In a world where entertainment takes center stage, home theater projectors have transcended the conventional television experience, offering a gateway to larger-than-life visuals and a true cinematic symphony for the senses. Whether you're a film aficionado seeking an authentic cinema atmosphere or a gaming enthusiast hungry for an immersive virtual realm, home theater projectors have redefined the way we perceive and engage with multimedia content. But the question on the tongue of many is of course, "What is the best home theater projector?"
That's what we seek to help answer here today by comparing two of the top 4K home theater projectors, the BenQ HT4550i and the Epson LS11000.
Our projection experts have spent hours with both projectors to bring you this head to head competition. We'll help you decide which projector is better for your particular home cinema setup.
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.
BenQ is one of the few major manufacturers to be bucking the laser light source trend, instead focusing on the new advancements in LED projection technology. The BenQ HT4550i is one of these new high quality 4K LED projectors. This home theater BenQ projector is the top of their line of new home projectors.
So, which home theater projector is better, the BenQ HT4550i or the Epson LS11000? And most importantly for readers like you, which projector should you buy to use in your movie watching room?
Check out our expert comparison of these two fantastic new 4K laser projectors for home cinemas and find out who wins.
| |
Epson LS11000 |
BenQ HT4550i |
Our Thoughts: |
Brightness |
2500 |
3200 |
If you want to use it in a room with more ambient light, the BenQ projector in bright mode is definitely the brighter option. However, the Epson LS11000 maintains the brightness accross picture modes. |
Throw Ratio |
1.35:1 - 2.84:1 |
1.15:1 - 1.50:1 |
The lower throw ratio of the BenQ allow it to be placed closer to the screen. But the Epson has much more versatility with its placement. |
Screen Size |
49.98" - 300.35" |
30.01" - 300.15" |
The HT4550i offers a slightly larger picture size range than the Epson LS11000 but both can produce a huge 300 inch image. |
Projector Lens Shift |
Horizontal +/-96.30% & Vertical +/-47.10% |
Horizontal +/-15% & Vertical +60%
|
Epson's 4K projector gives you significantly more installation flexibility than the more limited BenQ home theater projector. |
Chipset |
4 way pixel-shifting 0.74” 3LCD |
0.65” 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 |
RGGB 4 LED |
With a more advanced technology the laser light engines are able to produce a wider color gamut and sharper image. |
Color |
90% DCI-P3 |
100% DCI-P3 |
Both projectors cover an extremely wide color gamut but the BenQ has the advantage. |
Contrast Ratio |
2019:1 |
900:1 |
The native contrast of the Epson LS11000 is over twice as good as the BenQ HT4550i, and it shows when watching content. |
Input Lag |
20 ms |
17.9 ms |
Both have incredibly low lag times and are among the best 4K gaming projectors. However, the BenQ projector has the edge. |
Price |
|
|
Both provide a fantastic value for the price but the BenQ HT4550i comes in $1,000 less expensive. |
|
Add to Cart
|
Add to Cart
|
|
Epson LS11000
The Pros
- Bright laser light source
- Very vibrant colors
- Great black levels
- Best value from a true 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)
BenQ HT4550i
The Pros
- Bright LED light source
- Excellent, low input lag below 20ms
- Unusually great picture out of the box
- Uses larger .65" DLP chip
- Wide color gamut
- Comes with an Android TV media player that supports streaming apps, including Netflix
- Supports 3D
- Built-in 5W 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
- Lacking in native contrast for a home theater projector
- Doesn't maintain lumen output outside of bright picture mode
- More limited lens shift
- Built in speakers are lacking in depth and power
- Lens is not as high quality reducing the image sharpness
So Which 4K Projector Should You Buy, The Epson LS11000 Or The BenQ HT4550i?
Both of these 4K home theater projectors provide an absolutely incredible images on your projector screen. Like with every premium model we sell, it’s tough for our projection experts to pick a clear winner in this shootout. Each one has significant advantages compared to the other.
All that being said, you want our projection experts to help you decide what projector to get for your home theater. So between the BenQ HT4550i and Epson LS11000, the winner of this projector showdown is the………
Epson LS11000!
Why Buy The Epson LS1100?
The Epson LS11000 home cinema projector 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 overall better picture.
The biggest factor that would make us say the Epson LS11000 is better than the BenQ HT4550i is the contrast. While BenQ advertises a significantly higher contrast than Epson, this simply does not show up when watching contrast. Was does show is the significantly better native contrast from the Epson LS11000.
While it's not as bright as the BenQ HT4550i on paper, the fact is that 2500 lumens from the Epson LS11000 is plenty bright for a light controlled home cinema room which negates one of the main advantages of the BenQ. On top of this the greater brightness of the BenQ only applies to the brightest picture mode. When comparing them between all the other picture modes, the Epson LS11000 has a greater light output.
The Epson LS11000 is probably one of the easiest projectors to align and looks fantastic out of the box. With 2500 lumens this projector is still bright enough to enjoy content with the lights on. And when you pair it with an ambient light rejecting projector screen the Epson cinema projector is even capable of producing a high quality image in a well lit room
With regards to lag time, the BenQ projector performs better than it's competitor in this regard, however 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 BenQ HT4550i?
Now hold up for a second, while the Epson LS11000 wins this comparison largely thanks to the superior contrast and ability to maintain brightness across picture modes, the BenQ HT4550i might be the better choice for many customers.
If you're a hardcore competitive video gaming enthusiast, then the BenQ HT4550i is the projector to go with thanks to its lower lag time and additional HDMI port (for all of your consoles.)
One of the biggest advantages the BenQ HT4550i has is when it comes to 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 Optoma UHZ50 for your home.
The built-in speakers, smart projector capabilities to stream content and its significantly smaller chassis, make the HT4550i an excellent choice if you plan to use your projector for more than just a home theater room. If you want to use your projector for indoor and outdoor movie watching, the new BenQ LED projector is the better option. The brighter light output also give the BenQ HT4550i an edge for those wanting to use it in brighter rooms and aren't concerned with a completely accurate looking picture color-wise as this bright mode tends to shift the picture slightly green. 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 BenQ HT4550i or the Epson LS1100? Leave us your thoughts in the comments below.
We'll be breaking down the comparison between the Epson LS11000 and BenQ HT4550i 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 |
ARC/eARC: | eARC |
Projector Resolution: | 4K |
Brand: | BenQ |
Product Status: | Leaves Warehouse within 5-10 Business Days |
Lumens: | 3200 |
Projector Type: | Standard Throw |
Light Source: | LED |
Contrast Ratio: | 3,000,000:1 |
Chipset: | DLP |
Aspect Ratio: | 16:9 [HD] |
Throw Ratio: | 1.15:1, - 1.50:1, (D:W) |
Native Resolution: | 1920x1080 |
Lens Shift: | Horizontal & Vertical |
Input Lag: | 4K/60Hz: 17.9ms | 1080p/60Hz: 17.9ms | 1080p/120Hz: 21ms | 1080p/240Hz: 8.7ms |
3D Support: | Full HD 3D |
Built-In Speaker: | Yes |
Warranty: | 3 Year |
Standard Lens Focus: | Manual |
Operating System: | Android TV |
JVC NZ7 vs Sony VPL-XW5000ES Projector Comparison
The projection experts at ProjectorScreen.com bring you their full breakdown of the Sony VPL-XW5000ES and JVC DLA-NZ7 to help you decide which is the right high end laser home theater projector to...
Keep Reading
Sony VPL-XW6000ES vs JVC NZ7 projector comparison
The projection experts at ProjectorScreen.com give you a full comparison of the Sony VPL-XW6000ES and JVC DLA-NZ7 to help you decide which is the right high end laser home theater projector to meet...
Keep Reading
Epson LS11000 vs Epson 5050UB Home Theater Projector Comparison
It's the Epson 5050UB vs Epson LS11000 in this week's projector vs projector showdown. Traditional vs Progressive. Classic vs Modern. Bulb vs Laser. The projection experts at ProjectorScreen.com give...
Keep Reading