If you're in the market for a 5000-lumen, Full HD projector designed for 24/7 operation, or for a large conference room or classroom, house of worship, restaurant or sports bar, here are FIVE projectors competing for your order:

• BenQ LH770 (street price $4500)
  
  
• Dell 7760 (street price $2899)
  
  
• NEC P502HL-2 (street price $3099)
  
  
• Optoma ZH500T-B (street price $2999)
  
  
• ViewSonic LS800HD (street price $2999)
  
  

These five high performance HD projectors have a wide array of features in common including all of the following (exceptions noted):

• Minimum 5000 ANSI lumen rating
  
  
• 1920x1080 resolution with 0.65" DLP chip
  
  
• Laser-phosphor light engine with 20,000 hour life
  
  
• Horizontal and Vertical lens shift
  
  
• 4-corner keystone correction (H+V correction only in the NEC-P502HL)
  
  
• 360-degree installation in pitch, roll, and yaw
  
  
• Manual zoom and focus lenses
  
  
• Digital zoom
  
  
• At least 2 HDMI ports
  
  
• On-board audio speakers
  
  
• Full HD 3D compatible
  
  
• Crestron RoomView (now called Fusion)
  
  
• 24/7 operation for signage applications
  
  

That is a LOT of identical or similar features between five projectors.

So how do they differ? Let's take a closer look to see what each projector has (or claims to have) as well as what it lacks compared to the competition.

(Btw, if you want to see all specs side by side on the Compare page, click here).

Advantages

In addition to all of the common features listed above, the BenQ LH770 has the following:

• 95% Rec.709 color coverage
• HD-optimized 12-element, all-glass, low-dispersion lens
• 2 HDMI ports, 1 with MHL in a hidden compartment designed for a wireless dongle
• 3 year warranty with advanced replacement; includes light source
• Built-in 10-watt mono speaker
• Certified IP5X dust resistant, which makes it usable in dusty environments, and--together with suitability for 24/7 operation--makes it an excellent choice for full time maintenance free applications
• Along with Crestron RoomView, supports Extron and PJ-Link for control over a network
• Optional QCast video streaming dongle
• DICOM Sim mode for medical presentations and classrooms
• Center placement of lens for easy positioning during installation

Limitations

• No HDbaseT port
• No Portrait mode
• 20,000:1 contrast ratio
• 1.5x zoom, with 1.38:1 - 2.13:1 throw ratio, slightly less zoom range than other projectors in this group
• Cannot display images over LAN
• HDMI supports up to 1920x1200 for computers, and 720p, 1080i, 1080p/60, 576i, 576p, and 1920x1200 for video, but not 1080p/24 or 1080p/50
• 30.4 pounds: largest and heaviest projector in the group

Advantages

In addition to all of the common features listed above, the Dell 7760 has the following:

• 5,400 ANSI lumens; a slightly higher rating than the competition
• 100,000:1 contrast ratio
• Portrait mode
• 2 HDMI ports
• Can display images over LAN
• 1.8x zoom is the longest zoom in this group, 1.2:1 - 2.13:1 throw ratio
• Set of two 10-watt speakers for robust built-in stereo audio
• Certified IP5X dust resistant, which makes it usable in dusty environments, and--together with suitability for 24/7 operation--makes it an excellent choice for full time maintenance-free applications

Limitations

• No HDBaseT port
• No DICOM Sim mode
• Noise level rated at high end of typical: 36 dB in full power mode, 32 dB in Eco mode
• Supports only Crestron RoomView and built-in web interface for control over network
• HDMI supports up to 1920x1200 for computers and 720p, 1080i, 1080p/60, 576i, 576p, for video, but not 1080p/24 or 1080p/50
• 2 year warranty is shortest in the group, but it includes 2 year/20,000 hours for the light source and advanced exchange

Advantages

In addition to all of the common features listed above, the NEC P502HL-2 has the following:

• HDBaseT
• 2 HDMI ports
• Can display images over LAN
• 1.7x zoom, with 1.24:1 - 2.1:1 throw ratio
• Robust audio: 20 watt mono speaker
• Just 19.4 pounds--the lightest projector in this group by far--for easier set up
• DICOM Sim mode for medical presentations and classrooms
• Portrait mode
• 5 year warranty

Limitations

• 15,000:1 contrast ratio
• 39 dB audible noise at full power and 33 dB in Eco mode is highest rated noise level in the group
• Not dust resistant, which limits usefulness for dusty environments and increases maintenance needs
• Only option for control over a LAN is Crestron RoomView
• Keystone correction limited to conventional +/-25 degrees horizontal and +/-30 degrees vertical; no 4-corner control.
• HDMI supports up to 1920x1200 for computers, and 720p, 1080i, 1080p/60, 576i, 576p, and 1920x1200 for video, but not 1080p/24 or 1080p/50

Advantages/Differences

In addition to all of the common features listed above, the Optoma ZH500T-B has the following:

• 5,400 lumen center-spot rating
• 300,000:1 contrast ratio
• Portrait mode
• 2 HDMI ports, 1 with MHL
• HDBaseT port
• 1.6x zoom, with 1.2:1 - 2.13:1 throw ratio
• Can display images over LAN
• 3-year warranty with advance exchange; 3-year/20,000 hours on light source
• DICOM Sim mode for medical presentations and classrooms
• Set of two 10-watt speakers for robust built-in stereo audio
• Certified IP5X dust resistant, which makes it usable in dusty environments, and--together with suitability for 24/7 operation--makes it an excellent choice for full time maintenance-free applications
• Lowest rated noise level in the group: 33 dB at full power; 28 dB in Eco mode
• HDMI supports up to 1920x1200 for computers, and 720p, 1080i, 1080p/60, 1080p/24, 1080p/50, 576i, and 576p for video
• In addition to Crestron RoomView, supports Extron IP Line, AMX dynamic device discovery, and PJ-Link for control over a network

Limitations

• (No obvious limitations vis a vis these four other competing units based on published specs.)

Advantages

In addition to all of the common features listed above, the ViewSonic LS800HD has the following:

• 100,000:1 contrast ratio
• 30,000 hour lamp life in Eco mode
• Portrait mode
• HDBaseT
• 3 HDMI ports
• 1.65x zoom, with 1.15:1 - 1.9:1 throw ratio, delivers good placement flexibility
• Along with Crestron RoomView, supports AMX, Control4, and vController (ViewSonic's own program) for control over a network
• 5-year/20,000 warranty, with 1-year advance Exchange and light source included, is best in the group
• Noise level rated at low end of typical: 34 dB in full power mode, 32 dB in Eco mode
• Certified IP6X dust resistant; usable in dusty environments; combines with 24/7 capability to make it an excellent choice for 24/7 maintenance-free applications
• HDMI supports up to 1920x1200 for computers, and 720p, 1080i, 1080p/60, 1080p/24, 1080p/50, 576i, and 576p for video
• Input lag rated at 16 ms in 3X Fast Input mode, making the LS800HD of particular interest for interactive applications like flight simulation

Limitations

• 5-watt speakers, lowest wattage rating in the group
• No DICOM Sim mode
• Cannot display images over LAN

Conclusion

All five of these projectors are strong candidates for all the typical applications for a 5000-lumen, 1080p, laser-phosphor based projector--from large classrooms, conference rooms, and houses of worship to sports bars, restaurants, and retail and museum displays and signage. In addition to matching resolution and nearly matching brightness specs, all are suitable for 24/7 operation, and most of them (the NEC P502HL-2 excepted) offer 4-corner keystone correction that facilitates stacking for an even brighter image.

For dusty environments, or cases where "set em and forget em" maintenance-free operation is key--like sports bars or signage--the BenQ LH770, Dell 7760, ViewSonic LS800HD, and Optoma ZH500T-B all offer the advantage of dust-resistant certification. And if you need a display in portrait mode, only four models--the NEC P502HL-2, the Dell 7760, the ViewSonic LS800HD, and the Optoma ZH500T-B--deliver that feature. Similarly, the BenQ LH770 is the only one that offers 95% coverage for Rec.709 color, which may give it the edge for color accuracy in, say, a sports bar.

In short, all five of these projectors are potentially good choices. But, as always, you need to look for the particular mix of features for each to find the best fit for your needs.

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