lac.

Does spending more on a projector become more(or less) important if the room is not ideal? If a bit of light trickles in during the day, will the picture look "less" washed out with the Sony 40ES or Epson 8200 when compared to the BenQ 1070 or the budget Acer H5380BD?

Most reviews talk about poor black levels with the budget projectors - although even the Sony 40ES and the Epson 8200 are only said to be good in black levels and not outstanding. Anyways, what impact does this have on the home theatre experience with the projector? Would one have to place the projected screens side by side to make out a difference between say a benq 1070 and a sony 40es or 55es or epson 8200 (or) is the difference in quality obvious?

The one clarity I have is that the Sony 40ES is perhaps best suited for gamers because it has the least input lag of all projectors.

Basically, my question is - Is spending more on projectors worth it or is it a waste of money?

I hope someone can answer this without bias.

 

[afterlife2]

If you want the best black levels look at the JVC: http://www.hdtvtest.co.uk/news/x500-201403303680.htm and http://www.projectorreviews.com/jvc/jvc-dla-x35/
I went with the acer 5380 for budget reason and it looks good to me. You also have to consider those expensive screens too to really get those nice black levels:
The Best Projector Screen (for most people) | The Wirecutter
If I had the money I'd get the JVC. I don't so I won't.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXmIjs7VV_g

 

[n_sachin84]

Definitely,spending money on epson 8200 is worth as i am using it.
At time of purchase , i have compared same scene with epson 6100 ,8200 ,sony 40es and benq 1070 .
I found epson 8200 colours more lively than sony or benq .Also epson 3D is very excellent ,benq 1070 colors were very bright , saturated .
epson 3d is rf and while sony ir.Every penny is worth spending on epson 8200 .First of all take demo of one scene you like on all projectors ,at one place ,try to find out difference ,if required write down ,then again see same demo on various projectors , take some HD or Blu ray with you go with prior appointment with good dealer who has all projectors and various demo rooms , inform him ur purpose ,compare all points told in various forums & finally convince yourself that for so much extra details CAN I SPEND EXTRA LAKH FOR HIGH END PROJECTORS ?If yes go ahead or no then go for mid range projector .Again some where in mind you will be bitten by up-gradation bug some time afterwards .So clarity of thoughts ,money ,up gradation bug & finally sustenance of happiness are all matters when new gadget gets old ,Its upto you to decide or convince yourself.Happy hunting

 

[vij]

If you want the best black levels look at the JVC: JVC X500 (DLA-X500R) Projector Review and JVC DLA-X35 Projector Review | Projector Reviews - Information on Projectors
I went with the acer 5380 for budget reason and it looks good to me. You also have to consider those expensive screens too to really get those nice black levels:

I may not be looking at the entry level projectors, but I dont have unlimited budget

I am looking for a good projector within 2 lacs - JVC stuff is out of my budget.

Definitely,spending money on epson 8200 is worth as i am using it.
At time of purchase , i have compared same scene with epson 6100 ,8200 ,sony 40es and benq 1070 .
I found epson 8200 colours more lively than sony or benq .Also epson 3D is very excellent ,benq 1070 colors were very bright , saturated .
epson 3d is rf and while sony ir.Every penny is worth spending on epson 8200 .First of all take demo of one scene you like on all projectors ,at one place ,try to find out difference ,if required write down ,then again see same demo on various projectors , take some HD or Blu ray with you go with prior appointment with good dealer who has all projectors and various demo rooms , inform him ur purpose ,compare all points told in various forums & finally convince yourself that for so much extra details CAN I SPEND EXTRA LAKH FOR HIGH END PROJECTORS ?If yes go ahead or no then go for mid range projector .Again some where in mind you will be bitten by up-gradation bug some time afterwards .So clarity of thoughts ,money ,up gradation bug & finally sustenance of happiness are all matters when new gadget gets old ,Its upto you to decide or convince yourself.Happy hunting

Thanks for the info. I will take demos. I am looking at the Sony 40es more keenly as the reviews seem to favor it - also I would be doing a bit of gaming and the input lag is low on the Sony 40es - which is obviously a plus. I am not really worried about 3d.

Will be looking at stuff. Thanks for your post.

 

[rahuln]

One additional benefit above the budget projectors, at least for 8200, is the placement flexibility. I have mine placed on the back wall little above the center of the screen. None of the budget once allows this type of placement. One more you can add to list is Panasonic one (forgot the number) it has lens memory and it will allow you to use CHI screens.

 

[n_sachin84]

sony 40 es is good ,but maintenance may be issue also ,if u think price wise it is not having too many features as compared to epson 8200 .also epson india service is good .flexible,less pricey lamp replacement cost ,servicing etc are good points with epson.

 

[Amarendra]

Generally you will notice finer differences if your room has ideal viewing / listening conditions. It is easier to note these differences in a showroom/ demo room but once you bring the stuff home, may be that 25% difference comes down to 10%. Then you need to ask yourself if the additional money is worth the additional 10% difference. (note: numbers are only for explaining the idea). However if things such as lens shift are important you can look for more expensive stuff.
I have been using the Epson EH TW 6100 for the past 2.5 years in my dusty living room without any hassle. As all living rooms go, it has a lot of light leaking in from 2 sides.

 

[vij]

sony 40 es is good ,but maintenance may be issue also ,if u think price wise it is not having too many features as compared to epson 8200 .also epson india service is good .flexible,less pricey lamp replacement cost ,servicing etc are good points with epson.

Sony 40es is just under 2lacs I think whereas Epson 8200 is well over 2lacs but 3d glasses(that I dont care about for now) come bundled.

How much did you pay for your Epson 8200? What is the lamp replacement cost and lamp life in ECO mode?

@Amarendra
Thats an interesting observation and more along the lines I was hoping the discussion would veer towards in this thread.

The 6100 has an input lag of 50ms which is almost unacceptable for gaming, so I am not considering it.
How do you like the black levels in a mildly lit room and dark room - What I would like to know is, do you feel that the "black coats" look somewhat greyish - does the maroon look diluted? its not that bad is it ?


I went to do some demos and only got the high end projector demos of the Sim2 and JVC which I am not even aspiring to get. I stay far from the happening city limits and have to plan further trips to the demo rooms.

 

[rahuln]

You can get a Epson demo at Viewtech. Ashutosh is quite helpful person.

 

[designation]

i think you should go for an epson 6100 ... its best of both worlds... not too expensive and excellent picture too.

 

[n_sachin84]

I have paid rs 2.3 lakhs

 

[badass09]

I have paid $10000SGD for my infocus sp8602 back in 2010 when it came out.. so you decide whether it's worth it.. after all it's your money.. i'm still using that projector till today with no problems and just some cleaning every 6 months..

 

[ngd]

Trust your eyes not the reviews. I looked a "highly rated" projectors and they were all quite bad (color wise). Maybe the bells-and-whistles were attractive to them. I don't know. Then I demoed a very-slow-to-start-very-oversized Sony and it was quite superb. So I got that one.

PS: the Sony was more expensive than the others and its resolution was also lower