Hello Again

[ARES24]

Here I am making a more specific request for direction. I am looking for a projector for my theater room.

Screen size 132"

Throw distance ~13'

Ceiling mount

The theater has no ambient light.

I am planning to go 4k, hopefully native, but can be persuaded.

Budget $3k

Canadian

 

[BMXTRIX]

First, you aren't getting 'native' 4K for $3,000. It really starts at $5,000 for Sony and JVC native models. But, there are many pixel shifters out there from LCD (Epson) and DLP (lots).

The Epson 5050UB is the hands down best, under $3,000 projector for a dedicated space. It fits the budget... well, in the USA, and from 13' can throw a 133" diagonal, which is pretty much on point. That's RIGHT AT THE EDGE of the throw range, so you may want some flexibility in your setup if that's the case. The Epson handles movies, 3D, and gaming very well with low lag time, great brightness, and superior black levels.

Epson Home Cinema 5050UB Projection Calculator - Throw Distance and Screen Size

Find screen size and throw distance for the Epson Home Cinema 5050UB projector.

www.projectorcentral.com

On more of a budget, the BenQ 3550 is a popular choice. It works very well from your throw distance and is a solid choice for the entry level home theater enthusiast who wants to experience 4K. Which is a nice way to say that it is ENTRY level and won't match up to the black level performance, or brightness, which the Epson delivers. It also has more limited placement flexibility with the lack of significant lens shift. So, KNOW YOUR OFFSET!!! (look up lens offset if you don't know what it means). The 3550 must be placed about 3" above the top edge of the screen if ceiling mounted.

BenQ HT3550 Projection Calculator - Throw Distance and Screen Size

Find screen size and throw distance for the BenQ HT3550 projector.

www.projectorcentral.com

Other options include the Epson 3200/3800 models which are reasonable and compare nicely to the BenQ 3550 as entry level 4K models. They include fairly significant lens shift which may be needed. They can also hit from the throw distance...

Epson Home Cinema 3200 Projection Calculator - Throw Distance and Screen Size

Find screen size and throw distance for the Epson Home Cinema 3200 projector.

www.projectorcentral.com

Finally, if you can find it online, and if it can ship to you, the Epson 5040UB is the best deal going on a budget. It has some limitations on the connectivity with 10GB/s HDMI instead of 18GB/s HDMI, but it accepts 4K/30Hz signals from a source, and works with HDR signals like you may find on UltraHD Blu-ray disc player. The black level performance is very similar to the 5050UB, but the price is the real selling point.
Check their website, they show up at about $1,200 online...

Home Entertainment | Clearance Center | Epson US

Epson Home Theater Projectors have up to 3x Brighter Colors than leading 1-chip DLP projectors

epson.com

 

[ARES24]

Thanks BMX. I have been looking at all the options that you have shown me as well as a couple others. There is a place that isn't too far away (30-40 minute drive) that actually has a bunch of projectors on display. Even a few that I might be able to afford . They have the 5050 on display.
I looked to see if they have the benq ht3550, they don't but do have the ht5550.

The epson 5050ub and the benq ht5550 seem to be somewhat similar but the specs for the epson seem to be easier to find which I think is comforting. On the other hand the Benq is black..... Thoughts?

Here I can find the epson for $3600 and the benq for $3250. I might have to be extra nice to the wife and discuss budget.....

 

[BMXTRIX]

If you can see them, then that's a plus. In reality, you want to get the room as similar to what you will be working with in your home. So, since you have a nice dark space, do your best to match the viewing environment in the store to what you will have at home.

It is often the case that projection rooms in stores have a lot of ambient light in place which really detracts from the potential viewing experience. If you have some good Blu-ray Discs, you may want to bring them along to see how things look.

If you waste their time, then at least make an effort to buy from them. I personally don't typically see projectors, I just buy them. At the end of the day, they all look 'good' at worst, and go up from there when talking about these major brands. None of them suck.