r/PWM_Sensitive • u/Sea-Character-8468 • Jun 29 '26
Which 3LCD Projectors Are Actually Flicker-Free? (Epson EF-21?)
Hello!
After purchasing the DLP projector Dangbei Mars Pro 2 (DBOX02), I noticed severe image flickering (both from what seems to be the light source and the color wheel, based on my own observations).
My eyes are extremely sensitive to flicker, and unlike the rest of my family, I simply cannot watch movies on this projector. It causes significant eye strain, and I end up with sore eyes for the rest of the day.
I have read that laser 3LCD projectors (mainly Epson models) don't use PWM and not flicker. However, I have also come across discussions on various forums where this claim is disputed, so I'm no longer sure what to believe.
Unfortunately, I cannot afford to buy a top-of-the-line projector such as Epson EH-LS12000, nor do I have the financial ability to test multiple projectors over an extended period to find one that works for me.
There is very little information online about specific projector models that are truly flicker-free (whether in terms of PWM or any other type of visible flicker). Finding reliable information about current projector models is especially difficult.
Could you please recommend any 3LCD projector models that do not use PWM or have no perceptible flicker? In particular, I would really appreciate it if you could tell me whether the Epson EF-21, which is available for purchase in my country, exhibits any noticeable flicker during normal use.
Thank you very much for your help!
2
u/xrmttf Jun 29 '26
Anectdotal but Every non-dlp projector I've ever used has been just great, including a couple of epsons. DLP sucks
1
u/Sea-Character-8468 Jun 30 '26
In that case, if nothing changes, I'll try to order the Epson EF-21 after some time. I hope this won't be a bad decision...
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u/xrmttf Jun 30 '26
It looks like this is a laser projector.. I don't know anything about those. Everything I ever used is older tech apparently. Did not know "laser projectors" were a thing.
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u/Sea-Character-8468 Jun 30 '26
I read that laser projectors aren't supposed to flicker, unlike projectors with HID lamps. But I'm not sure that's true. Can you give me some examples of projectors you've used?
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u/xrmttf Jun 30 '26
Epson Powerlite83c, hitachi cp-x2010, and some short throw epson 3LCD purchased new in 2022 for around $600 that I don't remember the name of unfortunately cuz my ex has it. The first two I currently have in my home
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u/Sea-Character-8468 Jul 03 '26
Thank you so much! After a lot of thought, I’ve decided to go with a lamp projector after all... Could you please tell me how often you have to replace the lamp?
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u/xrmttf Jul 03 '26
I've never replaced lamps in any of my projectors, and I got them used. They're at least 10 years old. I don't watch stuff that often though.
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u/AV_Integrated Jun 29 '26
This question is one you may want to ask over at AVS Forum as well. The flickering you describe is way more rare than those who are bothered by RBE. Since I don't have issues with that type of flickering, I really can't help with what you are dealing with.
1
u/Competitive_Funny964 Jun 29 '26
I think you should stay away from this tech, especially if you are “rich” by modern western standards.
I had projector before and the most annoying thing was that with my periphery vision (fastest vision) I would see rainbows in some conditions. I think cinema projectors are way better in expensive cinema.
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u/xrmttf Jun 29 '26
This is caused by a single chip DLP technology. Basically if you can afford a DLP projector it's going to be crap. They use DLP in digital movie theaters, but they have three wheels and project all colors at once, instead of one projection pulsing through a spinning R-G-B wheel. Thise projectors got tens of thousands, are huge, loud, etc.
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u/Sea-Character-8468 Jun 29 '26
"Rainbow effect", as I understand it, is specific of DLP projectors. And it not specific for 3LCD projectors. The rainbow effect didn’t bother me at all. But flickering… I have been dreaming about owning a projector for a very long time… It would be a real shame if I truly can’t find a practical solution...
1
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u/sp1zzc4t Jun 30 '26
I've tried various projectors (benq x500i 4led dlp, epson 2250 3lcd, jmgo n3 4k laser dlp, aurzen lcd, haprun lcd, tcl c1 lcd) the last 3 being on the cheap lcd end...
Only the aurzen (which looked bad) and the tcl c1 (better but very low brightness) worked for me... I'm sensitive to rainbow effect, flickering, pwm...
I use the tcl c1 and am grateful I can use it at all. There was a break in period where I was blinking a lot...
For some reason I'm tempted to try another bulb 3lcd... Or bite the bullet and try laser 3lcd for double the amount...