Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 5030UB Unboxing, Install & Review. Wear Sunglasses!
795Corrections - (1) The projector is 2400 Lumen not 2500 (2) LG CF-181D is not for poor people, I actually loved that projector!
Thanks to our favorite violent shopping day of the year (Black Friday) I was able to get a deal on this Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 5030UB HDTV projector through http://projectorpeople.com. This is my 3rd projector I've purchased from them because they have never given me any problems and have had great support. Before this projector I had an LG CF-181D which was a good projector at 1800 lumins and before that I had a Panasonic AX-100U. It blows my mind how much better these projectors get every couple of years. Well I was at the end of life on my second bulb in the LG CF-181D so I decided instead of going for a 3rd bulb I will just go for the latest and greatest technology since I'm a total technology whore.
I went with the Epson for a few reasons. I read reviews online and people generally loved the projector and it's THX certified. The 3D feature of the projector is more of a gimmick to me then anything since I don't like wearing glasses to watch a movie. But I found that 3D projectors seemed to have higher overall lumen output to compensate for the drop in brightness wearing the glasses which gave me what I was after anyways (MORE BRIGHT!).
All I can say after hooking up this projector is a big "WOW". I can honestly say that paired with my Screen Innovations Black Diamond 1.4 gain screen the picture looks as good (if not better) then a Samsung top end flat panel and the brightness is insane. This is the first projector I've owned that seems to produce flawless black (absense of light) which maintaining very bright colors. My old projector would have to raise the black level and produce gray to be able to get in the range of vivid colors. The contrast between the two is night and day. I'm sorry I didn't show this in the video but I was so excited I took the old projector down before taking some video of it. Just check out some of my old videos of it for comparison.
I hope you guys enjoy my unboxing, installation and review. I used Forza 5 and Battlefield 4 on XBOX one as my demo since they both look amazing. The video of the screen was shot with a Canon 5D Mark II at ISO 2000 and when I put the projector on Living Room it was actually over exposing the camera. The projector is a proper light canon for sure!
If you are thinking about getting a projector remember that getting the right screen is just as important if not more important then getting the right projector. If you have a painted wall and your projector is not going to reach it's potential so make sure you research screens. I've built quite a few DIY screens and I was pretty happy with them until I finally got the SI Black Diamond 1.4 and realized just how much I was missing out.
Specifications
Projection System: Epson 3LCD, 3-chip optical engine
Projection Method: Front / Rear / Ceiling mount
Product Color: White and Black
Driving Method: Epson Poly-silicon TFT Active Matrix, 0.74-inch wide panel with MLA
Projected Output: HD, 2D, 3D, 1080p
Pixel Number: 2,073,600 dots (1920 x 1080) x 3
Color Brightness (Color Light Ouput): 2400 lumens
White Brightness (White Light Output): 2400 lumens
Aspect Ratio:
Native 16:9 widescreen
Compatible with 4:3
Native Resolution: 1080p (1920 x 1080)
Resize: 16:10, 4:3
Lamp Type: E-TORL™ 230 W UHE
Lamp Life:
ECO mode: Up to 5000 hours2
Normal mode: Up to 4000 hours2
Throw Ratio Range: 1.34 -- 2.87
Size (projected distance): 30" -- 300"
Keystone Correction: Vertical: ±30 degrees (Manual)
Contrast Ratio: Up to 600,000:1
Color Reproduction: Full-color (1.07 billion colors)
Color Processing: Full 10 bit (Partial 12 bit)
Projection Lens
Type: Manual focus / Optical zoom
F-number: 2.3 -- 3.6
Focal Length: 22.5 mm -- 47.2 mm
Zoom Ratio: 1.0 -- 2.1
Lens Shift:
Vertical: ±96.3
Horizontal: ±47.1
Lens Cover: Powered, Slide Lens Shutter
Other
Display Performance: 1920 x 1080 native (1080p); HD, 2D, 3D, 2D to 3D conversion
Color Modes:
2D: Dynamic, Living room, Natural, THX, Cinema, B&W cinema
3D: Dynamic, Cinema, THX
Cinema Filter: Automatically adjusts to color mode;
(On: Natural/THX/Cinema/B&W Cinema;
Off: Dynamic/Living Room/3D Dynamic/3D Cinema/3D THX)
Auto Iris: Automatically adjusts to video source;
Off/On: High-speed or Normal, 2D and 3D mode
Super Resolution: 2D and 3D
Input Signal:
Composite: NTSC / NTSC4.43 / PAL / M-PAL / N-PAL / PAL60 / SECAM
Component: 480i / 576i / 480p / 576p / 720p / 1080i / 1080p
HDMI: TMDS
Terminal Inputs:
2 HDMI
1 RS-232c
1 RCA (composite)
3 RCA (component)
1 VGA D-sub 15 pin (computer input)
Terminal Outputs:
Trigger On/Off (3.5 mm stereo jack)
12 VDC 200 mA (max.)
Computer Compatibility: PC, Mac®
Operating Temperature: 41° to 95° F (5° to 35° C)
Power Supply Voltage: 100 -- 240 VAC ±10% , 50/60 Hz Email business inquiries to Barnacules@barnnerd.com