Projector Reviews
Advance projector search

Projector Overall Picture Quality

Posted on October 9, 2013 By Art Feierman

This really is, probably the real bottom line. The viewing experience on the Home Cinema 1080UB, once tuned, was truly excellent. The best way to put it, is that, compared to my more expensive JVC RS1, the Epson is more different, than better or worse. Since the Epson is close on black levels and equally close in shadow detail, both projectors produce striking, better than you are likely to ever see in a movie theater, picture quality. (Most of us can get our rooms darker than movie theaters are allowed to be, these days.)

The Epson really is a projector with a lot of “wow”. Colors are really eye-popping, and scenes have excellent depth and richness to them. I’m sometimes tempted to lower the color saturation a bit, (I already run it below the default levels), but on the other hand, the way I have it set, it just looks great!

Here are an assortment of general images – all kinds of scenes, and, finally, many normal, rather than very dark ones. All are from Blu-Ray hi-def discs, unless otherwise noted. Enjoy:

Viewing - HDTV

As soon as we start talking HDTV, the game changes. Now ambient light becomes an issue, because most people don’t want to watch TV, and especially sports, “in a cave”.

“For your consideration, here are a number of HDTV images, starting with football. In all cases, unitl noted, room lighting was daytime, afternoon (my side windows face south – the sun), with the motorized blackout shades mostly, or full down, and the usual light leakage, making the room one of low to moderate light – you could read a newspaper (shades fully down), but would almost certainly turn up the lighting if that was your plan. With the door shades partially open, you can easily read.“

Picture Quality - Bottom Line:

Fantastic! Certainly so, for one of the lower priced 1080p projectors. The Epson has it all, excellent black levels, and shadow detail, great looking skin tones, a very sharp image, and always, with well balanced overall picture quality. A handful of projectors can best the Epson in some of these areas, but really, so far, only the JVC RS2, seems to be a significant step up, thanks to it’s best in class black levels.

If I replaced my JVC RS1, with the Epson Home Cinema 1080UB, I’d hardly notice, if at all during normal viewing, only if I was “watching my equipment” instead of enjoying the content. That’s saying a lot!

Next is the General Performance page, which covers a lot of territory, from menus and remote control, to projector screen recommendations, brightness, measurements and adjustments.

Epson HC1080UB Home Theater Projector: Sharpness
Home Theater Projector Review – General Performance