Just about all of the new and exciting home theater projectors have already hit the shelves here at ProjectorPeople.com. In fact, unlike distributors of Eggo Waffles, we should be well stocked for the holiday season for the most popular projectors. However, the $999 1080p home theater projectors have kept buyers in waiting, as some models shipped more quickly and in greater supply than others.

So, naturally, one question we keep hearing is, “Which of the new $999 1080p projectors is the best?” So, we thought we’d talk about some of the differences between our top three $999 1080p models (BenQ W1000, Optoma HD20, and Vivitek H1080FD) to help folks sort out which might be the best choice for them.

Similar, But Not the Same

We should probably start by mentioning that these are all very similar projectors. The same basic technology (DLP chip) is used in each of the three. If you saw an image each of them individually for a half hour, then were sent out of the room, came back in and saw all three together (with the chassis covered), I’d bet a dollar that you wouldn’t able to tell which image belonged to which. And you’d probably think they all looked pretty darn good. However, there are some differences in features. And although all of these entry-level projectors are light on features, some of the differences may matter to you. Check out our quick comparison chart below.

Comparison Chart : New $999 1080p Home Theater Projectors

* For current prices and availability please check the ProjectorPeople.com website.

And Now a Break Down…

So, now you see some of the key specs. And if you want more, you can see a complete comparison chart here. But let’s discuss the potential differences between these very similar projectors.

Brightness

1800 or 1700 lumens. What’s the difference? Not much! But at least you can tell your friends who bought the Optoma HD20 that you have 100 more lumens in your living room. And if you bought the Optoma HD20, you can tell your friends that bought the BenQ W1000 or Vivitek H1080FD that Optoma is just more careful and conservative. And if you haven’t bought any of them yet, then don’t worry about the brightness. It’s not a significant differentiator here.

Contrast

Contrast might actually be visibly different between these units, but having not seen them all in person head-to-head, we can only really say, they all actually look almost better than they spec. DLP, the technology used in each of the three projectors, has always had nice contrasty look. The blacks look very deep, and the colors are full and rich, even on a 2700:1 DLP projector.

Now if you’re comparing a projector with a 200,000:1 contrast ratio to a 5000:1 model, what you’d see is a difference in detail. The beauty is in the gradients, grays and color accuracy. And make no mistake, there is a significant difference between the two. But from 2700:1 to 5000:1 in two projectors the same technology, any difference you see initially can probably be ‘tweaked’ away. So mark this one as another spec not to worry too much about.

Speaker

Built-in speakers are not terribly common on home theater projectors, but it is an admittedly handy feature to have. There’s nothing like just plugging in a DVD player to your projector and having a 100-inch screen pop up in front of you. Add to that the instant gratification of sound to go with it. This is likely to be a popular feature for traveling presenters, who want to have an instant movie theater on the road. Of course, most home theater enthusiasts will hook up some speakers. Unless they are insane.

Throw Distance

There isn’t a huge difference between the three projectors, but the Vivitek H1080FD does specify a longer throw distance, which might be handy in some cases. Essentially that just means you can mount/place the projector a little bit further back and make a smaller image. There isn’t much zoom on these and if you have a specific place you need to place the projector, call a Projector Expert to make sure that you can get the screen size you want from the location you want to place the projector.

Connectivity

All three units have two (2) HDMI inputs, which is what most folks will want to use. But there are connections that are available on some and not others. S-video, VGA, and 12v screen trigger are all included on the BenQ W1000, as well as a specified support for 1900×1200 computer signals (the others may do this also, since they have a VGA connection, but it is not quoted on their spec sheets). The Optoma seems to have the sparsest connectivity options, but it has what most will need. So, if you want to hook up something that’s not HDMI, make sure your $999 projector choice has that function.

Other Stuff?

Our customers are very good at letting us know if we missed something in a review. Please leave a comment below if you have something to add! And we will make updates if there are surprises – or stuff we didn’t think about – with any of the models here.

We recently received a shipment of Optoma HD20 projectors. We’re blogging this just to let you know since we’ve had some folks that were surprised to know we had it in stock already.

If you aren’t familiar with the Optoma HD20, it’s one of a few new $999 1080p home theater projectors available this year. It’s been very popular because it uses DLP technology, and offers true HD1080p for super cheap. And since it’s a projector, you can also have a very big image (as big as 300-inches in a space with controlled lighting) in a portable box.

[ Click here for the most current inventory status and pricing information : Optoma HD20 ]

What’s the latest in 1080p HD home theater projectors? The biggest news to date has been the introduction of the $999 true HD home theater projectors. But recently big players like Epson and Panasonic have announced new, upgraded products coming out soon. The new products have higher-than-ever contrast ratios, some improvements on cool features, and very aggressive pricing.

New $999 Entry Level Projectors

We have already done some comparison of new entry level $999 1080p projectors (here and here). We haven’t had a chance to put together any hands on comparison of the projectors because there is limited availability on most of the popular models. We have had some inventory of the Optoma HD20 projector recently, but they sell very quickly. The Vivitek H1080FD and BenQ W1000 models have not come into stock yet, so we have only seen the pre-production models in person as of the date of this story. So, for now, let’s focus on the more recent news from the higher-end of the home theater projector spectrum.

New Higher End Home Theater Projectors

To start, we will compare the initial specifications of what we think will be the most popular new high end 1080p projectors; the BenQ W6000, Panasonic PT-AE4000U and Epson Home Cinema 8500 UB. I say initial specifications because there are sometimes technical tweaks made before their final releases and those changes can alter the specifications. So, here’s a chart of the initial specs for what we suspect will be the big players in high end home theater.

Comparison Chart : New 1080p Home Theater Projectors

As you can see, much like last year (and the year before that) we are seeing dramatically higher contrast ratios, lower introductory prices, and more high performance features.

Lower Projector Prices: More Hollar for Your Dollar

Every year we write a sentence like this; “Last year you would have paid $$$ for a projector of this quality,” and this year is no different. The Panasonic PT-AE3000U and Epson Home Cinema 6500 UB came in at an aggressive (at the time) $2999 price point last year. This year, you’ll pay $1000 less than last year for a projector with higher contrast, better video processing, and some cool new features.

However, with this aggressive introductory pricing, we don’t expect to see these prices dropping again anytime soon. The fact that these came in this cheaply initially is probably due in part to pressure from the release of the $999 1080p DLP projectors.

Contrast Ratios: Say “Hello” to Six Figure Contrast Ratios

How is a 60,000:1 contrast ratio different from a 100,000:1 contrast ratio? Not quite as dramatic as it sounds, but there is a visible (palatable) difference in the picture quality. A higher contrast image actually feels crisper than a lower contrast image. But in reality, both a 60,000:1 and 100,000:1 contrast ratios look very good. In three years we will compare the new 1,000,000:1 projector the 100,000:1 projector and see how dramatic the difference is.

For now, these high contrast ratios really separate the business “crossover” projectors from true home theater models. Unless you are a serious videophile, or visually particular, you’d most likely be happy with anything over 10,000:1 contrast in your home theater.

New Features: Panasonic PT-AE4000U

We’ve had the introduction from Panasonic on their new product, so we are more familiar with the new features of the PT-AE4000U than the new Epson’s. So we should have more information on the new Epson features coming soon.

Projector Central did a comprehensive review of all the new features on the PT-AE4000U (read here). We also took some video of our tech session with Panasonic and are including it below. Two interesting new features for videophiles are the automatic lens memory and new video adjustments.

Panasonic PT-AE4000U : A Technical Introduction from Projector People on Vimeo.

This was recorded with a mini HD camera and without a tripod. There are shaky bits throughout. To save yourself time, click here for a breakdown of content by minute for this video.

The Unsung Midrange 1080p Projectors

While the new high-end projectors attract most of the press these days, there are also some interesting options available in the ‘mid-range.’ What keeps us from calling these high-end projectors? Essentially its lower contrast ratios, less advanced video processing (like no 120hz), and some missing features. So if you don’t have the funds for a $2k projector, but you want a little more than the $1k projectors have to offer, a mid-range projector might just have all you need and will save you a little cash.

Two new mid-range projectors coming soon are the Epson Home Cinema 8100 and the Mitsubishi HC3800. The HC3800 is getting rave reviews from Projector Reviews and Projector Central. And though we have yet to see the Epson Home Cinema 8100 in action, it’s likely to benefit from Epson’s technological strides in home theater and be a very nice low price alternative in 1080p. It’s also 3LCD which is preferred by some buyers – and most of the other low cost alternatives utilize DLP technology.

What’s Left in 720p Projectors?

Not a heck of a lot. And the price points are not really dropping because there just isn’t any more room to do so. Our Panasonic PT-AX200U started out at $999 when it was introduced, and has stayed consistently around that price. With features like lens shift and unique gaming mode – if it remains in production – it’s still a great projector. Its brightness and native 720p (much of broadcast HD’s native resolution) make it a great match for the football season and sports all year round. And it’s a great projector for gaming too. Epson also has a new “karaoke” projector in their MovieMate line with built-in DVD and speakers with native 720p resolution. Also available in 720p is the underdog Sanyo PLV-Z60.

That’s All for Now, But More to Come!

That’s about all we have to cover today, but there will be more to come on the Epson Home Cinema projectors, and on the Panasonic PT-AE4000U as well. We will keep you posted on any more projector related news, as always.

We have been eagerly waiting to find out the details of the new Panasonic PT-AE4000U. Will it come to America? (answer :yes) If it does, what price will it be released at? (answer : $1999) And how is it different from the PT-AE3000? (answer: according to Projector Central “the AE4000 is in fact a superior projector in almost every way”). So, now we have some answers to share… as well as a new low, low price on the PT-AE3000U.

Panasonic PT-AE4000U WILL Come to America

As we mentioned above, and as we all suspected, the Pansonic PT-AE4000U will indeed be released in the United States. We don’t have solid delivery dates yet, but we know it is coming soon. It could even be available as early as the end of October – we will keep you updated on shipping dates as the information comes in.

We will also have more technical information on the AE4000U and other new 1080p home theater projectors coming soon. You can also stay on top of things on the AVS Forum official Panasonic PT-AE4000U post.

And if you are ready to get pumped up about it, you can read the PT-AE4000U review from Projector Central. They highlight, the Red-Rich Lamp, Improved contrast (now 100,000:1), Improved Cinema mode brightness, Improved color accuracy, Improved Detail Clarity Processor, Improved Frame Interpolation, among other improvments. Here’s an excerpt :

“All of this adds up to a remarkable value proposition: at a street of $1,999, we’ve simply never seen this much performance at this price. Panasonic has been extremely tight-lipped about this product launch. Until now many thought the company was dropping out of the home theater projector market. Today’s announcement makes it clear that they are here to stay. The Panasonic PT-AE4000U will be one of the hottest selling home theater projectors of the fall season, and we enthusiastically give it our highest recommendation.”

Panasonic PT-AE3000U Price Drops

If you’ve been holding out for the deal… now is the time to buy a PT-AE3000. If you’re an early adopter and you always want the best available, you’ll only have to wait a bit for the PT-AE4000U.

That’s all for now!

CEDIA 2009 Projector News At-A-Glance

• Sub $1K DLP projectors shipping soon (Mid-September to Early October).
• New Epson Home Cinema 8500 UB projector (replaces 6500 UB) features 200,000:1 contrast. No MSRP yet. Will be under $3000.
• New Epson Home Cinema 8100 projector (replaces 6100 UB) improves brightness (1800 lumens) and contrast (35,000:1). Sells for $1599 (plus initial $100 rebate). Ships November.
• (UPDATED 9/21) Epson Home Cinema 705HD will replace the Home Cinema 720 with a price point of under $750.
• Watch for price drops on the Epson Home Cinema 6100 and 6500 UB.
• LED projectors continue to improve, move beyond pocket projecting category.
• New Mitsubishi HC3800 impresses critics. $1499 MSRP.
• InFocus to release new ScreenPlay projector. Limited dealers.
• Sanyo yet to release news of any new Home Theater units.
• Panasonic PT-AE4000 announced in EU, but no reports of release in the U.S. We hope to have an answer on this soon! (Updated 10/16 : Now released in the USA) (Updated 10/16/09: See comparison of Panasonic AE4000U, BenQ W6000 Epson Home Cinema 8500 UB here.

Sub 1K Projectors

• Vivitek H1080FD – Early September (possibly late this week, or next week)
• BenQ W1000 – Mid-Late September
• Optoma HD20 – Next shipment late September

200,000:1 Contrast : New Epson Home Cinema 8500 UB

New LED Projectors

No News from Panasonic on the PT-AE4000

Other CEDIA Projector News

Quick Video Log

So What’s the Word?

• Epson Home Cinema 6500 UB ($2599 after current $400 rebate with free lamp)
• Panasonic PT-AE3000U ($2599 plus free 2-year warranty rebate)
• Sanyo PLV-Z3000($2395 after $200 rebate)

• Vivitek H1080FD ($999)
• BenQ W1000 ($999)
• Optoma HD20 ($999)

If you have more questions about the differences between these products, pricing questions, or any other projector related needs, leave a comment, send an email to webmaster(at)projectorpeople.com, or gives us a call at 1-888-248-0675. Thanks for reading!

If you’ve been shopping on auction sites for a low priced projector, it’s time to wise up. Right now you can get a new projector for the price of a replacement lamp or a dim old clunker on an eBay. But how do you know if you’re getting a deal with your low priced projector? Here’s what you need to know..

Business Projectors Under $999

So what are your options now for under $999? You can expect to find a wide range of options under $999 these days. Just to give you an idea of how far your money can go, here are a few of the specification ranges you can expect for your business projector dollar. You can also do your own product filtering using our Projector Finder tool. It will help you search by resolution, brightness, price, and a number of features.

What You Get For $999 or Less

• Brightness : 1000 – 3000 lumens
• Weight : as light as 2.4 lbs. (typically in the 4-10 lbs. range)
• Contrast : Up to 2000:1 (for business projectors, 10000:1 or less in Home Theater under $999)
• Keystone Correction : Available on many models
• Short Throw Lens : Available on select models
• HDMI 1.3 connection : Not common
• Component video : Available on many models
• Widescreen Format : Available on many models

So that’s a quick look at features to expect in a $999 projector today. If we haven’t covered something of specific interest to you, call a Projector Expert for more information. We have over 100 options in sub $1000 projectors. In fact, our projector options at $999 were so vast, we created a Projectors Under $699 page for the serious bargain seeker.

Pico Projectors

These are a category of projector that did not exist until a year ago. These tiny low-priced projectors lack the brightness of a true presentation projector, but they may be the direction of presentations future. They range around $200-$350 and they are small enough to fit in your pocket, though they will be a touch bulky in your tight pants. Here’s a list of pico projectors we sell.

New Home Theater Projectors Under $999

And if you haven’t heard the news yet, there are some true HD (1080p) home theater projectors coming soon. These new $999 home theater projectors make front projection a more affordable option for restaurants, sports bars, and other entertainment facilities. There is also an opportunity for those who have slipped behind after the digital transition to get up to date for less.

Vintage Projector People Deals

Just for fun, let’s take a look back at what a similar projector would have cost you a few years ago. We’ve run a number of stories about how much brighter, cheaper, and better projectors are now compared to “just a few years ago” so here are some examples for you. Each of these examples below were (I promise) competitively priced projectors at the time of the deal.

• Proxima DP6810 [ XGA, 900 lumens, 200:1 contrast ]
• $4,999.00

• Sony VPL-VW10HT [ WXGA (1366 x 768), 1000 lumens, contrast not specified ]
• $5,199.00 (We actually had a very long waiting list for this projector at this price!)

• NEC LT170 [ XGA, 1500 lumens, 3.9 lbs. ]
• $1,699.00

• Panasonic PT-LB50U [ XGA, 2000 lumens, 400:1 contrast ]
• $1,299.00

• Sony PLV-EX70 [ XGA, 2600 lumens, 900:1 contrast ]
• $749.00

The Good News

Will projectors cost $300 in 2 years? Moore’s Law would indicate “yes”. But “maybe” is always a safer guess. The tiny pocket projectors on the market today are very cool, but they are not even close the brightness and performance of today’s presentation projectors. New laser projection technology, or improved DLP and LCoS pico systems may make pocket projectors the wave of the future. But we won’t know how much they will cost until they are fully developed. So, barring the sudden emergence of a new technology, low-priced LCD and DLP projectors really can’t get much cheaper. And if you’re in the market for a projector, your dollar is going farther than ever before. And that’s good news.

As always, if you have more questions about our business and home theater projectors under $999, please contact a Projector Expert today!

Hey sports fans! Have you ever dreamed of projecting outdoors in broad daylight? Have you fantasized of watching your Sunday afternoon football outside while you BBQ, watching your favorite team on the giant screen? If you are anything like the vast majority of our home theater customers, you have. And now, because of the Black Diamond screen material from SI Screens, you are closer to your dream than ever before. Read on for photos and video, and more.

Dress Your Home Theater in Black

More than just improving your image in daylight, new Black Diamond II screens also improve black levels in any home theater with ambient light. In fact, SI Screens reports improvements in contrast ratios of 300% or more, and there is photographic evidence to prove it. I know, I know, you have seen these images before. But, this image reflects the quality we saw in person. Check out our training video below if you don’t believe it.

Essentially, the Black Diamond screen filters reflected light from the screen, bouncing back only the light coming from the projector and not the ambient light from other angles. White screens were designed to help improve the brightness of a projector by sending as much light as possible back to the viewer. But, now that projectors can pump out more lumens, the white screens can actually reflect too much light, scattering it around the space. As a result, there can be distracting reflections in your room. That extra ambient light can also reduce the contrast of your image. In a :30 second video here you can clearly see how the light on the ceiling disappears as the Black Diamond screen is lowered over the white screen.

Black Diamond Screens Versus Plasma and LCD TVs

Is an image on a Black Diamond II screen comparable to the image on a plasma or LCD TV? There has been no independent research done on this yet, but what we saw in our demonstration this week (see video below) was very impressive. At the very least, Black Diamond screens have helped to level the playing field in big screen technology. And if you compare the cost of a projector and Black Diamond II fixed frame screen to that of a 80, 92, 100, or up to 113-inch plasma or LCD TV, you are looking at thousands of dollars in savings.

Big Screen Prices Compared

• Plasma : 82-inch $29,999*
• LCD TV : 82-inch $49,999*
• LED TV : 46-inch $3,199**
• Black Diamond Screen and $2500 1080p Projector : 80-inch screen $4699 (available now!)

* Not readily available over 65-inches in the consumer market. Estimates for LCD and plasma based on professional product prices.
** Limited availability. Not readily available in sizes larger than 46-inches.

As the word gets out about the image quality from the Black Diamond screens, it’s reasonable to expect that a review site like Projector Central or Projector Reviews will put them to the test against a flat screen TV, but it hasn’t happened yet.

Brighter Images In Ambient Light

The Black Diamond is not only a great new technology for home theater, but it can also be just what the doctor ordered in bright office spaces, church sanctuaries, and lights on classrooms. Currently there are no motorized Black Diamond screens available, but SI Screens has them in development and hopes to have the right solution soon. But in rooms where a fixed screen will do the trick, a Black Diamond screen allows for lights on presenting in nearly any setting.

Quick Tip : If there is a window directly behind your projector it will impact the image you see because the screen will pick up the ambient light as well. In just about any other orientation, it will work its magic.

Exclusive Online Dealer for SI Screens

Projector People is the exclusive online dealer for SI Screens including Black Diamond Reference screens, and the full line of motorized and fixed frame screens. We offer full support of the products before and after the sale. Read more about our full line of SI Screens

Read more about Black Diamond II screens on our blog post from last week.

As always, if you have any questions about projectors, screens, and accessories. Call a Projector Expert today! 1-888-248-0675.

Projector People is now offering exclusive rebate savings on select Epson PowerLite business projectors. Also, Epson Home Cinema and education rebates have been extended into July!

Epson PowerLite Business Projector Rebates

The following Epson projectors have Projector People exclusive rebates from 06/10/09 – 07/10/09. Take advantage of these special reduced price offers while they last!

• Epson PowerLite S6 – $ 50 off
• Epson PowerLite 78 – $ 70 off
• Epson PowerLite 1715 – $100 off
• Epson PowerLite 1810 – $150 off
• Epson PowerLite 1825 – $200 off
• Epson PowerLite G5000 – $300 off

These Projector People exclusive rebates above are valid from 06/10/09 – 07/10/09

Epson Home Cinema Projector Rebates

Epson Home Theater projector manufacturer rebates have been extended. As has our exclusive offer on the Epson Home Cinema 6500 UB – get a 25 foot HDMI 1.3 cable, and universal projector ceiling mount through 7/15/2009.

Epson Home Cinema 6100 – $100 rebate Epson Home Cinema 6500 UB – $400 rebate

See all Epson projectors and details on all available rebates and promotions on our Epson Projectors list page:

As always, you can call a Projector Expert between the hours of 8:00am and 8:00pm Monday – Friday for advice on which projector is best for you, for package pricing, and any of your projector related questions.

We have just added a new Business Projector Selector to the Projector People website. It’s a simple way to find a projector for some of the most common uses. To save you time scouring the specs for the right product, we make one sure fire winner projector for each of our most common business user types.

Business Presenter : “I am a Road Warrior, is there a projector that is better for traveling?”

Suggested Projector : Casio XJ-S41B

Business Presenter : “I need my conference room projector to be bright with the lights on. What have you got for me?”

Suggested Projector : Toshiba TLP-XE30U

Business Presenter : “I am like a rock star. I present to hundreds of people. I need a projector that can hang.”

Suggested Projector : BenQ SP920P

Business Presenter : “I work hard and I play hard. I need a projector that’s a performer at work and at home for sports and movies.”

Suggested Projector : Optoma EP1691

Business Presenter : “My business is watching movies and I want to go HD.”

Suggested Projector : Panasonic PT-AE3000U

We will try and keep this list updated as time goes on so that you always have the latest and greatest in stock selections to choose from. See the live link here. Thanks for reading!