BenQ X3000i

“Everyone is going to have a different comfort level. I am personally biased but in my experiences, that $2000 threshold gets me into the territory of diminishing returns. I started my projector journey around 2010 with a 720P Sanyo business projector that was ballpark $500. It was fun and really opened up a whole new world. Then in 2013 I stepped up to a $1000 BenQ W1080ST and definitely saw the difference in color and brightness coming from a business projector. The resolution jump to 1080P and the wow factor of 3D blu-ray rocked my world. I became the family's projector zealot. That was such a super sweet spot for me that I stopped watching my TV altogether - it was all projector all the time. By 2022, I had been through a few bulb replacements and developed a taste for 4K, so I upgraded to a BenQ x3000i at the $2000 price point --- and its there that I feel like I've begun to reach my personal ceiling. Is the x3000i $1000 better than my W1080ST? Well, one can do 4K HDR and the other cannot, one went through bulbs for 9 years and the other has a 4LED light source that should last awhile...but the picture quality is incrementally better and just as satisfying. I still sit down to watch a movie and say "wow" and "this is great". Did I have to spend $2000 to get that? I don't think so. I'm not bitter about my purchase and am happy with what I have, but also there were projectors out there for $1700 that would have been just as good. The next price point on the ladder is $3K - and for that money I would expect to get more contrast, blacker black levels...but is that worth another $1000? Not for me. I would rather invest that $1K into my screen or my room because as you've rightly pointed out, those play a massive role. I think $1700 gets you a WHOLE LOT of projector these days, but I would caution to stick with the major brands. Epson, BenQ, Optoma - the guys that have been around for awhile. I would avoid all of those brands that just popped up in the last few years and feel like they can be sold from a white van in the parking lot of Best Buy.”