Epson Home Cinema LS11000 Laser Projector Review - Hardware

Except for color, the chassis of the white Home Cinema LS11000 looks nearly identical to the black Pro Cinema LS12000. So, if you read our review of the LS12000, you will notice that a lot of the information on this Hardware page is similar.

CHASSIS

The LS11000 is larger than most single-chip DLP projectors but is it is more compact than most native 4K projectors. The LS11000 is approximately 20.5 inches wide x 21.9 inches deep x 16 inches high and weighs about 28 pounds.

The projector’s lens is located center of the front panel. To the right and left sides of the lens are the air exhaust vents. The window for the IR remote receiver is located on the lower right side of the front panel as well.

The top of the projector has status lights. On the left side of the chassis, there is an air intake vent. On the right side of the chassis, along with the power and input buttons, there is another air intake vent covered by an air filter.

The rear of the projector holds the power connector, a 2nd IR remote receiver, the inputs, and connections. along with the projector’s control panel.

Since the LS11000’s chassis is big enough to utilize larger, slower, moving fans, it helps muffle the exhaust noise.  While we do not measure audible noise, this LS11000 seems to be quieter than most of the Home Theater projectors. The noise level is on par with other premium home theater projectors from manufacturers like Sony and JVC.

There is a noticeable increase in fan noise when switching from ECO (22dB) to HIGH (30dB). Most of the time, even when watching HDR in High, I didn’t find the LS11000 fan noise distracting.

CONNECTIONS AND CONTROLS

There is a pair of HDMI 2.1 (HDCP 2.3) inputs. Both HDMI inputs are 48Gbps, supporting 4K HDR up to 120fps. We should note that while the inputs can support up to 48Gbps, the HDMI inputs/outputs found on most A/V Receivers, video switchers, and gaming consoles are limited to 40Gbps.

This is fine because the video information in a 48 Gbps signal far exceeds the capabilities of the 10-bit panels/imaging devices found in consumer TVs and projectors, including the LS11000.

There is a LAN connection and a single 12V trigger output which can be used to control a screen, an anamorphic lens, or motorized shades.

A traditional serial RS-232C port (DB9 connector) is also included for “old school” command and control. There is also a service port and security cable attachment point.

There is a USB-A input with 5 Volt- 2.0A, which is enough output to power/charge a streaming media player. The second USB connection is a 300mA power port designed to power an active copper or optical HDMI cable.

The Pro Cinema LS12000’s control panel is simple, but most people will only use the control panel for initial setup and then rely on the remote control or a home automation system for those types of functions.

There’s a MENU button along with an ESC button which takes you to back up one level in the menu. You can use the four arrows for navigating the projector’s menu with an Enter button located in the center. Pressing the lens button toggles through the motorized Zoom, Shift, and Focus lens functions.  

REMOTE CONTROL

The Home Cinema LS11000 includes a large backlit remote control. You have source input buttons and all the normal buttons commonly used to navigate a projector’s menu.

In addition, there are several buttons to directly access many of the projector’s picture settings, including Color Modes, Light Output, Image Enhancement, Frame Interpolation, and CMS adjustments, just to name a few. It was nice not having to dig through several menu layers to make most setting adjustments.

The LS11000 does not dynamically tone map HDR content. However, you can quickly access the HDR adjustment settings via a dedicated button. This makes it easy to fine-tune the HDR tone mapping based on the movie/scene.

For customers with 2.35:1 screens, there are two lens memory buttons to quickly adjust the image position when switching from widescreen to 16:9 content. There are even buttons to control the playback of connected devices that support the HDMI CEC standard. While there were tons of buttons, due to its size, the remote control didn’t feel crowded

LENS

The Epson LS11000 has a 15-element precision glass lens structure. The lens on the LS11000 has a zoom range of 2:1. Here are the throw distances for the LS11000 when utilizing a 100” 16:9 screen (measured from the front of the lens to the screen):

Closest: 118 inches (300 centimeters)

Furthest: 248 inches (630 centimeters)

Vertical and horizontal shift is great if you can’t line up the projector lens with the center of the screen (left to right). I have reviewed several nice projectors over the years that I could not use in my own media room due to placement issues. So, in my media room, Vertical/Horizontal shift is a must.

The LS11000, like most premium 3LCD and LCoS home theater projectors, offers a good amount of lens shift range compared to most DLP projectors which usually offer less.

Lens Shift: -/+96.3% Vertical and -/+ 47.1% Horizontal

Just remember, like most projectors, the more horizontal shift you use, the less vertical adjustment you will have available.

16:9 Aspect Ratio Throw Distances

More lens adjustment (zoom and shift) increases installation flexibility making it easy to utilize projectors like the LS11000 in various applications, including ceiling or shelf mounting.

MENUS