HC8100 Features & Specifications

The industry simply can't deliver brand new mind-blowing technological advances in projectors every year. This year, Epson is focusing on making strides in terms of value and bang-for-the-buck. Its Home Cinema 8100 projector has most of the features of the former Home Cinema 6500UB, but with a sticker price that is over $1000 less. It's also $2500 less than its THX certified big brother, the Pro Cinema 9500UB, yet it shares about 90% or more of the same technology. Indeed, 2010 may mark the year where consumers are spoiled on what to expect for their money. With excellent high lumen color reproduction and fantastic low level blacks, the 8100 is a steal at just under $1500.

For $1500 you should have reasonable expectation on what you'll get in a home theater projector. After all, there are plenty of models dropping in just below $1000 these days. The Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 8100, however, delivers dual HDMI 1.3a inputs, flexible placement options through the use of lens shift, and a bright 200W lamp that outputs over 1800 lumens in our testing. Add to that HQV Realta-VX processing, a flexible 2.1x zoom lens, and its low noise output and you've got a product that makes a lot of the competition start to look average by comparison.

The new chassis is the same that is being used by all latest-generation Epson projectors in its Home and Pro Cinema line, including the 6100, 7100, 8100, 9100, 6500UB, 7500UB, 8500UB, and 9500UB. The only difference is that the Pro Cinema line is black and the Home Cinema line is white. For the most part, the Pro and Home models are directly correlated and near-identical save for CEDIA/Custom-channel features like ISF calibration features and spare bulbs (the 9500UB is also THX certified). The corresponding projectors are as follows:

• PowerLite Home Cinema 6100 is similar to the PowerLite Pro Cinema 7100
• PowerLite Home Cinema 8100 is similar to the PowerLite Pro Cinema 9100
• PowerLite Home Cinema 6500UB is similar to the PowerLite Pro Cinema 7500UB
• PowerLite Home Cinema 8500UB is similar to the PowerLite Pro Cinema 9500UB

In our opinion, there is little reason for the home user, who is looking for the best deal possible, to grab the Pro Cinema 9100, since the Home Cinema 8100 does 98% of the job for close to half the price (the Pro Cinema 9100 is around $2600). Custom installers, however, may want to push the 9100 since it has ISF calibration settings, which can be stored and locked away, as well as some other custom controls.

How Does it Compare to the Excellent Home Cinema 6500UB?

The Epson Home Cinema 6500UB was an excellent performer and received a solid 4/5 star rating when we reviewed it. What's happened since then isn't much, except for a hefty price drop. With the new 8100 model offering nearly the same features for over $1000 less money, you'll see that our value rating went up accordingly. The biggest differences were the lack of inorganic C2Fine panels and the change in the video processing. The 6500UB uses the HQV Reon-VX while the 8100 scores somewhat lower with a more mainstream processor. We set up a quick grid to outline the differences:

If you're expecting huge differences here, you won't see them. The UB (Ultra Black) designation, of course, typically signifies Epson's C2Fine inorganic panels and an advanced iris system. For the savings, the 8100 isn't a bad deal in that it offers much of the same performance.