Home Theater Projectors

Part 1 in my new series of Home Theater for the Masses. In this video I discuss the various features of Home Theater projectors, and why they may be important for you.
This is meant as an overview for the various aspects of a projector. Each topic covered could easily be a video in itself, and if I get enough requests, I'll likely do more specific videos on hot topics.
0:32 - Resolution
2:03 - Brightness
3:52 - Contrast
6:52 - Dynamic Iris
8:47 - Zoom, Focus, Lens Shift
11:12 - Lens Memory
13:30 - Lens
14:43 - Projector Types (LCD, DLP, SXRD, LCoS)
20:47 - Light Engine (Lamp, LED, Laser)
24:38 - Throw
25:43 - Fan Noise
26:53 - Image Processing
27:59 - Price
29:55 - My pick for my situation
33:06 - Resources
Further resources:
www.avsforum.com - The best source of information for all aspects of home theater.
www.projectorcentral.com - A great projector-centric resource.
www.projectorreviews.com - A site that does extremely thorough reviews on projectors.
www.audioholics.com - A site geared mainly towards audio, that has a no BS approach to high-end audio.

[@ArunSaha9]

Highly appreciate the sincerity with which you've made this video... hats off!!

[@freeworks2715]

Wow, very informative. I had to watch Projector and Screen twice. Great video ! Building my Theater soon. Keep the videos coming. : )

[@jr62inhometheater98]

You need to do a Home Theater tour. I and many others I am sure would like to see it.

[@johnsmith-qz4bv]

great video

[@rb6978]

Could you also talk about screens. There’s so much talk about black screens etc....thanks.

[@FamilyHomeTheater]

Yup! I started my outline, and I hope to have a screens video up by the end of the week. I thought it would be a lot easier than the projector video, but it may end up being just as complex...

[@jr62inhometheater98]

Family White TV 👋 Hello. I am looking at the Epson 5040UB. I got online with Projector People and asked a person there if they could find the ANSI contrast ratio for this projector? They replied that the ANSI contrast is a unreliable reading. And that the listed contrast ratio is much more accurate. I asked how that could be and didn’t get a reply. Kinda strange don’t you think?

[@m.r.8247]

Great channel 👍 thanks

[@samidebs3474]

Hello family white TV what do you think about laser short projector?

[@samidebs3474]

Hello family white TV what do you think about laser short projector?

[@wondernutts]

Most informative channel I've seen for those considering home a theater. Great work!

[@emiliostallone3425]

EXCELLENT DETAILED VIDEO ON PROJECTORS THANK YOU !

[@billpeirce7127]

Thanks for all your info. That was awesome!!! 🙂 Merry Christmas and happy new year. God Bless.

[@stephenbarry8973]

I saw a jvc vs a Epson vs a Optoma ,as you said the jvc had the edge in contrast but not by much ,in fact it was the Epson people agreed was the more pleasant picture ,It had better brightness colour and great sharpeness with good contrast this all added up to a better picture in general I was surprised myself .I have a jvc be it old now 1080p jvc hd1 and a Optoma hd25 plus a old Sony hs50 .and I'm thinking of one of these new 4K lens shift projectors I was surprised how they compared to the real true 4K ,I'm after a general use for film gaming at mo ,the only 4K units that I can find are the epsons that seem to do it all well low input lag great reviews in general ,they also have the lens shift features moterized as well well made unlike the optomas I do love owned two hd65 and the hd25 but the build isn't great .Also I think the Epson model reviewed the 5040 now being older be cheap there also the 5050 upgrade more lums but only by 100 with better hdr10 this is my choice at mo . You gave great insight into buying a projecor for those who havnt had one all the best .

[@FamilyHomeTheater]

What was the room like? I have heard that in lighter color rooms with white walls, ceiling, etc. that higher brightness projectors would look better, whereas the JVC projectors get to show off their contrast in a room with dark walls, ceiling, etc. And so the room plays a big role in which projector is best. In a "standard" room where you can't paint the walls (like a rental), the 5050 would be better. I also agree the newer 5050 would be the best choice if HDR gaming is important. The early generations of HDR capable projectors had lousy results. Newer implementations are doing much better. On the other hand, I've also heard that native 4K projectors do look noticeably better when gaming at 4K... assuming you have a gaming rig that can push decent framerates at 4K. If not, then a pixel shifter would be fine if you plan to play at 1080 and simply upscale it.

[@hbmike47]

At 1:45, you say you can get a "true 4k projector" for about 2,000. and have the UHD65 and several others. highlighted. They are NOT a "true 4k" projector. Those are 1080p native DLP panels that are pixel shifted to produce a 4k image. Let's at least be accurate about it. You need to spend about 5k to get a "true 4k projector"

[@FamilyHomeTheater]

If you want to be accurate, then the UHD65 does not have a native 1080p DMD. The TI chip inside the UHD65 is a 2716x1528 device, which gives us 4,150,048 pixels. The device switches diagonally fast enough to give us 8,300,196 pixels. UHD resolution of 3840x2160 gives us 8,294,400 pixels. So if you want to split hairs, the UHD65 isn't exactly 4K. But by all accounts, you'd be hard pressed to tell the difference between this and a display device with 8,294,400 pixels exactly while watching real world content. Test patterns and video games rendered at 4K are the only cases I've heard where there is a noticeable difference. Further reading: hometheaterreview.com/optoma-uhd65-dlp-projector-reviewed/ www.projectorcentral.com/Epson-5040ub-vs-Optoma-UHD65-review.htm www.projectorcentral.com/4k-dlp-projectors.htm

[@coffeebreakhero3743]

@@FamilyHomeTheater I ordered the uhd51a recently on sale at 1150$, which is native 1080p and pixel shifted to 4k. It still hasn't arrived. I new and don't fully understand pixel shifting. Will I get a picture that's more close to 1080p or to 4k? Will I get a better picture with 4k file, or it doesn't matter if I run a 4k or 1080p file? your advise will be appreciated.

[@rayjackson6808]

the way you explaine it is awsome. i though i knew projectors. I know nothing compared to you. Please talk more about the sony 285 SXRD native 4k, vs the jvc that you mentioned. Thank ypu so much for sharing, and opening our eyes.

[@FamilyHomeTheater]

I haven't been ignoring you, but instead decided to do a little more work. In response to your question... my latest video! kzbin.info/www/bejne/gWmsoKKkorNmfrM

[@johnsmith-qz4bv]

im looking at the optoma DLP hd 143x projector.....i would like a 120 inch screen i used the projector central to calculate and it says to put it at 13 feet 5 inches for a 120 screen....now i dont want it above my seating ..would it still be ok to put the pj at the back of by room my room is 18 feet long..?...i can black out my 2 very small windows if i need to in my basement....thanks

[@FamilyHomeTheater]

It looks like moving the projector back would require your screen to be much larger. That, and the resulting image would start getting pretty dim at that size. Unfortunately, the 143X doesn't have much zoom to work with, so you're a bit stuck with that one. The Epson 2150 has the zoom range that can get you the image size you need, but it does cost $250 more. You could look for other alternatives that could get you back that far, but it looks like the 2150 might be what you need.

[@johnsmith-qz4bv]

@@FamilyHomeTheater ok great thank you for all your help.....love your videos

[@coffeebreakhero3743]

you seem much more honest than most guides I really appreciate the "notice this" instead of "buy this" approach.

[@dvan3630]

Love the video thanks for all the points that you bring it out about projectors home theaters and systems

[@FamilyHomeTheater]

Thanks! I could go so much more in depth on a lot of this, and I probably will at some point. For now, this should help you get some ideas of what to look into further.

[@vekybabu498]

Sir what should be the aspect ratio for 10*13 sq feet room (120 inch)

[@FamilyHomeTheater]

The most common aspect to use for a screen is 16:9. 2.35:1 is the other option, but you need a projector with at least a 1.25x zoom lens. If you can az fford a projector with lens memory, that would make 2.35:1 easier to implement.

[@vekybabu498]

@@FamilyHomeTheater sir what about,4:3

[@grimtrigg3r]

Awesome. Maybe the most information of any video I’ve seen on home theater. Majestechs is close, but this one still wins.

[@CBanks-ky7kl]

Thank you very much! This has to be the premiere video on projectors.

[@jenserikbech]

Well I am about to get a projector. As it has to be used in a club as well,- to display educational videos, the issue of bringing videos to the screen is of great importance. It has been very difficult to get informations about that. I think it would be nice if you could cover the issue. I worked in a cinema in my younger days. The movie projectors was a floor over the theatre with holes in the wall to project the film. So the idea of screwing the projector to the ceiling seems idiotic to me. Why not placing it where you can work with it?

[@FamilyHomeTheater]

For your first part, I'm not sure what you're asking. I did a video on projector screens, perhaps that is what you are looking for. For a projector within a club setting, you'll probably want to look more towards a business or classroom projector. They tend to be much brighter than home theater projectors, at the cost of contrast, and possibly color accuracy. Business projectors, if they are DLP, will also have a clear segment in the color wheel to boost peak brightness. If the projector is bright enough, you can probably get by with no screen if you have a suitable white wall. If you do get a screen, you'd probably want a screen with a bit of gain to reflect maximum brightness back toward the audience. You can also get ambient light rejecting screens, but they tend to be quite expensive and not necessary if you aren't doing critical viewing. For the ceiling mount question, it makes sense for cinema projectors to be where they can be easily accessed since they need more frequent servicing. But for the home theater, the ceiling is good because most people don't have an upper loft that they can stow a projector in. You can also place a short throw projector on a coffee table, but it gets in the way. And so at home, ceiling mount is good because it keeps the projector out of the way. If somebody is using a fixed 16:9 screen, you pretty much set the projector up once, and never touch it again except perhaps to change the lamp every couple years. But for people like me, using a constant image height screen, the ceiling is less convenient from an access standpoint. But it is also the only place I can put it given the space I have. That's why nicer projectors have lens memory. Once I get a projector that has lens memory, I can do all required adjustments from the remote.

[@friendlymormon2209]

I love the format and how informative your videos are! I’m a long time subscriber, but I’m finally in a position to build my dedicated theater space and would greatly appreciate your input. On my quest for CIH I’ve come across a webpage detailing a DIY solution to the $5k anamorphic problem. In this write up they explain how, by using two identical crystal “trophy” prisms, they’re able to bend the light to a 2:35-2.40 CinemaScope aspect ratio. Doing this also lends the advantage of using a projectors full lamp output. My questions to you are; Have you researched this topic? Would it be something you’d consider for your space? If it does interest you, how likely would you be to give your loyal subscribers a How-To video? ^insert please typed 20x^

[@FamilyHomeTheater]

I have read about that and considered doing it, but never tried. The drawbacks I found is that since the prisms aren't optically coated, there will be some light loss, possibly enough to negate the brightness gain of using the entire panel. The other major drawback is the chromatic abberatioon that will be visible on the edges of the image. So it may not be worth it to do this as a DIY solution, but if your projector doesn't have the zoom range to use the zoom+shift method, you may have to do something like this. Unfortunately, good glass is expensive. Whether talking about cameras, telescopes, or projectors, well built lenses are not cheap.

[@tonymacans2854]

What projector do you currently own?

[@FamilyHomeTheater]

Nothing special. It is a Mitsubishi HC4000. Eventually I'd like to own a JVC X790R.

[@AllMyHobbies]

Family White TV with your current projector how do you do CIH without having lens shift? i would like to get that setup but i thought you had to have lens shift or can you move the image up and down digitally when in 2.35 mode.

[@jr62inhometheater98]

Great presentation. And very informative. A question. I have looked at reviews on Epson 4010,4050,5040 and 6040. These are the 4 projectors that have made the cut. One will end up in my Home Theater. But the problem is I cannot find the ANSI Contrast on any of them on any reviews. I have tried the sites you have suggested. Any suggestions?

[@FamilyHomeTheater]

Projector reviews may post the contrast, as they said that the measurements would come a week or so after the review: www.projectorreviews.com/epson/epson-home-cinema-4010pro-cinema-4050-4k-capable-home-theater-projector-review-summary/ According to ProjectorReviews, the 5040/6040UB is superior in black levels, but they post no specific measurements. And so while the newer 4010/4050 is superior in the pixel shifting department, the UB series is still better in the contrast department. However, they do expect Epson to reveal the updated 5050UB/6050UB next year. And that's how it is with projectors... theres always something a little better around the corner. One other projector to consider is the now $4000 JVC X790. If black level is what you are after, the X790 probably can't be beat in the black level department. You could ask around on the AVS forum for hard numbers. There are probably some out there. Here is the relevant threads: www.avsforum.com/forum/68-digital-projectors-under-3-000-usd-msrp/2563857-official-epson-5040ub-6040ub-owners-thread.html www.avsforum.com/forum/68-digital-projectors-under-3-000-usd-msrp/3032246-official-epson-home-cinema-4010-pro-cinema-4050-owner-s-thread.html www.avsforum.com/forum/68-digital-projectors-under-3-000-usd-msrp/3035322-new-epson-4010-used-epson-5040ub-both-same-price.html

[@irwfcm]

Really great video. I do have a follow-up question related to LED and Laser projectors and noise. Am I right in thinking these would run cooler than lamp lights and would require less cooling so fan noise would be reduced? I know you said it isn't a big deal anyway, but I still think about it. I have a 70" flat panel LCD right now and keep thinking about making the move to a projector setup.

[@FamilyHomeTheater]

I haven't personally seen (heard?) any laser or LED projectors other than a $69 one that I am finishing up a review on. As I understand, they should be cooler, although there are exceptions. The BenQ L990, for example, is a laser light projector, but it is also a light cannon with 6000 rated lumens. And reports are that it is a little louder than people would like for a projector in its price class. Whereas the LED BenQ HT9060 is quieter, but also not as bright. But in general, they should be quieter than an equivalently bright lamp based unit, as long as the cooling system was designed properly. As one last note, there is the issue of altitude. If you live in a high altitude area such as Denver or Colorado Springs, most projectors need to be run in "high altitude" mode, which makes the fans run faster (and therefore louder) so that they can move enough air to keep cool.

[@ngbatten]

What about watching movies like dark knight/daek knight rises where it switches between wide-screen to imax...where you'd zoom for wide-screen but then it'd show imax.

[@FamilyHomeTheater]

Yes, those movies are some odd exceptions. imdb lists 14 movies that switch aspect ratios. Dealing with this is a sticky conundrum. Even with a projector with lens memory, it would be awkward to switch zoom settings throughout the film, especially since the switches happen seemingly randomly throughout the movie. The switch is caused when the director uses IMAX cameras to film certain scenes. The IMAX frame is 16:9, whereas the non-IMAX frame is 2.35:1. Fortunately, most BluRay movies stick to one aspect ratio. One option is to simply zoom in the picture so that you frame for a 2.35:1 image and just let the IMAX scenes spill off the top and bottom of the screen. If you have a screen with a large black mask around it, the effect isn't too bad when the movie switches to 16:9. And from what I've read, directors are keeping actors within the 2.35:1 framing even in the 16:9 scenes, so heads are not getting chopped off. If you invest in an anamorphic lens, this problem visibly goes away. The projector stretches the image vertically and moves the top and bottom of the 16:9 frame off the display panel so that they don't even get rendered. The lens then stretches the stretched 16:9 image back into 2.35:1. This method eliminates the top and bottom of the 16:9 framed scenes entirely, so you don't even notice it happening. The conundrum comes in with the idea of director's intentions. For years, even in the days of 4:3 televisions (before HDTV was a thing), widescreen enthusiasts like myself railed against "Pan & Scan" versions of movies, instead desiring the 2.35:1 image complete with huge black bars, "The way the director intended". So now, do we dare chop off the top and bottom of movies with variable aspect ratios? I personally don't have a problem chopping off the top and bottom. My reasoning is a lot of these movies were released in both IMAX theaters and standard theaters. In standard theaters they were usually shown entirely in 2.35:1, whereas IMAX theaters would have the 16:9 framing. And so I personally deem the all 2.35:1 version acceptable.

[@davehood1514]

Great advice thanks a lot 👍

[@priyanfernando5158]

Very useful .. thank you!

[@plexfam]

Great video I have a dlp led projector I love it waiting for led 4k projector with 1.5-3.0 throw ratio to come out

[@FamilyHomeTheater]

Thanks! I know the feeling of waiting for the next big thing. Hopefully in a couple years I'll be able to afford the projector I want, which will likely be whichever projector JVC offers in the future for $5,000-ish.

[@subodhganvir9758]

Also tell us room area behind u

[@theatremad9797]

Great video mate good work

[@cutter2258]

What is your thoughts on the LG pf50ka projector? I want one that is good enough for home theater but still portable.

[@FamilyHomeTheater]

I'm skeptical that it will illuminate a 100" screen. Maybe in a fully light controlled room with dark walls and ceiling. I'd wait for some hands-on reviews to come out if there aren't some already.

[@cutter2258]

Thanks for the advice. It is on Amazon for preorder 100 dollars off right now 546.00. For the features you get I think that is a pretty good deal.

[@theatremad9797]

Would love to see a video on projector calibration done with the spider 5 on a JVC x5500 or the like.Now that would be something that could help the masses.

[@FamilyHomeTheater]

Probably in a few months I may test the waters to see if I can obtain review samples. I may be too small, though, for any company to take me seriously. Once I can afford an X790 (or the future equivalent) to buy and keep, I'll definitely be doing videos on it, including a cal video.

[@theatremad9797]

Ok thanks mate i will keep tabs on your channel and have subscribed.On the Jvc X5500 the blacks are great but if not calibrated properly you can run into problems while watching dark scenes through HDR so then i find having to tweak my source(pana ub900) to brighten it up. Dark scenes can be too dark. Projector calibration is the key here i think. People really need to know this as you can have a great projector sitting in your theater room but only be getting half the image quality that it can emit.Some people i know have purchased the spyder 5 and used it for their JVC's with the JVC software which they were kind enough to release to the public.They have got great results.There are no decent calibration video's on youtube that i can find so really you would be the first to give out valuable info without having to outlay for a pro calibrator.Keep up the great work mate and keep it simple as you can.Cheers