Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Projector Calibration and Settings 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 Below are the RGB settings we ended up with post calibration. While there is some slight variation in color from one lamp to the next, you should find these provide a better picture than the defaults. Plug’em in, save them in one of the 9 User memory areas, and try them out. To get the color temp settings above, the following adjustments were made to gain and bias: RGB Settings Header Content THX (on User 1) Dynamic (User 2) Offset R = 1 R= -5 G = -1 G= 0 B = -1 B= 15 Gain R = 0 R= 10 G = -1 G= -10 B = -2 B= 0 Color Saturation: -4 0 Tint: -1 0 Gamma 2.3 2.3 Lumens: 442 1016 Again, please note, in terms of brightness that the full production 8700UB (the second one they sent, measured 9.4% brighter than this first unit, that would translate into THX post calibration of about 483 lumens, and Dynamic of 1112 lumens! You will want to do your own settings for Brightness, Contrast and Color Saturation, based on your screen surface type, and room conditions. I generally find that Mike’s saturation measurements tend to end up a little more saturated than most people will find ideal, so I find myself dialing Color (saturation) down when viewing on my high contrast gray Firehawk G3. That may not be the case, if you are using a white surfaced screen. Brightest ModesThis year Dynamic offers a warmer – and more ideal color temp than Living Room mode. In the past, Dynamic was over the top in terms of greens (like many, or rather, most home projectors in their brightest modes), this year, however Epson has tamed Dynamic quite a bit. Sure, greens are still slightly overdriven, but this year’s Dynamic mode is far more pleasant to view than last year’s – before adjustments. This year’s Dynamic mode is great. With Mike’s settings it really looks excellent for a brightest mode, but even looks a lot better with the defaults. This is one of those “minor” year to year improvements, that can make a real difference in your viewing enjoyment. 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 Calibration and Settings Epson Home Cinema 8700UB – Projector Screens