Epson Home Cinema 5020 UB – Review Summary 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 Time to wrap everything up. For those of you who have gone though all the previous pages, this could be a good bit redundant, but then we know that the first page and the summary are the most read. (Yes, not everyone reads every word I write – alas!) Epson Home Cinema 5020 Projector - The Bottom Line Big picture time. Although the Home Cinema 5020 UB is essentially an updated version of the older HC5010, the combination of small improvements, much to my surprise, adds up to a much improved projector. What I’m actually saying, is that when someone asks me: “Should I buy the older 5010 (assuming they are still available), or is the HC5020UB worth spending more?” The answer, in my humble opinion, is: You will definitely get your money’s worth with the Home Cinema 5020. There are small improvements that really add up, in many areas, and a much bigger improvement in terms of 3D! Epson HC5020 3D, Overall: I’m starting here, because considering 3D considers all the individual topics such as brightness, color… 3D is better, much better than last year. Dramatically better. I viewed the HC5010 vs. the HC5020, and no contest! Home Cinema 5020 3D brightness is improved, noticeably. That’s not so much the projector’s native brightness but improvements in 3D handling and new glasses. Home Cinema 5020 Color in 3D. Again, improved by virtue of the addition of the THX 3D mode. OK it’s not near as bright as 3D dynamic, but if you can deal with the lower brightness, we’re looking at some very respectable color, something that has been a real problem with 3D projectors. What really makes the Epson Home Cinema 5020 UB better in terms of 3D, though, (besides brightness and color), is drastically better black level performance. This year Epson has allowed dynamic features – most importantly, the dynamic iris, to function in 3D. It really makes the blacks as close to black as you could hope for in 3D. In summary, in terms of 3D: Better color, brighter, and dramatically better blacks! Not bad for a projector we expected to have only minor improvements over last years. You are definitely getting your money’s worth in 3D. I should also point out, that this is by far the brightest projector we’ve seen in 3D (for the home). While the Panasonic has similar brightness in 2D, due to glasses, or other aspects, the Epson is significantly brighter in 3D. Speaking of glasses, this year they are much lighter, more comfortable, and, they are rechargeable, rather than battery. And they are RF, not infra-red. When you look over to your friend, you won’t lose the sync, and have to wait a fraction of a second for it to return when you look back to the screen. That’s a very nice touch, that makes the projector “more invisible” that is, less intrusive during your viewing experience, which, in this case, is the best yet, in 3D, when you combine all the elements. 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 Projector – Warranty Epson Home Cinema 5020 UB – Review Summary 2