Epson Home Cinema 5030UB Projector Review – Performance 3 Posted on November 6, 2013 By Art Feierman 1. Epson Home Cinema 5030 UB Home Theater Projector Review - Projector Overview - The HC5030UB Earns Hot Product Award - Highlights2. Epson Home Cinema 5030UB Calibration & Settings - Calibration & Settings - Color Temperature - Basic Settings - Greyscale Calibration based on THX Mode, placed in User Memory 1 - RGB Settings3. Epson Home Cinema 5030UB Advanced Calibration Information - About this Calibration Information - Settings for measurements (default values are in parenthesis) - Lumen Output - Color Temp over IRE Range (Pre calibration, best mode) - Calibration Settings - Calibrated color temps, 20 – 100 IRE - Color Management Settings - Calibration Charts (Before and After) - Notes4. Epson Home Cinema 5030UB Warranty - Warranty5. Epson Home Cinema 5030UB Summary 1 - The Bottom Line - Brightness - 3D Brightness6. Epson Home Cinema 5030UB Summary 2 - Picture Quality - Room Options - The Epson Home Cinema 5030 UB in a Family room, Living room, Media Room - The Epson Home Cinema 5030 UB in a Dedicated Home Theater7. Epson Home Cinema 5030UB Pros & Cons - The Very Bottom Line - Pros - Cons8. Epson Home Cinema 5030UB Projector Review – Special Features - Dynamic Iris - WirelessHD - Creative Frame Interpolation (CFI) - HDMI-Link - Epson's Upgraded Fujinon 2.1:1 zoom lens - Lamp Life - Picture in Picture - Super-Resolution9. Epson Home Cinema 5030UB Projector Review – Hardware 1 - Appearance - Control Panel - Input/Output10. Epson Home Cinema 5030UB Projector Review – Hardware 2 - Menus - Remote Control - Lens Throw - Lens Shift - Anamorphic Lens: Wide Screen11. Epson Home Cinema 5030U Projector Review – Picture Quality - Out of the Box Picture Quality - Skin Tones - Skin Tones (Before & After Recalibration) - Black Levels & Shadow Detail - Black Levels Comparison - Black Levels Commentary12. Epson Home Cinema 5030UB Projector Review – Picture Quality 2 - Epson Home Cinema 5030UB: Shadow Detail Performance - Epson Home Cinema 5030UB: Comparing Shadow Detail - Epson Home Cinema 5030UB: Bottom Line Black Level & Shadow Detail Performance - Epson Home Cinema 5030 UB: Overall Color & Picture Quality - Epson Home Cinema 5030 UB: Performance, HDTV and Sports, including 3D - Epson Home Cinema 5030 UB: Bottom Line on HDTV Sports, and also 3D HDTV content13. Epson Home Cinema 5030UB Projector Review – Performance 1 - Brightness - Brightness and Color Temp, by Mode - Post Calibration - Best Mode - Quick-Cal: Brightest Mode = Dynamic 1487 lumens - Effect of zoom on lumen output (Dynamic mode) - Eco-Mode vs. Full Power14. Epson Home Cinema 5030UB Projector Review – Performance 2 - Lumen Output (Eco Lamp, Dynamic): 1159 - Pre-Calibration Color temp: THX - Post Calibration, Best Mode User 1 (based on THX) - 3D Brightness15. Epson Home Cinema 5030UB Projector Review – Performance 3 - Sharpness - Bottom Line Sharpness - Light Leakage - Image Noise - Audible Noise16. Epson Home Cinema 5030UB Projector Review – Screens - Screen Recommendations - Projector Screen: Cave / Home Theater - Projector Screen: Family Room - Media Room - Living Room - 3D And Choosing a Projector Screen17. Epson Home Cinema 5030UB Projector Review – Competitors 1 - Epson Home Cinema 5030 UB vs. Panasonic PT-AE8000U - Side by side Comparison Images: HC5020 UB, not HC5030 UB, vs. PT-AE8000U - Epson Home Cinema 5030 UB vs. Optoma HD830018. Epson Home Cinema 5030UB Projector Review – Competitors 2 - Epson Home Cinema 5030 UB vs. Sharp XV-Z30000 - Epson Home Cinema 5030 UB vs. Epson Home Cinema 3020 - Epson Home Cinema 5030 UB vs. Epson Home Cinema 5020UB19. Epson Home Cinema 5030 UB Home Theater Projector Review Specifications Epson Home Cinema 5030UB Projector Review – Performance 3: Sharpness, Bottom Line Sharpness, Light Leakage, Image Noise, Audible Noise SharpnessIn viewing the Home Cinema 5030 UB along side a 5020 UB, I could not detect any visible difference in sharpness. I would certainly say differences from projector to projector in terms of the panel alignment would result in more difference. Sharpness Comparison Images Epson Home Cinema 5020UB Sharp XV-Z3000 Panasonic PT-AE8000 Sony VPL-HW50ES Optoma HD8300 JVC DLA-RS45 Bottom Line SharpnessVery good sharpness. For sports and general HDTV, if you prefer, crank up the Super-Resolution feature. This “detail enhancement system really does make the image look noticeably sharper. It’s great if you aren’t viewing critically, as you might watching a movie. I find the 2 setting to almost always be acceptable. A setting of 3 adds a notch to perceived sharpness, but does offer some artifacting such as some obvious contrast enhancement of edges. Again, great on sports, but over the top on a close-up of a face. Naturally as a 3 panel device not as purely sharp as a well designed single chip DLP projector, but overall, people will consider this Epson’s image to be very sharp. Next stop – true 4K in a couple of years. That’s where you’ll get a real change. Light LeakageThe vents of the Home Cinema 5030UB do not leak any light. You can barely spot a glow looking into the vents. Looking around the image for light leakage from the lens finds minor amounts that will never be an issue.) Image NoiseOnce again, the Epson UB has no particular image noise issues. Slow panning is less distracting than on some competitors. Background mosquito noise is less noticeable than on typical DLP projectors, and not a problem, although Super-Resolution when cranked up does make that noise more visible. Audible NoiseOnce again, like the 5010 UB and 5020 UB that proceeded, the Home Cinema 5030 UB is definitely a bit onthe noisy side when running at full lamp power. Epson claims 32 db, not a number to be particularly proud about, but, it doesn’t seem to be that much of an issue, as the pitch is farily low, no whining. There is a low rumbly sound from the dynamic iris. If you hear the iris rumble in your setup (enough to notice when not listening to hear it), try some spacers between the feet and table, or adding spacers to your ceiling mount. I find from talking with folks that often when people are complaining it’s because the table or mount is vibrating sympathetically. Acoustic dampeners or foam can solve that. The HC5030 UB projector’s overall audible noise level is pretty much just below most of the DLP projectors, and noisier than most other LCD based projectors and LCoS projectors. Persoally, based on hundreds of hours with UB projectors, I rarely notice it at full power. Mostly I notice it when I’m doing photo shoots, and I have the audio off. The Epson HC5030 UB at full power is definitely quieter than my Sony PS3’s fan. If you are one of the few who is especially audible noise adverse, note that the Epson claims 22db, which in reality, is very quiet. I don’t think anyone will have an issue with Eco-mode, not even the most noise sensitive. 1. Epson Home Cinema 5030 UB Home Theater Projector Review - Projector Overview - The HC5030UB Earns Hot Product Award - Highlights2. Epson Home Cinema 5030UB Calibration & Settings - Calibration & Settings - Color Temperature - Basic Settings - Greyscale Calibration based on THX Mode, placed in User Memory 1 - RGB Settings3. Epson Home Cinema 5030UB Advanced Calibration Information - About this Calibration Information - Settings for measurements (default values are in parenthesis) - Lumen Output - Color Temp over IRE Range (Pre calibration, best mode) - Calibration Settings - Calibrated color temps, 20 – 100 IRE - Color Management Settings - Calibration Charts (Before and After) - Notes4. Epson Home Cinema 5030UB Warranty - Warranty5. Epson Home Cinema 5030UB Summary 1 - The Bottom Line - Brightness - 3D Brightness6. Epson Home Cinema 5030UB Summary 2 - Picture Quality - Room Options - The Epson Home Cinema 5030 UB in a Family room, Living room, Media Room - The Epson Home Cinema 5030 UB in a Dedicated Home Theater7. Epson Home Cinema 5030UB Pros & Cons - The Very Bottom Line - Pros - Cons8. Epson Home Cinema 5030UB Projector Review – Special Features - Dynamic Iris - WirelessHD - Creative Frame Interpolation (CFI) - HDMI-Link - Epson's Upgraded Fujinon 2.1:1 zoom lens - Lamp Life - Picture in Picture - Super-Resolution9. Epson Home Cinema 5030UB Projector Review – Hardware 1 - Appearance - Control Panel - Input/Output10. Epson Home Cinema 5030UB Projector Review – Hardware 2 - Menus - Remote Control - Lens Throw - Lens Shift - Anamorphic Lens: Wide Screen11. Epson Home Cinema 5030U Projector Review – Picture Quality - Out of the Box Picture Quality - Skin Tones - Skin Tones (Before & After Recalibration) - Black Levels & Shadow Detail - Black Levels Comparison - Black Levels Commentary12. Epson Home Cinema 5030UB Projector Review – Picture Quality 2 - Epson Home Cinema 5030UB: Shadow Detail Performance - Epson Home Cinema 5030UB: Comparing Shadow Detail - Epson Home Cinema 5030UB: Bottom Line Black Level & Shadow Detail Performance - Epson Home Cinema 5030 UB: Overall Color & Picture Quality - Epson Home Cinema 5030 UB: Performance, HDTV and Sports, including 3D - Epson Home Cinema 5030 UB: Bottom Line on HDTV Sports, and also 3D HDTV content13. Epson Home Cinema 5030UB Projector Review – Performance 1 - Brightness - Brightness and Color Temp, by Mode - Post Calibration - Best Mode - Quick-Cal: Brightest Mode = Dynamic 1487 lumens - Effect of zoom on lumen output (Dynamic mode) - Eco-Mode vs. Full Power14. Epson Home Cinema 5030UB Projector Review – Performance 2 - Lumen Output (Eco Lamp, Dynamic): 1159 - Pre-Calibration Color temp: THX - Post Calibration, Best Mode User 1 (based on THX) - 3D Brightness15. Epson Home Cinema 5030UB Projector Review – Performance 3 - Sharpness - Bottom Line Sharpness - Light Leakage - Image Noise - Audible Noise16. Epson Home Cinema 5030UB Projector Review – Screens - Screen Recommendations - Projector Screen: Cave / Home Theater - Projector Screen: Family Room - Media Room - Living Room - 3D And Choosing a Projector Screen17. Epson Home Cinema 5030UB Projector Review – Competitors 1 - Epson Home Cinema 5030 UB vs. Panasonic PT-AE8000U - Side by side Comparison Images: HC5020 UB, not HC5030 UB, vs. PT-AE8000U - Epson Home Cinema 5030 UB vs. Optoma HD830018. Epson Home Cinema 5030UB Projector Review – Competitors 2 - Epson Home Cinema 5030 UB vs. Sharp XV-Z30000 - Epson Home Cinema 5030 UB vs. Epson Home Cinema 3020 - Epson Home Cinema 5030 UB vs. Epson Home Cinema 5020UB19. Epson Home Cinema 5030 UB Home Theater Projector Review Specifications Epson Home Cinema 5030UB Projector Review – Performance 2 Epson Home Cinema 5030UB Projector Review – Screens LnRiLWhlYWRpbmcuaGFzLWJhY2tncm91bmR7cGFkZGluZzowfQ==