Epson 1080 Viewing Tests and Conclusion
1080p - Viva La Difference!
The difference between the D5 720p panels and the D6 1080p panels is quite impressive. Seating distances can be decreased and relative screen size can be increased. Take a look at some of these comparison shots of the pixel size and fill factor:
Epson Pro Cinema 810 HQV (left partitions); Epson Pro Cinema 1080 (right partitions)
There is no screen door effect with the Pro Cinema 1080 - unless you plan on watching a 100-inch screen from 3 feet away. The left image shows a practical difference of watching a standard DVD and observing it from 6 feet away.
Viewing Evaluation – HDTV and Movies
We watched a bunch of demo clips on the Epson PowerLite Pro Cinema 1080, including 1080i HDTV and standard DVD source material. Unfortunately, our HD DVD player didn't arrive in time for us to include those images in this review.
DVD: Contact: Special Edition
Contact is a good looking DVD with plenty of detail (not to mention a killer soundtrack!) and almost no grain to be seen. We focused on edge detail and scenes that would show off the finer aspects of what watching a scene on a 1080p projector might look like with a legacy DVD. Edges were crisp and even shadow detail was outstanding - though not a standout feature of this movie.
DVD: The Incredibles
Pixar is known for their incredible (pardon the pun) storytelling ability and excellent animation style. In this case, The Incredibles is no exception - in fact it is one of the best Pixar movies to date. My guess is they are simply getting better and better with each movie, but the bottom line is that color saturation and accuracy was excellent. Since this was a purely digital master, there was absolutely no grain or film damage which often degrades other DVD transfers (the ones that aren't pristinely done) and interferes with the quality of darker scenes. If you're going to show off a high-resolution display, this would be a good movie to pop into your player.
DVD: Monsters, Inc.
I couldn't help it - I was in an animation mood and wanted to get more of that high resolution, 3D picture that had looked so good on this display. The Epson Pro Cinema 1080 ca do no wrong with Pixar or similar picture and Monsters, Inc showed off detail to an incredible level. Fine hair on Sulley and The Abominable Snowman as well as the ability to handle both bright scenes (North Pole) and dark scenes (Randall Bogg's lab) made this one of my favorite projectors of the past year. And the COLOR - wow.
DVD: I, Robot
This movie is simply stunning, and has black levels that will tell you right away if you have your system set up correctly. The transfer is clean and free from "schmutz" that gets into some poorly transferred titles. Basically, if you want a reference DVD for black levels and checking moiré or detail - I, Robot should be in your collection.
HDTV: 24
Even though this is a darker "grainier" show than most (and broadcast in 720p) I wanted to see how the Epson would react to it. Let's face it - you're going to watch shows that aren't pristine and aren't tailored perfectly for your projector's native resolution. Plus, the film look of 24 makes it a good match for most Blu-ray Disc titles I've seen demoed on the show floor of various trade shows this year (that is, dirty and grainy). There were no aliasing artifacts and the picture looked pretty good - for what we expect from the HD broadcast of this show.
Conclusion
Epson makes very capable projectors. They pay attention to the optical system and indeed make the 3LCD panels that are utilized in most other LCD projectors on the market. They know how to do projectors. These new "D6" 1080p panels are no different and are a serious incremental step forward in technology. I have not seen a better LCD projector to-date and believe that Epson may have just set itself up to capture a serious chunk of the market given a retail price under $5000. I can't recommend this projector enough - it has no screen door effect, comes with some default settings that measure well and has excellent detail and black levels when used in the proper modes in a light-controlled room. This is going to be a hot projector for 2007.
The Score Card
The scoring below is based on each piece of equipment doing the duty it is designed for. The numbers are weighed heavily with respect to the individual cost of each unit, thus giving a rating roughly equal to:
Performance × Price Factor/Value = Rating
Audioholics.com note: The ratings indicated below are based on subjective listening and objective testing of the product in question. The rating scale is based on performance/value ratio. If you notice better performing products in future reviews that have lower numbers in certain areas, be aware that the value factor is most likely the culprit. Other Audioholics reviewers may rate products solely based on performance, and each reviewer has his/her own system for ratings.
Audioholics Rating Scale
— Excellent
- — Very Good
- — Good
- — Fair
- — Poor
| Metric | Rating |
|---|---|
| Detail and Resolution | |
| Deinterlacing & Scaling | |
| Contrast and Black Levels | |
| Color Reproduction | |
| Noise Reduction | |
| Calibration Options | |
| Build Quality | |
| Ergonomics & Usability | |
| Ease of Setup | |
| Features | |
| Remote Control | |
| Fit and Finish | |
| Performance |  |
| Value | |
1) Can I zoom the image fairly small from 10-15'?
2) Is there a supplier that has developed whole wall surfaces for video projection?
Regarding the first question, does the manual focus on the projector give me enough control to crisply project a relatively small display area, say 46" or so?
To put this into context, I have spent time looking at the costs of hiding a tv behind a picture frame and mirror or painting canvas; a high quality installation can cost $15,000.
A custom light fixture with a $5,000 projector seems a much better approach to "not wanting to see the TV when not in use".
If I can zoom the image to a 46" rectangle, the search for suitable paint or wall paper to overcome the lack of a projection screen would begin.
admin;261037
With pricing under $5000 and Epson's proclivity for producing very high quality projectors with excellent features, detail and color, it's bound to be a serious contender in the market.
This is really starting to make me reconsider buying a TV, albeit a very high end one. The projector pricing is starting to come down into high-end tv range, and the thought of having a billy badass-sized screen make it even more alluring! And with the power of Santa growing stronger in the coming months, I would bet prices will drop considerably.
Owners: More details on performance please.
cleaner450;263470
Here is a question ..primarly using it for 360 and HD DVD... How does the image overall compare to ..ummm lets say a 50 inch rear projection. besides the size; does it or could it look as good, clear and bright a rp TV.
Sorry if I am being very broad but you own it and I just want to get your thoughts on quality of picture compared to a rp. This will be set up in a very dark room...
thanks
I game and now am more into HT but games are what maed me want a big TV. I got a front projector. I will never ever ever o back to anything else for the main HT/"viewing room. I have aCRT for the news etc, but untill projectors cost more as a box that has a set screan I won't even think about the RP plasma LCD even DLP.
I hop emine never dies, if it did today it would be epson for sure and if they make a DLP in my price point that would be it. Hands down.
