Looks good. Seems like a lot of good things are said about the Sharp DT500.
Thanks for the response. The Sharp is a nice projector, but its much too expensive. It's darkchip 2 and its more expensive than the Mitsubishi 3100 which has the more advanced darkchip 3.
Sony Pearl?
If the JVC hadn't recently come out, the Sony pearl would have been one of the a top choices under 5k, but all the reviews that I have read say the JVC is better.
The pearl is a great projector, but from every review that I have read, it is outclassed by the JVC.
But what about the Mits 5000? In a lot of comparison tests, it outperforms the Panny and the Epson sub $3K units.
At $4500 the price is too close to the superior JVC to recommend.
Just in a what if scenario, if the Mits 5000 was available for around $3000, in your opinion would it beat out the Panny and the Epson?
-posterblue
It's clearly superior to the Epson from the reviews that I have read in terms of contrast.
The sharpness issue is subjective. Here is what projector reviews said
"The HC5000 has the most visible pixels of the 1080p projectors reviewed so far, so the big question is, while the Mitsubishi gives the feel of being sharper, is that the result of a barely visible pixel structure, or is it actually revealing more details in the image. I lean toward the idea of the pixel structure giving the feel of more sharpness, rather than actually showing more information. Even, though, if that is true, many will like the Mitsubishi because it "seems" sharper."
The Mits is also much quieter.
Overall, I would say better than the Epson.
The Panasonic smoothscreen seems to be a disadvantage at this resolution because it makes the picture softer and screen door is not an issue at this resolutions.
Here is what projector reviews had to say
"Panasonic PT-AE1000U vs Mitsubishi HC5000
This is certainly the closest contest. Both are LCD projectors, both have flexible zoom lenses and lens shift, and the Mitsubishi is about the next least expensive, currently selling for about $500 more. The Mitsubishi offers a 1.6:1 zoom so doesn't quite match the placement flexiblity of the PT-AE1000U's 2:1 zoom. That might or might not be an issue for you, in your room. (One of the first things to check is whether you can place a particular projector in your room).
The real strengths of the Mitsubishi are a sharper image, and a two year warranty. (It also measures slightly brighter, but considering the problem with this Panasonic unit, I'm not going to factor that in.). The Mitsubishi does a really good job out of the box in terms of color, but I definitely have to say that the PT-AE1000U is even better.
Also in the Panasonic's favor, is that it's dynamic iris seems to be far less visible. Translated, the PT-AE1000U seems to produce blacker blacks, yet, changes to bright scenes are virtually seamless, whereas, with the HC5000, the dynamic iris opening can sometimes be spotted. (This difference between models is subtle.) Of course the pixels are completely invisible with the Panasonic, and you can start to make them out on the Mitsubishi if you sit very close (say less than 10 feet from a 100" screen.)
Lastly I give the Panasonic the edge in shadow detail. The Mitsubishi is very good, the Panasonic is just better!
Personally, I am somewhat obsessive regarding image sharpness, because I like to sit very close to a very large screen. As a result, I prefer the HC5000 and consider the extra cost to be worth it.
In summary, if the slight softness of the Panasonic is not an issue for you, you get to save a handful of $100 bills, and end up with an excellent overall projector. If, however, you, like me, demand the maximum sharpness, you'll be pleased with what you get by spending those $100s."
Overall, id say the Mits is the best of t
Let me ammend my conclusion. Both the Mits and the panasonic are great and it will depend what you value more for your particular taste and needs.
David, thank you for your replies. Right now I have a Mits 5000 on order but currently it has a no order status due to back log on factory level. I'd like to know the reason before switching to another unit since it could be back logged because Mits decided to upgrade specs due to some recent findings on lense enhancements a reviewer from Germany(?) discovered. Plus, I think the soft screen would bug me since I value sharpness.
Based on the stellar reviews the Panny has recieved, I'm thinking of just abandoning the Mits for the Panny and getting over the softness issue and the fact that Projector Central recently said that 'if you value HD content, there are better choices.'
By the way the Panasonic now has a $1000 rebate bringing it below $3k.
Well, I pulled the trigger on the Panny. I am expecting the unit's arrival tomorrow the 23rd.
The Sharp ZVX120000 MKII is being cleared out and can currently be bought at Costco for $2000. This projector was a $10000 projector just last year and is leaps and bounds above any other 720p machine you have listed. It has a remote-control iris giving you the benefits of high brightness for sports (comparable to the AX900/HD1000), and extreme blacks (comparable to the HC3100). On top of it all, it comes with a full color management system that lets you (or a calibrator) dial in the colors to a higher accuracy than any other projector on the market.
One thing of note about the RS1 is that the colors aren't that accurate. They're oversaturated and very difficult to tone down without hurting luminance - you have to trade one for the other.
Oh, the Sharp also has lens shift, which isn't featured on any other DLP projector in your list. It helps quite a bit. The drawbacks is that it has a long throw and is a little noisier than some of the other projectors.
I should also mention that the Sharp DT500 can be had for $1300 at the Amazon.com marketplace and is a very good buy in that price range. It also has full color management system and has a decent iris system. It's similar to the 12000, but with a DC2 instead of a DC3, so less contrast. Comparable to the HC3000, IMO.
Sorry for all the multiposts :D
The DT500 is a short throw projector, so if you can't get the long-throw 120000 to work, it's a very viable alternative.
Thanks for the reminder about the Sharps. I did know about them, but hadn't updated this post. They are now included.
The Sony VPL-AW15 is has the best contrast ratios of any 720p LCD, and its only $1050 at Amazon. Cine4home.de loved it.
Also what about that there Mitsubishi HC5000?
Note: the Sharp Z2000 has a 3 year warranty, the Panasonic AE2000 has a 1 year warranty. These use the new D7 panel, as does the Epson TW2000 due out next week.
er, I mean Sanyo Z2000
sorry, sounds like you know about the HC5000 (is it really that expensive? check pricejapan.com) and you know about cine4home but note that the cine4home.de site run through babelfish has way more reviews than the cine4home.com english site.
HC5000 $2315
HC6000 $3234
From pricejapan.com. However, YMMV on warranty, customs duty, English menu. Still, an important benchmark.
My only concern about price japan is that projectors from there do not have warranries, even epson projectors with the world wide warranty.
Fwiw, 6th Ave has lowered the price on HC1500s again (every now and then they lower it from roughly $795 to $745, before raising it back in a few days time). Combined w/ the "couponcabin" code, the HC1500 is again available under $715 shipped. Anyone in the market might want to grab this deal while they can (I just did).
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