This new Epson 6030UB replaces last year's model with performance enhancements.
Greetings Projector fans! OK, I now have some real information about what's coming in for review over the next two weeks - a grand total of 5 projectors scheduled to arrive. Three have already shipped:
Arriving this week (probably today): Multiple Epson projectors
Arriving next week: New Optoma Gaming Projector and BenQ W1500 projector! Below, providing short descriptions of each (not as long as in the individual blogs previously posted).
Epson Pro Cinema 6030UB and Home Cinema 5030UB. As most of you know, these two are "almost"
identical, with the more expensive Pro Cinema 6030UB being sold only by local authorized and trained Epson dealers, while the Home Cinema 5030UB is available online. (Sorry no images this time, but hey, there are individual blogs on each of these -art)
The 5030UB is finished in off white with black and gray trim while the Pro Cinema 6030UB is finished in black/dark gray. And the 6030UB has more support for anamorphic lenses. Also while the Pro sells for a good bit more, it comes with a ceiling mount and a spare lamp, as well as the same two pair of 3D glasses that the Home Cinema 5030UB ships with.
Both projectors are upgrades of last year's models with a claimed almost doubling of contrast for better black level performance, as well as an improved dynamic iris and other evolutionary improvements (including the lens).
I have a Home Cinema 5020UB still here so I'll be able to comment on how much improvement there is, from side by side viewing.
NEXT and in some ways more interesting, is an "all new" Epson projector, the Pro Cinema 4030. Think of Epson's
Home Cinema 8350 and Pro Cinema 9350, (both are 2D only) that have been around a while. Epson didn't replace the Home Cinema 8350, but we get the new Pro Cinema 4030 as the 9350 replacement.
Epson's Pro Cinema 4030, adds a big jump in contrast - and we assume black level performance, adds 3D capabilities and moves into a the newer case design. The Pro Cinema 4030 will be sold only by Epson's local authorized (and trained) dealers, three year warranty of course (all Pro Cinema series offer at least 3 years) and 3 year replacement program.
BTW, the specs would have you believe that the Pro Cinema 4030 would rival the black level performance of the much older original UB projectors like the 1080UB and the 6500UB, and 8500UB. I'm not counting on that, but the 4030 will hopefully position itself in that regard at least half way to the UB's from the Pro Cinema 9350 or the Home Cinema 3020 projectors.
And that's not all.
NEXT: Optoma's new GT760 gaming and home entertainment projector. As you might guess from the 7 in their model name, this is a 720p HD projector. The low cost and lower than full HD resolution seems to be a combination that has worked very well for serious, and not so serious gamers. I say this due to the popularity of Optoma's gaming projector lineup. Expect really low input lag times, and excellent value. BTW the Optoma GT760 should be selling in the mid-$600 range.
Finally, also arriving next week is BenQ's W1500 their relatively new projector with built in wireless HDMI. I haven't really looked at the spreadsheet, but it should be most similar to the BenQ W1070 if I recall correctly. (Don't quote me on that!)
OK, I'm going to be a busy person the next four weeks. It's that time of year where I have to ramp up my pace and turn out a new review at least one every 10 days... Stay tuned. The first projectors should be arriving today. -art
