is it better to have stroneger contrast or a brighter bulb?

Question

When searching for a home theater projector?
I seen two that I like,one has 1000 lumens and 4500:1 contrast,but the other is 2000 lumens but only 2500:1,both are HD compatible and 720i native resolution.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Mitsubishi-HC3000U-HDTV-Home-Theater-Projector-NEW_W0QQitemZ320098897010QQihZ011QQcategoryZ75411QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/MITSUBISHI-HD-4000U-DLP-2000-LUMENS-PROJECTOR-HDTV_W0QQitemZ250099068405QQihZ015QQcategoryZ75411QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I need one that will fit a 20 ft. image that's bright enough and without any pixalation while giving the most detail in picture.
thanks

Answer 1

The one whith higher contrast will give you better "blacks".
If you can control the ambient light in your room, I would go with better contrast.

However never judge picture-related products just by specs. Try to actually see them in action. There is more to video quality than lumens and contrast.

Answer 2

To quote an engineer from Epson who works in thier home theater line of projectors:
"There are 3 things you can rely on as fact on a manufacturers specification sheet ... weight, size and resolution. Everything else is made up in the marketing department".

This couldn't be truer in my experience (5 years in the biz). Most manufacturers tweak out projectors before taking readings to conditions simply impossible for you to attain in your home theater. Unfortunately, this means you really shouldn't use either brightness or contrast ratio as part of your purchasing decision. Instead try to find some measured numbers from the review sites (for example, ProjectorCentral). These guys will give you a better idea about what you will REALLY see in your home theater (which in most cases - as an example - your contrasts are really more like 300:1 - 400:1 for units "specified" at 4000:1).

For what is more important, it can be complicated but I'll throw out a simple formula:

Screen size - brightness is most important (smaller screen = less brightness needs, larger screen = more brightness needs)
Ambient light - the brighter your room = the more contrast you will need to keep your image from losing detail.

Anyhow, alot of rambling, but I hope this helps!

Oh - and between those 2 models - chose the HC3000!
I sell both.
The HC3000 is a Home Cinema model, designed for home theater use.
The HD4000 is 16:9 Data model, designed for widescreen business use more than home theater (or, I guess you could call it a hybrid). For strictly home theater, the HC3000U will be a better performer.

Answer 3

The last thing you want to do is listen to a salesman. They are about as full of crap as the manufacturers. Go with the unit that hs the higher lumens. After you set the projector up and have it calibrated then none of that other crap matters. You will have a great picture. Remember, sales people want you to buy their junk so they'll tell you anything. I set up at least 10 projectors a week. As a matter of fact, I would look at a brand called Infocus/Proxima. Look at their 3500 lumen unit. It is awesome. Much better than the Epson. Epson's customer support sucks.