Choosing a 3D Projector
Kamarul Ariffin
Tough call. We haven't reviewed the 6010 ($4000), but we did review the 5010e ($3300) here, and it's essentially identical to the 6010 except for its white casing (the 6010 is black) and the fact that the 6010 comes with an extra lamp, two pairs of 3D glasses, and a ceiling mount. We also reviewed the DLA-X30 ($3500) here.
The JVC undoubtedly has deeper blacks, and its 2D performance was rated as excellent. However, its 3D performance was given only 2 out of 5 stars, mostly because of obvious ghosting, in which the left-eye image is visible in the right eye and vice versa. Apparently, this was more pronounced than in the previous-generation X3.
The Epson exhibited much better 3D performance, but its 2D performance was lacking because the image wasn't as sharp as reviewer Kris Deering had seen on other projectors. He also thought the dynamic iris didn't work as well as it could. (The JVC has no dynamic iris, and yet it manages to achieve some of the best blacks in the industry.)
So between these two projectors, it seems to come down to which is more important to you2D or 3D? Another alternative to consider in your price range is the Sony VPL-HW30ES ($3700, reviewed here). It got an excellent rating for both 2D and 3D performance with deep blacks and outstanding brightness (important for 3D and for your relatively large screen), which means you don't have to choose between these two types of content.
BTW, since you have a 2.35:1 screen, the JVC offers lens memories and the ability to add an anamorphic lens, so you can fill your screen using either of these techniques. (With lens memories, you can program one memory so the lens zoom, shift, and focus fill the screen with a 2.35:1 movie and push the black letterbox bars above and below the screen and another memory for 16:9 images with black bars on the sides. However, the actual results might not be entirely accurate, requiring some tweaking each time you change memories.) Neither the Epson nor Sony offer lens memoriesthey have manual lens controlsand the Sony does not support an anamorphic lens, though the Epson does.
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