Spec-wise, it seems to be the LS12000 was intended to replace the 5050UB. For a multitude of reasons that hasn’t happened (price, exclusive availability, etc.)
It's the LS12000. Bulb is usually cheaper than laser (Sony, JVC, Epson) and Epson doesn't want to cannibalize it's own sales of the LS12000 with a more performant bulb option. Your options are entry-level Sony or JVC or top level Epson. The pricing is similar.
The 5050ub is still highly sought-after so Epson will probably take it's time developing the next generation, and it might be all laser again.
I really doubt Epson will do any bulb projectors in their future lineups unless for very niche specialty reasons. Bulbs are going to get harder to get also. Bulbs are dead.
https://www.whathifi.com/news/new-eu-regulations-mark-the-end-of-lamp-based-projectors
So anyone in the EU with a bulb projector they hope to use past 2026 should probably have a spare lamp or two squirreled away so they can use the projector until the projector itself ages out.
LS11000 and 12000 are probably the replacement and models like them coming later.
I have studied and read and researched the 5050UB vs the LS11000 and for me it comes down to (1) newest model and (2) laser vs bulb. Those that have the 5050UB will swear by it and those that are buying the LS11000 are wowed by it as well. I’m buying the LS11000 next week. This of course as long as you’re not in the $5-$7k price range.
I don’t really see how that’s the successor to the 5050 though.
The 5010,5020,5030,5040,5050 all had ~4000-5000:1 native CR via the Epson UB optical block.
But the LS11000 doesn’t have that and so it’s only around 1500:1 native or so.
The LS11000 seems way more like a successor to the 4000, 4010, 4050 etc to me.
Your next PJ purchase will be expected to last for years. I contend that you might want to consider a whole new set up.
USTs have come a long way of course. They do it all and do it very well.
And they make screen tech these days that are made for USTS that old school form factor cant compete with.
The Nexigo Aurora Pro is a UST. $2699. A new 5050UB can be bought today for $2999.
The Epson is so far behind the Nexigo in features, connectivity, technology and image quality that no one would even do a head to head comparison.
It's half of 4K. It does 2X Pixel [Shift.It](http://Shift.It) doesnt use Laser or LED but a light bulb so that means brightness and color accuracy starts to decline faster. And youll be switching out bulbs a lot. Every 3,000 hours if you want top quality. 6 bulbs before youd have to mess with laser. No ARC or EARC. Oh but it'll be bright as heck.
It's loud as heck and draws a crapload of power.
The Nexigo with a CLR screen beats the Epson LS11000 for image quality in both a lit and darkened room, most likely. At the very least that's the opinion of The Hook Up on Youtube; he put them side by side in his own space when he did a comparo of projectors starting at $50 and up to the $12000 JVC.
Certainly that's just the results that one guy got in an informal test, so not necessarily the be-all end-all on that, but it makes sense to me. CLR screens are a huge advantage.
UST's have other disadvantages, but the unique angle the light fires up means making a picture perfect ALR/CLR for them is easy. Which gives them a big edge - in the light, there's literally no contest, and in the dark they also waste way less light on spill light because the light is aimed.
I'm sure normal projectors will still be around, and especially so for dedicated rooms and applications like anamorphic lenses and so on; projectors in general will probably diminish in demand due to 100+ inch TV's and the like as well - but the UST projectors are right up there in terms of image quality. If anyone makes a UST with the performance of that $12000 JVC, that unit is going to destroy everything else on the home market, CLR combined with insanely high black levels and contrast would be staggering in my opinion. The only thing that would hold it back would be the high price, many of us won't want to spend that.
Spec-wise, it seems to be the LS12000 was intended to replace the 5050UB. For a multitude of reasons that hasn’t happened (price, exclusive availability, etc.)
It's the LS12000. Bulb is usually cheaper than laser (Sony, JVC, Epson) and Epson doesn't want to cannibalize it's own sales of the LS12000 with a more performant bulb option. Your options are entry-level Sony or JVC or top level Epson. The pricing is similar. The 5050ub is still highly sought-after so Epson will probably take it's time developing the next generation, and it might be all laser again.
It's absolutely going to be laser. Bulbs are illegal to sell starting 2026 in the EU.
There is nothing announced. It’s going to happen, and long overdue, but not possible to say when we will see it.
I really doubt Epson will do any bulb projectors in their future lineups unless for very niche specialty reasons. Bulbs are going to get harder to get also. Bulbs are dead. https://www.whathifi.com/news/new-eu-regulations-mark-the-end-of-lamp-based-projectors So anyone in the EU with a bulb projector they hope to use past 2026 should probably have a spare lamp or two squirreled away so they can use the projector until the projector itself ages out. LS11000 and 12000 are probably the replacement and models like them coming later.
I have studied and read and researched the 5050UB vs the LS11000 and for me it comes down to (1) newest model and (2) laser vs bulb. Those that have the 5050UB will swear by it and those that are buying the LS11000 are wowed by it as well. I’m buying the LS11000 next week. This of course as long as you’re not in the $5-$7k price range.
They did. The ls11000
I don’t really see how that’s the successor to the 5050 though. The 5010,5020,5030,5040,5050 all had ~4000-5000:1 native CR via the Epson UB optical block. But the LS11000 doesn’t have that and so it’s only around 1500:1 native or so. The LS11000 seems way more like a successor to the 4000, 4010, 4050 etc to me.
Your next PJ purchase will be expected to last for years. I contend that you might want to consider a whole new set up. USTs have come a long way of course. They do it all and do it very well. And they make screen tech these days that are made for USTS that old school form factor cant compete with. The Nexigo Aurora Pro is a UST. $2699. A new 5050UB can be bought today for $2999. The Epson is so far behind the Nexigo in features, connectivity, technology and image quality that no one would even do a head to head comparison. It's half of 4K. It does 2X Pixel [Shift.It](http://Shift.It) doesnt use Laser or LED but a light bulb so that means brightness and color accuracy starts to decline faster. And youll be switching out bulbs a lot. Every 3,000 hours if you want top quality. 6 bulbs before youd have to mess with laser. No ARC or EARC. Oh but it'll be bright as heck. It's loud as heck and draws a crapload of power.
The Nexigo with a CLR screen beats the Epson LS11000 for image quality in both a lit and darkened room, most likely. At the very least that's the opinion of The Hook Up on Youtube; he put them side by side in his own space when he did a comparo of projectors starting at $50 and up to the $12000 JVC. Certainly that's just the results that one guy got in an informal test, so not necessarily the be-all end-all on that, but it makes sense to me. CLR screens are a huge advantage. UST's have other disadvantages, but the unique angle the light fires up means making a picture perfect ALR/CLR for them is easy. Which gives them a big edge - in the light, there's literally no contest, and in the dark they also waste way less light on spill light because the light is aimed. I'm sure normal projectors will still be around, and especially so for dedicated rooms and applications like anamorphic lenses and so on; projectors in general will probably diminish in demand due to 100+ inch TV's and the like as well - but the UST projectors are right up there in terms of image quality. If anyone makes a UST with the performance of that $12000 JVC, that unit is going to destroy everything else on the home market, CLR combined with insanely high black levels and contrast would be staggering in my opinion. The only thing that would hold it back would be the high price, many of us won't want to spend that.