Podcast #606: Best Selling Projectors

Best Selling Projectors

We’ll receive emails from time to time asking us for a little more coverage of projectors so for today’s show we decided to take a look at the top five selling home theater projectors on ProjectorPeople.com.

Panasonic PT-AE8000U Projector (Buy Now $2450) - The number one projector isn’t cheap but you get a lot. We are always impressed when we look at this projector. For a while both of us were considering this line for our own homes. This is also an LCD based projector that does 3D. Its brighter than its predecessor which helps 3D viewing. A quiet fan will not disturb you while watching something that doesn’t have much going on in the surrounds. If you have a budget of $2500 this should be on your short list to consider.

Panasonic PT-AR100U Projector (Buy Now $1299) - If you like what you read about the AE8000U but don’t quite have the budget for it you may want to take a look at this model. The 100U is a little brighter than the 8000U but its fan is a bit louder. If you don’t have a dedicated theater room with ambient light control this projector may work better for you. It also doesn’t support 3D which is something to consider. One thing we will point out is that 3D does work better on very large format displays so you may want to consider a model that does support it. The only real negative in the way of picture quality is the black level is a little washed out. It is a tradeoff for the price.

Epson Home Cinema 5030UB Projector (Buy Now $2599 on ProjectorPeople.com) - This is not a cheap projector but you sure do get a lot for the money. The 5030 is uses 3 chip LCD technology and has a wide horizontal shift which allows for easier room placement. It is THX certified and will do a 2D to 3D conversion if you want and as an added bonus it comes with two pairs of 3D glasses. This is a highly rated projector from both consumers and professionals. Braden loves his Epson projector!

Epson MegaPlex MG-850HD B Stock Projector (Buy Now $549 on ProjectorPeople.com) - This one is a great deal if you act quickly (normally priced $799). We love B-Stock, refurbished, or gently used. Its a great way to get great equipment and really low prices. This is a portable full sized projector that is great for travelers or for those who want to pull it out for special occasions. It has stereo speakers and connects up to your portable devices including laptops. it has a dock for your ipad and iPhone and will charge them while connected provided the connectors are pre-lighting port. The projector outputs 2800 lumens so it should work well in rooms with little light control. It screams backyard theater!!

BenQ W1070 Projector (Buy Now $999 on ProjectorPeople.com) This is the only DLP projector of the group, using the DarkChip 3 DLP processor from Texas Instruments. Its not the brightest projector at 2,000 lumens so you’ll want to make sure you use it in a room with good light control. Its 1080p and 3D capable and is ISF certified meaning that it can be calibrated to optimize its performance. If you are looking to get into front projection without breaking the bank this is one to consider.