If you?re a home theater nut, there comes a point when you
realize that the TV you really want wouldn?t even be able to fit
through the front door.
Maybe what you really need is a
projector.
We?re seeing a fresh crop of great new projectors that will leave
you just as breathless as a 4K TV, but at a fraction of the price.
I?m Donald Bell, and in this Top 5 we?re counting down CNET?s
picks for the best Home Theater Projectors, selected by Senior
Editor, David Katzmaier.
Starting off at #5: the Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 3020.
Epson is a huge player in this game and at $1,500, the 3020
gives you a taste of what got them there.
Great black levels with
good shadow detail, and 3D support.
You can upgrade this one
to wireless HDMI for an extra $300, but at that price there are
some other options worth exploring.
Plus, something about the
grills on this thing give it an evil robot vibe that kinda freaks me
out.
For the best value, check out #4: the BenQ W1070.
At around
$1,000, the BenQ is the most compact and inexpensive projector
on this list, but the picture quality holds up to that Epson 3020.
You can even shift the lens angle a little instead of having to
digitally warp the image to get it all squared up.
On the
downside, the 3D glasses are $99 each.
So if your kid wants to
watch Avatar, they?ve got to earn it.
But for a projector that covers all the bases, check out #3: the
Sony VPL-HW50ES.
You get two pairs of active 3D glasses, an
extra replacement lamp, and a reference-quality picture right out
of the box.
Unfortunately, the price tag on that box is around
$4,000, but this is a big step up in picture quality.
Try to think of it
in terms of picture quality per square inch and it?s a steal over a
4K TV.
Coming in at #2: the JVC DLA-X35.
This beauty comes in at
$500 less than the Sony, but matches it absolutely in terms of
picture quality...
once it?s calibrated.
Out of the box, the Sony is
the clear winner, but having that $500 in your pocket to pay for a
professional installation and calibration -- which you should be
doing anyway -- makes the JVC a better choice.
Also, it?s
compatible with some inexpensive third-party 3D glasses, so you
won?t have to go broke just to watch some of Hollywood?s
crappiest movies.
Now, before we get to our #1 pick in home theater projectors,
let?s take a minute to acknowledge one of the best TVs you can
buy.
CNET?s current top choice is the Panasonic TC-PVT60.
$3,000 buys you the best picture quality we?ve seen since the
legendary Pioneer Kuro.
And unlike a projector, there are no
bulbs to replace, no fancy screens to hang up, and you can keep
the freakin?
lights on.
But for you cave dwelling videophiles, one projector rises above
all the rest when it comes to both picture quality and value: the
Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 5020UB.
For under $3,000 you
get excellent color accuracy, deep blacks, and two pairs of 3D
glasses.
Best of all, the projection is bright enough that you can
even leave a few lights on without ruining the image quality.
That
said, maybe your weird home theater dungeon is best left in the
dark.
So there you have it, 5 great home theater projectors perfect for
your remastered edition of Citizen Kane or maybe a Storage
Wars marathon -- I won?t judge.
For more Top 5?s like this head
over to Top5.
CNET.com.
I?m Donald Bell, thanks for watching.
