Expert's guide on best alternatives for the Epson 5000 lumen Laser Projector

For collaboration rooms, classrooms, and huddle spaces that fit more than 10 people, a large display makes all the difference when trying to solve a problem or explain a concept The Epson L510U laser projector with 5000 lumens is a popular models in the North American market, but how does it stack up to the latest laser projectors with the same brightness and resolution? To evaluate the best alternatives to the Epson L510U, we will look at what is different between the Epson projector and the best alternatives from popular brands.

For a 5000 lumen projector, there are only two imaging technologies used by major manufacturers in the projector market - DLP from Texas Instruments or LCD. According to Futuresource, DLP is now used by nearly twice as many brands as LCD. BenQ is the largest projector brand using DLP technology, while Epson is the largest brand that uses LCD technology.

There are three key advantages to using DLP technology in a 5000 lumen projector for you to consider when you are evaluating alternatives to the Epson L510U:

• No Color Decay – DLP chips to last over 100,000 hours and won’t turn yellow over time
• Easy to read– The DLP chip controls over 97% of the light in each pixel– making smaller text easy to read
• Sharp image – DLP only uses one chip – so you don’t have fuzzy images if the colors incorrectly overlap in a three chip system.

Just because a color is “bright” doesn’t mean that it is accurate. Today’s 5000 lumen laser projectors are significantly more accurate when rendering colors than older lamp based projectors and now can replicate nearly the same color pallet as computer monitors. Color accuracy is not measured by brightness, but by “color space”- a standard set of colors targets defined by the display industry. There is a great deal of information available on how to measure color accuracy on all types of displays – including projectors. According to the Netflix Partner Guide, Rec. 709 is the most common color space for delivering higher resolutions for home video. For companies advertising on the platform, it is a color space they can use to ensure their logo’s and products look correct on your screen. For projectors, you will want to look for a projector that specifies 90% or above Rec 709 color accuracy to ensure that a red Netflix logo has the right shade of red.

5000 lumen laser projectors have a lot more feature options than basic projectors. Here are some features you may want to look at in your decision.

Higher Resolution

Display expert Chris Chinnock is a big fan of higher resolution for display devices and writes about how more pixels can change the way you see your collaboration content. The Epson LU510 has WUXGA resolution, which has 1920 x 1200 resolution and 2.3 million pixels.  If you work with spreadsheets or project management systems that have lots of detail, you may want to consider a 5000 lumen 4K projector which can be purchased for under $5000 that delivers true 4K resolution – and an amazing 8.3 million pixels.  When shown on a larger 100 inch or larger screen, you can see every detail on your documents – perfect for lecture halls and boardrooms where detail matters.

Short Throw Lens

A “Short Throw” lens works like a wide angle lens on the camera – enabling you to get closer to the screen.  This is especially helpful in a meeting room to avoid having the presenter looking directly into the projector, and also in auditoriums where it offers more flexible mounting locations.  These projectors can create a 100 inch image from just 6 feet away, making them ideal for many locations where there isn’t room for a traditional projector setup.

HDMI Out Port

This new feature enables you to duplicate the HDMI signal coming into the projector and use it to power another projector or device – without buying a splitter or HDMI switch.  For example, if you want to have an event where you have the projector screens to the left and right of the presenter, all you need to do is attach a cable to the back of the first projector – and run it to the second projector for an instant staged setup – without any extra expensive equipment.   This feature is also handy if you want to combine two projectors on a single screen for a 10,000 lumen image.

Lens Shift

For brighter projectors, lens shift is a helpful feature that enables you to shift the image to correctly place it on the screen.  Both the Epson and the alternative projectors have this feature, and can enable you to move the image over 20% each way to position it properly.  The Epson has a slightly smaller lens shift than many alternative projectors. 

Here is an example of some of the alternatives you can consider when looking at alternatives to the Epson L510U projector. BenQ is the second largest projector brand in the world, and the leading brand of projectors using DLP technology. For the most part, the prices between the base models are very close, while features such as short throw lenses and 4K resolution will be slightly higher in price.

Sometimes it can be difficult to find answers to your questions when trying to find the right projector for your business. Since most retailers don’t have experts on the floor that can help –where can you turn? For customers looking for advice on choosing the right projector for their business, you can talk directly to an experienced BenQ product expert who has access to over 70 different projector models and can guide you to the best one for your application. We also can help you find a reseller nearby, or if you want, you can purchase one right on the phone. You can reach them at 888-818-5888. If you want to email them instead, you can reach them at BenqB2B.BQA@Benq.com