The Best 1080p Resolution Home Theater Projectors of 2007
04/25/2007-Art Feierman
Overview
Image Quality
General Performance
Warranty
Summary, Pros, Cons
1080p Home Theater Projectors - Summary and Comparisons:
Click on these links to read more in-depth comparisons.
Panasonic PT-AE1000U vs Epson Home Cinema 1080
Epson Home Cinema 1080 vs Mitsubishi HC5000
3LCD: PT-AE1000U vs Home Cinema 1080 vs Mitsubishi HC5000
BenQ W9000 vs Panasonic PT-AE1000U
Sony VW50 Pearl vs Mitsubishi HC5000
Optoma HD81 vs. Sony VW50 Pearl
Optoma HD81 vs BenQ W9000 and W10000
BenQ W10000 vs JVC RS1
JVC RS1 vs Sony VW50 Pearl
JVC RS1 vs Optoma HD81
JVC RS1 vs Panasonic PT-AE1000U
Summary - The Bottom Line
Epson Home Cinema 1080 vs Mitsubishi HC5000
This is a bit easier than the previous comparison. Again, some will favor one of these, and home theater projector buyers will be better served with the other. I think, though, that the decision points are easier to deal with.
First and foremost, the Mitsubishi HC5000 is going to cost more. Since the Epson Home Cinema 1080 (shown to the right) just started shipping and the Panasonic PT-AE1000U essentially matched its price, both are as of this writing about $1000 less, in terms of street price, than the Mitsubishi, but I doubt that will last long, Mitsubishi I would suspect, will slightly lower their price to at least get it within $500 or $700 of the other two, and I'll use that assumption here.
The Mitsubishi HC5000 (immediate right) is sharper than the Epson. They use the same LCD panels, but, there is a visible difference. The Mitsubishi certainly gives the impression of being the sharpest of all the projectors. This has real appeal to many. It's a plus if you like to sit close, but then, the trade-off is that the pixel structure also becomes more visible. Where the Mitsubishi really blew me away with its sharpness was, when I watched it a bit further back than my normal seating distance - when I viewed it about 15 feet back from my 128" screen. Razor sharp! That single thing is what impressed me most, as it will many of you. The Mitsubishi's brightness is good, but not a match for the Epson, when you need maximum lumens.
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The two aren't significantly different in terms of brightness in best modes. And remember, I actually chose the Epson's Theater Dark 1, for my testing, it's not as bright in Theater Dark 2. As a result the Epson and Mitsubishi HC5000 are fairly similar in best, so the advantage really goes to the Epson for "sports fans", and those likely due to ambient light, or just personal preference, who will do significant watching in the intermediate color modes, or brightest ones.
Both projectors have a two year warranty, but you've got to love Epson's overnight replacement program for both years.
From a placement standpoint the Mitsubishi has a zoom lens with a slightly shorter throw, 1.6:1 vs. 2:1, but that probably won't make a difference to the vast majority. If it is an issue for you, then your choosing just got simpler.
Price notwithstanding, it's a really tough call between these two, the extra sharpness of the HC5000, vs, the significantly greater lumens of the Home Cinema 1080, will likely be the deciding factor. The Mitsubishi was the first of the 1080p projectors reviewed, so it was a long time ago (about 6 months), which makes it tougher for me to help you. I would really have liked to run the two side by side in my testing room, but, alas, it was not to be. For those with 110" screens or smaller, or slightly larger screens with higher gain, this is about as close to a tossup, and you are going to get.
Click on these links to read more in-depth comparisons.
Panasonic PT-AE1000U vs Epson Home Cinema 1080
Epson Home Cinema 1080 vs Mitsubishi HC5000
3LCD: PT-AE1000U vs Home Cinema 1080 vs Mitsubishi HC5000
BenQ W9000 vs Panasonic PT-AE1000U
Sony VW50 Pearl vs Mitsubishi HC5000
Optoma HD81 vs. Sony VW50 Pearl
Optoma HD81 vs BenQ W9000 and W10000
BenQ W10000 vs JVC RS1
JVC RS1 vs Sony VW50 Pearl
JVC RS1 vs Optoma HD81
JVC RS1 vs Panasonic PT-AE1000U
Summary - The Bottom Line
Overview
Image Quality
General Performance
Warranty
Summary, Pros, Cons