Epson Home Cinema 6100 – Review Summary Posted on October 10, 2013 By Art Feierman 1. Epson Home Cinema 6100 Projector Review - Home Cinema 6100 Projector Highlights - Epson Home Cinema 6100 Projector Overview2. Epson Home Cinema 6100 – Physical Tour - Epson Home Cinema 6100 Physical Appearance - Home Cinema 6100 Projector - Control Panel - Epson Home Cinema 6100 Inputs and Outputs3. Epson Home Cinema 6100 – Physical Tour 1 - Epson Home Cinema 6100 Menus4. Epson Home Cinema 6100 – Physical Tour 2 - Epson Home Cinema 6100 Remote Control - Home Cinema 6100 Lens Throw - Home Cinema 6100 Lens Shift - Home Cinema 6100 Anamorphic Lens5. Epson Home Cinema 6100 Projector – Image Quality - Home Cinema 6100 Out of the Box Picture Quality - Flesh Tones6. Epson Home Cinema 6100 Projector – Image Quality 1 - Home Cinema 6100 Black Levels & Shadow Detail - Home Cinema 6100 Black Levels & Shadow Detail - Comparison7. Epson Home Cinema 6100 Projector – Image Quality 2 - Shadow Detail Performance - Shadow Detail Performance - Comparison8. Epson Home Cinema 6100 Projector – Image Quality 3 - Shadow Detail Performance - Comparison 2 - Shadow Detail Performance - Comparison 39. Epson Home Cinema 6100 Projector – Image Quality 3 - Shadow Detail Performance - Comparison 4 - Shadow Detail Performance - Comparison 510. Epson Home Cinema 6100 Projector – Image Quality 4 - Shadow Detail Performance - Comparison 6 - Shadow Detail Performance - Comparison 7 - Bottom Line: Black level and Shadow Detail11. Epson Home Cinema 6100 Projector – Image Quality 5 - Overall Color & Picture Quality - Epson Home Cinema 6100 Projector: Performance, HDTV and Sports12. Epson Home Cinema 6100 – Performance - Epson Home Cinema 6100 Brightness13. Epson Home Cinema 6100 – Performance 114. Epson Home Cinema 6100 – Performance 2 - Sharpness - Sharpness - Comparison - Next: Close up of a computer monitor, from Space Cowboys (Blu-ray) - Sharpness - Comparison 115. Epson Home Cinema 6100 – Performance 3 - Epson Home Cinema 6100: Bottom Line Sharpness - Light Leakage - Image Noise - Audible Noise16. Epson Home Cinema 6100 Projector Calibration and Settings - Epson Home Cinema 6100 Color Temperature - Epson Home Cinema 6100 Basic Settings17. Epson Home Cinema 6100 Projector Calibration and Settings 1 - Home Cinema 6100 RGB Settings18. Epson Home Cinema 6100 – Projector Screens - Epson Home Cinema 6100 Projector Screen Recommendations19. Epson Home Cinema 6100 – Competitors - Home Cinema 6100 vs. Epson Home Cinema 1080 UB20. Epson Home Cinema 6100 – Competitors 1 - Epson Home Cinema 6100 vs. Mitsubishi HC5500, HC650021. Epson Home Cinema 6100 – Competitors 2 - Epson Home Cinema 6100 vs. Sanyo PLV-Z700, PLV-Z3000 - Epson vs. PLV-Z700: - Epson vs. PLV-Z3000:22. Epson Home Cinema 6100 – Competitors 3 - Epson Home Cinema 6100 vs. BenQ W5000 - Epson Home Cinema 6100 vs. Epson Home Cinema 6500UB23. Epson Home Cinema 6100 – Competitors 4 - Home Cinema 6100 vs. InFocus X10 - Epson Home Cinema 6100 vs. Panasonic PT-AE300024. Epson Home Cinema 6100 – Warranty25. Epson Home Cinema 6100 – Review Summary - Epson Home Cinema 6100 Projector - The Bottom Line26. Epson Home Cinema 6100 – Review Summary 1 - Epson Home Cinema Bottom Line: - Epson Home Cinema 6100 Projector: Pros, Cons, and Typical Capabilities - Epson Home Cinema 6100 Projector: Pros - Epson Home Cinema 6100 Projector: Cons - Epson Home Cinema 6100 Projector: Typical Capabilities A summary of the Epson Home Cinema 6100 projector’s pros and cons and capabilities. Epson Home Cinema 6100 Projector - The Bottom Line If you are shopping for a lower cost 1080p projector, the Epson Home Cinema 6100 is an excellent choice. First, there are only a couple of 1080p projectors that cost less, and only the Sanyo PLV-Z700 is more than a “few dollars” less. While the Home Cinema 6100 is pretty basic in terms of features, beyond its superb placement flexibility, it is a solid performer in every category. It is the brightest of the 3LCD projectors in both “best” and “brightest” modes. Better still, you can crank out about twice the lumens of “best” mode – TheaterBlack 1 – by calibrating and using the LivingRoom mode. In its brightest mode – Dynamic – there isn’t anything (in a dedicated home theater projector) brighter without spending more than twice the money. This is Epson’s entry level 1080p projector. If you are craving superior black level performance, Epson, and others have more expensive projectors for your consideration, and only one of those – the Sanyo PLV-Z3000 sells within $500 of the Epson’s price (and isn’t as bright…). To move up to the Epson Home Cinema 6500UB, you are looking at about $800 more, a significant jump relative to the 6100’s under $2000 price. Essentially, if you are considering the Epson Home Cinema 6100, your short list of other projectors to consider would include the other low cost 3LCD projectors – the Sanyo PLV-Z700 and the Mitsubishi HC5500. There are competing DLP projectors as well, such as the Optoma HD806 and HD80, and also the BenQ W5000. Now, if you are an enthusiast, or just aren’t worried about spending a little more, then, in addition to those mentioned above, you can consider the “ultra high contrast” projectors. Those projectors promise significantly blacker blacks, and some offer other features such as frame interpolation, and higher frame rates. We consider the black level improvement of those projectors to be significant. On the other hand, the frame interpolation/high frame rate feature is more of a mixed bag, which will appeal to some, but others won’t care about. Our biggest objection to this feature is that on some projectors offering it, the image gets a bit jerky on occasion (including the Epson Home Cinema 6500UB). There is also the issue of a slightly different look and feel to the projected image with a projector having frame interpolation engaged, which many argue isn’t as film-like as without. That feature also risks not faithfully reproducing the “director’s intent”. Nonetheless, those ultra high contrast 3LCD projectors are competitors, most significantly three of them: The Sanyo PLV-Z3000 which is the closest in cost, but also the Panasonic PT-AE3000, and Epson’s own Home Cinema 6500UB. In addition, there is the Mitsubishi HC7000 (sold only through local dealers) but it is close to twice the price. None of the DLP projectors really qualify as ultra high contrast projectors, and as a group, their black levels are similar (or a little worse) than this Epson. There is one relatively low cost LCoS projector that fits into the ultra high contrast grouping, and that’s the Sony VPL-HW10, although price wise, it’s still roughly 40-60% more expensive. Those Best in Class black level JVC projectors start at more than twice the price of the 6100, so they are not at all direct competitors. (They are competitors of the Epson Home Cinema 6500UB and Pro Cinema 7500UB, however.) Keep in mind, when comparing brightness to the DLP projectors, that the DLP’s all place fairly close to the screen. The Epson can be shelf mounted in the rear of your room, but with the lens near full telephoto, you will have less lumens than those we measure at the mid-point. If you ceiling mount the Epson and place it where a ceiling mounted DLP projector must be placed (close in), then the Home Cinema 6100 will be brighter still, than our published numbers. 1. Epson Home Cinema 6100 Projector Review - Home Cinema 6100 Projector Highlights - Epson Home Cinema 6100 Projector Overview2. Epson Home Cinema 6100 – Physical Tour - Epson Home Cinema 6100 Physical Appearance - Home Cinema 6100 Projector - Control Panel - Epson Home Cinema 6100 Inputs and Outputs3. Epson Home Cinema 6100 – Physical Tour 1 - Epson Home Cinema 6100 Menus4. Epson Home Cinema 6100 – Physical Tour 2 - Epson Home Cinema 6100 Remote Control - Home Cinema 6100 Lens Throw - Home Cinema 6100 Lens Shift - Home Cinema 6100 Anamorphic Lens5. Epson Home Cinema 6100 Projector – Image Quality - Home Cinema 6100 Out of the Box Picture Quality - Flesh Tones6. Epson Home Cinema 6100 Projector – Image Quality 1 - Home Cinema 6100 Black Levels & Shadow Detail - Home Cinema 6100 Black Levels & Shadow Detail - Comparison7. Epson Home Cinema 6100 Projector – Image Quality 2 - Shadow Detail Performance - Shadow Detail Performance - Comparison8. Epson Home Cinema 6100 Projector – Image Quality 3 - Shadow Detail Performance - Comparison 2 - Shadow Detail Performance - Comparison 39. Epson Home Cinema 6100 Projector – Image Quality 3 - Shadow Detail Performance - Comparison 4 - Shadow Detail Performance - Comparison 510. Epson Home Cinema 6100 Projector – Image Quality 4 - Shadow Detail Performance - Comparison 6 - Shadow Detail Performance - Comparison 7 - Bottom Line: Black level and Shadow Detail11. Epson Home Cinema 6100 Projector – Image Quality 5 - Overall Color & Picture Quality - Epson Home Cinema 6100 Projector: Performance, HDTV and Sports12. Epson Home Cinema 6100 – Performance - Epson Home Cinema 6100 Brightness13. Epson Home Cinema 6100 – Performance 114. Epson Home Cinema 6100 – Performance 2 - Sharpness - Sharpness - Comparison - Next: Close up of a computer monitor, from Space Cowboys (Blu-ray) - Sharpness - Comparison 115. Epson Home Cinema 6100 – Performance 3 - Epson Home Cinema 6100: Bottom Line Sharpness - Light Leakage - Image Noise - Audible Noise16. Epson Home Cinema 6100 Projector Calibration and Settings - Epson Home Cinema 6100 Color Temperature - Epson Home Cinema 6100 Basic Settings17. Epson Home Cinema 6100 Projector Calibration and Settings 1 - Home Cinema 6100 RGB Settings18. Epson Home Cinema 6100 – Projector Screens - Epson Home Cinema 6100 Projector Screen Recommendations19. Epson Home Cinema 6100 – Competitors - Home Cinema 6100 vs. Epson Home Cinema 1080 UB20. Epson Home Cinema 6100 – Competitors 1 - Epson Home Cinema 6100 vs. Mitsubishi HC5500, HC650021. Epson Home Cinema 6100 – Competitors 2 - Epson Home Cinema 6100 vs. Sanyo PLV-Z700, PLV-Z3000 - Epson vs. PLV-Z700: - Epson vs. PLV-Z3000:22. Epson Home Cinema 6100 – Competitors 3 - Epson Home Cinema 6100 vs. BenQ W5000 - Epson Home Cinema 6100 vs. Epson Home Cinema 6500UB23. Epson Home Cinema 6100 – Competitors 4 - Home Cinema 6100 vs. InFocus X10 - Epson Home Cinema 6100 vs. Panasonic PT-AE300024. Epson Home Cinema 6100 – Warranty25. Epson Home Cinema 6100 – Review Summary - Epson Home Cinema 6100 Projector - The Bottom Line26. Epson Home Cinema 6100 – Review Summary 1 - Epson Home Cinema Bottom Line: - Epson Home Cinema 6100 Projector: Pros, Cons, and Typical Capabilities - Epson Home Cinema 6100 Projector: Pros - Epson Home Cinema 6100 Projector: Cons - Epson Home Cinema 6100 Projector: Typical Capabilities Epson Home Cinema 6100 – Warranty Epson Home Cinema 6100 – Review Summary 1