Epson Pro L1755UNL Laser Projector Review- Summary

Epson Pro L1755UNL Laser Projector Review – Summary: Highlights, Value Proposition, Pros & Cons

The Epson Pro L1755UHL is near the top of the Epson’s L series laser projector lineup. It offers 15,000 color, and white lumens. Epson offers two more expensive “flagship” laser projectors but they are in a bit of a different class, weighing in at over 100 pounds (double the weight of this model) and larger by comparison, not to mention they are retailing for around $100K. This unit retails for $33,000 without a lens (UNL designation).

While the unit does not ship with a lens, it is compatible with 9 different Epson  motorized lenses including a short throw option. This gives you a total throw range of .35 all the way to 7.41 so there should be a solution for nearly every application.

This Epson projector is  loaded with features, it is compatible with 4K content and you can utilize its pixel shifting ability to produce a sharp, detailed picture. Since it includes several features to enhance its flexibility in large venue applications like edge blending, projection mapping, portrait and off axis mounting, the ability to stack multiple projectors to increase brightness drastically, Lens Memory and more.  

Networking is the usual “advanced” variety, with support for protocols from Crestron, AMX, Control4, Extron and more and all the capabilities which that implies (including messaging, remote broadcasting, scheduling, monitoring, etc.). Let’s not forget the Auto-Calibrate feature, which can be a wonderful ability especially in edge blending environments, but anytime color accuracy is highly critical.

There are a lot of high brightness laser projectors out there today, from the likes of Christie, Barco, Sony, NEC, Panasonic, Digital Projection and a few others. Most, except for the high-brightness Sony laser projectors which can be expensive, are not true 4K models. Most can’t accept 4K commercial (copy protected) content or offer pixel shifting to take advantage of that content to deliver a more detailed, and sharper image than a standard WUXGA projector. 

The short version, Epson vs. Direct Competition – other 2K Laser Projectors

• The Pro L1755UNL is much brighter than similarly priced competitors (which are all DLP projectors)
• It can handle 4K copy protected content (HDCP 2.2) and utilize pixel shifting to enhance the detail and perceived sharpness compared to standard 2K projectors
• Its color brightness output (lumens) equals its white lumens output to provide for better color reproduction (unlike single chip DLP projectors)
• While the L1755UNL does not ship with a lens, it is compatible with 9 motorized lenses including a short throw option

While most of the competitors do offer things like edge blending, it’s the Pro L1755UNL brightness capability and its ability to handle 4K content (including HDMI 2.0, HDCP 2.2) that sets it apart from the vast majority of WUXGA laser projectors. 

It is true that the Pro L1755UNL can’t match the ultimate sharpness and detail of a true 4K projector but consider the pricing difference:  Sony’s GT280 is a 6000 lumen, $50,000 true 4K laser projector. There will be applications calling for true 4K projection, where a pixel shifter like the L1755UNL, just won’t be good enough. Once you exclude that small segment this pixel shifting Epson will provide more than enough detail and the image is definitely sharper than a standard 2K projector.

Epson has been expanding its line into the larger venue category, in addition to the lower cost, high volume projector market it has been in for the past several years. The Epson Pro L series laser projectors are not just impressive, and feature laden, but appear to be the price-performance leaders in their class. That said, Epson’s less expensive laser projectors will no doubt sell better than the Pro L1755UNL, especially since they start at $8,499 for 6000 lumens. Price and performance wise, it’s hard to argue with the Pro L1755UNL’s overall value proposition.

Epson Pro L1755UNL Cons

• No 3D capability
  • It can be used in a stacked solution, using two projectors with polarized filters
• No support for HDR (HDR10 or HLG) 
  • While most large venue projectors still don’t support HDR formats, the extra brightness could be used to enhance the color saturation and highlight detail found in high dynamic range content, or an external processor can handle HDR processing.
• Pixel shifting (2K or 4K content) can’t be combined with other desirable features like CFI, edge blending, projection mapping and mpeg noise reduction
• Black levels could be better still, despite the laser engine dimming with dynamic iris type action
  • In fairness, for most large venue applications the enhanced brightness would be consider a far bigger benefit than deeper black level
• Only one HDMI while there is also a DisplayPort and HDBaseT connections, additional HDMI inputs would make sense
• At a price of $33K, the $99 wireless module should be included