Epson Powerlite Home Cinema 1080UB 3LCD 1080p Home Theater Projector - Review

At an MSRP of $2,999, the Epson Powerlite Home Cinema 1080UB 3LCD projector is an upgrade of its popular Home Cinema 1080. The main improvements are the addition of a second HDMI input and, more importantly, higher lumens output and better black level performance, which improves contrast and color saturation. With its native 1080p resolution and acceptable light output, the video quality is excellent. Flesh tones, overall color saturation, and contrast levels provide a very natural looking image, with none of the usual LCD artifacts, such as the screen door effect. For more details on the 1080UB, read further.

Epson Powerlite Home Cinema 1080UB features include:

1. 3-Chip LCD Video Projector with 1,600 Lumens of light output and 1920x1080 (1080p) Native Pixel Resolution.

2. Image size range: 40 to 200 inches - adds flexibility for both small and large screen sizes and room environments.

3. Native 16x9 Screen Aspect Ratio. The Home Cinema 1080UB can also accommodate standard 4x3 aspect ratio sources. The 16x9 aspect ratio is desirable for widescreen films and HD sources. The aspect ratio can be adjusted to 4x3 for projection of material shot in the 4x3 format.

4. 4000:1 Native Contrast Ratio. This contrast range provides the ability to view details in very dark scenes as well providing a more natural look and texture to all images. 170 Watt Lamp and 3000 Hour Lamp Life. This is consistent with projectors in this class.

5. HDMI, VGA, HD-Component, S-Video, and Composite Video inputs. Any standard video source, except RF sources, can be connected to this projector.

6. Compatible with input resolutions up to 1080p, including 1080p/24 (scaled to 1080p for screen display). NTSC/PAL Compatible.

7. Automatic video input Detection - Manual video input selection also available via remote control or buttons on projector.

8. OptiCinema™ lens assembly provides large images from short projector-screen distances.

9. Fan noise - 24 DB.

10. Ceiling and Table mount compatible. Wireless Remote Control. Easy to use owner's manual and quick startup guide.

For a closer look at the features, functions, and connections of the Epson Powerlite Home Cinema 1080UB, check out my Photo Gallery.

The Home Cinema 1080UB is easy to set up, even for the novice.

After setting up a screen (size of your choosing), position the unit at the optimal distance from the screen (your choosing). I chose to place the unit on a mobile cart to make this easier, but the Home Cinema 1080UB can be ceiling mounted with an accessory mount.

Starting up the projector is easy. First, plug in your source (such as a DVD, Blu-ray, or HD-DVD player) to the proper video input. Then, plug in the power and turn on the main power switch on the projectors rear panel. All you have to do now is turn on the single power button on the top of the projector or the remote control. When you see the Epson logo projected on your screen, you are set.

At this point, you can raise or lower the front of the projector using the adjustable feet, and you can also adjust the actual lens angle using the Lens Shift Controls on the top of the projector, near the lens. You can also use the Zoom the lens to get the image to fill the screen properly. After this, use the manual focus to sharpen your image.

When you turn on your source, the Home Cinema 1080UB will automatically search for the input that the source is using and project the image on to the screen. Besides the automatic input detection function, you can also select input you want via the remote or the projector's on-board selector buttons.

TIP: If you turn on your source before you turn on the Home Cinema 1080UB, it will make it easier for the projector to find it.

Additional components used in the review of the included:

1. Outlaw Audio Model 950 Preamp/Surround Processor paired with a Butler Audio 5150 5-channel power amplifier. Crown 2-channel amplifier used for Surround Back Channels.

2. DVD players included, Oppo Digital DV-981HD DVD/SACD/DVD-Audio Player (HDMI output 1080p/1080i/1080p upscaling).

3. Blu-ray Disc/HD-DVD Player used: LG BH100 Blu-ray/HD-DVD Combo player.

4. Loudspeakers used: Left, Center, and Main speakers were custom made with Electrovoice drivers, and two KLH powered subwoofers installed under the stage area of the projection room (see photo). Four wall mounted Klipsch S-2 Dipole Surrounds.

6. Connections between components were made with Accell, Cobalt, and AR Interconnect cables.

Software used included scenes from the following:

1. Blu-ray Discs used included: Blade Runner, Hairspray, Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix, Hostel, The Legend of Zorro, Ratatouille, Shakira-Oral Fixation Tour, and Thirty Days of Night.

2. HD-DVD Discs used included: Bourne Ultimatum, Casablanca, Charlie and Chocolate Factory, Hot Fuzz, King Kong, Phantom of the Opera, Serenity, and Transformers.

3. Pre-recorded standard DVDs used included scenes from the following: Hero, Kill Bill - Vol1/2, Kingdom of Heaven (Director's Cut), Master and Commander, Moulin Rouge, and The Cave.

4. The Silicon Optix HQV Benchmark DVD video test disc was also used for more precise video performance measurements.

Proceed to Page 2: Evaluation and Final Take