*Want to make sure you're getting the best deal on one of my recommended products? We manually track the Amazon prices with sales and promo codes here:* www.thesmarthomehookup.com/price-tracker/ All the projectors in this video were "Winners" from my other unsponsored reviews, watch them here: Best Sub $100 Budget Projectors: ruclips.net/video/ooFvyudbxNE/видео.html Best $100-$600 Midrange Projectors: ruclips.net/video/8mVX_29gXHE/видео.html Best Portable Projectors: ruclips.net/video/yvtpArSHXeU/видео.html Best 4K Lifestyle Projectors: ruclips.net/video/3KmKv-TTIQQ/видео.html Best Ultra Short Throw Projectors: ruclips.net/video/Ef0tNjGDoOU/видео.html Best Premium Home Theater Projectors: ruclips.net/video/TjgXfRMtmSU/видео.html Best UST Projector Screens: ruclips.net/video/2b8PXZtL1q8/видео.html
BTW, I don't know if there's any interest in this, but I ended up keeping that a XGIMI HORIZON Ultra even though I agreed with you that the black levels sucked - I just missed the return window with it being around Christmas. But, I will say the projector has improved greatly - they must have updated it since the black levels, while still bad, are not nearly as bad as they were a few months ago. Also, I don't know if they added in additional options or if I just missed them, but when Dolby Vision is enabled you can go in and tweak the settings a bit, which greatly improves the contrast - still not great for dark scenes, but much better than it was. If you still have one, it might be interesting to include in future comparisons to see if I'm actually correct, or my brain is manipulating me into trying to justify the purchase. You do, however, have to tweak some of the settings, the out of box settings are truly horrific.
U made me go trough quite an odeal to buy the mars pro from china. Although it took close to 6 months (received it broken returned it factory got flooded and so on ) It is an amazing projector ( best i have ever seen in a home. ) Ty a lot :)
I did take your advice on the Hisense F100W 100" Fresnal ALR hard screen. It is just about perfect and in a room that is normally lit, my Vava 4k ust just performs as good as it can be! It did arrive in a huge box on an 8' shipping pallet, but was easy to put up the adjustable wall mounts and do a perfect manual setup with no in projector keystone adjustments.
Love this format. This fixes one of the weaknesses of the "Best X for X dollars" format where you don't know what the next step up would be and if it might be worth it. Well done.
That's got to be The Best Projector comparison I've ever watched! Lots of information and clear side by side data showing actual differences by the numbers. Great Job!
Seriously I am always so impressed with the level of detail you go into with all of your testing and your videos. I really think and hope you need to be a top RUclipsr for the quality you bring. Thanks
As always, Rob combines a rigorous process, with actual hard data, to help provide unbiased reviews. But he takes that a step further by also supplying us with very well informed opinions too. Unique content like this is why I am more than happy to sponsor him, and would encourage others to do the same. Keep up the fantastic work Rob!
Rob, This absolutely IS the Ultimate price/performance projector comparison video on YTube! Thanks to you, I'm very satisfied with my recent JMGO N1 purchase(Amazon $699) that I made for my Rec room. But for my Home theater room, I'm anticipating your upcoming feedback on what I hope will be the best of the Lifestyle projectors between the XGIMI Horizon Max and the DangBei X5-Ultra. From what you were able to observe at the recent 2024 CES show, did either of those upcoming projectors appear to have the potential to perform at the levels of the Nexigo Aurora Pro. That would be the next comparison that I would look forward to seeing. Thanks again for your great work!
X5 Ultra is known to have a pretty high black floor, the same with all ALPD 5.0 projectors, so don't expect it to be competitive for a home theater. Horizon Max looked very promising at CES, but as I understand it's going be be pretty expensive.
@@TheHookUp In one of the CES videos , the XGIMI rep estimated that the Horizon Max would be in the high $2500-$2999 range, which would put it in the Aurora Pro price range. This is why I'll be looking to see your comparison of those two in the future. XGIMI gets all the desired technology features correct, but Im really hoping that they significantly improve on your measured contrast numbers on the Horizon Ultra. Thanks again!
Hey just want to hop in and say I bought the suggested sub $100 projector that was recommended on a previous video and it rocks! I think this is the only channel I trust with reviews about stuff like this because you actually understand the difference between marketing and performance.
I said it before on AVS and ill day it again... You are doing am amazing job at giving the consumer the power through knowledge at making informed decisions by putting the manufacturers to their claims. Thank you for all your great work.
I loved that you included the JVC. Very few "normal" reviews of this thing. Honestly I find contrast and shadow detail to be the main things money buys you. In a dedicated room there is absolutely no competition for the JVC.
I had to pause this video literally 5 seconds in and say great job of another banger of a video. Now, to actually go watch it, but this channel just doesn't disappoint.
I mean, the rapid fire delivery of information is absolutely AMAZING here!!! Your reviews are reference material for me as I consider my next projector purchase and I can't thank you enough. Keep rocking these reviews and we'll keep watching them :)
I really didn't know where to begin in buying a projector for my bedroom. I never thought I'd need or want one, but with some medical issues in my home, it's going to be an important and necessary little escape. Thanks for making this an easier process to navigate! This was SO thorough!
Just purchased a VOPLLS Model number N3 projector for $50 from Amazon. Advantages: Small size, light weight, manual focus, manual keystone and (best of all) NO BLOATWARE ! I hardwired the HDMI to a Linux computer and ceiling mounted it. I did have to pay 50% more for the Akia Screens 100 inch (AK-M100V1) .... more like 92 inches at 16x9.
The level of detail and study in this video is unmatched. Finding your channel made me super into projectors and the idea of home theater spaces in the first place, and seeing how comprehensive the budget vs. performance scale is insane. I am super happy I got my Nexigo PJ40 from seeing your comparison videos. However, seeing it scale well before a huge price jump to the next real comparable upgrade makes me even happier! 🤣 I believe I'll upgrade one day, and trust me, I'll definitely come back to this video when I do! Thank you again for your excellent work!
Incredible how good the Nexigo did even compared to a JVC Flagship! I would've thought the JVC would easily beat it but truly the difference isn't enough to justify the extra $9,200!
On anything over 100" screen the JVC blows it out of the water, also professionally calibrated makes a huge difference which wasn't done in the test here.
Great video man!! this is all I needed! and the amount of effort put to create this video. **S tier**. I have hardly commented on any video, but this one truly deserves it!.
I pick up cheap JVC projectors like RS1 for under 100 used once in a while. The picture is really good. It puts consumer single chip DLP to shame. Definitely need a dark room though as they are usually sub 1000 lumens. Just no noise in the picture, quiet, inky blacks and great features with H/V lens shift and good zoom.
Thank you for directly showing what more money actually gets you, much easier to decide what one would have to spend to achieve a certain level of quality. Great comparison
Valiant effort comparing these projectors. It’s a near impossible task as individual use cases will sway value to performance metrics. For example, many people will want a larger screen (130” or more) and want to have their screen project both 2.35:1 as well as 16:9. Additionally screen gain and light control will play an enormous part in image quality. Your videos are great, arguably fair, and provide great information and comparison, but I just believe there are so many use case differences that make these comparisons a very difficult task. Great job, and know anyone who complains about these issues doesn’t recognize how Herculean a task it is to compare projectors as you have done.
I've been using the BenQ HT2050A (which was very highly recommended) for a little over a year in my basement home theater setup and also have the Happrun for camping/backyard use. The Happrun was $45 and the Benq was $750, and there's a giant difference when comparing them, but the Happrun works for my use cases and the free stretchy screen is a nice touch. The Benq is great and I have no regrets. I know Benq replaced the 2050A with the 2060. You should consider testing that one too. I'm not sure how it would compare to your current picks, but it is also highly rated/recommended.
If you have a REALLY big budget you go get 115" JVC LCD that absolutely destroys projectors in almost every area. $25k is a bit steep though. Even the 98" JVC is pretty good, but can't compete with brethren top end TV's in image quality, but still have massive advantages over any projector. I am not saying projectors are bad, but they will always need to be in a light controlled room, which isn't terribly practical in most single family homes. But if image size, picture quality, and cost are the major factors when deciding on a display type... Projectors will always have a massive advantage when it comes to the biggest image. But if image quality is your priority no projector can really compete with flagship TV's. The size advantage that projectors have is narrowing significantly. Not to many people want screen size over 100"... An 85" screen is pretty big. A 115" is very big... But isn't 130" to 150"... Obviously it will will be impractical for anything much beyond 115"... But if manufacturers can get the picture quality up to the level of the current OLED's and bring the price down to half... ( say 115" for $12k) I can see a fairly large number of people wanting them. I remember when 65" was a huge TV... Now it is the 'standard size'. I think that 75" - 77" becomes the new standard in coming years, and 82" to 88" becomes the large, and 100"+ becomes the luxury... And because of the inherent issues with projectors, they will become less common until you move into the realm of dedicated home theater rooms over 120"... I can think of a few advantages that projectors have: More portable than a very large TV When you get above 85" cost. No reflectivity issues. Wider viewing angles. Still do 3D content. However, most projectors have some pretty big disadvantages too... Want the best image? Going to have to buy a very good screen... Which high quality ones are very expensive. Need to be in a light controlled room. Lower image quality. May not be 'True 4k' (some of them use technology cheats, and are 2x 2k). Usually worse for gaming. May not have Dolby Vision A lot of them have fan noise. Light source is expensive and occasionally needs to be replaced. They can be a lot more finicky. If they have speakers (🙄 why?) they generally suck. Which means you have to get a sound system in place. In certain applications, projectors are absolutely the way to go... But in my opinion, in most situations concerning general consumer, they get trounced by high end TV's. Want to go really big? Get a projector... Otherwise get a nice TV. Just my opinion.
Outstanding, looking forward to seeing how JVC improves on the NZ8 at CEDIA this September! Also some major advantages of JVC is you can project up to 300” screen 😂 I wondered how the Nexigo compared to the Formovie Theater!
The content here is legitimately top notch. I watch way too much RUclips. LIke all the time, everything that I am interested in. The Hookup is amazing quality certainly for projectors. But amazing for just any type of content.
This was super cool, I'm trying to build a table with built in rear projection in it, and while this isn't directly comparable, it's giving me a lot of extra data points to work with.
Just found out, that the nexigo pj40 gen 3 is also d65 calibrated. Do you think the gamut will be more precise then the software updated gen 2? Or are there some settings to get the best out of it. Out of your recommendation i bought it, the gen 3 was sold out though, also the gen 2 had a discount! Thank you for the hard work :)
There is a slight difference in the native color temperature of the PJ40 Gen3, but I don't think it's significant enough of a change to warrant needing one over the other.
Before I returned my PJ40 for a JMGO N1, I thought the firmware upgraded settings to the Gen2 enhanced the performance of the projected images. Although the D65 calibration settings were available in the firmware, only the Gen3 models have the upgraded hardware to exploit the D65 white balance utilities. I preferred the improved sharpness, colors gamut range and positioning features that I observed in the JMGO. For the price the PJ40 was very impressive and worth the purchase if it works in your environment. It was brighter than expected in an ambient lit room. FYI, I was willing to pay $500 extra for the upgrade.
Thank for the video. One of the best projector tech reviewer about budget and expensive.The good thing,he always mention input lag for gamer to take note.👍👍
Great video! I own the Epson LS12000 which is pretty much identical to the LS11000 with additional brightness and contrast. I overall like the LS12000, but it has an issue with handing BT.2020 content that makes HDR sources somewhat unwatchable in my opinion. It's subtle at times, but it manifests as blotchy reds that disrupt gradients, and can produce super weird looking skin tones. I've posted extensively about this on AVSForum in the LS12000's owners thread and numerous users have confirmed across the board that all units are affected. I engaged Epson support as well and had a very lengthy exchange with their support people, and they eventually admitted it saying they'd look into it, but it's been months now without a fix. If you still have the LS11000 and are up for testing/documenting this issue I'd be happy to help walk you through it! Also, at 16:50 you mention the JVC's subpixel alignment as a feature over the Epson, but the Epson does have this available. I've had to dial mine in a bit but it makes a big difference in perceptual sharpness.
Before I settled in on the JMGO N1, I tried out the Nexigo PJ40. I would echo Rob's sentiments that it has no business being as good as it is for $240. I just didn't want to miss out on the new triple laser technology offered by the JMGO, which is sharper and has a wide color gamut. Also the Nexigo had a fixed focal range that I couldn't work with. But the Nexigo's LED image was impressive and surprisingly brighter than expected at 700 or so lumens.
Great video! I just got a cheapo 1080p projector from Amazon, with the last projector I purchased was a Sony XLR projector in 2005, and to my surprise for $60 bucks (after coupon code) the cheapo projector actually was good. Not great, but good. Something good for the kids to use, or take on a camping trip. The only real caveat is that the input lag is way too slow for gaming. But for $60 bucks I got a good, very compact projector that doubles as a good bluetooth speaker.
@thehookup You are the projector GURU ! Hats off to you ! Pure facts and numbers, you do the best projector reviews, did not find any other better review videos. You put in so much time and effort on this. Thanks a TON! Could you also review the WiMiUS K9 projector. Thank you in advance.
This is starting to make me wonder WHY companies aren't experimenting more with better quality single lcd set-ups...🤔 BUT however, my next projector is going to be the BenQ HT 4550i...
Awesome video. The relevant facts at the right time and highly relevant tests and considerations. Good job. In my tests I also saw a difference in motion handling (stutter etc.), which is something I’m allergic to. But I assume this was not a noticeable issue in these tests. Anyhow. A great video and very interesting test. - a home theater enthusiast.
Single LCD projectors should basically be immune to stuttering because they naturally have LCD motion blur, but they won't be able to imitate the high refresh rate MEMC look of DLP projectors (which I personally don't like).
I would love to see you tackle a video like this, but taking into account projectors found in the used market such as eBay. People on reddit (r/projectors) are always so adamant on going with a used projector before ever considering budget ones like the groview.
Excellent work as always, still the best at these comparisons. My only query is why you didn't use a standard/long throw ALR screen to give a fairer light usage comparison against the UST Projectors.
I've never found a good one to be honest. Willing to take suggestions though. All the ones I've tried have terrible hotspotting issues and are basically unusable with tri laser projectors due to laser speckle.
@@TheHookUp Aaah fair enough, it wasn't a criticism, I just wondered as I know they're available but noticed when ALR is referenced it's almost exclusively about USTs. Thanks for clarifying
@@TheHookUp Are you no longer satisfied with your Vividstorm ALR Screen (Long Throw) with 0.8 Gain? The images shown on it (e.g. with the Dangbei Mars Pro) always looked very good in the videos. I would appreciate an answer! Big up to you :)
Thanks so much for all this awesome detail. I am tempted to go for a more expensive projector, but there’s one thing your videos never contemplate, and that’s kids potentially spilling drinks /knocking etc your projector 😂 so I am tempted by the Nexigo, thanks again
These mid-range lifestyle projectors like the Hisense C1 Global seem to be a better deal than buying a normal projector designed for a light controlled home theatre room. If Hisense designed a home theatre projector in a case like the typical HT projector with all the same features as the C1 and C2 (VIDAA & Google TV OS optional). I would be more willing to buy one as it would not stick down as low if ceiling mounted. The US price of the C1 is more attractive than what is priced in Canada though.
I would love to see other bulb projectors compared under $1k. (BenQ HT2050a/2060, Epson 880, Epson 2250, etc.) These are very bright and still have decent contrast.
I don't think I'll be comparing bulb projectors any time soon, it's old technology and the biggest issue is that bulb performance degrades significantly in the first ~500 hours, so comparing a 10 hour bulb on one projector with a 100 hour bulb on another wouldn't be a fair comparison.
Excellent video as always. You should try a fresnel screen made for long throw projectors to keep the comparisons on a more equal level. I use a 120 inch fresnel from yovanxer with my Sony XW5000ES, and the difference from my previous ALR screen is huge, also in a completely dark room. Much more of a difference than going from the previous Epson 6050 to the native 4K laser Sony.
@@TheHookUp I do think they have a factory, but I know they buy their UST fresnel screens from fscreen. Fscreen also has 100 and 120 inch fresnels for long throw. I just took a chance on this brand, and it paid off.
I have the NZ8 paid $5,300 for it used with 650 hours on it, and with it callibrated and on the right settings it blows away anything under its price range and pretty much anything over it besides the NZ9.Their frame adapt is amazing nothing on the market comes close at all.Also comparing on 100" screen is kinda pointless, a lot of projectors will look good at that size it's when you go to 120" plus is when you really understand why the JVC wins every side by side comparison.
JVC costs £15k in Uk (16.5k USD accounted for tax) - insane for that price you can find big 100” tv. Hisense UX 110 probably will cost around that - great blacks 10k nits. Projector space will be shaken up. Nexigo make so much more sense for the price
Thanks for the video, I really appreciate someone doing real testing instead of only talking marketing bs.. There are other kinds of ALR Screens that work with the JVC as well, no need to hinder its performance by placing it in a light colored room with a white screen, so I found the comparison a bit unfair. It is kind of a waste to place it in a non optimized room, the NZ series especially has excellent contrast above 1% ADL due to the new high contrast block.
Great videos I only AWOLLT 3500 Pro after two years of research I had no choice but to buy that unit especially since I'm a gamer I've heard you talk a lot about dark levels and black. Well there's a problem there and that is your screen you cannot have a black level darker than the screen capable of producing has nothing to do with the projector. It's all about the screen. if you have a white screen to get maximum illumination, you're gonna have crappy blacks if you have a black screen, you're going to get better blacks I have the gray screen and I have no complaints about the black levels of the AWOL vision, especially with the new updates that gave us all the additional viewing formats.
It depends heavily on your environment. If your room is dusty or warm it will decrease the lifespan significantly. In a cleaned air conditioned house it should last ~20,000h.
This was an INSANE comparison video! The best I've seen and I appreciate you taking the time to make it! 💯. I don't know what you have in the pipeline but any chance of doing a projector review for projection mapping homes? I'm looking to get into it and would love to have something like this video to help! Thanks so much for your time and effort!
That would probably only be a "passion video" around Halloween time if I end up doing it. It's too niche to actually get views, but would be fun to make since it's something I'm interested in. Basically you need crazy high brightness (5000+ lumens), and a relatively short throw, as well as a house that is well suited for projection mapping.
Yet again, an awesome video with stunning details. What are your thoughts on the Dangbei Mars Pro 2? I know you were looking forward to testing it, and I've been stalking the channel for the review but haven't found it yet. I am strongly considering pulling the trigger on it, just super curious to hear your take on it. What do you think? Versus for example the LS12000 or the W4000 (ht4550i) - I know you like the 95% comparison 😀 Cheers! ✌️🔥🔥
Awesome. Now can you test alr screens for front throw projectors? Seems like that would be a huge factor. Specifically I would love to see a review of the elite screens cinegray 3d alr acoustically transparent screen. 😊 thanks for your hard work
I was wondering if you could update your best projector under $100 video, because they are very helpful. Also, if you do, it would be nice if you included the nexigo pj10, I have been debating on what to purchase. Thanks for the amazing videos, keep it up.
That video gets 1 update a year. It will happen in early November. The Happrun is currently under $50: amzn.to/3xOmWvZ and the Groview JQ818C goes under $100 quite often.
Hi, Thanks for your video reviews and comparisons, they are very informative. I am looking for buying a new home projector and narrowed my search to 3 models: Hisense C1, Dangbei Mars Pro 2, Benq tk 710 STI. Also Benq x3100i is an option, but this one is a bit more expensive. I see you have more or less covered in your other videos all of these models. In terms of value for money and picture quality which one would be the best? Also I would plan to take it time to time to my summerhouse, and guess all of them are portable in a way. Perhaps there are some models I am not aware of and should be considered for buying.
Amazing roundup as always - honestly when it comes to the Nexigo vs LS11000 comparo I have long suspected that the UST would at least have parity but I'm not surprised it comes out ahead. The UST form factor has some disadvantages, like zero flexibility, but the benefits of using a CLR/ALR screen made for UST's is actually huge, and it hurts my soul whenever I see people want to buy an UST and then pair it with some DIY spandex shit on the wall, or even just using the wall. I would have liked to see a long-throw normal projector specific ALR screen as well though. A Screen Innovations Black Diamond costs more than all these projectors except the JVC, but it would have been hugely interesting to see the JVC with one of those head to head with the Nexigo with the fresnel screen.
I currently don't have any long throw ALR screens that aren't just gray. I do have a Vividstorm "Obsidian Long Throw ALR", but it doesn't perform anywhere near a lenticular or Fresnel screen and actually ends up really messing with color accuracy.
@@TheHookUp Yeah, I suspect long throw ALR screen that doesn't introduce major issues is way way harder than a lenticular screen for USTs., and even then you still can't block light from above like an UST can.
I own a 135" ALR that is not just gray, but real ALR (Elite Screens) for long throw has one big disadvantage: A hot spot. Or better: it reduces the brightness at the corners. That is even worse when the project is not fully centered vertically and horizontally (and when does that ever happens?) If you now also sit not at the center of the screen, you lose even more light. It's ok and still is better than a white screen for my situation, but it's not a perfect replacement. I'm sure different ALR Screens for LTP make a difference, but I can't imagine that there will be no negative side effects with any of the ALR screens.
I knew someone that paired an SI Black Diamond screen with a Sony VPL-VW1100ES (I think) -- one of the earliest 4K projectors and new was around $25,000. The viewing experience was honestly awful. They had designed their theater with 2 or 3 levels of seating, but an aisle straight down the center of the room and all seating was off axis. Sitting off axis from the Black Diamond screen resulted in extremely noticeable light fall off towards the edges. This was also in a light controlled blacked out theater, so the Black Diamond screen was completely unnecessary and a basic Silver Ticket screen from Amazon would have given a better viewing experience. It was a super baffling setup.
Thank you so much for giving your time to make this comparison. Paris rhone gave tough competition to higher model. How sharp is the paris rhone compared to DLP or Laser 4k projectors. Is it marginal difference or negligible?
Surprisingly sharp, it's definitely native 4K... I've even disassembled it to verify: www.reddit.com/r/projectors/comments/1at9a1h/paris_rhone_4k_sp005_misinformation/
Excellent video! I have an Artlii enjoy 3 right now and want to upgrade it. Still recommend the Groview JQ818C? or is any better new option under 300usd? (the pj40 doesnt have shipping to my country)
It’s a shame he didn’t test the BenQ HT2060. For less than $1000 it has very good color and contrast that comes very close to $2000-$4000 projectors. The catch is it’s 1080p only and zero smart features. It’s a budget HT projector.
So grateful for your research and videos. We don’t get a lot of models here in Australia, even via Amazon (prime). I’m still trying to get the Xgimi Horizon pro after learning about the terrible black levels of the ultra. They have discounted the Ultra here to around $2900 but the horizon Pro is still $2700 which is crazy. Wondering why it’s not on sale?
I bought the Hisense c1 per your recommendation when you put that video out and I don’t know if they just had crazy deals at the time but I got it for sub $1300. It performs great though!
I got my JQ818C from Amazon for just $70 last week. Loving it so far. The fan was too loud for me though, I might swap it out for a higher quality PC fan later.
As a gadget/tech freek I was suprised to have never found this channel before now but have now wathed tons of the content. I just need this same comparrison in daylight settings as every video is is ideal dark settings 😂 I plan to start using just a solid white wall as well but dont care about the pic being absolutely perfect but preference is 100% able to be decent in daylight, not have android or any smart features built in and can handle playing something like BG3 without issues
If you project onto a white wall in daylight the darkest color your projector will be able to make is the color your wall is before you turn the projector on. In other words it's going to look pretty bad.
@@TheHookUp oh so regardless on getting the awol 2500 or 3000...during the day because there is is light from windows in the other room still coming it the projector would be unuseable?
@@TheHookUp I guess I saw pics online with the 3000 and 35000 with way more daylight in the room than I have that looked more than acceptable to me as I figured later on down the line I could buy a nice screen
@TheHookUp thank you for taking the time to even respond to my comments as I am sure you are super busy. You do have the best projector information I found, and I have enjoyed the binge of your content the last month or two while in analysis paralysis. I just can't decide between awol 2500 or 3000(appears to be the best non smart ultra short throw projectors) Because I'm overseas at the moment, the cost is more than 20% higher than back home in the states so the no brainer 3500 would kill my entire gadget budget for the year and Rome was not built in a day so no need to buy my entire set up on day 1. I saw some videos of the awol on just a wall but no light and it looked more than good enough for me as I am not exactly someone who requires 4k oled perfection as it just needs to be good enough with low lag, hopefully can handle Games like BG3 should look pretty great in the dark and bonus stuff like 3D and good built-in in speakers make it worth more money. I suppose until I buy a solid ALR screen I can just place drapes Over my bird watching windows in the corner which is a downer for relaxing and looking out throughout the day but I likely won't buy the electric motorized screen that's a couple grand till March of 25 if I don't get sucked into other major entertainment purchases by then. So far I am thinking the extra lumins of the 3000 is worth the extra 470 than the 2500 but the 3500 is 2k more than the 3000. I would go with 3500 if only 1k more than the 3000 but 2k more is crazy to me. I only got fixated on projectors because It's hard to find large dumb tv and want a dumb projector before none of these exist. Alot of the time tv is just background noise and visuals while I do chores and other things but future proofing is important. Buy it nice or buy it twice they say 😏
What a review, damn. Although a comparison between the Awol 3000 pro and the Nexigo Aurora pro would have been the most interesting one for me personally.
@@TheHookUp Thanks for the reply! I am looking for a projector that will be mainly for movies in a dim room, but with a very high priority on 3D. What would you recommend for that?
amazing work! you my friend are my best friend. i got my groveview thanks to your videos. someday il lbe able to afford the pj40 someday. a quick hello from ol Mexico!
Thanks for the great review. I have a dark room in my basement (no windows) and converting it to a movie theater. Which Short Throw projector will you recommend? Thanks.
is it smarter to go with an older used higher end projector (like for example an epson eh-tw3200) or with a cheap new one from amazon like the nexigo pj40 both around 300$?
*Want to make sure you're getting the best deal on one of my recommended products? We manually track the Amazon prices with sales and promo codes here:* www.thesmarthomehookup.com/price-tracker/
All the projectors in this video were "Winners" from my other unsponsored reviews, watch them here:
Best Sub $100 Budget Projectors: ruclips.net/video/ooFvyudbxNE/видео.html
Best $100-$600 Midrange Projectors: ruclips.net/video/8mVX_29gXHE/видео.html
Best Portable Projectors: ruclips.net/video/yvtpArSHXeU/видео.html
Best 4K Lifestyle Projectors: ruclips.net/video/3KmKv-TTIQQ/видео.html
Best Ultra Short Throw Projectors: ruclips.net/video/Ef0tNjGDoOU/видео.html
Best Premium Home Theater Projectors: ruclips.net/video/TjgXfRMtmSU/видео.html
Best UST Projector Screens: ruclips.net/video/2b8PXZtL1q8/видео.html
BTW, I don't know if there's any interest in this, but I ended up keeping that a XGIMI HORIZON Ultra even though I agreed with you that the black levels sucked - I just missed the return window with it being around Christmas. But, I will say the projector has improved greatly - they must have updated it since the black levels, while still bad, are not nearly as bad as they were a few months ago. Also, I don't know if they added in additional options or if I just missed them, but when Dolby Vision is enabled you can go in and tweak the settings a bit, which greatly improves the contrast - still not great for dark scenes, but much better than it was. If you still have one, it might be interesting to include in future comparisons to see if I'm actually correct, or my brain is manipulating me into trying to justify the purchase. You do, however, have to tweak some of the settings, the out of box settings are truly horrific.
@13:45 Are these footnotes reversed. The Nexigo clearly has a purple hue. Or is it maybe because DLP always records a little differently than IRL?
U made me go trough quite an odeal to buy the mars pro from china.
Although it took close to 6 months (received it broken returned it factory got flooded and so on )
It is an amazing projector ( best i have ever seen in a home. )
Ty a lot :)
I did take your advice on the Hisense F100W 100" Fresnal ALR hard screen. It is just about perfect and in a room that is normally lit, my Vava 4k ust just performs as good as it can be! It did arrive in a huge box on an 8' shipping pallet, but was easy to put up the adjustable wall mounts and do a perfect manual setup with no in projector keystone adjustments.
@@kriswingert1662 Awesome, congrats on the great setup.
Love this format. This fixes one of the weaknesses of the "Best X for X dollars" format where you don't know what the next step up would be and if it might be worth it. Well done.
The amount of work that must have gone into this video must have been huge! Thanks for the excellent video.
It was a really fun video to shoot, but a real pain to edit.
He does a great job editing and writing a good script.
@@TheHookUp You're looking more and more like Project Farm, but for viewing experiences. Thank you for these videos!
That's got to be The Best Projector comparison I've ever watched! Lots of information and clear side by side data showing actual differences by the numbers. Great Job!
Seriously I am always so impressed with the level of detail you go into with all of your testing and your videos. I really think and hope you need to be a top RUclipsr for the quality you bring. Thanks
Thanks!
As always, Rob combines a rigorous process, with actual hard data, to help provide unbiased reviews. But he takes that a step further by also supplying us with very well informed opinions too.
Unique content like this is why I am more than happy to sponsor him, and would encourage others to do the same. Keep up the fantastic work Rob!
Rob,
This absolutely IS the Ultimate price/performance projector comparison video on YTube! Thanks to you, I'm very satisfied with my recent JMGO N1 purchase(Amazon $699) that I made for my Rec room. But for my Home theater room, I'm anticipating your upcoming feedback on what I hope will be the best of the Lifestyle projectors between the XGIMI Horizon Max and the DangBei X5-Ultra. From what you were able to observe at the recent 2024 CES show, did either of those upcoming projectors appear to have the potential to perform at the levels of the Nexigo Aurora Pro. That would be the next comparison that I would look forward to seeing. Thanks again for your great work!
X5 Ultra is known to have a pretty high black floor, the same with all ALPD 5.0 projectors, so don't expect it to be competitive for a home theater. Horizon Max looked very promising at CES, but as I understand it's going be be pretty expensive.
@@TheHookUp In one of the CES videos , the XGIMI rep estimated that the Horizon Max would be in the high $2500-$2999 range, which would put it in the Aurora Pro price range. This is why I'll be looking to see your comparison of those two in the future. XGIMI gets all the desired technology features correct, but Im really hoping that they significantly improve on your measured contrast numbers on the Horizon Ultra. Thanks again!
@@brucesmith1754looks like he doesn’t even wanna say the company name
Who doesn’t want to say what company name?
@@TheHookUp I think that guy is trolling.
Hey just want to hop in and say I bought the suggested sub $100 projector that was recommended on a previous video and it rocks! I think this is the only channel I trust with reviews about stuff like this because you actually understand the difference between marketing and performance.
Which one was it?
I've been using my PJ40 since August and have loved the experience. Always love the videos. The most informative projector content I've ever found.
The best reviews on RUclips. Period.
he doesn't do simple 30/60 fps "judder" tests - some are really bad and most are not smooth
I said it before on AVS and ill day it again... You are doing am amazing job at giving the consumer the power through knowledge at making informed decisions by putting the manufacturers to their claims.
Thank you for all your great work.
I loved that you included the JVC. Very few "normal" reviews of this thing. Honestly I find contrast and shadow detail to be the main things money buys you. In a dedicated room there is absolutely no competition for the JVC.
I'm not interested in buying a projector but have to say this is an outstanding review, one of the best I've ever seen.
I had to pause this video literally 5 seconds in and say great job of another banger of a video. Now, to actually go watch it, but this channel just doesn't disappoint.
I mean, the rapid fire delivery of information is absolutely AMAZING here!!! Your reviews are reference material for me as I consider my next projector purchase and I can't thank you enough. Keep rocking these reviews and we'll keep watching them :)
I really didn't know where to begin in buying a projector for my bedroom. I never thought I'd need or want one, but with some medical issues in my home, it's going to be an important and necessary little escape. Thanks for making this an easier process to navigate! This was SO thorough!
Just purchased a VOPLLS Model number N3 projector for $50 from Amazon. Advantages: Small size, light weight, manual focus, manual keystone and (best of all) NO BLOATWARE !
I hardwired the HDMI to a Linux computer and ceiling mounted it. I did have to pay 50% more for the Akia Screens 100 inch (AK-M100V1) .... more like 92 inches at 16x9.
Thank you for putting this together. You’re helping people a ton! I actually made my first projector purchase thanks to you.
The level of detail and study in this video is unmatched. Finding your channel made me super into projectors and the idea of home theater spaces in the first place, and seeing how comprehensive the budget vs. performance scale is insane. I am super happy I got my Nexigo PJ40 from seeing your comparison videos. However, seeing it scale well before a huge price jump to the next real comparable upgrade makes me even happier! 🤣 I believe I'll upgrade one day, and trust me, I'll definitely come back to this video when I do! Thank you again for your excellent work!
Incredible how good the Nexigo did even compared to a JVC Flagship! I would've thought the JVC would easily beat it but truly the difference isn't enough to justify the extra $9,200!
On anything over 100" screen the JVC blows it out of the water, also professionally calibrated makes a huge difference which wasn't done in the test here.
Those cheap projectors fade bad when you have light or make the screen over 90 inches. They are not the same as a real projectot
Great video man!! this is all I needed! and the amount of effort put to create this video. **S tier**.
I have hardly commented on any video, but this one truly deserves it!.
I pick up cheap JVC projectors like RS1 for under 100 used once in a while. The picture is really good. It puts consumer single chip DLP to shame. Definitely need a dark room though as they are usually sub 1000 lumens. Just no noise in the picture, quiet, inky blacks and great features with H/V lens shift and good zoom.
This is a master class on review content, way to go.
Thanks!
@@TheHookUp why did u not recommend parisRhone SP005 in the end ??
Yes. Amazing
Thank you for directly showing what more money actually gets you, much easier to decide what one would have to spend to achieve a certain level of quality. Great comparison
More money is not worth what it gets you.
Fantastic review format! You set a new bar for other reviewers.
Valiant effort comparing these projectors. It’s a near impossible task as individual use cases will sway value to performance metrics. For example, many people will want a larger screen (130” or more) and want to have their screen project both 2.35:1 as well as 16:9. Additionally screen gain and light control will play an enormous part in image quality. Your videos are great, arguably fair, and provide great information and comparison, but I just believe there are so many use case differences that make these comparisons a very difficult task. Great job, and know anyone who complains about these issues doesn’t recognize how Herculean a task it is to compare projectors as you have done.
Thanks. I tried to include as many of those "what ifs" as possible without making an hour long video :)
HELL YEAH IVE WAITED FOR THIS ONE
I've been using the BenQ HT2050A (which was very highly recommended) for a little over a year in my basement home theater setup and also have the Happrun for camping/backyard use. The Happrun was $45 and the Benq was $750, and there's a giant difference when comparing them, but the Happrun works for my use cases and the free stretchy screen is a nice touch. The Benq is great and I have no regrets.
I know Benq replaced the 2050A with the 2060. You should consider testing that one too. I'm not sure how it would compare to your current picks, but it is also highly rated/recommended.
Truly a god-tier projector comparison video
If you have a REALLY big budget you go get 115" JVC LCD that absolutely destroys projectors in almost every area. $25k is a bit steep though. Even the 98" JVC is pretty good, but can't compete with brethren top end TV's in image quality, but still have massive advantages over any projector.
I am not saying projectors are bad, but they will always need to be in a light controlled room, which isn't terribly practical in most single family homes.
But if image size, picture quality, and cost are the major factors when deciding on a display type... Projectors will always have a massive advantage when it comes to the biggest image. But if image quality is your priority no projector can really compete with flagship TV's. The size advantage that projectors have is narrowing significantly. Not to many people want screen size over 100"...
An 85" screen is pretty big. A 115" is very big... But isn't 130" to 150"... Obviously it will will be impractical for anything much beyond 115"... But if manufacturers can get the picture quality up to the level of the current OLED's and bring the price down to half... ( say 115" for $12k) I can see a fairly large number of people wanting them.
I remember when 65" was a huge TV... Now it is the 'standard size'. I think that 75" - 77" becomes the new standard in coming years, and 82" to 88" becomes the large, and 100"+ becomes the luxury...
And because of the inherent issues with projectors, they will become less common until you move into the realm of dedicated home theater rooms over 120"...
I can think of a few advantages that projectors have:
More portable than a very large TV
When you get above 85" cost.
No reflectivity issues.
Wider viewing angles.
Still do 3D content.
However, most projectors have some pretty big disadvantages too...
Want the best image? Going to have to buy a very good screen... Which high quality ones are very expensive.
Need to be in a light controlled room.
Lower image quality.
May not be 'True 4k' (some of them use technology cheats, and are 2x 2k).
Usually worse for gaming.
May not have Dolby Vision
A lot of them have fan noise.
Light source is expensive and occasionally needs to be replaced.
They can be a lot more finicky.
If they have speakers (🙄 why?) they generally suck. Which means you have to get a sound system in place.
In certain applications, projectors are absolutely the way to go... But in my opinion, in most situations concerning general consumer, they get trounced by high end TV's.
Want to go really big? Get a projector...
Otherwise get a nice TV. Just my opinion.
Outstanding, looking forward to seeing how JVC improves on the NZ8 at CEDIA this September! Also some major advantages of JVC is you can project up to 300” screen 😂
I wondered how the Nexigo compared to the Formovie Theater!
I have the NZ8 and it is unreal in a totally black setting, nothing comes close.
The content here is legitimately top notch.
I watch way too much RUclips. LIke all the time, everything that I am interested in.
The Hookup is amazing quality certainly for projectors. But amazing for just any type of content.
Been waiting for this one. Thanks for putting it all the time. Brilliant work as usual
This is an excellent video! You just changed my 12 month agonising decision. Thank you.
Your videos are motivating me to buy my first projector …
Love it 😊
This was super cool, I'm trying to build a table with built in rear projection in it, and while this isn't directly comparable, it's giving me a lot of extra data points to work with.
Just found out, that the nexigo pj40 gen 3 is also d65 calibrated. Do you think the gamut will be more precise then the software updated gen 2? Or are there some settings to get the best out of it. Out of your recommendation i bought it, the gen 3 was sold out though, also the gen 2 had a discount! Thank you for the hard work :)
There is a slight difference in the native color temperature of the PJ40 Gen3, but I don't think it's significant enough of a change to warrant needing one over the other.
Before I returned my PJ40 for a JMGO N1, I thought the firmware upgraded settings to the Gen2 enhanced the performance of the projected images. Although the D65 calibration settings were available in the firmware, only the Gen3 models have the upgraded hardware to exploit the D65 white balance utilities. I preferred the improved sharpness, colors gamut range and positioning features that I observed in the JMGO. For the price the PJ40 was very impressive and worth the purchase if it works in your environment. It was brighter than expected in an ambient lit room. FYI, I was willing to pay $500 extra for the upgrade.
Thank you! Great video! I hope projector makers watch these and try to improve their products.
Best comparison on the RUclips ever
This channel is such a gem
So much science and interesting results, who’d of thought you could get such good results at that price
Definitely.
Thank for the video. One of the best projector tech reviewer about budget and expensive.The good thing,he always mention input lag for gamer to take note.👍👍
This video earned a sub the old fashion way. Good work buddy keep it up 🤙🏽
Fantastic review bro, can't imagine how much effort you put in this wonderful work
Thanks again
You are the RUclips King of Projectors!
First timeI commend on a projector video and I can say this is best video by far.
Great video! I own the Epson LS12000 which is pretty much identical to the LS11000 with additional brightness and contrast. I overall like the LS12000, but it has an issue with handing BT.2020 content that makes HDR sources somewhat unwatchable in my opinion. It's subtle at times, but it manifests as blotchy reds that disrupt gradients, and can produce super weird looking skin tones. I've posted extensively about this on AVSForum in the LS12000's owners thread and numerous users have confirmed across the board that all units are affected. I engaged Epson support as well and had a very lengthy exchange with their support people, and they eventually admitted it saying they'd look into it, but it's been months now without a fix. If you still have the LS11000 and are up for testing/documenting this issue I'd be happy to help walk you through it!
Also, at 16:50 you mention the JVC's subpixel alignment as a feature over the Epson, but the Epson does have this available. I've had to dial mine in a bit but it makes a big difference in perceptual sharpness.
I'm so hyped for the end of the year when you can review all of 2024s new releases
Awesome video, I was trying to weigh the pros and cons of the Dangbei Mars vs the Nexigo PJ40 thanks so much for clearing it all up!!
Hope the affiliate link works I'll be purchasing the Mars next week!
Before I settled in on the JMGO N1, I tried out the Nexigo PJ40. I would echo Rob's sentiments that it has no business being as good as it is for $240.
I just didn't want to miss out on the new triple laser technology offered by the JMGO, which is sharper and has a wide color gamut. Also the Nexigo had a fixed
focal range that I couldn't work with. But the Nexigo's LED image was impressive and surprisingly brighter than expected at 700 or so lumens.
Great video! I just got a cheapo 1080p projector from Amazon, with the last projector I purchased was a Sony XLR projector in 2005, and to my surprise for $60 bucks (after coupon code) the cheapo projector actually was good. Not great, but good. Something good for the kids to use, or take on a camping trip. The only real caveat is that the input lag is way too slow for gaming. But for $60 bucks I got a good, very compact projector that doubles as a good bluetooth speaker.
Great video. Thanks for including ambient light tests.
@thehookup You are the projector GURU ! Hats off to you ! Pure facts and numbers, you do the best projector reviews, did not find any other better review videos. You put in so much time and effort on this. Thanks a TON!
Could you also review the WiMiUS K9 projector. Thank you in advance.
Shout out from the Philippines 🇵🇭 ! 🔥🔥 as always
One of the best review video I've seen, love the format.
One of the great channels to learn about projects
This is starting to make me wonder WHY companies aren't experimenting more with better quality single lcd set-ups...🤔
BUT however, my next projector is going to be the BenQ HT 4550i...
For a video like that i waited for
I got into projectors because of this guy and I'm thinking this is the case with many others
Awesome video. The relevant facts at the right time and highly relevant tests and considerations. Good job. In my tests I also saw a difference in motion handling (stutter etc.), which is something I’m allergic to. But I assume this was not a noticeable issue in these tests. Anyhow. A great video and very interesting test.
- a home theater enthusiast.
Single LCD projectors should basically be immune to stuttering because they naturally have LCD motion blur, but they won't be able to imitate the high refresh rate MEMC look of DLP projectors (which I personally don't like).
I would love to see you tackle a video like this, but taking into account projectors found in the used market such as eBay. People on reddit (r/projectors) are always so adamant on going with a used projector before ever considering budget ones like the groview.
Excellent work as always, still the best at these comparisons. My only query is why you didn't use a standard/long throw ALR screen to give a fairer light usage comparison against the UST Projectors.
I've never found a good one to be honest. Willing to take suggestions though. All the ones I've tried have terrible hotspotting issues and are basically unusable with tri laser projectors due to laser speckle.
@@TheHookUp Aaah fair enough, it wasn't a criticism, I just wondered as I know they're available but noticed when ALR is referenced it's almost exclusively about USTs. Thanks for clarifying
@@TheHookUp
Are you no longer satisfied with your Vividstorm ALR Screen (Long Throw) with 0.8 Gain? The images shown on it (e.g. with the Dangbei Mars Pro) always looked very good in the videos. I would appreciate an answer! Big up to you :)
Thanks so much for all this awesome detail. I am tempted to go for a more expensive projector, but there’s one thing your videos never contemplate, and that’s kids potentially spilling drinks /knocking etc your projector 😂 so I am tempted by the Nexigo, thanks again
These mid-range lifestyle projectors like the Hisense C1 Global seem to be a better deal than buying a normal projector designed for a light controlled home theatre room.
If Hisense designed a home theatre projector in a case like the typical HT projector with all the same features as the C1 and C2 (VIDAA & Google TV OS optional). I would be more willing to buy one as it would not stick down as low if ceiling mounted.
The US price of the C1 is more attractive than what is priced in Canada though.
I would love to see other bulb projectors compared under $1k. (BenQ HT2050a/2060, Epson 880, Epson 2250, etc.) These are very bright and still have decent contrast.
I don't think I'll be comparing bulb projectors any time soon, it's old technology and the biggest issue is that bulb performance degrades significantly in the first ~500 hours, so comparing a 10 hour bulb on one projector with a 100 hour bulb on another wouldn't be a fair comparison.
Excellent video as always. You should try a fresnel screen made for long throw projectors to keep the comparisons on a more equal level. I use a 120 inch fresnel from yovanxer with my Sony XW5000ES, and the difference from my previous ALR screen is huge, also in a completely dark room. Much more of a difference than going from the previous Epson 6050 to the native 4K laser Sony.
I'll have to see if I can get my hands on one. Is Yovanxer a brand name or just a Chinese white label?
@@TheHookUp I do think they have a factory, but I know they buy their UST fresnel screens from fscreen. Fscreen also has 100 and 120 inch fresnels for long throw. I just took a chance on this brand, and it paid off.
I have the NZ8 paid $5,300 for it used with 650 hours on it, and with it callibrated and on the right settings it blows away anything under its price range and pretty much anything over it besides the NZ9.Their frame adapt is amazing nothing on the market comes close at all.Also comparing on 100" screen is kinda pointless, a lot of projectors will look good at that size it's when you go to 120" plus is when you really understand why the JVC wins every side by side comparison.
Congrats on the good deal, glad you're happy with it.
Where did you bought it? 🤘😃👍
Such a great movie. I think this should be linked to main RUclips page forever !!!
JVC costs £15k in Uk (16.5k USD accounted for tax) - insane for that price you can find big 100” tv. Hisense UX 110 probably will cost around that - great blacks 10k nits. Projector space will be shaken up. Nexigo make so much more sense for the price
Thanks for the video, I really appreciate someone doing real testing instead of only talking marketing bs.. There are other kinds of ALR Screens that work with the JVC as well, no need to hinder its performance by placing it in a light colored room with a white screen, so I found the comparison a bit unfair.
It is kind of a waste to place it in a non optimized room, the NZ series especially has excellent contrast above 1% ADL due to the new high contrast block.
The point was mostly that if you are going to have ambient light there's no reason to get the JVC since you remove it's largest selling point.
@TheHookUp Thanks for the answer, really apreciate Viewer interaction. Alright that is a good Point 👍
Great videos I only AWOLLT 3500 Pro after two years of research I had no choice but to buy that unit especially since I'm a gamer I've heard you talk a lot about dark levels and black. Well there's a problem there and that is your screen you cannot have a black level darker than the screen capable of producing has nothing to do with the projector. It's all about the screen. if you have a white screen to get maximum illumination, you're gonna have crappy blacks if you have a black screen, you're going to get better blacks I have the gray screen and I have no complaints about the black levels of the AWOL vision, especially with the new updates that gave us all the additional viewing formats.
According to Amazon reviews, Nexigo projectors only last a few months.
It depends heavily on your environment. If your room is dusty or warm it will decrease the lifespan significantly. In a cleaned air conditioned house it should last ~20,000h.
@TheHookUp strange that doesn't affect other projectors.
This was an INSANE comparison video! The best I've seen and I appreciate you taking the time to make it! 💯.
I don't know what you have in the pipeline but any chance of doing a projector review for projection mapping homes? I'm looking to get into it and would love to have something like this video to help!
Thanks so much for your time and effort!
That would probably only be a "passion video" around Halloween time if I end up doing it. It's too niche to actually get views, but would be fun to make since it's something I'm interested in. Basically you need crazy high brightness (5000+ lumens), and a relatively short throw, as well as a house that is well suited for projection mapping.
@@TheHookUp Thanks for the reply! Totally understandable...I'll keep an eye out closer to the holidays to see if you drop anything! Much appreciated!
Yet again, an awesome video with stunning details. What are your thoughts on the Dangbei Mars Pro 2? I know you were looking forward to testing it, and I've been stalking the channel for the review but haven't found it yet. I am strongly considering pulling the trigger on it, just super curious to hear your take on it. What do you think? Versus for example the LS12000 or the W4000 (ht4550i) - I know you like the 95% comparison 😀 Cheers! ✌️🔥🔥
Awesome. Now can you test alr screens for front throw projectors? Seems like that would be a huge factor. Specifically I would love to see a review of the elite screens cinegray 3d alr acoustically transparent screen. 😊 thanks for your hard work
That is a video that I have on my list, yes.
Amazing video as always, however how many projector related videos do we need each year? This one makes 13 in the last 12 mo?
Praise the lord of projector testing!
Awesome video and extremely informative on a real life basis, great job man!
This video is very nice to watch ! With the % gap between two projector it's soon good
I was wondering if you could update your best projector under $100 video, because they are very helpful. Also, if you do, it would be nice if you included the nexigo pj10, I have been debating on what to purchase. Thanks for the amazing videos, keep it up.
That video gets 1 update a year. It will happen in early November. The Happrun is currently under $50: amzn.to/3xOmWvZ and the Groview JQ818C goes under $100 quite often.
Hi,
Thanks for your video reviews and comparisons, they are very informative.
I am looking for buying a new home projector and narrowed my search to 3 models: Hisense C1, Dangbei Mars Pro 2, Benq tk 710 STI. Also Benq x3100i is an option, but this one is a bit more expensive. I see you have more or less covered in your other videos all of these models. In terms of value for money and picture quality which one would be the best? Also I would plan to take it time to time to my summerhouse, and guess all of them are portable in a way. Perhaps there are some models I am not aware of and should be considered for buying.
Also considering to watch during some daylight and guess only Benq offers enough brightness for that.
Amazing roundup as always - honestly when it comes to the Nexigo vs LS11000 comparo I have long suspected that the UST would at least have parity but I'm not surprised it comes out ahead. The UST form factor has some disadvantages, like zero flexibility, but the benefits of using a CLR/ALR screen made for UST's is actually huge, and it hurts my soul whenever I see people want to buy an UST and then pair it with some DIY spandex shit on the wall, or even just using the wall. I would have liked to see a long-throw normal projector specific ALR screen as well though. A Screen Innovations Black Diamond costs more than all these projectors except the JVC, but it would have been hugely interesting to see the JVC with one of those head to head with the Nexigo with the fresnel screen.
I currently don't have any long throw ALR screens that aren't just gray. I do have a Vividstorm "Obsidian Long Throw ALR", but it doesn't perform anywhere near a lenticular or Fresnel screen and actually ends up really messing with color accuracy.
@@TheHookUp Yeah, I suspect long throw ALR screen that doesn't introduce major issues is way way harder than a lenticular screen for USTs., and even then you still can't block light from above like an UST can.
I own a 135" ALR that is not just gray, but real ALR (Elite Screens) for long throw has one big disadvantage: A hot spot. Or better: it reduces the brightness at the corners. That is even worse when the project is not fully centered vertically and horizontally (and when does that ever happens?) If you now also sit not at the center of the screen, you lose even more light.
It's ok and still is better than a white screen for my situation, but it's not a perfect replacement.
I'm sure different ALR Screens for LTP make a difference, but I can't imagine that there will be no negative side effects with any of the ALR screens.
I knew someone that paired an SI Black Diamond screen with a Sony VPL-VW1100ES (I think) -- one of the earliest 4K projectors and new was around $25,000. The viewing experience was honestly awful. They had designed their theater with 2 or 3 levels of seating, but an aisle straight down the center of the room and all seating was off axis. Sitting off axis from the Black Diamond screen resulted in extremely noticeable light fall off towards the edges. This was also in a light controlled blacked out theater, so the Black Diamond screen was completely unnecessary and a basic Silver Ticket screen from Amazon would have given a better viewing experience. It was a super baffling setup.
Thank you so much for giving your time to make this comparison. Paris rhone gave tough competition to higher model. How sharp is the paris rhone compared to DLP or Laser 4k projectors. Is it marginal difference or negligible?
Surprisingly sharp, it's definitely native 4K... I've even disassembled it to verify: www.reddit.com/r/projectors/comments/1at9a1h/paris_rhone_4k_sp005_misinformation/
great comparison appreciate your effort comparing the bad to best projectors.....👍
Impressive test
Thanks for sharing with all of us 🙂
Phenomenal video workmanship
Excellent video! I have an Artlii enjoy 3 right now and want to upgrade it. Still recommend the Groview JQ818C? or is any better new option under 300usd? (the pj40 doesnt have shipping to my country)
Awesome video. Curious if you've used the Wimius P64 or K9? Was hoping to see that in here. Very good reviews on Amazon
I think the moral of the story here is that good black levels on projectors are very expensive
Absolutely
It’s a shame he didn’t test the BenQ HT2060. For less than $1000 it has very good color and contrast that comes very close to $2000-$4000 projectors. The catch is it’s 1080p only and zero smart features. It’s a budget HT projector.
So grateful for your research and videos. We don’t get a lot of models here in Australia, even via Amazon (prime).
I’m still trying to get the Xgimi Horizon pro after learning about the terrible black levels of the ultra.
They have discounted the Ultra here to around $2900 but the horizon Pro is still $2700 which is crazy. Wondering why it’s not on sale?
Not sure, Horizon Pro is a pretty old projector at this point, maybe it's being phased out?
I bought the Hisense c1 per your recommendation when you put that video out and I don’t know if they just had crazy deals at the time but I got it for sub $1300. It performs great though!
That was indeed a crazy deal.
Dude this video was so impressive
I am literally searching for this video😅 thanks man for this amazing work and information ❤❤.
Incredible videos! I'm very interested in this $200-$400 price point.
I got my JQ818C from Amazon for just $70 last week. Loving it so far. The fan was too loud for me though, I might swap it out for a higher quality PC fan later.
As a gadget/tech freek I was suprised to have never found this channel before now but have now wathed tons of the content. I just need this same comparrison in daylight settings as every video is is ideal dark settings 😂 I plan to start using just a solid white wall as well but dont care about the pic being absolutely perfect but preference is 100% able to be decent in daylight, not have android or any smart features built in and can handle playing something like BG3 without issues
If you project onto a white wall in daylight the darkest color your projector will be able to make is the color your wall is before you turn the projector on. In other words it's going to look pretty bad.
@@TheHookUp oh so regardless on getting the awol 2500 or 3000...during the day because there is is light from windows in the other room still coming it the projector would be unuseable?
@@TheHookUp I guess I saw pics online with the 3000 and 35000 with way more daylight in the room than I have that looked more than acceptable to me as I figured later on down the line I could buy a nice screen
The issue isn’t the projector, but your plan to project on a white wall. If you want to watch in daylight you’ll need an ALR screen.
@TheHookUp thank you for taking the time to even respond to my comments as I am sure you are super busy. You do have the best projector information I found, and I have enjoyed the binge of your content the last month or two while in analysis paralysis. I just can't decide between awol 2500 or 3000(appears to be the best non smart ultra short throw projectors) Because I'm overseas at the moment, the cost is more than 20% higher than back home in the states so the no brainer 3500 would kill my entire gadget budget for the year and Rome was not built in a day so no need to buy my entire set up on day 1. I saw some videos of the awol on just a wall but no light and it looked more than good enough for me as I am not exactly someone who requires 4k oled perfection as it just needs to be good enough with low lag, hopefully can handle
Games like BG3 should look pretty great in the dark and bonus stuff like 3D and good built-in in speakers make it worth more money. I suppose until I buy a solid ALR screen I can just place drapes Over my bird watching windows in the corner which is a downer for relaxing and looking out throughout the day but I likely won't buy the electric motorized screen that's a couple grand till March of 25 if I don't get sucked into other major entertainment purchases by then. So far I am thinking the extra lumins of the 3000 is worth the extra 470 than the 2500 but the 3500 is 2k more than the 3000. I would go with 3500 if only 1k more than the 3000 but 2k more is crazy to me. I only got fixated on projectors because It's hard to find large dumb tv and want a dumb projector before none of these exist. Alot of the time tv is just background noise and visuals while I do chores and other things but future proofing is important. Buy it nice or buy it twice they say 😏
What a review, damn.
Although a comparison between the Awol 3000 pro and the Nexigo Aurora pro would have been the most interesting one for me personally.
3000 Pro and Aurora Pro are side by side compared in this video: ruclips.net/video/Ef0tNjGDoOU/видео.html
@@TheHookUp Thanks for the reply! I am looking for a projector that will be mainly for movies in a dim room, but with a very high priority on 3D. What would you recommend for that?
amazing work! you my friend are my best friend. i got my groveview thanks to your videos. someday il lbe able to afford the pj40 someday. a quick hello from ol Mexico!
Thanks for the great review. I have a dark room in my basement (no windows) and converting it to a movie theater. Which Short Throw projector will you recommend?
Thanks.
is it smarter to go with an older used higher end projector (like for example an epson eh-tw3200) or with a cheap new one from amazon like the nexigo pj40 both around 300$?
Great video as usual, I wish I could only watch in darker rooms, if I could then I wouldn't need the AWOL and just get an aurora pro.