1080UB Features, Installation and Setup

When we got our first glimpse of Epson's Pro Cinema 1080UB at the 9th Annual Audioholics State of the CE Union Event in Clearwater Beach, Florida, we knew we were in for a treat. We had already reviewed the excellent Pro Cinema 1080, and the UB - short for Ultra Black - only took a good projector and made it even better. This review is more of a comparison and evaluation of the new features than a full descriptive overview of everything about the 1080UB. If you want the full blow-by-blow, take a look at our review of the Pro Cinema 1080 and you'll find everything you need to help you evaluate the full complement of this projector's features.

New UB-centric Features

The Epson Pro Cinema 1080UB projector is about 90% identical to the Pro Cinema 1080, but the small number of differences are quite noticeable and very much a part of what makes this projector so much better than its predecessor:

• Increased Contrast Ratio
  Epson's new D7 panels, with its C2 Fine (Crystal Clear Fine) system, produces a significantly higher contrast than even the well-received Pro Cinema 1080. The efficiency increase is partially due to a 20% increase in aperture ratios of these new panels vs the D6 panels of a year before. D7 panels also use 12-bit LCD drivers which boost accuracy in reproducing subtle differences in color and gradation. This means that the new D7 panels can handle 64x the amount of color - over 68 billion color shades. The new panels also quadruples the theoretical 1,024 gradation levels to 4,096 gradation levels. This certainly doesn't bear out in the real world as 4x the grayscale resolution, but it helps.
  
• Dual HDMI 1.3 inputs and xvYCC Color Support
  The Pro Cinema 1080 supported HDMI, but the 1080UB model adds another input and also clarifies its support for the new xvYCC color space.

Pro Cinema 1080 vs. Pro Cinema 1080UB

The Epson Pro Cinema 1080UB shares nearly the same features as the 1080, with a few notable exceptions. Here are the quick specs for comparison:

You'll note the increased ANSI lumen rating (which is great since the 1080p was a tad dimmer than we'd like to see in terms of its light output in Cinema Night modes). Epson also ditched the SCART input (at least in US models) and added an additional HDMI input. The D6 panels have now been upgraded to the newer D7 panels.

Basic Setup and Installation

Setup for the Epson Pro Cinema 1080UB followed the same procedure as the original, with the addition that I could now, if so desired, add a second HDMI source to the unit. Combined with the ISFccc calibration options, this could make for a truly customized experience with the ability to completely calibrate the system for two separate sources. Given the ease of Memory recall, however, this may just be a moot point in this projector.

The Pro Cinema 1080UB has dual HDMI inputs and loses the SCART input.

The Pro Cinema 1080UB maintains use of the same efficient remote of the 1080 and it is still as versatile as ever - allowing almost effortless control without having to point the remote very carefully whatsoever. It also continues to come with a ceiling mount and spare lamp. The lamp alone is worth around $350 or more. We actually installed two of the Pro Cinema 1080UB units. One utilized the included Epson mount and another mounted to my Peerless PRG-UNV Precision Gear universal mount. The Peerless system kicks the tail of the included mount, but free is free.

The Epson Pro Cinema 1080UB has an almost identical menu system to the 1080, so please feel free to read that review for an exploded view of the menu system and functionality. When configuring the Epson, I found that placing it in HDMI Expanded mode allowed me to see below black information - making for an easier calibration (also be sure to leave Epson's Super White Mode 'Off').

Author's Note: For a more detailed explanation of how Below Black information is used in projector calibration and how it relates to HDMI, xvYCC and reference video levels, please review the Blacker-than-Black article we wrote on the subject.

I tried the unit with the Auto Iris system on and off. Epson's Auto Iris is not completely silent, but it is efficient in that it produces deeper blacks than if it is left off. It's unfortunate that you cannot configure it to a fixed setting or position (or that they didn't provide more intuitive controls like 'open', 'closed', and 'auto'), but overall it is one of the few iris systems I've used that made a big enough difference (and was harmless enough during use) that I'll recommend you leave it on.