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9-13-07 - Art Feierman
Slated for December shipment, the new Pro Cinema 1080 UB looked great at CEDIA. Sporting the latest D7 C2Fine 
LCD panels and a dynamic iris system, this new top of the line projector from Epson claims an unprecedented best contrast ratio of up to 50,000:1.
But forget about specs, the new LCD panels seem to move the performance of the UB "UltraBlack" black levels up a level of performance. I can't wait to get one in to see how it really performs. The Home Cinema UB is also slightly brighter than the already bright, standard version of the Home Cinema 1080.
The Pro Cinema 1080 UB is ISF certified, which means it meets ISF standards, and has ISF Day and ISF Night programmable modes, for their professional calibrators, to optimize for your room, screen, and other gear.
Epson's distribution strategy will be focused on local CEDIA dealers. I expect there will be the usual handful of online resellers that can also market the Pro Cinema UB.
MSRP: $4999.00
Technology: 3LCD
Resolution: 1080p (1920x1080)
Brightness: 1600 lumens
Contrast: Up to 50,000:1
HDMI Support: 1.3 (2 inputs)
Lens: 2:1 zoom will fill 100"
Lens Shift: Vertical and horizontal, allows placement of projector anywhere from above screen top, to below screen bottom
Noise levels: 24 db in low power mode
With the improvement in image quality, it will be interesting to see how the full featured, and flexible to install Epson UB will match up against the better DLP and LCOS projectors. Stay tuned for the review.
Below is the full Epson Press Release for the Pro Cinema 1080 UB
Review continues below this advertisement.
New Epson PowerLite® Pro Cinema 1080 UB Takes Advantage of a New 3LCD Chip Technology – D7 with C2Fine™ – to Achieve UltraBlack™ Contrast for Superior Output
DENVER, Colo. – Sept. 6, 2007 – Epson, the number-one selling projector brand worldwide1 continues to drive innovation in the home theater industry with a new high-end projector that delivers true 1080p (1,920 x 1,080 pixels) resolution and contrast ratios measuring up to 50,000:1. Incorporating the latest 3LCD optical engine – the D7 chip set with C²Fine and new UltraBlack technology, this professional home theater projector is designed to deliver the industry’s best image quality yet for projectors in the sub-$5,000 price category.
Today at CEDIA Expo 2007, Epson America unveiled its first home theater projector to take advantage of these engineering breakthroughs with the Epson PowerLite Pro Cinema 1080 UB. This new flagship model is built upon the new D7 chip set with C²Fine, a new inorganic substrate that uses 12-bit video processing and a new polarizing light filter. With this new technology, the Pro Cinema 1080 UB can deliver incredible blacks with excellent tone response in addition to elevating contrast ratios to much higher levels than previous models. Furthermore, by achieving brightness levels as high as 1,600 ANSI lumens, the new Pro Cinema 1080 UB is even well-suited for rooms where ambient light can’t always be eliminated.
The Epson PowerLite Pro Cinema 1080 UB will be available in December through authorized CEDIA dealers; pricing will be announced at that time.
“Beyond offering the best 1080p image quality the market has seen in this price category, our engineers have also discovered numerous ways to incorporate other unique features and control options that enhance the installation, setup and calibration process,” said Mike Isgrig, director of multimedia projection products, Epson America. “We’re certain that most of today’s professional home theater installers will appreciate these enhancements, but we also expect the incredible performance to satisfy the needs of today’s most discriminating home theater customers.”
The Epson PowerLite Pro Cinema 1080 UB is ISF™-certified, ensuring it meets the home theater industry’s highest standards for video fidelity and calibration. Other key features and benefits include:
**Two HDMI 1.3 inputs provide connectivity for high definition video formats including “future-ready” x.v.Color™ with extended color gamut
**Lens shift (96-degree vertical, and 47-degree horizontal) makes the projector more adaptable to a wide range of room configurations that may require special setup angles
**Epson’s exclusive OptiCinema™ lens system takes advantage of 14 lenses, including two aspherical lenses, to maintain superior picture integrity across the entire image from corner to corner with zoom ratio of 1:2.1
**Six axis color adjustment, including new brightness control
**Quieter operation; runs as low as 24 db
**Epson E-TORL™ Lamp engineered to project light more efficiently to maximize brightness, uniformity across the entire screen and lamp life
**Stylish pearlescent black finish
**Spare lamp and ceiling mount included
**Three-year limited warranty
About 3LCD Technology
3LCD is the world’s leading projection technology, delivering unbelievable color, amazing detail and road-tested reliability. Using an advanced 3-chip design, 3LCD offers full-time RGB for brilliant quality images without the possibility of color break-up. 3LCD is based on LCD technology, which is used by leading manufacturers worldwide for the ultimate viewing experience in a variety of products. For the latest list of companies using 3LCD technology in projectors and large screen TVs, visit the 3LCD website at http://www.3LCD.com.
About Epson America Inc.
Epson offers an extensive array of award-winning image capture and image output products for the consumer, business, photography, and graphic arts markets. The company is also a leading supplier of value-added point-of-sale (POS) printers and transaction terminals for the retail market. Founded in 1975, Epson America Inc. is the U.S. affiliate of Japan-based Seiko Epson Corporation, a global manufacturer and supplier of high-quality technology products that meet customer demands for increased functionality, compactness, systems integration and energy efficiency. Epson America Inc. is headquartered in Long Beach, Calif.
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Note: Epson and PowerLite are registered trademarks of Seiko Epson Corporation. Epson is a registered trademark and E-TORL is a trademark of Seiko Epson Corporation. C2Fine, UltraBlack, and OptiCinema are trademarks of Epson America, Inc. All other product and brand names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective companies. Epson disclaims any and all rights in these marks.
[1] Based upon Q2 2007 worldwide front projection market share estimates from Pacific Media Associates.
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