Projector Virgin here, Epson tw3500 or 4500?

Rudolf1980 · Oct 08, 2010 11:26 am

Hi there. After a bit of help.
We are getting our first projector and dont want to go too half assed about it.
Dont have a clue what to look for etc
Have been to a few shop and most salesmen suggest the epson tw4500 or tw3500.
What is better? Best price I can find is 3500 - $2190.35 with free globe
and for the 4500 - $3630.22 with free 97" screen or ceiling mount.
Is there really much diffrence in machines to have that much price difference?

Any other suggestions????

Any response would be greatly appreciated

heater07 · Oct 08, 2010 1:04 pm

i would pop into your local 'big picture people' store
they have theartre rooms set up, say about 6 different ones, all varying in cost, size, etc etc...
We ignored the price and chose what we thought was the best picture, it ended up being one of the cheaper ones, so you dont have to pay big bucks do get a good projector these days

Tom's Playroom · Oct 08, 2010 6:12 pm

Hi there,
I know it is very tempting to buy on price, but on a consumer durable like a home theatre projector, it is worth putting in a bit of research as you will probably have it for some time. Both of the machines from Epson will give you a great picture. I have a feeling that both models feature organic LCD panels, which means that they will deteriorate over time. I would be more inclined to go for a unit with inorganic panels, which should provide for longer service.

A free globe is tempting, but it really depends on how much you intend to watch your projector. Most people would use it for a couple or a few hours per day, and with most lamps lasting 3000 to 4000 hours, wear is not a major issue. You may not need a globe for a few years. Likewise with a screen. Is the screen size that they are offering suitable for your room????

The things that you need to consider with a projector are whether you can light control the room effectively, how much brightness you need, resolution, placement (do you want ceiling mount etc), operating noise and picture format (do you want standard 16:9 widescreen or 2.37:1 cinemascope). Some projectors such as the Panasonic PT-AE4000U and the Mitsubishi HC-6800 will do both without the need for an add on lens. The dimensions of the room and the type of viewing that you do will be two major factors to consider when choosing your projector.

A good place to do some research is on avsforum.com or alternatively, there are a lot of resources on projectorcentral.com. Both are american sites but offer a wealth of reviews and info on just about every model available. The Epson model numbers are different in the USA.

Best of luck. PM me if I can be of any assistance.

Cheers
Greg

Rudolf1980 · Oct 11, 2010 12:36 pm

Thanks to everyone for their feedback.
Ok, went to a few more places to compare and lastly went into the big picture people. After talking to them, epson was no longer a thought. but we ended up going with the picture we liked as heater07 suggested. So for those projector know it alls... did we get a good deal or ripped of???
Mitsubishi HC4000 Projector
Kabo projector mount
105" fixed flocked velour screen
Topfield TF7200 HD set top box
For....$3000.

Appently has 5000hr lense and only cost $400 to replace it.

Any feedback appreciated.