Here’s the latest news on Epson Home Cinema, in case you’re interested.

As the new Home Cinema 8100 begins to come into focus, the older 6100 has had a recent price drop to help make room for the new.

• Epson Home Cinema 6100 – Now $1599 (price dropped September 14th)

Epson has extended rebates on two of their best selling home theater projectors.

• Epson Home Cinema 720 : FREE PowerLite Home Cinema 720 replacement lamp by mail through 10/31/09.
• Epson Home Cinema 6500 UB : 400 cash back plus FREE replacement lamp ($300 value) by mail through 10/31/09

Here’s what we know about new Epson Home Cinema projectors.

• Epson Home Cinema 8100 – Ship late October – Priced at $1599
• Epson Home Cinema 8500 UB – Ships mid to late November – not priced yet.

New Projector Rebates

• NEC NP500W : $100 mail in rebate.
• NEC NP500WS : $100 mail in rebate.
• NEC NP600 : $200 mail in rebate.
• Vivitek H1080FD : FREE Ground shipping for pre-orders through 8/15/2009.

Extended Projector Rebates

ASK Proxima Projectors

• ASK Proxima C315 : $75 mail in rebate through 9/30/2009.

Canon Projectors

• Canon Realis SX80 : Free replacement lamp (retail value $579) through 8/31/2009.
• Canon Realis SX800 : Free replacement lamp (retail value $579) through 8/31/2009.

Casio Projectors

• Casio XJ-SC215 : Free Casio YW-2L Wireless LAN Adapter (CASYW2L, $99 value) through 8/14/2009.

Epson Home Cinema Projectors

• Epson Home Cinema 6100 : $100 rebate plus FREE replacement lamp ($300 value) through 8/31/2009.
• Epson Home Cinema 6500 UB : $400 rebate plus FREE replacement lamp ($300 value) through 8/31/2009.
• Epson Home Cinema 720 : FREE PowerLite Home Cinema 720 replacement lamp through 8/31/2009.

InFocus Projectors

• InFocus IN1100 : $50 mail-in rebate through 9/30/2009.
• InFocus IN1102 : $50 mail-in rebate through 9/30/2009.
• InFocus IN35 : $75 mail-in rebate through 9/30/2009.
• InFocus IN35W : $75 mail-in rebate through 9/30/2009.

Mitsubishi Projectors

• Mitsubishi EX51U : Free replacement lamp through 8/31/2009.
• Mitsubishi XD510U : Free replacement lamp through 8/31/2009.
• Mitsubishi XD510U-G : Free replacement lamp through 8/31/2009.

NEC Projectors

• NEC NP3150 : $500 mail-in rebate through 9/30/2009.
• NEC NP3151W : $500 mail-in rebate through 9/30/2009.
• NEC NP4000 : $500 mail-in rebate through 9/30/2009.
• NEC NP400006FL : $500 mail-in rebate through 9/30/2009.
• NEC NP400007ZL : $500 mail-in rebate through 9/30/2009.
• NEC NP400008ZL : $500 mail-in rebate through 9/30/2009.
• NEC NP400009ZL : $500 mail-in rebate through 9/30/2009.
• NEC NP400010ZL : $500 mail-in rebate through 9/30/2009.
• NEC NP4001 : $500 mail-in rebate through 9/30/2009.
• NEC NP400106FL : $500 mail-in rebate through 9/30/2009.
• NEC NP400107ZL : $500 mail-in rebate through 9/30/2009.
• NEC NP400108ZL : $500 mail-in rebate through 9/30/2009.
• NEC NP400109ZL : $500 mail-in rebate through 9/30/2009.
• NEC NP400110ZL : $500 mail-in rebate through 9/30/2009.
• NEC NP41 : $300 mail-in rebate through 9/30/2009.
• NEC NP61 : $300 mail-in rebate through 9/30/2009.
• NEC NP905 : $300 mail-in rebate through 9/30/2009.

Panasonic Projectors

• Panasonic PT-AE3000U : Receive a 2-year limited warranty or 2,000 hours limited warranty through 9/30/2009.

Sanyo Projectors

• Sanyo PLV-Z3000 : $200 mail-in rebate through 9/30/2009.

We do not always receive manufacturer rebate notifications until a few days into the new month. So if you don’t see a rebate posted on the 1st, come back in a day or two. As soon as we have the details, we post them on our Rebates and Promotions page.

I took the new Sanyo Z700 for a spin this weekend. At the current price point and $200 rebate it made this one a “must see” for the money.

First thoughts is wow it’s bright! Brighter than what you would think 1200 Lumens can look like. I could leave plenty of lights on and still have a great looking image. Also razor sharp! I watched some Blu-Ray movies, PS3 games, and some HD football and it looked like a 110″ Plasma on my wall!

Some other nice features are the lens shift that allowed me to dial in the image quickly. Also the Lens Cover snapping shut after it powers down. This helps keep dust off the lens and conceals the projector a little more. It’s smaller than some other 1080p projectors. Very quiet and practically silent in eco mode. If you need to think about the “look” and “sound” of the projector in your room then this might be the one. Good WAF on this one (Wife Acceptance Factor).

These pictures just don’t do it justice. Colors pop, Whites are crisp and Black levels are decent…but not the best I’ve seen. You need to spend about $1,000 more for the best black levels like the Panasonic AE3000 or Epson 1080UB. I think you could use a Calibration DVD to “tweak” the best out of this projector. HD material looked stunning even with lights on in the room. I caught myself even looking at some commercials in HD and those looked good, I normally fast forward the commercials on my DVR. I played a little PS3 and the game textures looked life like!

Bottom line is if you’re not a contrast junkie but like a Bright, Colorful, and Sharp 1080p image at a bargain then take a look at this Sanyo PLV-Z700.

People will think you spend $5,000 on this thing!

~ Review by Projector Expert Rich Morgan

Panasonic has dangled another enticing carrot for those interested in their new PT-AE3000 projector. An extended warranty.

We just received word late Friday that they will be including an additional year warranty (click for .pdf) for a limited time (just as they did on the AX200 and AE2000) when you purchase from an authorized reseller. That brings the warranty period to two years, making it more competitive with Epson (2-year) and Sanyo (3-year).

What if You Purchased Before the Announcment?

If you purchased your AE3000 last week, never fear, you should also be eligible for the rebate which started 10/15/2008. The rebate is valid through the end of December (12/31/08). You can download the form from the Projector People website here.

PT-AE3000 Pre-Orders Accepted

By the way, we are now taking pre-orders on the PT-AE3000. As we mentioned, the price is $2499, and we expect it to ship at the end of October. If you prefer you can also call in your pre-order at 1-888-248-0675. This will get you a dedicated sales person who can answer questions about your specific needs as well as someone you can call and pester about when your order will ship. It will also give you a chance to get your best price on screens, receivers, speakers, mounts, and any other accessories you may need.