Home Cinema 1080UB vs. Mitsubishi HC4900 and HC6000.

Posted on January 18, 2008 by Art Feierman

I'll start with the HC6000, which is significantly more expensive than the Epson. The Epson has the Mitsubishi in almost most areas, making the Epson the winner between these two, especially considering the heftier price of the Mitsubishi.

The HC4900 on the other hand, offers every bit the value of the Epson. With the street prices I've been hearing about on the HC4900, it's selling in some cases, for barely half of the Epson. The HC4900 overall, is a good sharp projector, but with mediocre black levels compared to other 1080p projectors. That said, it's black levels are about the same as most of the LCD 720p projectors, and you can buy the HC4900 for not much more than a 1080p. It's a great value proposition for those that want 1080p, and have a 720p budget. I imagine the HC4900 is selling extremely well. The Epson simply does not compete directly against the HC4900. The Mitsubishi is a great projector for its price, and the Epson a definitely better projector for more!

HC1080UB vs. Sony VW50 and VW60

Wow, tough call. The Epson is definitely less expensive (look out, the last 1080p projector arriving for review is the just announced VW40, which I assume is a straight replacement for the VW50 Pearl. With a $2995 price, the VW40, or a well discounted VW50 will provide an interesting alternative to the Epson. The Sony's have always been very film like, but I don't think the VW50 (and the yet unseen VW40), will be able to best the Epson at black levels or shadow detail. The Sony's though are in the same class in this regard. The Epson though, is sharper. This is going to be one of those personal taste calls. Keep in mind that the Sony VW50 is not quite as bright in best mode, and not even close in brightest modes. Let's say the Sony is a major competitor for the purists, and those interested in movies, and less concerned about HDTV and sports.

The VW60, is simply a slightly improved VW50 in my book, with slightly better black levels. It is more money, but still less than the JVC's, so some will see it as a step up. Also the VW60 is slightly brighter in best mode, and no where near as bright in brightest...

Epson Home Cinema 1080UB vs. JVC RS1 and RS2

Remember I own an RS1, and have been considering an RS2 to replace it.

The JVC RS1 until just a couple of months ago, has been the generally considered best overall 1080p projector selling for under $10,000. Even with the price drop to $5295, most people will have a hard time justifying the extra $1500+ over the Epson. That said, the JVC, I think, is still the better projector, despite the slightly softer image sharpness. It has a slight advantage in both shadow detail and black levels, and is almost perfect out of the box. I'll still consider it a step of from the Epson, but, the Epson is the better value proposition. Those really into the last ounce or two of performance will still want the JVC, and can easily justify the price difference. The JVC will also appeal to those with larger screens. Ultimately it is still much brighter in best mode than the Epson.

The RS2, while not as bright as the RS1, is also still about 100 lumens brighter than the Epson in best mode, although no match in brightest mode. Again, the movie purist can't help but love the RS2. Nothing can touch its black level performance (of the many 1080p projectors I've reviewed). You pay more for the best, and the JVC is going to be worth its $7995 MSRP, to a significant number of people who are not intimidated by the price. When it comes to anamorphic lenses, the RS1, like the Epson does not support it.

I've missed a few, but you'll have to live with it, until the comparison report comes out.