Epson Home Cinema 1080 and Pro Cinema 1080 Projector Reviews: Summary, Pros, Cons – 2

Posted on October 5, 2013 By Art Feierman

Epson Cinema 1080 Typical Capabilities

Sharpness is about average for 1080p projectors
Audible noise about average in low power lamp mode
Good shadow detail
Pixel structure – not as good as Panasonic PT-AE1000U or LCOS projectors (Sony and JVC), but good enough that pixels are not normally visible at normal seating distance
Relies on dynamic iris to enhance black levels – great on really dark images, but on scenes with a mix of dark and bright areas, only slightly better than average performance (of the 1080p projectors, all of which have at least very good black levels, overall)
Price/performance for the Pro Cinema 1080
No light leakage issues
Average lamp life
Average array of inputs

All in all, Epson provides a very good product, and backs both with great warranties, and, not forgetting Epson has a great reputation for supporting customers after the sale.

Epson Home Cinema 1080 and Pro Cinema 1080 Summary:

There is no question that the Home Cinema 1080 is an excellent value. It is not just the least expensive 1080p projector on the market (as of 4/07), but a better than average performer, despite the low, sub $3000 selling price.

The Pro Cinema 1080, although significantly more expensive, represents an equivalent value, if you are shopping for 1080p projectors from local, installation oriented home theater companies.

With the Home Cinema 1080’s sub $3000 selling price, 1080p projectors have just reached a new level of affordability. Perhaps more to the point, the Epson is not just 1080p resolution, but an impressive performer as well. It will pose a challenge for many, in that those looking to spend more like $2000, will now have to think hard about whether it makes sense for them to find a way to find the extra dollars and go for a really nice 1080p projector.

The final word, is simply this. Between the three low cost LCD 1080p projectors, and taking price into consideration, I would have to pick the Epson as my first choice. I realize that the Panasonic and Mitsubishi each have some strengths that the Epson can’t match, but Epson has more than enough of their own strengths to make it a great choice.