Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector – Performance Posted on August 30, 2013 By Art Feierman 1. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector Review - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector Overview - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector: Highlights2. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector Review2 - Home Cinema 2030 3D Capabilities: - Positioning of the Epson Home Cinema 2030 and Home Cinema 2000 projectors - Back to the Home Cinema 2030 projector:3. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector Review 3 - Home Cinema 2030: Built in Sound, with Audio Out Feature - Home Cinema 2030 Lag Times - Gamers start your consoles! - Roku Compatibility - Epson Home Cinema 2030 and 2000: "Smart" Home Projectors - Home Cinema 2030 Energy Efficiency and Green 4. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector Review 4 - Home Cinema 2030 Projector 3D - Home Cinema 2030 USB Slideshow - Home Cinema 2030 Projector: Dynamic Iris - Home Cinema 2030 Lamp Life - Image Slide - Image Adjustment - 1.2:1 Zoom Lens5. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector – Physical Tour - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector - Appearance - Home Cinema 2030 Control Panel - Home Cinema 2030 Projector - Input/Output - Home Cinema 2030 Menus6. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector – Physical Tour2 - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Remote Control - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Lens Throw - Lens Shift - Anamorphic Lens - Wide Screen?7. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector – Image Quality - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Out of the Box Picture Quality - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector - Flesh Tones8. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector – Image Quality 2 - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Black Levels & Shadow Detail9. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector – Image Quality 3 - Black Level and Shadow Detail Performance: Home Cinema 2030 Projector - Bottom Line10. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector – Image Quality 4 - Epson Home Cinema 2030 - Overall Color & Picture Quality - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector: Performance, HDTV and Sports, including 3D11. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector – Image Quality 5 - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector: Bottom Line on HDTV Sports, and also 3D HDTV Content12. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector – Performance - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Brightness - Epson HC2030 Calibrated: User "best" mode, based on Natural mode = 1408 lumens - Effect of zoom on lumen output (Dynamic mode) - Home Cinema 2030 Eco-Mode vs. Full Power:13. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector – Performance 2 - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Pre-Calibration Color temp - Home Cinema 2030, Post Calibration, Best Mode (Natural) - Home Cinema 2030 Picture Modes - Epson Home Cinema 2030 3D Brightness - Subjective14. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector Performance – 3 - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Sharpness - Comparison images - Bottom Line Sharpness - Light Leakage - Image Noise - Audible Noise15. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector Calibration - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Color Temperature - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Basic Settings16. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector – Advanced Calibration Info - Color Management Settings (CMS) - CMS Calibration Notes - Calibration Charts (Before and After)17. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Post Calibration Grayscale: User Mode - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Post Calibration Grayscale: User Mode - Home Cinema 2030 RGB Settings18. Home Cinema 2030 and Home Cinema 2000 Competitors - Home Cinema 2030 and Home Cinema 2000 Competitors - Home Cinema 2030 vs. Optoma HD25-LV - Home Cinema 2030 vs. Epson Home Cinema 8350 - Home Cinema 2030 vs. Epson Home Cinema 302019. Home Cinema 2030 and Home Cinema 2000 Competitors – 2 - Home Cinema 2030 vs. BenQ W1070 and W1080ST - Epson Home Cinema 2000 vs. Acer H6510 and Viewsonic PJD7820HD - Home Cinema 2030 vs. Panasonic PT-AR100U20. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector Advanced Calibration - Color Management - CMS Calibration21. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector – Warranty - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector - Warranty22. Home Cinema 2030 – Projector Screen Recommendations - HC2030 Projector Screen Recommendations23. Epson Home Cinema 2030 – Review Summary - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector - The Bottom Line - The Very Bottom Line on the Home Cinema 2030 projector24. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector: Pros and Cons - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector: Pros and Cons - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector: Pros - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector: Cons25. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector Specifications We discuss the Epson Home Cinema 2030 projector’s brightness in its multiple modes of 2D, and provide our subjective assessment of its 3D brightness. You will find images showing the differences in brightness (and color) between the 2D modes. Below that, we consider the Home Cinema 2030’s sharpness, image noise, audible noise. Epson Home Cinema 2030 BrightnessThe Epson Home Cinema 2030 is easily described as a “light canon.” Interestingly, the HC2030 measured almost exactly as bright as the $600 more expensive Home Cinema 3020, that’s despite the 3020 being rated 2300 lumens vs. 2000 for the HC2030. To make things even more “interesting”, this HC2030 is an engineering sample, and those typically measure less than full production projectors, often around 10% less bright. We won’t know for sure though, until Epson follows up with a full production version for me to verify, in a couple of months. Consider therefore, that the HC2030 and the slightly less bright HC2000 are about as bright as home projectors get, and therefore suitable in “normal” rooms that lack the lighting control (and typically the dark surfaces) one expects to have in a dedicated home theater. As a result, it has to be one of the best affordable choices anywhere near the price range. 3D brightness is discussed a bit further down. Lumen Output at various modes at 100 IRE Mode Output Dynamic 1999 @ 7588 Living Room= 1669 @ 8947 Natural 1425 @ 7063 Cinema 1373 @ 7675 Those numbers are all “right out of the box”, without any adjustments, to settings like contrast, which can affect overall brightness. They are also taken with the zoom at mid-range. However, due to the limited zoom range typical of projectors in this price range, even at full wide angle, we only found an extra 37 lumens. (Not enough to even notice.) Epson HC2030 Calibrated: User "best" mode, based on Natural mode = 1408 lumensThat’s interesting, because it makes the HC2030 slightly brighter (46 lumens) than the HC3020 (and again, this is a sample). Effect of zoom on lumen output (Dynamic mode) Effect of Zoom on Lumen Output (Dynamic Mode) Zoom Effect Lumen Output Zoom out (wide) 2036 Mid-zoom 1999 Zoom in (tele) 1943 As you can see, where you position the projector in terms of the zoom lens, has so little effect (less than 5%) as to be of no importance at all. Home Cinema 2030 Eco-Mode vs. Full Power: Using Cinema mode Full Power 1373 lumens Low (eco) Power 887 lumens It doesn’t really matter which mode Mike measures – the percentage drop between full power and eco mode should remain the same (give or take measuring error). That’s a drop of almost exactly 35%, which is about the same drop on the more expensive HC3020. 1. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector Review - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector Overview - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector: Highlights2. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector Review2 - Home Cinema 2030 3D Capabilities: - Positioning of the Epson Home Cinema 2030 and Home Cinema 2000 projectors - Back to the Home Cinema 2030 projector:3. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector Review 3 - Home Cinema 2030: Built in Sound, with Audio Out Feature - Home Cinema 2030 Lag Times - Gamers start your consoles! - Roku Compatibility - Epson Home Cinema 2030 and 2000: "Smart" Home Projectors - Home Cinema 2030 Energy Efficiency and Green 4. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector Review 4 - Home Cinema 2030 Projector 3D - Home Cinema 2030 USB Slideshow - Home Cinema 2030 Projector: Dynamic Iris - Home Cinema 2030 Lamp Life - Image Slide - Image Adjustment - 1.2:1 Zoom Lens5. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector – Physical Tour - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector - Appearance - Home Cinema 2030 Control Panel - Home Cinema 2030 Projector - Input/Output - Home Cinema 2030 Menus6. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector – Physical Tour2 - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Remote Control - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Lens Throw - Lens Shift - Anamorphic Lens - Wide Screen?7. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector – Image Quality - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Out of the Box Picture Quality - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector - Flesh Tones8. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector – Image Quality 2 - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Black Levels & Shadow Detail9. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector – Image Quality 3 - Black Level and Shadow Detail Performance: Home Cinema 2030 Projector - Bottom Line10. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector – Image Quality 4 - Epson Home Cinema 2030 - Overall Color & Picture Quality - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector: Performance, HDTV and Sports, including 3D11. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector – Image Quality 5 - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector: Bottom Line on HDTV Sports, and also 3D HDTV Content12. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector – Performance - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Brightness - Epson HC2030 Calibrated: User "best" mode, based on Natural mode = 1408 lumens - Effect of zoom on lumen output (Dynamic mode) - Home Cinema 2030 Eco-Mode vs. Full Power:13. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector – Performance 2 - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Pre-Calibration Color temp - Home Cinema 2030, Post Calibration, Best Mode (Natural) - Home Cinema 2030 Picture Modes - Epson Home Cinema 2030 3D Brightness - Subjective14. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector Performance – 3 - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Sharpness - Comparison images - Bottom Line Sharpness - Light Leakage - Image Noise - Audible Noise15. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector Calibration - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Color Temperature - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Basic Settings16. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector – Advanced Calibration Info - Color Management Settings (CMS) - CMS Calibration Notes - Calibration Charts (Before and After)17. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Post Calibration Grayscale: User Mode - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Post Calibration Grayscale: User Mode - Home Cinema 2030 RGB Settings18. Home Cinema 2030 and Home Cinema 2000 Competitors - Home Cinema 2030 and Home Cinema 2000 Competitors - Home Cinema 2030 vs. Optoma HD25-LV - Home Cinema 2030 vs. Epson Home Cinema 8350 - Home Cinema 2030 vs. Epson Home Cinema 302019. Home Cinema 2030 and Home Cinema 2000 Competitors – 2 - Home Cinema 2030 vs. BenQ W1070 and W1080ST - Epson Home Cinema 2000 vs. Acer H6510 and Viewsonic PJD7820HD - Home Cinema 2030 vs. Panasonic PT-AR100U20. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector Advanced Calibration - Color Management - CMS Calibration21. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector – Warranty - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector - Warranty22. Home Cinema 2030 – Projector Screen Recommendations - HC2030 Projector Screen Recommendations23. Epson Home Cinema 2030 – Review Summary - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector - The Bottom Line - The Very Bottom Line on the Home Cinema 2030 projector24. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector: Pros and Cons - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector: Pros and Cons - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector: Pros - Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector: Cons25. Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector Specifications Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector – Image Quality 5 Epson Home Cinema 2030 Projector – Performance 2