TV Projector

Irrenhaus
Irrenhaus Posts: 1,092
in Electronics
Hi All

So if all goes fine and as soon things calm down with the current climate I am planing to move away from my Vizio 55" LCD.

I have narrowed down to two options the Epson 5050UB or the BenQ HT5550. The living room is about 20' X 13' with a big window on the side and a 3.5' opening to the kitchen.

I plan to get maybe a 120" black projection screen. I don't watch too much TV during the day even on the weekends. I will say 80% of the time is at night after all my work is done.

I have no experience with projectors and this will be my first venture. Any advice will be welcome.

Cheers
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Comments

  • Dennis Gardner
    Dennis Gardner Posts: 4,861
    edited March 2020
    8riqueei0m9k.jpeg
    k2fq1rj2wk95.jpeg
    The 5050UB will be much brighter than the HT5550 according to this website:https://projectorcentral.com/BenQ-HT5550-projection-calculator-pro.htm#top

    My Optoma HD25LV is very bright and can be used with lights on if needed. When I put into the calculator it comes up 52 FL (foot lamberts) on the 120"diagonal screen. The Epson is close to the level, but the BenQ is only 19FL on that size screen.

    I have found that a projector used for TV with a number of people in a living room needs to have the ability to project an image even with lights on, so casual watchers can talk to each other. In a home theater setting with total light control, projectors look best when calibrated for movies. In a living room, think sporting event where people might want to get up and move around to get a drink, a bright PJ that has the ability to overcome the lighting works best. You can actually have two setting saved to accomplish this. The BenQ may not let you do that with only 19FL.

    No comments allowed about CRS+ setup.......I put them on stands 6 foot apart when in use.
    HT Optoma HD25 LV on 80" DIY Screen, Anthem MRX 300 Receiver, Pioneer Elite BDP 51FD Polk CS350LS, Polk SDA1C, Polk FX300, Polk RT55, Dual EBS Adire Shiva 320watt tuned to 17hz, ICs-DIY Twisted Prs, Speaker-Raymond Cable

    2 Channel Thorens TD 318 Grado ZF1, SACD/CD Marantz 8260, Soundstream/Krell DAC1, Audio Mirror PP1, Odyssey Stratos, ADS L-1290, ICs-DIY Twisted , Speaker-Raymond Cable
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  • jeremymarcinko
    jeremymarcinko Posts: 3,785
    I really like our BenQ. The DLP may not be as bright as the lcd at the same price point, but it’s beautifully natural. We purchased the 2050 in 2016; have had zero issues and the picture is still fantastic in our dark HT room. I imagine the newer more expensive 4K DLP projectors are even better.

    Projecting 1080 on a 120” elite screen.
    Oh, Listen here mister. We got no way of understandin' this world. But we got as much sense of this bird flyin in the sky. Now there is a lot that bird don't know, but it don't change the fact that the world is happening to him all the same. What I am tryin to say is, is that the course of your life, well its changing, and you don't even see it- Forest Bondurant
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  • Irrenhaus
    Irrenhaus Posts: 1,092
    Dennis Gardner wrote: »
    8riqueei0m9k.jpeg
    k2fq1rj2wk95.jpeg
    The 5050UB will be much brighter than the HT5550 according to this website:https://projectorcentral.com/BenQ-HT5550-projection-calculator-pro.htm#top

    My Optoma HD25LV is very bright and can be used with lights on if needed. When I put into the calculator it comes up 52 FL (foot lamberts) on the 120"diagonal screen. The Epson is close to the level, but the BenQ is only 19FL on that size screen.

    I have found that a projector used for TV with a number of people in a living room needs to have the ability to project an image even with lights on, so casual watchers can talk to each other. In a home theater setting with total light control, projectors look best when calibrated for movies. In a living room, think sporting event where people might want to get up and move around to get a drink, a bright PJ that has the ability to overcome the lighting works best. You can actually have two setting saved to accomplish this. The BenQ may not let you do that with only 19FL.

    No comments allowed about CRS+ setup.......I put them on stands 6 foot apart when in use.

    Hey thanks for the advice. On my end I am not much a sports fan so no gatherings. Is mostly me all the time to watch a good movie or a TV series.

    I am leaning to the Epson especially the e version which is wireless.

    Cheers
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  • Inspector 24
    Inspector 24 Posts: 1,308
    How good is the wireless? I seem to recall projectors of past that had issues with signal interruption, but haven't investigated recently.

    I'm partial to DLP projectors. To my eye they have a ease of color presentation and they just look more natural than others. The tradeoff is the occasional rainbow from moving or looking too fast which for me is a more than acceptable tradeoff.

    My current projector is a Sim2 D60, essentially a hot-rodded BenQ W5000. Has been going strong for over 10 years now. The picture is rich and natural, plenty bright, and sharp enough that I have no desire to upgrade to 4k. If/When I upgrade mine it will most certainly be a BenQ, likely the HT5550.
    Up
    LSi15 LSiC - RX-V3000

    Down
    LSiM707 - 706c - 702f/x - Dual HSU VTF-15H Mk2
    Parasound HCA-3500 - HCA-2003A - Marantz SR7005
    Sim2 D60 - Dragonfly 106" Panny 500

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  • LeftCoast
    LeftCoast Posts: 406
    Inspector 24 wrote: »
    How good is the wireless? I seem to recall projectors of past that had issues with signal interruption, but haven't investigated recently.

    I'm partial to DLP projectors. To my eye they have a ease of color presentation and they just look more natural than others. The tradeoff is the occasional rainbow from moving or looking too fast which for me is a more than acceptable tradeoff.

    My current projector is a Sim2 D60, essentially a hot-rodded BenQ W5000. Has been going strong for over 10 years now. The picture is rich and natural, plenty bright, and sharp enough that I have no desire to upgrade to 4k. If/When I upgrade mine it will most certainly be a BenQ, likely the HT5550.

    I was looking at projectors last year. It was one of the projector websites, projector people or projector central...One of them.. Anyway, the sales person who was working with me was clearly trying to steer me away from the wireless Epson without outright saying it. She was hinting that the wireless was problematic.

    I too am thinking about the 5050 or the 6050. A selling point for me is that you can program different aspect ratios.
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  • Inspector 24
    Inspector 24 Posts: 1,308
    edited March 2020
    Wireless sounds nice, especially considering the difficulty in running HDMI in some applications. I use an HDMI Balun, converts to cat5 cable, boosts the signal, reconverts on the other end. Run is about 55' Only problem I've had is the first balun died after 2 years, current one is going on 5. No signal loss, no need to buy a crazy expensive HDMI cable and hope it survives being ran through walls.
    Up
    LSi15 LSiC - RX-V3000

    Down
    LSiM707 - 706c - 702f/x - Dual HSU VTF-15H Mk2
    Parasound HCA-3500 - HCA-2003A - Marantz SR7005
    Sim2 D60 - Dragonfly 106" Panny 500

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  • Irrenhaus
    Irrenhaus Posts: 1,092
    Okay so after some research I decided that for my first venture into TV projectors I will start basic and go from there. I got an EPSON Home Cinema 1060 this one is only 1080P but at the moment I don't have any 4K material.

    So far I am happy it looks great and is bright even with a lot of ambient light. I got this one refurbished for only $399

    Just did a full re-arrangement of the HT system and more work is coming.

    cx3cgp42prz0.jpg

    Cheers
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  • verb
    verb Posts: 10,176
    Very nice! :smile:
    Basement: Polk SDA SRS 1.2tl's, Cary SLP-05 Pre with ultimate upgrade,McIntosh MCD301 CD/SACD player, Northstar Designs Excelsio DAC, Cambridge 851N streamer, McIntosh MC300 Amp, Silnote Morpheus Ref2, Series2 Digital Cables, Silnote Morpheus Ref2 Series2 XLR's, Furman 15PFi Power Conditioner, Pangea Power Cables, MIT Shotgun S3 IC's, MIT Shotgun S1 Bi-Wire speaker cables
    Office: PC, EAR Acute CD Player, EAR 834L Pre, Northstar Designs Intenso DAC, Antique Sound Labs AV8 Monoblocks, Denon UDR-F10 Cassette, Acoustic Technologies Classic FR Speakers, SVS SB12 Plus sub, MIT AVt2 speaker cables, IFI Purifier2, AQ Cinnamon USB cable, Groneberg Quatro Reference IC's
    Spare Room: Dayens Ampino Integrated Amp, Tjoeb 99 tube CD player (modified Marantz CD-38), Analysis Plus Oval 9's, Zu Jumpers, AudioEngine B1 Streamer, Klipsch RB-61 v2, SVS PB1000 sub, Blue Jeans RCA IC's, Shunyata Hydra 8 Power Conditioner
    Living Room: Peachtree Nova Integrated, Cambridge CXN v2 Streamer, Rotel RCD-1072 CD player, Furman 15PFi Power Conditioner, Polk RT265 In Wall Speakers, Polk DSW Pro 660wi sub
    Garage #1: Cambridge Audio 640A Integrated Amp, Project Box-E BT Streamer, Polk Tsi200 Bookies, Douglas Speaker Cables, Shunyata Power Conditioner
    Garage #2: Cambridge Audio EVO150 Integrated Amplifier, Polk L200's, Analysis Plus Silver Oval 2 Speaker Cables, IC's TBD.
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  • PSOVLSK
    PSOVLSK Posts: 5,208
    Man, I miss having a true home theater.

    Looks great. Enjoy!!!

    Things work out best for those who make the best of the way things work out.-John Wooden
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  • kevhed72
    kevhed72 Posts: 5,059
    DLP rules for movies and live sports....the pic looks softer and more natural IMO over our LED TV. Over time the bulb will dim quite a bit, but ours is usually on low power to conserve bulb life.
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  • Inspector 24
    Inspector 24 Posts: 1,308
    Great thing is it happens over 2000hrs so you don't notice...Until you put a new one in. :p

    Nice grab on the projector! I look at 4k screens on display, calibrated and not, come home to watch mine and don't' miss 4k one dang bit. It's a 106" screen and I sit ~13-15' away.
    Up
    LSi15 LSiC - RX-V3000

    Down
    LSiM707 - 706c - 702f/x - Dual HSU VTF-15H Mk2
    Parasound HCA-3500 - HCA-2003A - Marantz SR7005
    Sim2 D60 - Dragonfly 106" Panny 500

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  • jeremymarcinko
    jeremymarcinko Posts: 3,785
    Agree on 4K being no big deal. 1080p is plenty good enough for movies and sports.
    Oh, Listen here mister. We got no way of understandin' this world. But we got as much sense of this bird flyin in the sky. Now there is a lot that bird don't know, but it don't change the fact that the world is happening to him all the same. What I am tryin to say is, is that the course of your life, well its changing, and you don't even see it- Forest Bondurant
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  • Inspector 24
    Inspector 24 Posts: 1,308
    Yeah, I think the biggest improvement I'd get with a new BenQ would probably be some contrast, maybe some depth of blacks, maybe a little sharper, and probably quieter...this one's fan is a slight bit noisy, and updated HDMI spec, but all my stuff is from the same generation so it's happy for now.
    Up
    LSi15 LSiC - RX-V3000

    Down
    LSiM707 - 706c - 702f/x - Dual HSU VTF-15H Mk2
    Parasound HCA-3500 - HCA-2003A - Marantz SR7005
    Sim2 D60 - Dragonfly 106" Panny 500

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  • kevhed72
    kevhed72 Posts: 5,059
    jeremymarcinko wrote: »
    Agree on 4K being no big deal. 1080p is plenty good enough for movies and sports.

    Hey ya think a 4k BDP is a "waste" then for an "average" LCD TV? I may sell my Pioneer and get a smaller Sony BDP for space reasons....
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  • jeremymarcinko
    jeremymarcinko Posts: 3,785
    Yes. I wouldn’t buy a 4K BDP, unless you like having physical media or need something to pass the latest audio codecs. We personally stream 99% of our 4K content to our TVs. Despite the technical differences 4K doesn’t guarantee a great picture; a quality set will make the most difference IMO.
    Oh, Listen here mister. We got no way of understandin' this world. But we got as much sense of this bird flyin in the sky. Now there is a lot that bird don't know, but it don't change the fact that the world is happening to him all the same. What I am tryin to say is, is that the course of your life, well its changing, and you don't even see it- Forest Bondurant
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  • Irrenhaus
    Irrenhaus Posts: 1,092
    So I have a child with special needs and he loves to watch cartoons but flat TV screens are not a good match.

    After getting the the 1060 and getting the flat TV out of the living room. Why not do the same in his room. I started looking for something small that will be easy to setup and found this one. The XGIMI Mogo Pro so far I am happy it has auto focus, auto keystone correction and Google Android TV.

    Here are some of the specs:

    True cinematic projection with 100+ inches display

    - True 1080P resolution, support 4K

    - 300 ANSI Lumens

    - Official Android TV system with 5000+ apps

    - Premium sound by Harman-Kardon

    - Keystone Correction Projection

    - Mirroring from your phone via Chromecast

    - Voice control with Google Assistant

    I am redoing his room over the weekend and installing the projector. Will update.

    317tnjfoe890.png

    11n6ogp5ip41.png



    https://www.xgimi.com/us/mogo-pro?gclid=CjwKCAjw34n5BRA9EiwA2u9k31UJfU4yAsBSDHK1DaRaTdtFsDLG0EMo6UBjKNZyQQZR3kCEZL4PtRoChRAQAvD_BwE

    Cheers


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