Epson Powerlite Pro L1505, L1500 Laser Projectors: Features Posted on July 8, 2016 By Art Feierman 1. Epson Powerlite Pro L1500, L1505 Laser Projector Review - Epson Powerlite Pro L1500 and L1505 Overview - Epson L1500 and L1505 Highlights2. Epson Powerlite Pro L1505, L1500 Laser Projectors: Features - Epson Laser Projector Light Engine - Pixel Shifting - A Plus for 2K, an Alternative to 4K3. Epson Powerlite Pro L1500, L1505 Laser Projectors Review: Features 2 - Edge Blending and Projection Mapping - Auto Image Calibration - Array of Interchangeable lenses 4. Epson Powerlite Pro L1500, L1505 Laser Projectors Review: Features 3 - CFI - Creative Frame Interpolation - Epson L1500 and L1505 - Advanced Networking and Emulation Mode - Content over IP - L1500U and L1505U support HDBaseT and 3G-SDI - Split Screen - Multi-PC w/Moderator and Easy-MP - DMX Art-Net - DICOM Simulation5. Epson Powerlite Pro L1505U Projector Review – Hardware Layout - Epson L1500, L1505 Projector Hardware Overview - Pro L1505 Control Panel - Epson Pro L1505 Inputs and Connectors6. Epson Powerlite Pro L1505, L1500 Projector Review – Hardware and Menus - Epson L Series Remote Control - L1500, L1505 Menus7. Epson Powerlite Pro L1505 Projector Review – Picture Quality - Epson L1500 and L1505 Laser Projectors - Handling Color - L1500 and L1505 Black Levels and Dark Shadow Detail - Pixel Shifting on 2K and 4K Content - Pixel Shifting vs Other Features8. Epson Powerlite Pro L1500, L1505 Projector Review – Performance - Epson L1500, L1505 Brightness - Image Noise - Audible Noise9. Epson Powerlite Pro L1500, L1505 Projector Review – Summary - Epson Pro L1500, L1505 Highlights - Epson L1500 and L1505 - Value Proposition - Pros and Cons10. Epson PowerLite Pro L1500, L1505 Projector Review – Specifications EPSON L1500, L1505 LASER PROJECTOR REVIEW – SPECIAL FEATURES: Laser Light Engine, Pixel Shifting 4K and 2K Content There are really way to many features on these laser projectors to go into any great detail on most of them, but we’ll spend more focus on the relatively unique ones, such as the laser light engine. Epson Laser Projector Light EngineThese two identical projectors (except for case color) use a dual blue laser light engine. One blue laser ultimately hits phosphor wheels to generate red and yellow beams, while the other blue laser handles the blue component. As with all 3LCD projectors a dichroic prism is used to re-assemble the three different colors into a single full color image. Epson laser light engine for L1500 and their other L series laser projectors Overall, the entire L series of laser projectors – with the exception of the flagship L2500 which is still several months away from shipping – is similar, no, make that almost identical to Epson’s new G7000 series of lamp based projectors, but for items relating to these having the laser engines instead of lamps. Epson rates their laser light engine for 20,000 hours at full power. As is the same as with lamps, the life rating is to the point where 50% of brightness is lost. By the time the light engine has run 30,000 hours, the brightness will be down to 30%. Epson’s simplified chart showing laser light engine’s life expectancy under different options Extended mode is basically their “eco” mode. It is 30% less bright than full power, and increases the life and maintenance cycles. The laser engine can be dimmed to any point between 100% and 30% of full power. Lastly on the brightness topic, there’s a Constant mode, below full brightness that is ideal when using multiple projectors for large displays. This prevents the projector from slowly dimming, so that all the projectors can be matched to, and hold brightness for a long time. When the L1505 encounters a “black frame” of information – something all black to project, it can shut down the laser engine completely producing a true black frame, unlike lamp based projectors (power consumption drops way down too). Pixel Shifting - A Plus for 2K, an Alternative to 4K Pixel shifting can do good things. I want to first say though, that taking a 2K projector and adding pixel shifting cannot match a true 4K projector! What this Epson L1505 projector can do, is accept content up to, and including true 4K content. When fed 4K content, this Epson projector can use pixel shifting to fine tune the image to more closely resemble 4K. That’s because the pixel shifting fires each pixel twice, but shifting the location by 1/2 pixel diagonally. With good image processing, that can more closely emulate the original 4K content. Still each pixel is 4X the size of a true 4K pixel. All but the last two images in this player used 4K content (and show pixel shifting/processing On, Off), those last three are WUXGA (1920×1200) doing pixel shifting On, Off). While there’s noticeable improvement with pixel shifting on on 2K content, the end result is even better when the L1505 is fed 4K content. Believe it or not, the actual differences on the screen were greater, because the heavy compression, and scaling of the images for the web, reduces overall quality of all these images, rendering the differences less noticeable! It really comes down to what makes the most sense. As you can see in these images above, there are pairs of 4K content, with pixel shifting turned On and Off for comparison. The difference is impressive. I will reshoot some of these images the next time a true 4K projector comes through here (that will be in the next month or so), using a true 4K projector for comparison. The point is, that small type, fine details that can’t be made out with a basic 2K – WUXGA (or 1080p) projector, can often be resolved with pixel shifting. Night and day, not quite, but enough to make a real readability difference on CAD, engineering, and scientific drawings, renderings, and anything else demanding max detail. Where does this pixel shifting Epson get us, compared to a true 4K projector? Depending on what you are looking at, I’d say, perhaps half way there. Give or take. Why is that important? Well, mostly because true 4K projectors cost at least 4X-5X their 2K counterparts. Consider this. Sony 8,000 lumen true 4K laser projector: $60,000. This Epson pixel shifting 12,000 lumen 2K laser projector: under $12K. These Epson’s do lose some advanced features when 4K pixel shifting is used A last important thought about pixel shifting with these Epson projectors – a lot of the processing gets turned off, when pixel shifting is turned on. That includes edge blending, and Creative Frame Interpolation, but even some more basic things, including some types of noise reduction. More elsewhere on this. I would expect that a lot of folks that were thinking they need a true 4K projector, due to the high cost, will likely want to give “pixel shifters” like these Powerlite Pro L1500 and L1505 a close look. Some will rightly decide 4K is the right way to go for their situation, while others may find these are “close enough” or more than good enough, especially in light of the massive price differences. 1. Epson Powerlite Pro L1500, L1505 Laser Projector Review - Epson Powerlite Pro L1500 and L1505 Overview - Epson L1500 and L1505 Highlights2. Epson Powerlite Pro L1505, L1500 Laser Projectors: Features - Epson Laser Projector Light Engine - Pixel Shifting - A Plus for 2K, an Alternative to 4K3. Epson Powerlite Pro L1500, L1505 Laser Projectors Review: Features 2 - Edge Blending and Projection Mapping - Auto Image Calibration - Array of Interchangeable lenses 4. Epson Powerlite Pro L1500, L1505 Laser Projectors Review: Features 3 - CFI - Creative Frame Interpolation - Epson L1500 and L1505 - Advanced Networking and Emulation Mode - Content over IP - L1500U and L1505U support HDBaseT and 3G-SDI - Split Screen - Multi-PC w/Moderator and Easy-MP - DMX Art-Net - DICOM Simulation5. Epson Powerlite Pro L1505U Projector Review – Hardware Layout - Epson L1500, L1505 Projector Hardware Overview - Pro L1505 Control Panel - Epson Pro L1505 Inputs and Connectors6. Epson Powerlite Pro L1505, L1500 Projector Review – Hardware and Menus - Epson L Series Remote Control - L1500, L1505 Menus7. Epson Powerlite Pro L1505 Projector Review – Picture Quality - Epson L1500 and L1505 Laser Projectors - Handling Color - L1500 and L1505 Black Levels and Dark Shadow Detail - Pixel Shifting on 2K and 4K Content - Pixel Shifting vs Other Features8. Epson Powerlite Pro L1500, L1505 Projector Review – Performance - Epson L1500, L1505 Brightness - Image Noise - Audible Noise9. Epson Powerlite Pro L1500, L1505 Projector Review – Summary - Epson Pro L1500, L1505 Highlights - Epson L1500 and L1505 - Value Proposition - Pros and Cons10. Epson PowerLite Pro L1500, L1505 Projector Review – Specifications Epson Powerlite Pro L1500, L1505 Laser Projector Review Epson Powerlite Pro L1500, L1505 Laser Projectors Review: Features 2