Epson Home Cinema 5020 Special Features

Home Cinema 5020e WirelessHD

HC5020 Projector: 3D

Better than last year.  As I blogged – 3D is significantly approved with the the HC5020 UB and its siblings, compared to the older 5010 projectors.

How is it improved?  Let me count the ways:

1. Black levels drastically improved in 3D, thanks to the Home Cinema 5020 UB’s dynamic iris, which now works when in 3D (assuming you want it to).  Last year’s model did not allow the iris to be usable in 3D.  I really wasn’t happy with that, and complained to all who would listen (including Epson).  As I said at the time, why deny users the choice?  Considering that 3D is darker to begin with than 2D, last year, Epson wouldn’t let you use the iris in 3D.
2. New, lighter (and brighter) glasses, which are pretty comfortable, when on the head of a large headed, glasses wearing, reviewer
3. Glasses are now RF (radio frequency – no line of sight required) not IR.   They don’t drop the sync if you look away briefly, or
4. Overall a rather noticeable increase in brightness, thanks to the new glasses?, plus “who know’s what” other technologies inside the projector.

HC5020 Gaming Abilities

Lag times coming soon. Epson has indicated that this projector would have sub-50ms lag times.  Last year they were around 80. Generally under 50ms is acceptable to most serious players of fast games such as first person shooters.  I had the opportunity to measure lag times using the same timer that my two gaming bloggers use.  These are based on using the timer on my MacBook Pro, feeding the projector via a high quality HDMI cable (8-10 feet).   In multiple photos (about a dozen) of the two timers (on the projected image and the laptop screen, almost all cases it measured a 50 ms lag difference, the three cases where it did not, the projector measured 48, 49, and 49.  I think at least relative to the MacBook 50 ms should be the number. The 5020UB is on the way now, to one of my gamers, for a more indepth look at gaming on the HC5020 UB.

HC5020 Creative Frame Interpolation

The Home Cinema 5020 has CFI. It seems like previous CFI’s on the older UB projectors, which is to say, even the Low setting is too much for most movies, at least for any purist. It does its job nicely for sports viewing. My daughter understands the difference, and can easily spot CFI, but doesn’t seem to really mind a good CFI on a movie. For us purists and enthusiasts, though most of us will prefer OFF for movies.  In 3D, as was the case last year, CFI is disabled.