At the center of any home theater setup is of course the digital projector. This wonderous entertainment device is responsible for creating the breathtaking visuals witnessed on your cinema screen. Without a movie room projector the space loses all significance and impact. A flatscreen television just can't manifest the immersive and grandiose, cinematic experience like a projector can. To achieve that awe-inspiring environment you want to buy the best projector you can get for your needs. But with so many options out there how do you know the right projector to get?
Our projection experts have gone through the painstaking effort of comparing and contrasting the best 4K home theater projectors to produce this head to head comparison series. We'll compare the projectors you want to see side by side and weigh in to help you find the home cinema projector for you.
Today we're comparing two of our top selling 4K cinema projectors from well-known manufacturers: The Optoma UHZ50 and Epson LS11000.
The Optoma UHZ50 is being marketed first and foremost as a solid gaming projector above being a home theater unit. It defiantly is outstanding when it comes to playing video games on a huge screen, but it also offers great performance in the home theater setting. Whether you're into watching movies, sports, tv shows or video games the Optoma UHZ50 offers an all in an affordable, laser projector. You can read our Optoma UHZ50 review here.
Epson, like many manufacturers, have switched their focus from bulb to laser based home theater projectors with the Epson LS11000 (along with the Epson LS12000). It is a 4K laser projector that offers outstanding visuals at a very reasonable price. This new Epson unit represents the beginning of a new wave of bright laser home theater projectors. You can read our Epson LS11000 review here.
So, which home theater projector is better, the Optoma UHZ50 or the Epson LS11000? And most importantly to you, which one should you buy for your in home cinema room?
Check out our expert comparison of these two fantastic new 4K laser projectors for home cinemas and find out who wins.
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Epson LS11000 |
Optoma UHZ50 |
Our Thoughts: |
Brightness |
2500 |
3000 |
Both projectors are quite bright, but if you want to use it in a room with higher levels of ambient light and/or a larger screen size, the Optoma may be the better option. |
Throw Ratio |
1.35:1 - 2.84:1 |
1.21:1 - 1.59:1 |
The lower throw ratio of the Optoma UHZ50 allow it to be placed closer to the screen. |
Screen Size |
49.98" - 300.35" |
34.20" - 302.67" |
The UHZ50 offers a slightly larger image size range than the Epson LS11000 but both are cabable of producing a giant 300 inch image. |
Projector Lens Shift |
Horizontal +/-96.30% & Vertical +/-47.10% |
Vertical +/- 10% |
Epson gives you more installation flexibility than the fairly limited Optoma home cinema projector. |
Chipset |
4 way pixel-shifting 0.74” 3LCD |
.47” DLP |
These projectors use different chipset technologies that each have their own advantage and disadvantages They also both use pixel-shifting to create the 4K image you see on the screen. |
Light Source |
Single Laser w/ fixed yellow phosphor |
Single Laser w/ yellow phosphor wheel |
Both projectors utilize a single blue laser light engine. The Epson's fixed yellow phosphor gives it an edge because it's one less moving part that makes noise and could break |
Color |
90% DCI-P3 |
87% DCI-P3 |
Both projectors cover an extremely wide color gamut but the Epson LS11000 has the advantage. |
Contrast Ratio |
1,2000,000:1 |
2,500,000:1 |
While the Optoma has a higher marketed dynamic contrast, in real world movie watching, the Epson Ls11000 clearly offers much better contrast. |
Input Lag |
20 ms |
17 ms |
Both have incredibly low lag times but the Optoma's faster speed is what gives it the title of best 4K gaming projector. |
Price |
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Both provide a fantastic value for the price but the Optoma UHZ50 comes in $1,000 less expensive. |
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Epson LS11000
The Pros
- Bright laser light source
- Very vibrant colors
- Great black levels
- Best value from a home cinema projector
- Can produce an image up to 300 inches
- Lots of installation options for easier setup
- Picture looks great out of the box so you don't need much calibration
- Great Gaming input lag at ~20 ms or less.
The Cons
- No 3D support
- Not native 4K
- Only comes in white
- Doesn't come with any built in streaming apps
- No built-in speakers (not super important on a dedicated home theater projector)
Optoma UHZ50
The Pros
- Bright laser light source
- Excellent, low input lag below 17ms
- Great picture out of the box
- Good black levels given the high brightness
- Smart projector that supports streaming apps, including Netflix
- Supports 3D
- Built-in 10W speakers allow you to watch content without an external sound system
- Relatively light weight making it a great choice for indoor and outdoor movie nights
The Cons
- Color gamut isn't fantastic for a home theater projector
- Limited lens adjustments and no horizontal lens shift
- Built in speakers are lacking in depth and power
- Lens is not as high quality reducing the image sharpness
- Doesn't come with any built in streaming apps
So Which Projector Should You Buy, The Epson LS11000 Or The Optoma UHZ50?
Both 4K laser projectors output absolutely incredible images. Like with every premium model we sell, it’s very hard for our experts to pick a clear winner. Each one has significant advantages compared to the other.
That said, you're reading this article because you want our projection experts to help you decide which projector to get for your home theater. So between the Optoma UHZ50 and Epson LS11000, the winner is the………
Epson LS11000!
Why Buy The Epson LS1100?
The all new Epson LS11000 offers an incredible picture with vibrant colors, razor sharp image and outstanding contrast. When choosing a home theater projector the image quality is the most important aspect. The Epson LS11000 cinema projector clearly provides the better picture.
It's one of the easiest projectors to align and looks fantastic out of the box. With 2500 lumens this projector is bright enough to enjoy content with the lights on. And when you pair it with an ambient light rejecting projector screen is even capable of producing a high quality image in a well lit room
The Optoma UHZ50's top attribute is it's low lag time. While the Optoma projector performs better than it's competitor in this regard, the Epson LS11000 isn't far behind.
But where this projector really shines (pun intended) is the value. The price to picture quality you get on the Epson LS11000 just can't be beat. Even when you compare it to some more high end projectors, the Epson unit comes out on top. The bang for your buck you get with the Epson gives it the edge in this battle.
Why Buy The Optoma UHZ50?
While the Epson LS11000 wins this comparison largely thanks to the superior picture quality, the Optoma UHZ50 might be the better option for many customers.
If you're a hardcore competitive gamer then the Optoma UHZ50 is the projector to go with. It has been named as our top 4K gaming projector two years in a row.
One of the biggest advantages the Optoma UHZ50 has is with cost. At $1,000 less expensive you're still getting a very quality entertainment machine. If price is the most important factor to you then it would make sense to lean towards the UHZ50 for your home.
The built-in speakers, smart projector capabilities to stream content and its significantly smaller chassis, make the UHZ50 an excellent multi-use option. If you want to use your projector for indoor and outdoor movie watching, the Optoma laser projector does it all. The brighter light output also give the Optoma UHZ50 an edge for those wanting to use it in brighter rooms. This is especially important for gamers who often like to play with the lights on.
Which Projector Do You Think Is Better?
Which unit do you think is better, the Optoma UHZ50 or the Epson LS1100? Leave us your thoughts in the comments below.
We'll be breaking down the comparison between the Epson LS11000 and Optoma UHZ50 even further in our projector shootout series on YouTube. So make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel so you can get notified when our shootout goes live plus other great content in our pipeline.
If you have any questions on these projectors or anything else projection related don’t hesitate to hit us up at ProjectorScreen.com. Thanks for reading and keep on projecting!
Projector Resolution: | 4K |
Brand: | EPSON |
Product Status: | In Stock |
Lumens: | 2500 |
Projector Type: | Standard Throw |
Light Source: | Laser |
Contrast Ratio: | 1,200,000:1 |
Chipset: | LCD |
Aspect Ratio: | 16:9 [HD] |
Throw Ratio: | 1.35:1 - 2.84:1 (D:W) |
Native Resolution: | 3840x2160 |
Lens Shift: | Horizontal & Vertical |
Input Lag: | 4K/60Hz:19.4ms | 1080p/120Hz: 28.7ms |
3D Support: | No |
Warranty: | 2 Years |
Standard Lens Focus: | Motorized |
Wi-Fi: | No |
ARC/eARC: | eARC |