Best Epson Pro Cinema Projectors of 2019
It’s not hard to fall for a certain projector brand whether that be Optoma, Sony, or Epson. If you’re here, you’ve most likely fallen for Epson.
Epson has two lines of home theater projectors: the Home Cinema and Pro Cinema. The Pro Cinema line gives you professionally installed high-end projectors which work to deliver the best home theater experience possible to you.
The Home Cinema, on the other hand, is for more than just home theater, but also gaming, sports, and regular TV.
Here, we go over the best Pro Cinema projector out there followed by two alternative Home Cinema projectors, if you’re looking for a more versatile machine with similar features to the best choice.
We’ve broken them down with the best choice for Pro Cinema, and the best choice and runner-up for the alternative choices.
Best Pro Cinema Projector
Epson PowerLite Pro Cinema 6030UB
Specs
- L x W x H → 15.5” x 18.34” x 6.2”
- Weight → 18.4 lb
- Display Technology → 3LCD
- Connectivity Technology → 2 HDMI, RS-232c, 1 RCA (composite), 3 RCA (component), 1 VGA D-sub 15 pin
- Image Brightness → 2,400 lumens
- Contrast Ratio → Up to 600,000:1 Contrast Ratio
- Resolution → 1080p
- Lamp Life → 4,000/5,000 (Normal/Eco)
Key Features
- Bright and Colorful
- 3D and 2D Full HD
- Up to 600,000:1 Contrast Ratio
- Lens Shift
- 3LCD
- Color Modes
- Picture uniformity
- THX mode and ISF calibration
- Anamorphic Widescreen Mode
- Stress-free setup
PROS
CONS
PowerLite Pro Cinema 6030UB Review
The Powerlite Pro Cinema 6030UB is the best of the Pro Cinemas out there. This is a great option for a home theater projector, but its main complaint is that it doesn’t have 4K.
This doesn’t mean it isn’t worth checking out, though.
Like most projectors made for home theater, it works best in the dark. With 2,400 lumens and up to a 600,000:1 contrast ratio, giving exquisite detail, the 3D and 2D Full HD images that the 6030UB projects are immersive and theater-like.
It will be hard not to like them. Sharing the bright, colorful, and 3LCD features of all Epson projectors, its pictures are packed with balanced color and brightness lumens that make clear and sharp pictures with a true, realistic color experience.
The 6030UB has many color modes including a Black-and-White Cinema Mode for those who love old time movies, projecting them all up to 300” on your screen.
It even has a THX mode and ISF calibration to balance color, contrast, and brightness with the environment around you while delivering a great movie-like experience. This looks great with its already beautiful 3D.
The 6030UB uses a state-of-the-art Fujinon® lens to create picture uniformity so that you can see images how filmmakers intended you to.
It has a 2.1x zoom, a horizontal and vertical lens shift, and uses the widest horizontal lens available so that you can seemingly place the projector anywhere you want.
It even uses an auto iris to automatically adjust the projector to your video source.
One of the things most loved is that it supports an anamorphic widescreen mode.
With this, you can buy an anamorphic lens to create a 2.39:1 aspect ratio, called CinemaScope, which eliminates black bars, and allows you to see more cinematic-like images.
Here’s a video giving a deeper and more visualized look into CinemaScope:
The 6030UB also boasts a stress-free setup with its built-in tools for you to perfectly align your image within seconds.
There are a couple of problems with the 6030UB, though. Its fan can be loud to some, though it’s usually pretty low or moderate and shouldn’t be bothersome.
A way to rid of its noise if it does bother you is to turn on Eco mode. Don’t worry, it’s still bright then!
Also, if you’re a gamer, this projector most likely isn’t for you. Its regular lag is 91ms and that jumps to 183ms when its frame interpolation is turned on.
This is to be expected since this build is primarily for home theater.
The 6030UB’s worth its price with its great images, features, and a lot of additions.
It comes with a 3-year warranty, two 3D glasses, a cover for your back cables, an extra bulb, a ceiling mount, ISF calibration control, and the anamorphic stretch option.
If any of those interest you, you need to check this projector out.
Best Alternative Choices
Specs
- L x W x H → 17.7” x 20.5” x 7.6”
- Weight → 24.3 lb
- Display Technology → 3LCD
- Connectivity Technology → HDMI, USB, Mini USB, LAN, Computer/D-sub 15 pin, RS-232c
- Image Brightness → 2500 lumens
- Contrast Ratio → Up to 1,000,000:1
- Resolution → 1080p with 4K enhancement
- Lamp Life → 3,500/4,000/5,000 (High, Medium, Eco)
Key Features
- Bright and Colorful
- Lens Shift
- Epson PRO-UHD with 4K Enhancement technology
- Full HD
- 100% Balanced Color Brightness
- L*a*b Ultra Wide Color Gamut
- HDR and UltraBlack Contrast
- Image Enhancement and Frame Interpolation
- 3D
- 3-Axis Precision Motor
PROS
CONS
Home Cinema 5040UB Review
Looking at all of its great features, it isn’t hard to see why the Home Cinema 5040UB is the best choice of the Epson Home Cinema line.
While its problems are very detrimental, it is still the best.
With 4K enhancement properties, 3D, and amazing picture quality, if you’re looking for a strong projector with beautiful images, this is it.
The 5040UB is packed with features perfect for your home theater. When it comes to picture quality and resolution, it is natively 1080p (Full HD), but uses 4K enhancement technology that accepts 4KUHD images and upscales non-4K images to 4K quality.
This is done through Epson PRO-UHD which shifts 1080p pixels in an alignment that creates more pixels and the look as if your images were actually 4K.
Though this is not real 4K, you can’t tell the difference unless you were very close to the screen.
Many projectors that sport 4K also claim to use High Dynamic Range (HDR) to improve contrast, brightness, and colors with your pictures.
The 5040UB uses HDR and its UltraBlack Contrast to deliver an immersive array of vivid colors and contrast up to 1,000,000:1 in both bright and dark scenes.
While its UltraBlack Contrast works greatly, and its black levels make images stand out even in dark areas on the screen, it’s common to experience problems with its HDR working and just looking ugly. That’s not to say it won’t work for you.
The 5040UB uses the L*a*b Ultra Wide Color Gamut, the digital cinema standard for color, along with a 50% wider color gamut than others.
Combined with its 100% balanced color brightness of 2500 lumens of both white and color brightness to deliver rich, bright, and vivid colors in any environment, it is very bright and colorful.
The only problem is that its brightness is still not enough to stand out in ambient rooms. This works best in the darkest of rooms; you won’t want to use it around ambient light.
To wrap up its picture quality, the 5040UB delivers movie-like experiences with its high contrast, nice brightness, and beautiful color palette.
Other than its very nice Full HD, it also has outstanding 3D quality with its Bright 3D Drive for great and bright 3D images that many people love.
It even uses image enhancement and frame interpolation to enhance your image quality and add in frames where they’re missing to make actions seem fluid and continuous.
If you’re a gamer, you’ll love this even more. Not only is the picture quality and resolution there, but the input lag is only ~29ms even with 4K.
This is the best choice of the three on this list for gaming, especially with its superior picture quality.
The 5040UB’s worst problem stems from its build, but before getting into the ugly, we must first discuss the good. The 5040UB comes equipped with a horizontal and vertical lens shift to make adjusting your picture easier for you.
With its 3-Axis precision motor, it uses state-of-the-art glass elements optimized for 4K to create the best 4K images, as well as have a 2.1x zoom, powered focus, and horizontal lens shift.
Now for its problems. Other than being large, the huge problem with the 5040UB is that people have found it very common to experience a power supply issue.
This issue makes the 5040UB die very early on users and just never turn back on. For some people this issue may appear after a year or two of use, some just a month, and some even only ten minutes after turning on for the first time.
It doesn’t help that even after getting new units, many still experience the same exact problem.
One way to get around this and hope for the best is to not buy from third parties. Projectors from them lack warranties and trust.
Buy from Amazon or Epson so that you can contact them directly if something happens.
This issue is not destined to happen to you and may not at all, but it is something to be wary of since there’s no fix for it as of yet.
Regardless of that, this is a great option for home theater and gaming with its strong 4K and amazing picture quality.
Specs
- L x W x H → 17.7” x 20.5” x 6.7”
- Weight → 24.7 lb
- Display Technology → 3LCD
- Connectivity Technology → HDMI, USB, Mini USB, LAN, Computer/D-sub 15 pin, RS-232c
- Image Brightness → 2,400 lumens
- Contrast Ratio → Up to 200,000:1
- Resolution → 4K enhancement; 4096 x 2160 Max Res
- Lamp Life → 3,500/4,000/5,000 (High, Medium, Eco)
Key Features
- EPSON 4K Pro-UHD
- 100% Balanced Color and White Brightness
- HDR and Rich Black Contrast
- 3-Axis Precision Motor
- 3LCD
- L*a*b Ultra Wide Color Gamut
PROS
CONS
Home Cinema 4010 Review
One of our best 4K projector choices of 2019, the Home Cinema 4010 is our runner-up simply because, while it is a great projector, the 5040UB has everything it has and more.
If you’re looking for a cheaper 4K/3D projector for your home theater that comes at a great value without any of the power supply problems of the 5040UB, this is a great choice.
Like the 5040UB, this projector’s picture quality is beautiful and powerful with strong, vibrant colors and high brightness. While still only great in dark rooms, this projector has better 4K quality than the 5040UB.
The 4010 uses EPSON 4K PRO-UHD like the 5040UB, but its natural resolution uses 4K enhancement (1920 x 1080 x 2), not Full HD, and it has a max resolution of 4096 x 2160 - which is true 4K.
This makes its image resolution better than the 5040UB’s, though it would be hard to tell unless you were extremely close to the screen.
Yet, this is still not real 4K. If you’re looking for more 4K projectors with the 4010’s caliber and better, check out our best 4K projectors list.
With its 100% balanced color and white brightness, the 4010 has 2,400 lumens of both white and color brightness. Yes, this is less than the 5040UB’s 2,500, but it’s too small to tell the difference.
The 4010’s very bright and dynamic, and its L*a*b Ultra Wide Color Gamut and 3LCD-technology only add to its color accuracy, amount of colors, color brightness, and color gamut.
The 4010 also produces beautiful and immersive 3D images, though you’ll have to separately buy the 3D glasses.
The 4010 has HDR and Rich Black Contrast. Rich Black Contrast has a 200,000:1 contrast ratio, quite a difference from the 5040UB’s 1,000,000:1, yet it’s still great and you’ll most likely love it.
This build’s HDR is also pretty much better than the 5040UB’s and it definitely has the better image quality minus the contrast. Here’s a quick look at its images:
Its build is recognized as being pretty great. Though it’s large, it is sturdy, nicely built, and doesn’t have the problems that the 5040UB has. It also uses a 3-Axis precision motor for its 4K, and its fan is relatively quiet.
Overall, this option comes at a great value for its price with better 4K and HDR than the 5040UB.
Though its contrast and brightness are not as high, this is a good choice if you’re not looking to spend as much, don’t want to risk any power supply problems, or are willing to settle for something with a little less.
In Conclusion
Whichever of these you choose, you’ll most likely be happy with your choice. If you’re looking for 4K, go for one of the Home Cinemas - the 4010 if you want superior 4K but are fine with less contrast and features.
If you want a gaming projector, go for the 5040UB. An anamorphic lens option or specific home theater projector - the 6030UB.
Any of these are great options, delivering their promise of being amazing home theater projectors all in Epson’s product lines.
The only unfortunate property about these three is that they all are large projectors. If you’re looking for smaller ones, check out the colorful and immersive Epson Home Cinema 1040 or 2040.
We review the Epson 1040 here and the Epson 2040 here. Otherwise, any of these choices are great.
Sources:
- Epson, Home Cinema 4010 4K PRO-UHD Projector with Advanced 3-Chip Design and HDR, Epson, last updated 2019
- Epson, Home Cinema 5040UB 3LCD Projector with 4K Enhancement and HDR, Epson, last updated 2019
- Epson, PowerLite Pro Cinema 6030UB 2D/3D 1080p 3LCD Projector, Epson, last updated 2019
My name is Steve Scott. Father of 2 and owner of Outdoor Movie HQ. I’ve been involved in the A/V industry for most of my life and built this blog to help people better understand projector technology. Please leave a comment if you have any questions.