Classroom Projector Report: Canon WUX5000 Commentary
The Canon WUX5000 is the immediate sibling of the one Canon projector considered in this year's Classroom Projector Report (the WUX4000 - click for full review). This page will compare the WUX4000 with the WUX5000 (click for specs).
6/14/2012 - Art Feierman
The Canon WUX5000 Projector - A Quick Look
| Canon WUX5000 | Canon WUX4000 |
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What they have in common: MSRP $8999, LCoS technology, 1000:1 contrast ratio, 18.7 lbs., widescreen, native 1920x1200 resolution, HDMI, DVI, 5W mono speaker, close captioning, network notification, network control, 1.50:1 zoom ratio, 3000 hour lamp life, 4000 hour lamp life in eco-mode, filters, 3 year parts and labor warranty |
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Canon WUX5000
The Canon WUX5000 (click for specifications) is virtually identical to the WUX4000 we reviewed. Both are LCoS widescreen projectors with native 1920x1200 resolution. They both weigh 18.7 lbs., boast both HDMI and DVI inputs, and both have a 5W speaker.
Both the WUX5000 and the WUX4000 have a 1000:1 contrast ratio. The WUX5000 and its sibling have network notification and control capabilities, plus closed captioning.
The only real difference between the two is lumens. The WUX5000 has 5000 lumens (hence the 5 in WUX5000), whereas the WUX4000 only has 4000. Still, these are both respectable numbers that will give you a great image. Because of the difference in lamps, the cost to replace those lamps varies slightly as well ($579 for the WUX5000's lamp and $420 for the WUX4000).
At $8999 MSRP, both projectors on the pricey side. What about the cost of maitenance though? As mentioned above, the replacement lamps are the two most expensive of all the 60 projector considered in this year's Classroom Projector Report. On top of that, this replacement has to happen after about 3000 hours of use (or 4000 in eco-mode). The WUX5000 also has filters which will require changing when the lamp is replaced. The WUX5000 and its sibling both have a network notification feature that will inform you over the network when your projector needs maitenance too! On top of all of that, the WUX5000 comes with the best warranty available, 3 years parts and labor.
So the WUX5000 is a an outstanding choice if you're willing to spend a little bit more for a great picture, good connectivity, and fine networking. But if the effort and cost of projector maitenance and repair is something you're concerned about, maybe consider a projector with a longer lamp life, a cheapter replacement lamp and without filters.