Epson - EpiqVision Ultra LS300 Smart Streaming Laser Projector

I think some consideration has to be given as to your viewing habits. I have never owned a TV and always had a projector. Whilst I would love the money for a real home cinema, even a fairly crappy project brings a certain sense of occasion. I used to have a projector that took a bit of setting up but it meant that I really focused on sitting down to actually watch the movies or TV shows. Now I have an Epson ls300 which I absolutely love. Sure it's not the highest quality image and resolution, I don't even have a screen. I found that coincidentally I had painted my walls a 50% grey colour which happens to be a great surface for the projector. Of course a proper screen would be far superior but this works great for my family. I love not having a giant hunk of black glass on my walls, it makes a big difference in the room for me. I don't believe so many little really care or understand image quality and more often than not I see people with fancy TVs setup horribly with some crappy input and horrible colour calibration. Projectors rule!

I definitely agree with starting small. I started with one of those little $100 Pico projectors that actually I loved. Picture was good enough and you could project anywhere. I moved up to an $400 Asus which was great but got very noisy. I would say though that UST (ultra short throw) projectors are a game changer. All the convenience of a TV but a fairly small discreet unit next to the wall throwing a massive 120" image. The ls300 is only $1000 which I think is a steal. Big problem with traditional projectors is the conundrum of needing speakers by the wall but an hdmi cable running all the way to the projector. Unless the projector is ceiling mounted it's a pain and ceiling mounting requires a decent amount of commitment.

I went the ebay route and got an old 1080p ultra short throw Epson that schools/businesses are getting rid of. The IO compartment was big enough to stuff an $20 ONN android tv box in and is powered off the usb power. It's physically bigger than the cheap portable ones, but this is portable enough and the light output difference is pretty huge. Works awesome for camping if you have cell data for some IPTV action. EDIT: Oh I forgot to add the spirit of the thread. When I was just testing it out on the wall, I was catching myself using it more than my 75inch living room tv throughout the week. It planted the seed into looking at projectors when I'm ready to revamp my entertainment center.

You'll get more light out of it, but the Sony is still no doubt a pretty capable unit. 60000:1 contrast and SXRD (LCoS) tech should translate to a fantastic picture with great black level. The 1000 lumen capacity somewhat lets it down but in a darkened room perhaps not so much. Based on the numbers the fan is also silent. Epson are known for having vacuum cleaner like fans. My own UST Epson is unbearable on 100%, but thankfully quite pleasant at 70% power. Even then it's a lot louder than the 22 db your Sony claims. There's frankly a real possibility you'll be disappointed. And returning the item may be legally fine but it would be a hassle to say the least. Going from a liquid crystal on silicon projector to triple transmissive LCD is going backwards insofar as projector technology is concerned. So, maybe you want to consider looking into a newer unit with that technology instead, with more light output and 4K. JVC's D-ILA is one option, and Sony SXRD obviously. They're a bit pricier but the entry level JVC isn't truly brutal. The LS12000 is a fine projector, but light levels aside I don't think you'd necessarily be entirely pleased by the drawbacks you might experience. At a mere (in this context) 110 inch screen, you might also be a candidate for an ultra short throw, and an ALR screen. For instance the new Nexigo Aurora Pro MK II and a new Fresnel or lamellar ambient light rejecting screen. The ALR screen for UST projectors is insanely good at rejecting ambient light, and the projectors are getting good. The PX3-Pro being another (top notch) option. You could even go with the Aurora Pro without a MK and pay $2000 usd for the projector, the 110 inch screen should be easily under a thousand. If there's space on the wall, a 120 too. A 132 ALR from Nothing Projector is just a little north of a grand (132 being the largest screen out there that is seamless). Going beyond 132 in size would be doubtful with an USD.

I have an Epson UST and absolutely no regrets. I'm just about to put some motors on my blackout curtains so I can just push a button to black out the room, which is necessary in the summer. Now in the wintertime it's black out when I get home so no worries over the winter. Anyway, the ever reliable Hook Up channel has some input on this also: [Big Screen Battle! 100" QLED TV vs Projector vs UST | The Hook Up, YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPikt0UbhPk)

Kind of depends what you want it to do. If you want a full 4K home cinema, you're looking at $1500+. If you want base HD to do large movies for novelty, there's an Epson Epiq that's about $500 that'll work. The $1500+ ones are unbeatable though, I won't go back to a TV if I have a choice.

Yes it is. Got mine open box in 500$. For anime it's a no brainer.

For $800 you’re looking at 1080p not even pixel shift. You’ll have to do the math on throw distance but an Epson 1080 or Benq 585 are decent machines

If that's the case, see if you can look at an Epson 1080, maybe refurbished or open-box. It will be a good starting point and its retail price is around $500 US. The Epson 8350 (my first ever projector) is also a good option. They have been out of production for awhile but they can be had for $250 or less. Only down side is they are larger than that Optoma or the 1080.

I have the Epson 880 and 1080.  They're both fantastic projector and some of the best values you can possibly get, especially in the 200 - $250 range, which is phenomenal value.  1060 is, as I understand it, similar to between the 880 and 1080 so I would absolutely recommend it.

I love my 1080 Epson projector. Quality seems plenty good for me, and I strongly prefer the experience of watching it over my 4k TV. Not sure of the purpose of OP's post, but my enjoyment factor is in no way influenced by your opinions.

Your previous projector only had 1000ANSI lumens not bright enough. I'd say at least 2500-4200 is perfect for daytime viewing. If you pair it with a grey screen even the cheap cloth ones it will improve contrast an reduce the light washout you get in the day. There are also paint mixes you can paint on your wall. For $1100 on Amazon you can get a new Epson 2350 with 4k uhd/pixel shifting 2800ANSI lumens. The Epson 1080 is a decent option for $700 at 1080p 3400ANSI lumens. I have 4 Epson projectors the home cinema 3100 at 2600 ANSI lumens, the 696ui at 3800 ANSI lumens, the 2247u at 4200 ANSI lumens and the LS650 at 3600 ANSI lumens. All bright enough and I have them all in eco mode.

The Epson hc 880, 1060, and 1080 are wonderful little light cannons and great quality for value. If I find one at that price I'm buying it for a secondary or movable protector They still won't compete with the sun but will work well at night/ late evening and they are physically small and easy to move

Try to look locally and find a used epson 880/660/1080/1060 or benq ht2050. They're old enough that they're probably around that price used and they have well documented response times. I sold my HT2050 for 250$ on fb marketplace last year. If you can go up to 500$ you can find an epson official refurbished hc1080 https://epson.com/Certified-ReNew/c/cc?q=%3Aprice-asc%3AdiscontinuedFlag%3Afalse%3AinStockFlag%3Atrue%3AproductType%3APROJECTOR

Maybe try and find a used Epson 880, 1060, 1080, 660. You'll need a lot of light for 200in, those are very high brightness 1080p projectors. Most affordable while still being designed for home theater use (vs office use). If you can afford 400$, Epson sells factory refurbs for around that much

I think you have the right instincts here A 4k projector will do the trick. Heck I have a 1080p Epson I picked up open box and a denon avr that can do 7.1. No atmos. And it sounds and looks amazing So nowadays an atmos capable receiver and 4k projector ( even just led ). Will look and sound amazing Just need a few small extra back speakers if and when you decide to use all the extra channels

I don’t have a 4k tv even. I will probably get one soon But I am really impressed with how good even an 1080p Epson can project at 110” image that is totally cinematic So I think any 4 k Epson will be totally good I feed it an Apple TV I have a marantz cinema 70 which is their lowest powered one and use an extra 2 channel amp I have to power fronts. That room looks pretty big so I would go with something cinema 50 and still have the option to add extra power later.