Epson Home Cinema 5020 – Competitors 3 Posted on July 18, 2013 By Art Feierman 1. Epson Home Cinema 5020 UB Home Theater Projector Review - Epson Home Cinema 5020 Projector Highlights - Epson Home Cinema 5020 Projector Overview2. Epson Home Cinema 5020 Special Features - Epson Home Cinema 5020 Special Features - Home Cinema 5020e WirelessHD - HC5020 Projector: 3D - HC5020 Gaming Abilities - HC5020 Creative Frame Interpolation3. Epson Home Cinema 5020 Special Features 2 - HDMI-Link - Epson's Fujinon 2.1:1 zoom lens - HC5020UB Lamp Life - Picture In Picture - Other Dynamic Controls4. Epson Home Cinema 5020 UB Projector – Physical Tour - Epson Home Cinema 5020 UB Projector - Appearance - Home Cinema 5020 Control Panel - Home Cinema 5020 Projector - Input/Output5. Epson Home Cinema 5020 UB Projector – Physical Tour 2 - Home Cinema 5020 Menus - Epson Home Cinema 5020 Remote Control - Epson Home Cinema 5020 Lens Throw - Home Cinema 5020 Lens Shift - Anamorphic Lens - Wide Screen6. Epson Home Cinema 5020 Projector – Image Quality - Epson Home Cinema 5020 Out of the Box Picture Quality - Epson Home Cinema 5020 Projector - Flesh Tones7. Epson Home Cinema 5020 Projector – Image Quality 2 - Black Level and Shadow Detail Performance - Black Levels Comparison - Shadow Detail Performance - Shadow Detail Comparison - Black Level and Shadow Detail Performance: HC5020 Projector - Bottom Line8. Epson Home Cinema 5020 Projector – Image Quality 3 - Epson Home Cinema 5020 - Overall Color & Picture Quality9. Epson Home Cinema 5020 Projector – Image Quality 4 - Epson Home Cinema 5020 Projector: Performance, HDTV and Sports, including 3D - Epson Home Cinema 5020 Projector: Bottom Line on HDTV Sports, and also 3D HDTV content10. Epson Home Cinema 5020 Projector – Performance - Epson Home Cinema 5020 Brightness - Post Calibration: Best Mode - Quick-Cal: Brightest Mode = Dynamic 1706 lumens - Effect of zoom on lumen output (Dynamic mode):11. Epson Home Cinema 5020 Projector – Performance 2 - Home Cinema 5020 Eco-Mode vs. Full Power - HC5020 Lumen Output (Eco Lamp, Dynamic): 1357 - Epson Home Cinema 5020 Pre-Calibration Color temp: THX - Home Cinema 5020, Post Calibration, Best Mode User 1 (based on THX)12. Epson Home Cinema 5020 Projector – Performance 3 - Epson Home Cinema 5020 3D Brightness - Epson Home Cinema 5020 Sharpness13. Epson Home Cinema 5020 Projector – Performance 4 - Epson Home Cinema 5020: Bottom Line Sharpness - Light Leakage - Image Noise - Audible Noise14. Epson Home Cinema 5020 Projector Calibration and Settings - Epson Home Cinema 5020 Color Temperature - Epson Home Cinema 5020 Basic Settings15. Epson Home Cinema 5020e Projector – Advanced Calibration Information - Color Management Settings (CMS) - Calibration Charts (Before and After)16. Epson Home Cinema 5020 Projector Calibration and Settings 2 - HC5020 Greyscale Calibration based on THX Mode, placed in User Memory 1 - Epson HC5020 RGB Settings17. Epson Home Cinema 5020UB, 5020UBe – Projector Screens - Epson Home Cinema 5020UB Projector Screen Recommendations - Epson Home Cinema 5020UB - Projector Screen - Cave / Home Theater - Epson Home Cinema 5020UB - Projector Screen - Family Room18. Epson Home Cinema 5020UB, 5020UBe – Projector Screens 2 - 3D And Choosing a Projector Screen19. Epson Home Cinema 5020 – Competitors - Epson Home Cinema 5020 vs. Panasonic PT-AE8000 - Epson Home Cinema 5020 vs. Panasonic PT-AE800020. Epson Home Cinema 5020 – Competitors 2 - Epson Home Cinema 5020 vs. Optoma HD830021. Epson Home Cinema 5020 – Competitors 3 - Epson Home Cinema 5020 vs. Sony VPL-HW50ES22. Epson Home Cinema 5020 – Competitors 4 - Epson Home Cinema 5020 vs. Sharp XV-Z3000023. Epson Home Cinema 5020 – Competitors 5 - Epson Home Cinema 5020 UB vs. Epson Home Cinema 302024. Epson Home Cinema 5020 – Competitors 6 - Epson Home Cinema 5020 vs. Epson Home Cinema 501025. Epson Home Cinema 5020 Projector – Warranty26. Epson Home Cinema 5020 UB – Review Summary - Epson Home Cinema 5020 Projector - The Bottom Line27. Epson Home Cinema 5020 UB – Review Summary 2 - Epson HC5020UB Brightness - Picture Quality of the Epson Home Cinema 5020 - Home Cinema 5020 UB Competition - Will the Home Cinema 5020 work in your room?28. Epson Home Cinema 5020 UB – Review Summary 3 - The Very Bottom Line on the Home Cinema 5020 projector - Epson HC5020UB Pricing29. Epson Home Cinema 5020 UB – Review Summary 4 - Epson Home Cinema 5020 Projector: Pros and Cons - Epson Home Cinema 5020 Projector: Pros - Epson Home Cinema 5020 Projector: Cons30. Epson Home Cinema 5020UB Full Specifications Epson Home Cinema 5020 vs. Sony VPL-HW50ESAll new for 2012, this time the Epson has to take on what I consider to be the most improved “evolutionary” projector of the year, Sony’s HW50ES. I talk about it’s Reality Creation engine – for dynamic, and in this case, super-smart, detail enhancement. Sony with this projector has gone where no 2K projector has gone before. Not even their excellent $5995 VW95ES can touch the apparent detail of the HW50ES. True, Epson has Super-Resolution – it’s in the game, but Sony is far more effective. Sony’s raised the bar If you use Reality creation in modest doses (20-35 is about all I’ll use out of 100), it does produce what seems to be a sharper, crisper image. Sony has also closed the black level gap. If the Sony isn’t quite as good as the Epson, it’s so close that on some scenes it’s actually a bit better. They are close enough to call a tie. The Epson wins at placement flexibility, thanks to the 2.1:1 zoom vs. 1.6:1. Out of the box the Sony’s very good, the Epson slightly better. The Epson “shines” when it comes to brightness – in both 2D and 3D, but there is a critical exception: Calibrated the Sony’s 992 measured lumens leaves the Epson’s 678 in the rear view mirror. It’s when you need the most lumens – say for sports or TV with some lights on… that Epson’s a good 50% brighter, and that’s signfiicant. I could go on, but let me say it’s a very tough call between these two. Epson’s two year warranty has that 2 year replacement program I see as such a consumer friendly thing, but Sony offers a basic 3 years without “the frills”. What’s the Bottom line? I think it comes down to price. The Sony is technically $3999 compared to the Epson’s $2599, but the Sony does come with two pair of glasses and a spare lamp. To me that works out to about a $3400 value for the projector alone, $3600 with the glasses. That makes it exactly $1000 more expensive than the Epson. Is it worth it to you? Tough call. I could live with either. If I was counting my change to buy my next projector in this price range, I’d almost certainly pick the Epson due to the far lower price up front, and the far lower long term lamp costs (2000/3000 hours for Sony vs. 4000/5000 for the Epson). But, if someone was saying – Pick your next projector – you can have either one for the same price and we’ll keep you in free lamps, then I do believe I would have to pick the Sony VPL-HW50ES. Mind you, that’s the first time I’ve encountered another projector in the under $3500 range, in five plus years that I could say that about. In other words, by my take, the Sony costs more, and seems to be worth the extra $1000. Is it worth the extra $1000 – to some, yes, to others no, but both are excellent value propositions. You get your money’s worth with either. 1. Epson Home Cinema 5020 UB Home Theater Projector Review - Epson Home Cinema 5020 Projector Highlights - Epson Home Cinema 5020 Projector Overview2. Epson Home Cinema 5020 Special Features - Epson Home Cinema 5020 Special Features - Home Cinema 5020e WirelessHD - HC5020 Projector: 3D - HC5020 Gaming Abilities - HC5020 Creative Frame Interpolation3. Epson Home Cinema 5020 Special Features 2 - HDMI-Link - Epson's Fujinon 2.1:1 zoom lens - HC5020UB Lamp Life - Picture In Picture - Other Dynamic Controls4. Epson Home Cinema 5020 UB Projector – Physical Tour - Epson Home Cinema 5020 UB Projector - Appearance - Home Cinema 5020 Control Panel - Home Cinema 5020 Projector - Input/Output5. Epson Home Cinema 5020 UB Projector – Physical Tour 2 - Home Cinema 5020 Menus - Epson Home Cinema 5020 Remote Control - Epson Home Cinema 5020 Lens Throw - Home Cinema 5020 Lens Shift - Anamorphic Lens - Wide Screen6. Epson Home Cinema 5020 Projector – Image Quality - Epson Home Cinema 5020 Out of the Box Picture Quality - Epson Home Cinema 5020 Projector - Flesh Tones7. Epson Home Cinema 5020 Projector – Image Quality 2 - Black Level and Shadow Detail Performance - Black Levels Comparison - Shadow Detail Performance - Shadow Detail Comparison - Black Level and Shadow Detail Performance: HC5020 Projector - Bottom Line8. Epson Home Cinema 5020 Projector – Image Quality 3 - Epson Home Cinema 5020 - Overall Color & Picture Quality9. Epson Home Cinema 5020 Projector – Image Quality 4 - Epson Home Cinema 5020 Projector: Performance, HDTV and Sports, including 3D - Epson Home Cinema 5020 Projector: Bottom Line on HDTV Sports, and also 3D HDTV content10. Epson Home Cinema 5020 Projector – Performance - Epson Home Cinema 5020 Brightness - Post Calibration: Best Mode - Quick-Cal: Brightest Mode = Dynamic 1706 lumens - Effect of zoom on lumen output (Dynamic mode):11. Epson Home Cinema 5020 Projector – Performance 2 - Home Cinema 5020 Eco-Mode vs. Full Power - HC5020 Lumen Output (Eco Lamp, Dynamic): 1357 - Epson Home Cinema 5020 Pre-Calibration Color temp: THX - Home Cinema 5020, Post Calibration, Best Mode User 1 (based on THX)12. Epson Home Cinema 5020 Projector – Performance 3 - Epson Home Cinema 5020 3D Brightness - Epson Home Cinema 5020 Sharpness13. Epson Home Cinema 5020 Projector – Performance 4 - Epson Home Cinema 5020: Bottom Line Sharpness - Light Leakage - Image Noise - Audible Noise14. Epson Home Cinema 5020 Projector Calibration and Settings - Epson Home Cinema 5020 Color Temperature - Epson Home Cinema 5020 Basic Settings15. Epson Home Cinema 5020e Projector – Advanced Calibration Information - Color Management Settings (CMS) - Calibration Charts (Before and After)16. Epson Home Cinema 5020 Projector Calibration and Settings 2 - HC5020 Greyscale Calibration based on THX Mode, placed in User Memory 1 - Epson HC5020 RGB Settings17. Epson Home Cinema 5020UB, 5020UBe – Projector Screens - Epson Home Cinema 5020UB Projector Screen Recommendations - Epson Home Cinema 5020UB - Projector Screen - Cave / Home Theater - Epson Home Cinema 5020UB - Projector Screen - Family Room18. Epson Home Cinema 5020UB, 5020UBe – Projector Screens 2 - 3D And Choosing a Projector Screen19. Epson Home Cinema 5020 – Competitors - Epson Home Cinema 5020 vs. Panasonic PT-AE8000 - Epson Home Cinema 5020 vs. Panasonic PT-AE800020. Epson Home Cinema 5020 – Competitors 2 - Epson Home Cinema 5020 vs. Optoma HD830021. Epson Home Cinema 5020 – Competitors 3 - Epson Home Cinema 5020 vs. Sony VPL-HW50ES22. Epson Home Cinema 5020 – Competitors 4 - Epson Home Cinema 5020 vs. Sharp XV-Z3000023. Epson Home Cinema 5020 – Competitors 5 - Epson Home Cinema 5020 UB vs. Epson Home Cinema 302024. Epson Home Cinema 5020 – Competitors 6 - Epson Home Cinema 5020 vs. Epson Home Cinema 501025. Epson Home Cinema 5020 Projector – Warranty26. Epson Home Cinema 5020 UB – Review Summary - Epson Home Cinema 5020 Projector - The Bottom Line27. Epson Home Cinema 5020 UB – Review Summary 2 - Epson HC5020UB Brightness - Picture Quality of the Epson Home Cinema 5020 - Home Cinema 5020 UB Competition - Will the Home Cinema 5020 work in your room?28. Epson Home Cinema 5020 UB – Review Summary 3 - The Very Bottom Line on the Home Cinema 5020 projector - Epson HC5020UB Pricing29. Epson Home Cinema 5020 UB – Review Summary 4 - Epson Home Cinema 5020 Projector: Pros and Cons - Epson Home Cinema 5020 Projector: Pros - Epson Home Cinema 5020 Projector: Cons30. Epson Home Cinema 5020UB Full Specifications Epson Home Cinema 5020 – Competitors 2 Epson Home Cinema 5020 – Competitors 4