tldr; 3LCD UST with high brightness and no RBE - $1000 refurbished, handles ambient light but not as sharp as DLP USTs.
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Best praise vs top criticism for Epson EpiqVision LS650
“Nexigo Aurora Pro 2, which is upcoming. The Aurora Pro is still most likely the best choice for a darkened room. AWOL 3500 is crap. Well, ok, not crap per se, but its black level is atrocious and it covers that with tons of brightness. Samsung's new lineup is good, if pricey. [Best Ultra Short Throw Projectors 2024 (UST) || Hisense PX3-Pro, Epson LS650, BENQ V5010i| The Hook Up, YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-vQKcsd03A) PX3-Pro is probably the current leader, as stated here before.”
“You can always play the "I'll wait and get next years model" game but there are no guarantees. Since the LS800 Epson has released the LS650, which was a lesser model to be sure but still a model. There's no guarantee they're in a hurry to replace the LS800, it's selling well as far as I know. The LG and perhaps to a bit lesser degree the Samsung UST's should no doubt be avoided, seeing as they don't really perform well overall. They're the oldest designs too I believe. As for the Optoma, it's worth keeping in mind that the top ten lists at Projectorcentral aren't curated top lists, they're just the 10 best selling models. There could be absolute turds there, if the turd sells well. The Hisense PX3 is the newest and is currently making its way out and by all the early reviews it's a top choice. Should you buy a Formovie? Maybe, maybe not. The downside of the very Chinese projectors is going to be after sales support. If you do buy one, get it from a local dealer you can complain to if you have to.”
115 Reddit opinions analyzed • Last updated 2/24/2026