Epson LS500 vs Optoma P2 Ultra Short Throw Projector Shootout

Let's get ready to rumble!
It's the newest entry in our Ultra Short Throw projector shootout series. This matchup pits the Epson LS500 EpiqVision up against the Optoma P2 CinemaX in a battle of our top selling Laser TVs.
Tell us which projector you think is best! Which USTs should we compare next?
Buy your home theater projector:
Optoma P2: www.projectorscreen.com/optom...
Epson LS500: www.projectorscreen.com/epson...
Grandview Ultra Short Throw 100 Inch Projector Screen: www.projectorscreen.com/grand...
Call ProjectorScreen.com @ 1-888-392-4814 and mention that you saw us on KZbin!

[@georgeshu321]

Been waiting for this!

[@adhardino9781]

Great test, thanks so much. Am considering buying both...

[@DavidLew1]

Huge shout-out for that one-take intro to the projectors!! 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

[@ProjectorScreen]

It took me 10 takes to get that 1 take ;)

[@zwizzy89]

for those thinking of getting one of these. dont forget you can up the vibrance in settings so that the p2 can do more warmth if thats ya thing

[@MrTsec123]

Great Vid! Awesome Brian as Always :)

[@ProjectorScreen]

Thanks Amay!

[@rommelrivera1186]

Very informative review with beautiful images that showcased perfectly the differences between the two projectors. The huge bummer is that it compared two projectors with different native resolutions; one is native 4K and the other one is not. Regardless, I arrived independently to what I agree is the better choice: the Optoma P2.

[@ProjectorScreen]

Thanks for the feedback. These shootouts are to show projector A vs projector B to help people make a better informed decision on which they may want to purchase. Not all units compared will have the same chipset, resolution, contrast, etc.

[@jgnmtz]

Good video, lots of fun . Really enjoyed following along as the description of the differences were explained . This helps so much. Chris Majestic educated me on the Optima P2 operating system .. it’s not Android , it’s glitchy and slow . The LS500 is android if I’m not mistaken ? I’ll watch a few more videos on that one to make sure .

[@HopkinsKen]

what about fan noise?

[@yc4795]

What are your thoughts on pairing the Optoma p2 with the Epson 120" ALR screen?

[@ProjectorScreen]

The Epson screen is really good and would pair well with any of the USTs in this shootout series.

[@viperracing2889]

Is the Grandview 0.4 gain screen a better choice for the LS500, in a bright room, compared to the standard 0.8 gain?

[@ProjectorScreen]

There is no :"sntadard 0.8" gain when it comes to ALR screens for UST. 0.4-0.6 are the most common and will generally be the best for a UST projector as it will not have any hotspotting like you will likely find with ihgher gain screens.

[@johnrussell9263]

If you had a chance to get the ls500 for $2900 vs $3299 for the P2 would you? Here in Korea the ls500 is cheaper than the US, not sure why but if I buy the ls500 with the screen I'm only paying $3800. I just hate that periscope lens

[@arjungopal8497]

Hello mate, can you please tell be the Best Short throw projector for gaming on PS5/Xbox thats of 150/max size possible

[@ProjectorScreen]

The Epson LS500 hands down. It is the brightest of all of the USTs and has by far the lowest lag time of only 16ms.

[@TylerStout]

Any chance we could get a shootout v7050i and another comparable model like the p2?

[@ProjectorScreen]

There is a 100% chance that you will see that soon. Make sure to subscribe so you get notified when it goes live.

[@bupbup777]

I own the Epson LS500, I love it! Overall everything, no rainbow, good gaming, movies, TV, slideshow. No regrets!

[@sonobeno]

I bought both to test and ended up returning the Optoma p2 as I'm very susceptible to the rainbow effect. For people like me the Epson ls500 the only UST option. But when you couple it with a proper soundbar and tweak the colors its an amazing projector and I love it! Would have been great if you had dived deeper into the menu option of the two. The Optoma definitely has a more sleek menu design, but I found it limited in options. The ls500 gives you complete control to adjust it which is fantastic, but it dosen't look as good straight out of the box as the Optoma.

[@ProjectorScreen]

Great comments; I agree! We have plans to do some more in depth reviews and comparisons on all of these units. Subscribe to our channel for notifications of when they get published.

[@BPrescottX]

I bought the Optima as well and kept the Epson LS500... It was a no contest winner for my requirements and image quality.

[@ProjectorScreen]

@@BPrescottX They both have their pros and cons; the Epson LS500 is the right choice in many situations. It was hard to pick a winner of this shootout for those reasons. Glad that you are happy with yours!

[@benjiebarker]

When you mentioned gaming, now i think i am leaning more toward the epson…my nephews visit on the holidays and they will be wanting to play games on the big screen…would not be great hearing them complain about the lag, but then it will leave the projector open for the adults 😁

[@petrsmetala]

What is the distance from the wall for 120" screen? Thanks a lot

[@yoheshwaran.s.r1755]

Please tell me what is the best screen colour for absolutely dark rooms with no ambient light????

[@ProjectorScreen]

Generally speaking a reference white screen is ideal in a dark room with no ambient light. That being said, if you want to use a UST projector in that environment, we would suggest a lower gain surface such as the Stewart Greymatte which is a light grey color.

[@carlstein3753]

Will the LG work with a 140" screen ? If so, how much quality will I loose and how far back from the wall will the projector have to sit ?

[@ProjectorScreen]

You will start to see a softening of the focus on the outside of the screen as you go beyond their stated image size. The larger you go above their specification, the worse the focus becomes.

[@charlessailer4580]

If you get the ls500 out of the bright mode, does the picture sharpness improve?

[@rogerome01]

I hope. Is it just me or does it seem like the LS500 seemed blurry and almost out of focus?

[@ProjectorScreen]

The sharpness does not improve, but the colors and contrast do. Bright Cinema mode is great for TV in the daytime, but for movies @ night where the extra brightness may not be needed, there are better default modes (as well as ability to calibrate yourself).

[@bobulatorul]

Is the Optoma a native 4K projector? Or does it pixel-shift?

[@brownsamurai3070]

Specifications Display technology DLP™ Resolution UHD (3840x2160) Brightness 3,000 lumens Contrast ratio 2,000,000:1 Native aspect ratio 16:9 Aspect ratio - compatible 4:3 Horizontal scan rate 31 ~ 135Khz Vertical scan rate 24 ~ 120Hz Uniformity 90% Screen size 85" ~ 120" diagonal

[@vt733]

do you prefer better contrast epson or better color accuracy of optoma :)

[@ProjectorScreen]

The Epson's colors can be made more accurate via calibration. We were using an uncalibrated unit and not in it's best quality picture mode.

[@rogerome01]

What is the technical term or feature that gives the Optoma a better detailed view and feel that the Epson LS500 lacks?

[@ProjectorScreen]

We believe the better sharpness of the image from the P2 was both due to the DLP chip it was using (vs LCD of he Epson) and/or possibly the glass optics of the units. The Optoma also has a digital focus wheras the Epson is a manual slide and may be harder to dial in to sharpest focus for some people.

[@sonobeno]

@@ProjectorScreen did you guys align the LCD panels in the menu? Made a huge difference in sharpness and overall image quality for me.

[@charlessailer4580]

@@sonobeno what setting are you referring to here?

[@rogerome01]

@@sonobeno would be of huge help if you could show before (out of the box) sharpness vs after what you did (alignment) to see the difference. That blurr view and feel is what has held me back from buying the LS500. Thanks for the tip!

[@sonobeno]

@@charlessailer4580 it's on page 80 in the manual, I think KZbin removed my comment because I liked to the manual on Epsons website. Anyways you can find there under calibration. It shows you how to align the panels which helps the overall image quality.

[@erzhu419]

Thank god. The first projector/UST I choose is the best choice in the expert's opinion.

[@kennethlau9222]

P2 is having TI 0.47 in Dlp chips with 1080p native. LS500 is native 1080p. Am think that both are used 4K enhanced technique to play 4K source. As far as I know, 4K should go for Sony or JVC in an affordable price.

[@Rexprofile]

Can i use this on the wall ? Without screen ?

[@ProjectorScreen]

UST projectors "can" be used on the wall but we would never suggest that over a proper screen. Your wall will lower the resolution, not provide the same vibrant colors (as the wall is not intended to reflect light) and a UST will accentuate any deviations in flatness on your wall which distorts your image.

[@PAUmerica]

has anyone tried the Fengmi 100" ALR screen with this and how it might compare with the Grandview or Elite's AEON CLR 3 series? I am thinking with the brightness the Epson offers, the difference would be negligible and you have a great setup for ambit light for a much lower cost given the Epson sale price?

[@ProjectorScreen]

I have no experience with the Fengmi, but the Dynamique is MUCH better than the CLR 3 in every regard. The screen that comes bundled with the LS500 is optically very similar to the Dynamique as well as Elite's top of the line DarkUST surface.

[@PAUmerica]

@@ProjectorScreen AH, thanks for the reply, great Video BTW! Yes, but I am looking for a more budget oriented screen with great results for ambient light. To see which budget screen comes closest. I am hearing great things about the Vava 100" ALR screen also, especially the build quality as it seems to be slightly easier to assemble than others with only two sides that fold out and brackets to hold it together seem better designed also. I liek the brightness of the Epson and its screen, but you scared me away form the Epson in favor of the Optoma P2 because of the focus issue, and being sharper all the way across the screen, and that was a deal breaker for me with the Epson. Maybe even considering the Hisense 100L5F as I am hearing from multiple sources its manually measured brightness is close to 3500 ANSI even though Hisense rates I much lower. I technically the Hisense is available with a screen also, but I am hearing the newer screen for the 100" model is not nearly as good as the one that comes with the 120" model. The 120 though is out of my price range.

[@ProjectorScreen]

@@PAUmerica The "new" screen that many resellers will have with the Hisense 100L5F is their rigid, fresnel screen. We are not fans at all. We do have an arrangement with Hisense to still offer their original "soft" lenticular screen (similar to the Dynamique, Epson, etc). The Hisense 100L5F can be purchased from select resellers (cough, cough) without a screen in some cases. Regarding the Vava screen; we evaluated one and it had not only the lowest build quality but also performed the worst from a sharpness and ALR perspective. We have yet to see legit 4k+ ALR for UST that provides as good of a "bang for the buck" as the Grandview Dynamique.

[@PAUmerica]

@@ProjectorScreen Thanks for the reply great info. What type of screen does the Hisense 120l5fbld come with? Is it also the rigid screen?

[@ProjectorScreen]

@@PAUmerica The 120l5 comes with the soft, lenticular screen that the 100" used to come with and that we are still able to provide instead of the rigid, fresnel screen.

[@Girlwatchingtheworld]

We have the P2 - we don't call it a projector...we don't call it a P2, we call it WHAABAM-a-Vision. It's just awesome. We have it paired with Elunevision Aurora 8k screen and a Sony HT-Z9F soundbar. Just a great all around set up. 😜😍😄

[@ProjectorScreen]

I’m glad you’re enjoying your WHAABAM-a-vision!!

[@micaiahjohnson620]

what about fan noise/ customer service / which one has best maintence

[@sonobeno]

The fan noise on the epson is unfortunately very loud in full brightness. I ended up building a hush box for it and it makes a world of a difference.

[@benjiebarker]

Do you think the epson’s 4000 lumens is compensating for the throw rate…epson needs to be like a foot or more away from the wall compared to the optoma, right?

[@ProjectorScreen]

The Epson LS500 has the longest throw distance of all the USTs but is only several inches further than other units. The extra brightness is not negated at all by the extra throw distance and this projector is still the brightest of any of the home theater/Laser TV USTs out there now.

[@terjoe6643]

The Epson isn't 4K. That's the reason for the difference in the sharpness. Where the Optoma upscales pixels times 4 shifts, the Epson only times 2 shifts. Epson may call it 4K Pro UHD but it's not a native 4K projector due to the limits of their pixel shifting technology.

[@bobulatorul]

Is the Optoma a native 4K projector? Or does it pixel-shift?

[@laptoprepairs]

I've been fixing them for over 10 years and optoma is 10x better !

[@joelane4670]

What’s the rainbow effect mean?

[@ProjectorScreen]

The Rainbow Effect is most visible when the viewer's eye moves quickly across light areas of a projected image, or with video scenes showing rapid movements like in an action movie. Instead of a crisp edge, the viewer sees color fringe that resembles a rainbow.

[@jluis333]

Watched this on my new epson ls500B. Still can't get a perfect fit on my 130 inch screen. Great for 4k. Not so good with lower then 1080p. Being black is a must because a white blob in front of me isn't an option and after splashing 3 grand who doesn't have a killer sound system to match? I have a 7.2.2 atmos 150w klipsch cones and pioneer av. Now netflix and prime 4k are gold.

[@jluis333]

Took me 2 weeks to tweek this baby. Got the fitting almost aligned and almost focused on all corners. The manual focus knob is subpar though. Will still be long before I can master all the options for a good non-4k image.

[@ProjectorScreen]

Glad you are able to get it dialed in. I agree completely on the black housing color as well!

[@Keichan2501]

You should compare the fan noise. That's a major factor for me.

[@ProjectorScreen]

WHAT?!?!? I can't hear you, the fans are too loud....

they all have fan noise. While wathing stuff you don't hear any of them.

[@kotaperkot1791]

Why there is no in dark room comparison?)

[@ProjectorScreen]

These are intended as "tv replacements" so we are doing our shootout in well-lit, living room type environments. We will be expanding on these videos in the near future to also include darker environments.

[@victorpulos823]

I have epson ls500 n it’s great

[@micaiahjohnson620]

what about fan noise i heard its can be to loud?

[@victorpulos823]

@@micaiahjohnson620 I have surround sound system so I don’t hear it

[@micaiahjohnson620]

Have you ever dealt with Epson customer service isit good or bad

[@victorpulos823]

@@micaiahjohnson620 I did deal with them in past they are good with me

[@micaiahjohnson620]

I mean the repair side of customer service

[@benjiebarker]

Do any of you still use your popcorn machine? Mine is decor right now

[@ProjectorScreen]

Only on special occasions!

[@benjiebarker]

My few months were special occasion…now it just sits there…i will have to fire it up again soon

[@benjiebarker]

When i get the epson ls500 for sure 😀

[@Chuniekun]

Epson ls500 or Vava?

[@ProjectorScreen]

You'll have to wait and see the video when we publish it.... ;)

[@chrishawk728]

Optoma P1 or Epson ls500?

[@ProjectorScreen]

P1 was discontinued a year ago. We don’t have it in our shootout, but when I did do a head to head of P1 vs P2, the P2 was the clear winner due to color wheel.

[@jamesnames2893]

*If you live in Europe keep in mind that service here does not work for Optoma. I know because I experienced it and was left without money and the P2. It's an equipment that won't live to the end of warranty.*

[@daffyddantes3277]

In my opinion the Ls500 gets the edge because of the lower input lag

[@ProjectorScreen]

That's a big deal for serious gamers and the LS500 currently has the lowest lag of all the USTs.

[@redmansmagfedgames2607]

I think this shoot out should of been compared with movies like avengers or Disney movies because lets face it we are not gonna be watching fruit cups I understand what you were trying to show but for some people like are more interested in Theater like settings I wanna feel like I’m at the movies I wish you would bring this shoot out back but in a movie 🍿 like shoot out instead

[@ProjectorScreen]

I can't afford to fight Disney's lawyers for any copyright claim in regards to using their content in our channel :(

[@marierasmussen7799]

I would prefer a better head-2-head. Optimize/calibrate both of them to their best instead an out of box comparison.

[@Blahmanwhysoserious]

only one is a UST, the other is basically in the middle of the room, lol

[@ProjectorScreen]

I would refer to it as a "little more than ultra short throw" ;)

[@betitos11]

I dont know where this guy buys his veggies but @4:16 he's not accurate 😁

[@ProjectorScreen]

We grow our own 👨‍🌾

[@laptoprepairs]

And when the Epson goes wrong, there’s no company in the uk that can repair it …

[@Theninjagecko]

So what would you recommend?

[@vadimnesen8060]

3:00 look at the background. Supposed to be white. Its pink on the Epson. Huge fail. Or scam.. not sure yet.

[@ProjectorScreen]

What would make that a scam? Out of the box in bright cinema mode (with no changes to projector image settings) has a red push in the Epson.

[@ryanhelton1865]

What this video fails to mention is that Epson does do the exact same sharpness as the P2 projector however this is something you need to do in the settings menu by using the sharp and putting up to the sharpness of the image you want it to be so do take that into consideration.

[@laptoprepairs]

Optoma is way better than Epson!!!

[@HcAkatsuki]

Cringe

[@georgm4]

What a test? Sorry, this test doesn't show the reality. The brightness for example is very important. The Epson can be used with daylight. You don't need curtains at all. It's a voll replace meant of a TV from this point of view. Sorry this shoots the Optima directly in a class below. And colours: 8 bit 16.77 million, 10 bit 1 billion, which is HDR. The Epson will give you 1.07 billion colours. Full HDR compliant. On the other hand you are counting the Loudspeaker in the same way. The once form the Epson are less good, even if they are better as TV speakers. But watching movies does request a surround system anyway. So in the end of the day, what counts the speaker in the projector ... ? For me, this evaluation does not reflect the main points that are decisive for the purchase. Whether the projector is 5 cm closer to the screen, whether it has speakers that I don't need anyway. Is that the deciding factor? The fact that I can use the projector during the day with the curtains open and it can still reproduce a brilliant and sharp HDR image is the key point that makes it unbeatable in its class.