Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Projector – Image Quality-5 Posted on November 1, 2010 By Art Feierman 1. Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Projector Review - Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Projector Highlights - Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Projector Overview2. Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Projector Review-2 - Home Cinema 8700UB Lamp Life - Epson Super-Resolution - 2.1:1 Zoom Lens3. Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Projector – Physical Tour - Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Projector - Appearance - Home Cinema 8700UB Control Panel - Input/Output4. Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Projector – Physical Tour-25. Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Projector – Physical Tour-3 - Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Remote Control - Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Lens Throw6. Lens Shift - Anamorphic Lens7. Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Projector – Image Quality - Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Out of the Box Picture Quality - Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Projector - Flesh Tones8. Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Projector – Image Quality-2 - What is all this fuss about black levels9. Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Projector – Image Quality-3 - black levels comparision10. Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Projector – Image Quality-4 - black levels comparision11. Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Projector – Image Quality-5 - Shadow Detail Performance - Epson 8700UB comparision12. Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Projector – Image Quality-5 - Epson Home Cinema 8700UB - Overall Color & Picture Quality13. Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Projector – Image Quality-6 - Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Projector: Performance, HDTV and Sports14. Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Projector – Image Quality-7 - Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Projector: Bottom Line on HDTV Sports15. Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Projector – Image Quality-8 - Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Projector: Bottom Line on HDTV Sports 216. Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Projector – Performance - Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Brightness - Lumen Output and Color Temp at 100 IRE (mid zoom): - Effect of zoom on lumen output (Dynamic mode): - Color Temp over IRE Range (Pre calibration – Best mode): THX17. Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Projector – Performance-2 - Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Sharpness18. Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Projector – Performance-3 - Epson Home Cinema 8700UB: Bottom Line Sharpness - Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Sharpness 2 - Light Leakage - Image Noise - Audible Noise19. Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Projector Calibration and Settings - Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Color Temperature - Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Basic Settings - Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Post Calibration Grayscale: THX mode 20. Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Projector Calibration and Settings - RGB Settings - Brightest Modes21. Epson Home Cinema 8700UB – Projector Screens - Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Projector Screen Recommendations22. Epson Home Cinema 8700UB – Competitors - Home Cinema 8700UB vs. Epson Home Cinema 8350 - Epson Home Cinema 8700UB vs. HC6800, HC700023. Epson Home Cinema 8700UB – Competitors2 - Epson Home Cinema 8700UB vs. Sanyo PLV-Z4000 - Epson Home Cinema 8700UB vs. BenQ W600024. Epson Home Cinema 8700UB – Competitors3 - Epson Home Cinema 8700UB vs. Sharp XV-Z1500025. Epson Home Cinema 8700UB – Competitors4 - Home Cinema 8700UB vs. JVC DLA-RS15 and DLA-HD250 - Epson Home Cinema 8700UB vs. Sony VPL-HW1526. Epson Home Cinema 8700UB – Competitors5 - Epson Home Cinema 8700UB vs. Panasonic PT-AE4000 - Epson Home Cinema 8700UB vs. LG CF181D27. Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Projector – Warranty28. Epson Home Cinema 8700UB – Review Summary - Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Projector - The Bottom Line29. Epson Home Cinema 8700UB – Review Summary-2 - Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Projector: Pros - Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Projector: Cons - Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Projector: Typical Capabilities30. Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 8700UB Projector Specifications OK time to wrap this long image section up (except for HDTV and sports). The Home Cinema 8700UB – and, therefore, we can also conclude, the Pro Cinema 9700UB – while seemingly just updated versions of last years projectors, have made some serious advances: Epson Home Cinema 8700UB - Overall Color & Picture QualityColor handling has improved. On the bright side, although the Dynamic mode doesn’t measure quite as bright as last year’s the overall color (unadjusted) of the Dynamic mode is much improved. There’s less green dominance, almost to the point of not noticeable at all (yellows still come through a touch strong). As a result, this year the Dynamic mode, is downright watchable. With some minor adjustments as recommended by Mike, our “quick-cal” of Dynamic costs only about 8-9% of brightness and makes for even better color. I’ve actually watched content with too much light in the room, in Dynamic mode, instead of THX, and been surprised and pleased by the picture. Finally, THX starts out as the best mode, and, thanks to Epson and THX allowing access to the color management system, fine tuning the projector based on the starting THX mode makes for the most natural color and skin tones yet, from an Epson projector. I definitely believe that the color (after Mike’s calibration of THX as “best” mode), is a touch more natural than previous models. Mike has always had a bit of difficulty in getting the slightly overdriven greens in line with the rest, on previous Epson UB projector calibrations, but not so this time. For the first time ever, I’m not going to describe Epson’s skin tone performance as being a little less natural than some other projectors. I do believe this UB, is ready to take on a couple of DLP’s and LCoS projectors in terms of a natural looking image. Apparently a few small changes, done right, can take what seems to be a minor update, and turn it into a really improved projector. NO, those of you with 6500UB’s and 8500UB’s, you don’t need to replace your projectors. This is a small improvement, but one that will really appeal to those most enthusiastic about their home theaters. Here’s the “crew” image from Space Cowboys – first one is the Home Cinema 8700UB, then, the Mitsubishi HC4000, followed by the BenQ W6000. 1. Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Projector Review - Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Projector Highlights - Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Projector Overview2. Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Projector Review-2 - Home Cinema 8700UB Lamp Life - Epson Super-Resolution - 2.1:1 Zoom Lens3. Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Projector – Physical Tour - Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Projector - Appearance - Home Cinema 8700UB Control Panel - Input/Output4. Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Projector – Physical Tour-25. Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Projector – Physical Tour-3 - Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Remote Control - Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Lens Throw6. Lens Shift - Anamorphic Lens7. Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Projector – Image Quality - Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Out of the Box Picture Quality - Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Projector - Flesh Tones8. Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Projector – Image Quality-2 - What is all this fuss about black levels9. Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Projector – Image Quality-3 - black levels comparision10. Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Projector – Image Quality-4 - black levels comparision11. Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Projector – Image Quality-5 - Shadow Detail Performance - Epson 8700UB comparision12. Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Projector – Image Quality-5 - Epson Home Cinema 8700UB - Overall Color & Picture Quality13. Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Projector – Image Quality-6 - Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Projector: Performance, HDTV and Sports14. Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Projector – Image Quality-7 - Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Projector: Bottom Line on HDTV Sports15. Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Projector – Image Quality-8 - Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Projector: Bottom Line on HDTV Sports 216. Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Projector – Performance - Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Brightness - Lumen Output and Color Temp at 100 IRE (mid zoom): - Effect of zoom on lumen output (Dynamic mode): - Color Temp over IRE Range (Pre calibration – Best mode): THX17. Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Projector – Performance-2 - Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Sharpness18. Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Projector – Performance-3 - Epson Home Cinema 8700UB: Bottom Line Sharpness - Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Sharpness 2 - Light Leakage - Image Noise - Audible Noise19. Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Projector Calibration and Settings - Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Color Temperature - Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Basic Settings - Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Post Calibration Grayscale: THX mode 20. Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Projector Calibration and Settings - RGB Settings - Brightest Modes21. Epson Home Cinema 8700UB – Projector Screens - Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Projector Screen Recommendations22. Epson Home Cinema 8700UB – Competitors - Home Cinema 8700UB vs. Epson Home Cinema 8350 - Epson Home Cinema 8700UB vs. HC6800, HC700023. Epson Home Cinema 8700UB – Competitors2 - Epson Home Cinema 8700UB vs. Sanyo PLV-Z4000 - Epson Home Cinema 8700UB vs. BenQ W600024. Epson Home Cinema 8700UB – Competitors3 - Epson Home Cinema 8700UB vs. Sharp XV-Z1500025. Epson Home Cinema 8700UB – Competitors4 - Home Cinema 8700UB vs. JVC DLA-RS15 and DLA-HD250 - Epson Home Cinema 8700UB vs. Sony VPL-HW1526. Epson Home Cinema 8700UB – Competitors5 - Epson Home Cinema 8700UB vs. Panasonic PT-AE4000 - Epson Home Cinema 8700UB vs. LG CF181D27. Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Projector – Warranty28. Epson Home Cinema 8700UB – Review Summary - Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Projector - The Bottom Line29. Epson Home Cinema 8700UB – Review Summary-2 - Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Projector: Pros - Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Projector: Cons - Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Projector: Typical Capabilities30. Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 8700UB Projector Specifications Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Projector – Image Quality-5 Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Projector – Image Quality-6