Projector comparison - Please help!

Yucca

Yucca

Yucca

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Hi all

After a projector to use with a 90 inch screen. Will be used for day time tv during daylight as well as movies in the evening in a dark room. I have Netflix, Amazon Prime and Sky Q so a decent amount of 4k content.

Id really appreciate it if someone who knows about projectors could advise me:

Acer V7850 £1650 (Budget TRUE 4k projector with good reviews)

vs

Optima UHD51 £1329 (Great upscaling of 4k but not 'real 4k'. Added bonus of 3D and cheaper!)

Both say 'poor blacks' in reviews. Question is will I notice the Acer at £300 more to have better picture quality and better blacks than the cheaper Optima. Will the 'real 4k' look better than the really good 'upscaled 4k' of the Optima......?
 
Thank you for your very detailed reply Lucid. Ok so I acknowledge that even the Acer is not a true 4k.

But my question remains please..... Do you think there will be a noticeable picture quality difference between the two. Would you pay the extra £300 for the Acer over the Optima??
 
lucid said:
I'd echo @Rroff's sentiment of favouring Optoma.

Under the skin a lot of the core components are the same because all the manufacturers buy the same bag of bits from Texts Instruments. It's collectively known as the light engine; so that's the DLP chip, the driver, the light tunnel and IIRC the colourwheel assembly too.

What distinguishes the different models is what each manufacturer does with video processing and light management around those core bits. It's why the old Ben W1080 @ £700 was a country mile away from the performance of the Optoma HD30 and HD50 models. Good lenses, good colour wheels, decent video processing, managing the light scatter internally, all these things and more have a big impact on the image.

Next, there's claimed specifications and real world performance. Just because a manufacturer says their machine is X ANSI lumens, it doesn't follow that it's that bright when throwing a good image. A common trick is to measure peak light output with the contrast control maxed out and the colour balance set as blue/green as it can go because that's where a lamp projector makes most light. The picture is often unwatchable in quality. Setting the controls to more use able and realistic levels also knocks the stuffing out of the brightness. Bottom line: beware the claimed specs.

If I had to chose one it would be the Optoma, but TBH I'd give both projectors a miss. As much as I like Optoma products, I see this and the similar model from Acer plus other entry-level clones as too compromised to be worthwhile. All the money has been sunk in to making them 4K UHD res, but neither make a great picture.

The Optoma UHD60 is more money but a much better projector. The JVC X500 is better again. They both offer the same resolution as the two lower models, but they have broader compatibility with HDR formats, and they can make a decent stab at WCG, plus they each paint a far more attractive, natural, dynamic image on screen.

I know these are double and triple your intended budget, but honestly, 4K UHD without the colour pallet and the HDR capabilities is just a waste of time IMO. In fact, if you could get HDR and WCG on all regular BDs then 4K would have been a still birth. It's the colour range and ability to render extra shadow and highlight detail that are really noticeable rather than the resolution.
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If I was to stretch to the Optima 60 at around £2000 do you think there would be a noticeable difference in picture quality (especially when watching 4k content and HDR content) compared to the £1300 Optima? Will it be more 'future proof you think'? If not il save the £700, go for the Optima and look to upgrade in 3-4 years when good 4k projectors are more affordable.
 
Thank you so much for your advice.

Could you recommend me a good 1080p projector please. Ideally 2 or 3 so I can shop around for best price.

Ideally id rather buy new with warranty and no headache looking for second hand.
 
Thank you once again for your very detailed reply, really appreciate you taking the time mate. Ok so final question :) ....

Optima vs the Epson 6700

Could you kindly give me your thoughts on the difference between the two. Ie a more detailed comparison of the pros and cons of the two. I know you have already touched on the 3d aspect. Anything else you know of the two models would be greatly appreciated.

I can read the reviews online of each product but you seem to know your stuff so a direct comparison would be greatly appreciated.

I see the Epson has wifi, what would I use that for?! And comes with a remote but the Optima does not?

My AV engineer says he has installed loads of the Epson so the one bonus going for that would be quicker for him to install and set up and therefore saving me labour.

If this helps, it will be used during daylight as well as in the evenings and for the following:

Sky Q - news, TV shows and movies.
Netflix and Amazon via a Firestick - Movies and Tv Shows
 
My dad had originally wanted to buy the Epson 7300 which he said is better than the 6700 (not sure if he's right?!) but it cant be found anywhere any more.... Maybe discontinued!
 
Ok so as iv decided not to go for a fake 4K rather a half decent 1080p projector the Epson 7400 is out. Plus it’s a lot of money.

Still can’t decide between the Optoma vs 6700....

Could you elaborate on your sentence - IMO the HD39 is the more focussed home cinema projector whereas the 6700 is better as a bright-room general TV and game play machine. please

I will use it during daylight but also plenty during the evenings in a dark room. During the day it’s mostly Sky News and crappy daytime tv so not much dark scenes.
 
Am I right in saying you’d probably take the better at night Optoma over the better during day 6700 if you were in my boat?

If you had the two side by side do you think there will be a noticeable difference during daylight use or are we talking about very minor differences?
 
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