Home Theater Shootout Crowns The Best Projectors in Three Price Ranges: Breakdown and Analysis!

Value Electronics (Scarsdale, NY) held its first annual long throw projector shootout event in December 2022. The event was designed to find the best performing projectors in three different price categories: $4-7K, $11-16K, and $26-28K. Competing models were manufactured by Sony, JVC, Epson, and LG, as follows. Links are for best pricing and free shipping from AV Nirvana's trusted retail partners:
EPSON LS12000: www.projectorscreen.com/epson...
Sony VPL-5000ES: amzn.to/3PzKw4r
Sony VPL-6000ES: amzn.to/3EQhrwW
Sony VPL-7000ES: fave.co/46t4FQy
JVC DLA-NZ7: www.projectorscreen.com/jvc-d...
JVC DLA-NZ8: www.projectorscreen.com/jvc-n...
JVC DLA-NZ9: www.projectorscreen.com/jvc-n...
LG AU810UP: amzn.to/3Pw8gXf
To read a full breakdown of the event, or to discuss/ask questions, go to: www.avnirvana.com/threads/a-c...
00:00 Intro
04:25 $4K-7K Category
13:36 $11K-16K Category
17:24 $26K-30K Category
21:24 Recap
#sony #jvc #lgelectronics #epson
We may earn a small commission from sales through affiliate links.

[@zztop7000]

I'm a projector kind of guy JVC is KING 🤴 when it comes to projector I love cinematic feel that you'll never get from tv.

[@marvinabugov4579]

In my opinion its base-black that matters most! Bright scenes are easy but not being able to see detail in dark scenes is really - annoying! A total non-starter considering the film producers seem to think that dark scenes are the in-thing to do these days! Can you imagine watching a movie like that and not being able to see what is going on. I saw exactly that in the MWAVE coverage between JVC and Sony. The Sony was frankly disgusting when it came to black levels. If I would have spent that kind of money - and seen this result with black levels - I would have been totally livid! Fortunately, I have postponed my decision. Thank goodness! Yes the scores are close, but there are differences in real terms that are NOT miniscule as the scores would suggest and some would have you believe. Congrats on an excellent, frank and honest review. VERY well done!

[@hugochampagne9733]

Wondering if one of these projectors is good with a UST projector screen? Cause I'd like to change my Samsung lsp9t without change my projector screen

[@krishnachaitanya9876]

Thanks a lot for the video . I am interested in those racks as it will help my apartment setup . Can you please help me the make and model of those racks ?

[@nogodsnomasters666]

Black level is my #1 go to.

[@shiscarp]

Having seen the nz7 and the nz8 side by side the differences are so slight it would not be worth it to me to get the nz8. The nz9 on the other hand is significantly brighter than both.

[@isaacsykes3]

This is great, I really wished the Epson supported 3D. So, I'm probably going for the NX5.

[@av_nirvana]

Hi Isaac, thanks for watching! Unfortunately, for better or for worse, 3D isn't a feature that gets much attention any longer. You can definitely find it on JVC gear, but it's rarely, if ever, a feature that you see touted as a buy advantage. That's probably why JVC took the opportunity to cost it out of the overall bill of materials for the LS12000. To its benefit, the LS12000 has high level light output (around 2700 lumens pre-calibration), which means it would probably throw an appealing 3D image (if it were capable). Best of luck in your projector hunt!

[@salehkambijo1849]

Nx7 very close to budget much better performance as they say

[@myclassmate7588]

Great video! What screen would you pair with xw6000 with ambient light in the room?

[@av_nirvana]

Would definitely be looking at a grey screen if it’s a room with ambient light. Which one? Budget dictates that…

[@rx7dude2006]

Just bought the NZ8 waiting for it to arrive!Can't wait.

[@yassvagaboond8381]

Super test, with us in France and Europe the sony 7000 costs 15k the same price as jvc nz8, at the same price which projector do you take nz8 or sony 7000?

[@jimcameron1234]

SONY 7000 in Germany also 15.000€ + Reality Creation so i would go 7000 or NZ9 (100 mm lens)

[@kman9387]

I will have to respectfully disagree with you on LG being the worst. I have owned the LG for almost 2 years and I have put mine against the entry level Sony JVC and Epson 5050UB all bulb projectors that cost way more than the LG hu810p laser at $3,000. My LG is professional calibrated and mated with the proper screen. The result was the LG outperformed all in most categories except for black level. Color was far superior, brightness was far superior, 4k sharpness was superior, dual laser was spectacular and the remote was awesome! The LG works best when the iris is dialed down to 5 or 6 and using a negative gain gray screen. Even doing this the LG was far brighter and the black level came within that realm that forces you to question whether or not black level of 50% better is worth 3 times the cost of the LG 🤷 For some that may be the case, but for many that probably won't matter. I love this breakdown from the original longer video 👍 I'll have to admit that you guys hosting this shoot out have me on the fence with that Sony 😮 for just $2,000 more I think it's extremely tempting! 👍👌 What is your thought on the Sony over the JVC?

[@av_nirvana]

Thanks so much for your comments and relaying your experience, especially since you've had yours calibrated. Remember, the projectors in this shootout weren't fully calibrated, but put in the best state a consumer could achieve out of the box... so, it's very possible you are getting much better performance. The Sony and JVC are close out of the box, each doing their own thing and doing it well... the fact that the Sony gives you access to laser light is super tempting. That said, the JVC's ability to resolve more detail and native blacks (though, as you point out, a grey screen helps in that dept), give it the edge.

[@kman9387]

@@av_nirvana Thank you so much for your input on this! I figured that the sony for the price at half of the JCV and matched with a proper screen for my room would be a great deal 👌👍😊

[@percybedford6266]

Sony needs to release a firmware update to address the tone mapping. I am leaning towards the 5000es as my next projector.

[@armend316]

Earned a sub. +like! Love it!

[@av_nirvana]

Thanks so much for watching!

[@armend316]

​@@av_nirvana you're welcome Sir 🙂

[@paulmuto957]

Absolutely fantastic video Todd! And thank you for the shoutout to Seymour-Screen Excellence!

[@av_nirvana]

Hey Paul! Thanks for the kind comments... awesome to see SSE at the event. Those screens are going to be repurposed in what should be a very cool demo space. I think we'll hear more about that in 2023 :-)

[@ChristianBungert]

Time to produce some "affordable" but good new projectors with native 4K?! .. Too big of a gap between a ub6050 (2500€/$) and Sony XW5000(6000€) or JVC NP5(7000€).. Is that pricing the new entry now?

[@marvinabugov4579]

Question: Do you think Sony will get the message that they need to do more about base-black tone mapping for its projectors? Sony has known about since MWAVE last spring? Or do you think Sony will issue another set of projectors with firmware updates? JVC issues firmware updates for its current projectors while Sony stubbornly does not seem to want to. Why?

[@user-zq7qh5vt9f]

The JVC NP5 is lamp based while the Epson LS-12000 is laser based. Is there any difference in performance after say, 6000 hours? At the price of the JVC, should it be logical to get a laser projector rather than a bulb projector? Looking forward to your advice.

[@av_nirvana]

Great question. If you buy the JVC, you should expect to replace the bulb after about 3,000 hours. For me, the vast improvement in black levels and color accuracy offered by the JVC make it the best choice for situations where you’re using it in a proper, dark home theater type of setting. It’s going to give you the best, most accurate picture of the bunch. The benefit of the laser on the Epson is that you really won’t lose any light output as the projector ages. That means you can calibrate it after about 100 hours and it should be pretty much stable for the life of the laser (assuming you don’t move it to a new, different environment, at which point you may want to consider a new calibration). But, as you can see in the scores, you’re sacrificing some performance in overall image quality. Don’t read that as the Epson being bad… it’s not… but the JVC’s black level performance give it a leg up in overall picture. If I were you, I’d look at the used market and see if I could catch a deal on the JVC-NX7 or NX9… buy a new OEM bulb for it, and enjoy. Also, see what used pricing on the NZ7 are, especially as the two new JVC models start shipping in the next month. That said, if budget is paramount and the NP5 is top of your money, it’s a solid choice.

[@brianchristopher4666]

really? they spent all that time setting up screens and projectors, wiring, etc, and didn't black out the room with at least black cloth?! that makes zero sense

[@bingdong8571]

You forgot the category for the other 99% of home theater enthusiasts. Woops

[@trendyprojectors4743]

The price of Sony VPL-XW7000ES showing around $28,000, which is double the actual price... ... what's your views on this?

[@av_nirvana]

$27,999 is the MSRP, which is how all projectors are listed. Dealers can make deals but this is the list from Sony. www.projectorcentral.com/Sony-VPL-XW7000ES.htm

[@marvinabugov4579]

BTW: A few months ago during a conversation between the two of us, you thought you would have no problem buying a Sony x6000. After the results of the VE shootout, would you still buy it?

[@av_nirvana]

Lots of factors that go into that kind of decision... It's super competitive at its price point. If properly calibrated and, perhaps, using a grey screen, then I'd be happy to go with the 6000. That said, I think JVC is still a preferred choice because of its black level performance and frame adapt feature set.

[@marvinabugov4579]

@@av_nirvana Thx for your response. I think I see an adjustment in your thinking from only a couple of months ago. Meanwhile, all this discussion about Sony tone-mapping would vanish if Sony would just issue a firmware update!? Maybe at CES in early January? I am perplexed as to how Sony considers / values its customers. Appreciate your thoughts. Thx for responding.

[@salehkambijo1849]

They say hdr tone mapping on jvc is crazy good but the shootout showed different what your take??

[@justinbeamon6624]

What do you mean it showed different? He specifically said it was better and a set it and forget it thing. Also look at 10:20. The tone mapping on skin tones is far better.

[@justinbeamon6624]

Just scrub through the video and look at every picture. The JVC clearly walks away in this comparison.

[@av_nirvana]

The JVC's auto tone mapping is excellent... no complaints there!

[@salehkambijo1849]

The HDR tone mapping siny vs jvc

[@av_nirvana]

JVC has the best tone mapping functionality when compared to Sony. They've done a lot to perfect it... it's excellent!

[@scotttild]

The correct terminology is “native” projectors. The Sony and the JVC produce a native 4k image, the other two have a “true” 😂4k image but they use pixel shifting to get to that image. I hate how the industry has intermixed these terminologies. I did find the Epson held up well against the Sony and JVC, but you guys are kind of comparing apples and oranges. Its not really fair to toss the Epson and LG model without a more detail explanation of the different technology.

[@Luminated67]

I am shocked that you go to all this trouble and can’t be bothered blacking down the first couple of meters with black sheets. The very nature of a projector demands the room to be as dark and non reflective as possible and then not having a reference source to compare against. Very sloppy.

[@IvanITpro]

The worst score cards I've ever seen... Made me not give any credibility to the review or the scores. :/

[@IvanITpro]

Just watched it again and this time I noticed the overall math is way off for LG (should be 6.2) and Epson (should be 7.4) 🤣 There’s a calculator app on our phones for whomever can’t calculate an average score ... in the lowest $7K category 🤦‍♂️😆

[@kensingtonwick]

Would you say the difference is drastic between the NZ7 and NZ8? How about lamp (NP5) vs laser (NZ7) black levels? I’ve heard laser has a disadvantage for black levels. Is this true in your opinion and from what you’ve seen?

[@toddanderson72]

No, not drastic. The NZ8 has just a tad more brightness and better contrast, which allows it to show better shadow detail out of the box. I think a pro calibration would give the NZ7 a great image. We didn’t see the NP5 and NZ7 at the same time, but I wouldn’t shy away from the laser. JVC’s new (month old) firmware update has new laser dimming controls that deliver excellent black levels performance. So, for me, issues with laser and dark scenes is a non-issue. The benefits of a laser shouldn’t be ignored: faster start up/shutdown. Less heat and fan noise. And zero worries about bulb life. You will likely see some color shift in the first 100 hours of use, so give it about that long to break in prior to a calibration. But, after that, you’ll have a stable foundation! Come on over to avnirvana and join the community!

[@salehkambijo1849]

Yes i have seen the other shootout review and the old jvc molde beat the nz8 could u Imagen!! But the lasers have they benefit though Besides the jvc lasers or bulb have great blacks as they say,,