Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector Review2 Posted on October 7, 2013 By Art Feierman 1. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector Review - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector Overview - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector: Highlights2. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector Review2 - Home Cinema 2030 3D Capabilities: - Positioning of the Epson Home Cinema 2030 and Home Cinema 2000 projectors - Back to the Home Cinema 2030 projector:3. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector Review 3 - Home Cinema 2030: Built in Sound, with Audio Out Feature - Home Cinema 2030 Lag Times - Gamers start your consoles! - Roku Compatibility - Epson Home Cinema 2030 and 2000: "Smart" Home Projectors - Home Cinema 2030 Energy Efficiency and Green 4. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector Review 4 - Home Cinema 2030 Projector 3D - Home Cinema 2030 USB Slideshow - Home Cinema 2030 Projector: Dynamic Iris - Home Cinema 2030 Lamp Life - Image Slide - Image Adjustment - 1.2:1 Zoom Lens5. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector – Physical Tour - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector - Appearance - Home Cinema 2030 Control Panel - Home Cinema 2030 Projector - Input/Output - Home Cinema 2030 Menus6. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector – Physical Tour2 - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Remote Control - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Lens Throw - Lens Shift - Anamorphic Lens - Wide Screen?7. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector – Image Quality - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Out of the Box Picture Quality - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector - Flesh Tones8. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector – Image Quality 2 - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Black Levels & Shadow Detail9. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector – Image Quality 3 - Black Level and Shadow Detail Performance: Home Cinema 2030 Projector - Bottom Line10. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector – Image Quality 4 - Epson Home Cinema 2030 - Overall Color & Picture Quality - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector: Performance, HDTV and Sports, including 3D11. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector – Image Quality 5 - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector: Bottom Line on HDTV Sports, and also 3D HDTV Content12. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector – Performance - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Brightness - Epson HC2030 Calibrated: User "best" mode, based on Natural mode = 1408 lumens - Effect of zoom on lumen output (Dynamic mode) - Home Cinema 2030 Eco-Mode vs. Full Power:13. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector – Performance 2 - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Pre-Calibration Color temp - Home Cinema 2030, Post Calibration, Best Mode (Natural) - Home Cinema 2030 Picture Modes - Epson Home Cinema 2030 3D Brightness - Subjective14. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector Performance – 3 - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Sharpness - Comparison images - Bottom Line Sharpness - Light Leakage - Image Noise - Audible Noise15. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector Calibration - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Color Temperature - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Basic Settings16. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector – Advanced Calibration Info - Color Management Settings (CMS) - CMS Calibration Notes - Calibration Charts (Before and After)17. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Post Calibration Grayscale: User Mode - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Post Calibration Grayscale: User Mode - Home Cinema 2030 RGB Settings18. Home Cinema 2030 and Home Cinema 2000 Competitors - Home Cinema 2030 and Home Cinema 2000 Competitors - Home Cinema 2030 vs. Optoma HD25-LV - Home Cinema 2030 vs. Epson Home Cinema 8350 - Home Cinema 2030 vs. Epson Home Cinema 302019. Home Cinema 2030 and Home Cinema 2000 Competitors – 2 - Home Cinema 2030 vs. BenQ W1070 and W1080ST - Epson Home Cinema 2000 vs. Acer H6510 and Viewsonic PJD7820HD - Home Cinema 2030 vs. Panasonic PT-AR100U20. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector Advanced Calibration - Color Management - CMS Calibration21. Home Cinema 2030 – Projector Screen Recommendations - HC2030 Projector Screen Recommendations22. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector – Warranty - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector - Warranty23. Epson Home Cinema 2030 – Review Summary - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector - The Bottom Line - The Very Bottom Line on the Home Cinema 2030 projector24. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector: Pros and Cons - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector: Pros and Cons - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector: Pros - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector: Cons25. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector Specifications Home Cinema 2030 3D Capabilities: (I can’t get enough). 3D may not impress on a 42″ or 65″ LCDTV, but on a 110″ inch projected image, 3D immerses you as it does in your fav movie theater, only better, without strangers talking, laughing (when they shouldn’t), etc. 3D viewing on the Home Cinema 2030 by my measure: “Rocks”. The Home Cinema 2030 provides you with a 3D image that few projectors – even those costing several times the price, can match in terms of brightness (usually a big challenge for 3D viewing). Positioning of the Epson Home Cinema 2030 and Home Cinema 2000 projectors These projectors come in well below the price of Epson’s existing low cost 2D/3D projector, that’s been shipping since last fall. The Home Cinema 2030 isn’t quite as well endowed as the older, more expensive Home Cinema 3020, but it certainly drastically lowers the entry price point (from $1599) to under $1000 for a bright, 2D/3D capable home entertainment projector. As the least expensive 2D/3D capable 1080p 3LCD projector, its rainbow free, unlike DLP projectors. (And the lower cost DLP projectors have slower color wheels so they affect more people with rainbows. Even if you don’t see rainbows on DLP projectors, a member of your family might, and some of your friends almost certainly will. With a 3LCD projector that’s one less thing to worry about! Epson also makes a slightly more expensive ($200 more) home theater projector; the Home Cinema 8350. The HC8350 has been around a few years (it once cost far more). It offers definitely better black levels, but isn’t quite as bright. The Home Cinema 8350 is 2D only. It does offer maximum placement flexibility with a 2.1:1 zoom and lots of lens shift. If your needs are more theater oriented and don’t care about 3D, that one might be a better choice. Epson’s flaghip projectors are their Home Cinema 5020UB and the local dealer Home Cinema 6020UB – almost identical. The HC5020UB is well known as a first class home theater projector value with best in class black levels. The 5020UB however is $2599! Back to the Home Cinema 2030 projector:The Home Cinema 2030 is typical for a home entertainment projector in that placement flexibility is rather limited compared to many more expensive projectors. Still, the Home Cinema 2030 can be ceiling mounted, or placed on a table top. It’s easier to setup on a “table top” than virtually all of the competition. The Home Cinema 2030 projector (and the HC2000) both have a built in speaker, and an audio out, which will be discussed in the Special Features section, and elsewhere in this review. Let’s look at some of the Home Cinema 2030’s highlights, and the basic specs, then it’s time to delve into the details – the special features, the physical layout, picture quality, performance, and more. 1. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector Review - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector Overview - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector: Highlights2. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector Review2 - Home Cinema 2030 3D Capabilities: - Positioning of the Epson Home Cinema 2030 and Home Cinema 2000 projectors - Back to the Home Cinema 2030 projector:3. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector Review 3 - Home Cinema 2030: Built in Sound, with Audio Out Feature - Home Cinema 2030 Lag Times - Gamers start your consoles! - Roku Compatibility - Epson Home Cinema 2030 and 2000: "Smart" Home Projectors - Home Cinema 2030 Energy Efficiency and Green 4. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector Review 4 - Home Cinema 2030 Projector 3D - Home Cinema 2030 USB Slideshow - Home Cinema 2030 Projector: Dynamic Iris - Home Cinema 2030 Lamp Life - Image Slide - Image Adjustment - 1.2:1 Zoom Lens5. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector – Physical Tour - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector - Appearance - Home Cinema 2030 Control Panel - Home Cinema 2030 Projector - Input/Output - Home Cinema 2030 Menus6. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector – Physical Tour2 - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Remote Control - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Lens Throw - Lens Shift - Anamorphic Lens - Wide Screen?7. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector – Image Quality - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Out of the Box Picture Quality - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector - Flesh Tones8. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector – Image Quality 2 - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Black Levels & Shadow Detail9. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector – Image Quality 3 - Black Level and Shadow Detail Performance: Home Cinema 2030 Projector - Bottom Line10. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector – Image Quality 4 - Epson Home Cinema 2030 - Overall Color & Picture Quality - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector: Performance, HDTV and Sports, including 3D11. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector – Image Quality 5 - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector: Bottom Line on HDTV Sports, and also 3D HDTV Content12. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector – Performance - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Brightness - Epson HC2030 Calibrated: User "best" mode, based on Natural mode = 1408 lumens - Effect of zoom on lumen output (Dynamic mode) - Home Cinema 2030 Eco-Mode vs. Full Power:13. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector – Performance 2 - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Pre-Calibration Color temp - Home Cinema 2030, Post Calibration, Best Mode (Natural) - Home Cinema 2030 Picture Modes - Epson Home Cinema 2030 3D Brightness - Subjective14. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector Performance – 3 - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Sharpness - Comparison images - Bottom Line Sharpness - Light Leakage - Image Noise - Audible Noise15. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector Calibration - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Color Temperature - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Basic Settings16. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector – Advanced Calibration Info - Color Management Settings (CMS) - CMS Calibration Notes - Calibration Charts (Before and After)17. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Post Calibration Grayscale: User Mode - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Post Calibration Grayscale: User Mode - Home Cinema 2030 RGB Settings18. Home Cinema 2030 and Home Cinema 2000 Competitors - Home Cinema 2030 and Home Cinema 2000 Competitors - Home Cinema 2030 vs. Optoma HD25-LV - Home Cinema 2030 vs. Epson Home Cinema 8350 - Home Cinema 2030 vs. Epson Home Cinema 302019. Home Cinema 2030 and Home Cinema 2000 Competitors – 2 - Home Cinema 2030 vs. BenQ W1070 and W1080ST - Epson Home Cinema 2000 vs. Acer H6510 and Viewsonic PJD7820HD - Home Cinema 2030 vs. Panasonic PT-AR100U20. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector Advanced Calibration - Color Management - CMS Calibration21. Home Cinema 2030 – Projector Screen Recommendations - HC2030 Projector Screen Recommendations22. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector – Warranty - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector - Warranty23. Epson Home Cinema 2030 – Review Summary - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector - The Bottom Line - The Very Bottom Line on the Home Cinema 2030 projector24. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector: Pros and Cons - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector: Pros and Cons - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector: Pros - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector: Cons25. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector Specifications Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector Review Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector Review 3