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

Sony VPL-VW50 Pearl vs. Mitsubishi HC5000 Projectors

I've paired these two up specifically because their selling prices are very similar. After that, there are enough differences that you again will have to weigh things, but the strengths and weaknesses of these two compared to each other are rather large.

The Sony Pearl VPL-VW50 (shown to the right) simply is far superior to the Mitsubishi HC5000 in black levels and the corresponding shadow details. This is huge for those looking for the most perfect image. It wins the film-like picture battle, and not by a tiny amount.

Both projectors have similar placement flexibility, so unless one just won't work in your room, that's not going to help you much.

Neither projector is exceptionally bright, so no help there either, other to say, the significantly higher contrast (lower black levels) have many say that the Sony behaves like a slightly brighter projector would. Still, call it pretty even.

Two year warranties on both... no help there either.

So, what's the Mitsubishi HC5000 (shown to the right) have going for it? It's that sharpness factor again. The Sony, in my experience seeing at shows, always seemed soft. Most reviewers agree, yet the unit Sony sent me to evaluate seemed sharper than my earlier experiences (was I lucky to get one visibly sharper than the average VW50?). Either way, that Mitsubishi has that razor sharp feel, and especially if you are about 1.5x screen width or further back, that apparant sharpness, is a cut above. (Too close and those pixels will start to become sightly visible on the usual stuff.) Does the HC5000 resolve more detail? I doubt it, but it sure looked exceptionally sharp, and that, folks, is it's primary strength.

The HC5000 has one other thing going for those watching their dollars. If you can run it in low lamp mode, Mitsubishi claims 5000 hour lamp life - and that can save a great many hundreds of dollars over several years.

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The HC5000 is also extremely quiet in low or high lamp mode, while the Sony is a typical projector in this regard. The Mitsubishi, is also one of the smallest units, and probably les than 1/3 the physical bulk of the Sony, and that might be a factor for some.

Personally, I would choose the Sony. I'll sacrifice a bit of sharpness, for that much higher level of performance in terms of black levels, especially since brightness differences are minimal.

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