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Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 1080 UB

Wed, 05 Sep 2007 12:09:44 -0400

The Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 1080 UB is a value-priced (MSRP $2699) home-theater 3LCD HDTV projector capable of delivering 1080p. Originally due out in December 2007, Epson announced its release at CES 2008 on January 8th, 2008. It offers improved specifications and features compared to its predecessor, the Home Cinema 1080 released in January 2007. This projector has also been referred to as the Epson TW2000. It's suggested retail price is $2999, but there currently is a $200 mail-in rebate.

The 1080 UB offers 1600 ANSI Lumens of brightness, a 4500:1 static contrast ratio (up to 50,000:1 dynamic), and can display images up to 150" across the diagonal. It features 2 HDMI 1.3 inputs accepting a wide range of input signals including 1080p at 24 fps. According to the fact sheet released by Epson, the 1080 UB will not have a VGA input.

There are optional add-ons available as upgrades to the 1080p UB: 1) Reon HQV video processor upgrade, 2) Ceiling mount, 3) Panamorph Anamorphic Lens Kit for improved brightness and the ability to do CIH (Constant Image Height), and 4) replacement lamps.

Specifications

Display size: 30" - 150"
Brightness: 1600 ANSI Lumens
Contrast Ratio: 4500:1 (native), 50000:1 (dynamic)
Native resolution: 1080p (1920x1080)
Inputs: 2 x HDMI, 1 x components, 1 x composite, 1 x S-Video, 1 x RS-232
2.1X optical zoom with manual focus
Dimensions: 12.2" (D) x 15.6" (W) x 4.8" (H)
Weight: 12 lbs
Price: $2999 ($2799 after mail-in rebate)
Release date: January 2008 (announced at CES 2008)

Improvements over previous generation

1600 Lumens vs. 1200 ANSI Lumens (33% brighter)
Can display up to images up to 150", up from 100"
Has 2 HDMI inputs compared to one
Improved contrast ratio
Can upgrade the video processor to an Reon HQV
Available Panamorphic Lens kit for CIH

Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 1080

Thu, 03 May 2007 11:47:56 -0400

The Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 1080, priced at $2999, is a very affordable, high-quality 1080p, 3LCD multimedia projector. It delivers a true HD 1080p picture with up to 100" diagonal screen size, and supports both 24 fps and 60 fps frame rates making it ideal for HD-DVDs, Blu-Ray discs, video games, and to use as a computer display. The PowerLite 1080 comes with a white "pearlescent" finish and has a small footprint at 15.9" x 4.8" x 12.2" and weighs 12.3 lbs. There is a newer model of this project called the Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 1080 UB to be released in December 2007 that boasts improved specifications for $300 less.

The PowerLite Home Cinema 1080 has three setup options: front projection, rear projection, and ceiling mounted. To help improve setup, this project also includes up to 47% horizontal and 96% lens shift (relative to the image size), and includes a 2.1X optical zoom to get your picture perfectly centered on your screen. This projector relies on manual focus and does not make use of automatic focusing technologies seen in other competing projectors.

Originally priced at $4999, Epson reduced the priced in April 2007 to $2999, triggering a similar price drop on its closest competitor, the Panasonic PT-AE1000U-EC. Inspired by the competitive spirit, Gizmodo has done an excellent head-to-head comparison of these two projectors (they gave the edge to the Epson).

Read the full PowerLite 1080 specifications.

Panasonic PT-AE1000U

Thu, 03 May 2007 12:04:46 -0400

The Panasonic PT-AE1000U is a 3-LCD projector delivering a native 1080p picture for the competitive price of $2999. A versatile lens system offers top-in-class zoom, and shifting capabilities that let you install the projector in a variety of rooms and configurations. Similar to other projectors in this class the AE1000U contains a slew of brightness modes, both manual and automatic, to accommodate different lighting conditions. Being a device marketed towards the higher end market, almost all of the settings relevant to the projector's output can be adjusted. Even with this professional level of control, Panasonic touts its "Hollywood" calibration to give a high quality viewing experience out of the box.

The lens offers a two times zoom that can create an image ranging from 40" to 200", or a 100" screen in rooms that range in size from just under 10 feet to over 19 feet. However, the brightness of the resulting picture is dependent upon how much zoom is used affecting the resulting lumens output by as much as 45%. Alongside the zoom is the large range for lens shifting. In the neutral position the projected image is displayed at the center of the lens. From this position the image can be moved higher by 100% of the image's size, or lower by 100%. Horizontally the picture can move by 50% of the image's size. Similar to zooming, shifting the picture to the extreme positions can have a negative effect on the brightness output.

Two lamp modes are available: high, and eco (low) that reduces the brightness by 28%, reduces fan noise, and increases the lamp life from a rated 2000 hours to 3000 hours. The lamp itself is accessed through a movable panel at the top of the projector, allowing you to replace the lamp without unmounting the projector itself. The air filter is accessed from the side for streamlined removal for cleaning. Inorganic technology are used for the LCD chips eliminating the continual degradation in quality that plague organic chips.

At a FullHD 1080p resolution individual pixels become difficult to distinguish for the average person at any reasonable viewing distance. However, LCDs traditionally suffer from what is known as the "Screen Door" effect where it looks like you're watching the picture through a screen door. To compensate for this effect Panasonic incorporated their Smooth Screen technology into the AE1000U virtually eliminating this effect at the cost of a very slight softening of the image.

Inputs

HDMI x2
Component x2
Composite x1
S-Video x1
VGA x1
RS-232

Extra Notes

The AE1000 is a direct competitor of the Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 1080 that is also priced at $2999. Gizmodo has done an excellent head-to-head comparison of these projectors stating that they are very evenly matched.

There is a problem with this projector in that it can't play 1080p HD content from the Microsoft Xbox 360 with its VGA add-on.

Mitsubishi HC5000

Mon, 24 Sep 2007 18:08:35 -0400

The Mitsubishi HC5000 is an inorganic LCD based projector that delivers a FullHD 1080p picture. On its release Mitsubishi aimed for a high quality projector at an aggressive price, including high end video processing components, flexible display options, and ease of installation. At 10,000:1 the dynamic contrast ratio of the HC5000 remains at the top of the class competing with DLP projectors that have traditionally better performance. Using the inorganic technology the HC5000 isn't plagued by the degradation that normal LCDs suffer over time.

Features

1080p resolution. Accepts 1080p/24Hz and outputs at 48Hz.
3 Inorganic LCD panels
1000 lumens of brightness
10,000:1 contrast ratio
1.6x zoom, can display a 100" picture from a distance of 10.1 feet to 16.5'
Auto Iris system with 3 speed levels
50% vertical lens shift. 5% horizontal lens shift.
Silicon Optix Reon-VX processor
Inputs: 1xHDMI, 1xDVI-D (with HDCP), 1xVGA, 1xComponent, 1xComposite, 1xS-Video
Lamp life: 2000 hours standard mode, 5000 hours in eco-mode

When the HC5000 released in late 2006 it was the least expensive 1080p projector, and still competed with projectors costing $10,000 more. In 2007 projector prices have fallen dramatically leaving consumers with far more options for 1080p projectors under $3,000; however, the HC5000 is still competitive with these newer offerings in both price and performance.

The Reon-VX processing chip handles all of the deinterlacing, scaling, and filtering of incoming source content before the resulting image is displayed. The Reon-VX is the younger brother to the high-end REALTA processor and features the same core algorithms and technology, making the Reon-VX one of the best processors available at this price range. As for 1080p content the HC5000 accepts 1080p at 24Hz from sources such as Blu-Ray and HD-DVD content, and displays at 48Hz. Since the display frequency is a direct multiple of the incoming source, there is no 3:2 pulldown conversion necessary eliminating any of the artifacts that come with conversion. With the myriad of image settings available Mitsubishi makes them easily accessible using the remote. Each source can have up to three different settings stored in the memory that can be cycled through with a button on the remote.

The 160-watt lamp has a rated life of 2000 hours operating in the standard mode. An eco-mode is available that reduces the lamp's brightness by 23% and extends the life to 5000 hours before replacement. Similar to other projectors in this class the HC5000 contains an Auto Iris system that automatically adjusts the brightness of the picture depending on the source material. When Auto Iris is engaged there are three speeds ranging from 1, the fastest, to 3 the slowest. Slower speeds increase the amount of time between picture changes and Iris adjustment to reduce the effect very dynamic scenes where it can be distracting.

The zoom, focus, and lens shifting are controlled by a motor allowing them to be adjusted from the remote itself. The 50% vertical lens shift lets you move the picture one-half height up or down from the neutral position. At neutral the center of the lens lines up with the center of the picture. This level of lens shift makes the HC5000 suitable for ceiling, floor, or shelf mounting. At 5%, the horizontal shift is dramatically lower than the vertical shift, requiring that the physical location of the projector is lined up laterally pretty closely with the screen. At the extreme ends of zooming and shifting the brightness levels of the projector can be affected. When the projector is at full zoom the overall brightness is reduced by 24%, however higher zoom levels make for more even light levels across the entire picture.

Panasonic PT-AX100U

Thu, 09 Aug 2007 18:23:18 -0400

Panasonic's PT-AX100U is an LCD projector with a budget price that competes with high-end models in picture quality and features. The AX100U is an upgrade to Panasonic's previous model and introduces many new features that reviewers claim are a substantial improvement, making this projector one of the best buys available. Other projectors in this price range include the InFocus ScreenPlay 7210.

LCD projectors are notorious for what is known as the "screen door effect", which are little lines that criss cross the picture, making it look like you're viewing the screen through a screen door. As an upgrade from Panasonic's previous model, the AX100U features something Panasonic is labeling "Smooth Screen". Every critic agrees that this technology virtually removes any kind of screen door effect at any reasonable viewing distance.

Panasonic has given the AX100U a wide range of flexibility by adding horizontal, and vertical lens shift, which lets you reposition the projected image without sacrificing quality. A 2x zoom allows for a 100" to be projected on a wall that is between 9 feet and 20' away, allowing for the projector to work within many room sizes and configurations.

The "Light Harmonizer" is a sensor that detects the ambient light in the room and adjusts the projector's brightness accordingly. In dark rooms bulb is less bright which emphasizes shadow detail, in brighter rooms bulb brightness is increased to make for a viewable picture.

Panasonic adds support for 1080p content at 24Hz and 60Hz. This allows for Blu-Ray and HD-DVD video to be displayed with no conversion and pull down eliminating the visual effect known as "judder". Standard definition video is also upscaled and deinterlaced within the projector itself.

Inputs

Component x 1
Composite x 1
D5 x 1
HDMI x 1
RS-232 x 1
S-Video x 1
VGA x 1

Mitsubishi HC6000

Mon, 15 Oct 2007 14:13:57 -0400

The Mitsubishi HC6000 is a high-end 1080p home theater projector based on inorganic LCD technology and successor to the HC5000. With the HC5000 Mitsubishi carved a respectable position in the home theater market with a focus on sharpness and contrast at a competitive price. The HC6000 continues this trend offering various improvements over the same core technology, and reducing the MSRP by $500.

Features

1080p resolution. Accepts 1080p/24Hz and outputs at 48Hz.
3 Inorganic LCD panels
1000 lumens of brightness
13,000:1 contrast ratio
1.6x zoom, can display a 100" picture from a distance of 10.1 feet to 16.5'
Auto Iris system with 3 speed levels
50% vertical lens shift. 5% horizontal lens shift.
Silicon Optix Reon-VX processor
Inputs: 2xHDMI 1.3, 1xVGA, 1xComponent, 1xComposite, 1xS-Video
Lamp life: 2000 hours standard mode, 5000 hours in eco-mode

Changes from HC5000

improved contrast ratio (10,000:1->13,000:1)
faster dynamic iris
DVI input replaced with a second HDMI (both HDMIs are now 1.3)
finer adjustment capabilities with power zoom and shifting
second air filter added

The biggest improvement between the two models is the faster Auto Iris on the 6000. As a refreshed, the Auto Iris feature automatically adjust the brightness of the lamp depending on the scene, so the subtle details on dark scenes are visible, and vice versa with bright scenes. Many people complained about the significant lag on the 5000's Auto Iris which could take up to 1 second to adjust, and could be quite distracting. Mitsubishi has listened to these complaints and reduced the lag of the Auto Iris to 1/10 of a second. The faster Auto Iris has the extra benefit that the perceived contrast ratio is significantly higher than the specs can relate.

All details about the flexibility with lens shifting and zooming, and the image processing can be found on the HC5000 product report as they're the exact same.

Mitsubishi HC4900

Fri, 07 Sep 2007 12:57:51 -0400

The HC4900 from Mitsubishi is a relatively low-cost projector compared to other devices in this range with native 1080p output. The HC4900 is the less expensive version of the LVP-HC5000 with slightly worse specifications. Catering to the budget conscious consumer the projector's bulb has an estimated lifetime of 5000 hours on the low level. Furthermore, an opening in the side panel gives streamlined access to the bulb so you can replace it yourself without hiring a specialist.

Using the automatic Iris technology which automatically dims and brightens the bulb depending on the lighting of the scene displayed, the 4900 can achieve a dynamic contrast ratio of 7500:1. The static contrast ratio is not specified by Mitsubishi, however it is at most 2000:1 which is the specs of the HC5000. Similar to the HC5000 the HC4900 bulb outputs 1000 lumens of brightness. One feature that Mitsubishi is promoting is the low noise output. When the HC4900 is on the low setting the fan sends out 19 decibels of sound, on normal operation the noise output is 24 decibels.

To aid in ease of installation the projector's lens can be shifted for minor adjustments in both the vertical and horizontal. The lens is attached to a motor control, which allows the shifting, zooming and focusing to be adjusted from the remote control.

It is unknown if the HC4900 features the Reon HQV video processing engine found in the HC5000.

Inputs

VGA x 1
DVI-D with HDCP x 1 (can be used with an HDMI->DVI adapter)
HDMI x 1
Composite x 1
S-Video x 1
Component x 1

Sanyo PLV-Z4

Mon, 11 Sep 2006 20:50:05 -0400

Beautiful picture, very configurable, and a really cool mechanical sliding door to boot!

16:9 Native Aspect Ratio, HD (1280 x 720)
1000 ANSI Lumens
7000:1 Contrast Ratio
10 Bit Video Processing
Manual Zoom/Focus and Lens Shift with Standard Lens
High Contrast Optical System and Twin Iris
Screen Size Adjustable from 40" to 300"
Net Weight 11.0 lbs
921,600 Pixels
Fan Noise 22dBA
15 Pin D-Sub, Data Input
Advanced Menu and Color Temperature
HDMI and 2 Component Video Inputs
Composite, and S Video Inputs
Compatible with 480i, 480p, 575i, 575p, 720p, 1035i, & 1080i

Added from sanyo.com