Optoma UHZ50 vs Epson LS11000 Home Theater Projector Comparison

At the center of any home theater setup is of course the digital projector. This wonderous 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 projectors from well-known manufacturers: The Optoma UHZ50 and Epson LS11000.

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). This 4K laser projector offers outstanding visuals at a very reasonable price. So how do these two stack up?

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 cinema room?

Check out our expert comparison of these two fantastic new 4K laser projectors for home cinemas and find out who wins.

	##SETITEMBYHANDLE[epson-ls11000-4k-laser-projector-with-2500-lumens-white]## ##ENDSETITEM## Epson LS11000	##SETITEMBYHANDLE[optoma-uhz55-4k-uhd-3000-lumen-home-cinema-laser-projector]## ##ENDSETITEM## Optoma UHZ50	Our Thoughts:
Brightness	2500	2000	The Epson LS11000 is significantly brighter than the Sony VPL-XW5000ES. Sony is good for home theater but if you want to use it in a room with higher levels of ambient light and/or a larger screen size, the Epson is the way to go.
Throw Ratio	1.35:1 - 2.84:1	1.38:1 - 2.21:1	The LS11000 has a wider throw ratio range
Projector Lens Shift	Horizontal +/-96.30% & Vertical +/-47.10%	Horizontal +/- 25% & Vertical +/- 71%	Epson gives you more installation flexibility than the new Sony projector
Chipset	4 way pixel-shifting 0.74” 3LCD	Native 4K 0.61" SXRD DLP	The Sony VPL-XW5000ES has the edge with its LCoS projector chipset. However the quad shift technology on the Epson LS11000 offers a full 8.3 million pixels just like the Sony.
Light Source	Single Laser w/ fixed yellow phosphor	Single Laser	Both new projectors utilize a single blue laser. 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	95% DCI-P3	Both projectors cover an extremely wide color gamut but the much higher priced Sony VPL-XW5000ES has a small advantage when it comes to colors.
Contrast Ratio	1,2000,000:1	?:1	Sony claims to have an infinate:1 dynamic contrast ratio. It's good but it's not infinitely good. The Epson LS11000 offers fantastic contrast, but despite the hyperbole the Sony has better contrast.
Input Lag	20 ms	21 ms	Epson's reported lag time is slightly better than the Sony's. That said they're pretty similar when it comes to gaming
Price	##SETITEMBYHANDLE[epson-ls11000-4k-laser-projector-with-2500-lumens-white]## ##PRICE## ##ENDSETITEM##	##SETITEMBYHANDLE[optoma-uhz55-4k-uhd-3000-lumen-home-cinema-laser-projector]## ##PRICE## ##ENDSETITEM##	The Epson LS11000 is available at a much lower price point and gives you a lot more bang for your buck
	##SETITEMBYHANDLE[epson-ls11000-4k-laser-projector-with-2500-lumens-white]## Add to Cart ##ENDSETITEM##		##SETITEMBYHANDLE[optoma-uhz55-4k-uhd-3000-lumen-home-cinema-laser-projector]## Add to Cart ##ENDSETITEM##

##SETITEMBYHANDLE[epson-ls11000-4k-laser-projector-with-2500-lumens-white]## ##ENDSETITEM##

Epson LS11000

The Pros

• Super 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
• 120 FPS 4K gaming

The Cons

• No 3D support
• Not native 4K
• Only comes in white
• Doesn't come with any built in streaming apps

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Optoma UHZ50

The Pros

• Fantastic black levels
• Wide color gamut
• Native 4K LCoS chipset
• Can produce an image up to 300 inches
• Available in either white or black
• 120 FPS 4K gaming

The Cons

• Not as bright and won't work as well in a well lit room
• High price tag
• Aesthetically unpleasing
• Doesn't come with any built in streaming apps
• No 3D support

So Which Projector Should You Buy, The Epson LS11000 Or The Sony VPL-XW5000ES?

Both 4K laser projectors output absolutely incredible images. It’s very hard to pick a winner.

That said, you're reading this article because you want to know the answer to help you decide which projector to get for your home theater. So between the Sony VPL-XW5000ES and Epson LS11000, the winner is………

The Epson LS11000

The all new Epson LS11000 offers an incredible picture with vibrant colors, razor sharp image and outstanding contrast. 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. 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. The bang for your buck you get with the Epson gives it the edge in this battle.

While the Sony VPL-XW5000ES has better contrast and a wider color gamut, it really comes down to value. Sure, the picture is better on the VPL-XW5000ES, but is it $2,000 dollars better? The answer is "maybe". We have yet to see the VPL-XW5000ES in person as it was just announced, but once it is available we will be putting it head to head against the Epson LS11000 / LS12000 to see how it stacks up.

If you want a brighter, better laser projector with dynamic tone mapping then spend the extra money and get the JVC NZ7.The lack of brightness also limits the new Sony laser projector to be relegated to a darkened home theater. Both the Epson LS11000 and JVC NZ7 work great in moderately to well lit rooms.

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!