Projector Central got a hold of an Epson Ensemble HD 6100 package and has just published their review. We wanted to make you aware of it and throw in one or two thoughts which you can take or leave. Below are some quotes pulled from the review. You can also just read the full review on Projector Central.

Projector Central says :

“The Ensemble is designed not to be the ultimate in home theater, but to be an all in one, easy to install solution that eliminates the mystery of assembling all of the components on your own. It is meant for the person who likes the idea of big home theater with a front projector and big, bold surround sound, but isn’t quite sure where to start, but doesn’t want to spend a lot of time in research and product selection. It is meant for the typical consumer who wants home theater but doesn’t want to turn it into a full time job or hobby.”

Exactly sir! The real reason this product should be a big seller is in the details. Our customer service team installed the entire system in one of our conference rooms and they were able to complete the task in a work day.

Projector Central says :

“But the real “Wow” factor of the Ensemble isn’t found in the spec sheets. It’s actually very simple: if someone told you five years ago that you could have a complete home theater, with 5.1 surround and a high-definition front projector, for less than $7,500, you would have laughed. Today, it is available at over 200 dealers around the country, as well as two authorized online resellers for the do-it-yourself crowd. If you are looking for a great big screen solution with the full surround sound experience, and want it installed in short order with no muss or fuss, the Epson Ensemble may be just the solution.”

We second (or third that if you read the Projector Reviews overview) that emotion. And not only have they made the price reasonable (not cheap, but very reasonable), they have removed a great cost to the customer in hassle. So the customer who is willing to pay a little more (and not much more) to spare the cost of hassle, should recognize that an Epson Ensemble system is a serious bargain.

Anyway, enough of our overview. Slide on over to Projector Central and read the complete Epson Ensemble HD system review here.
http://www.projectorcentral.com/epson_ensemble_hd_review.htm

Some kids like doing their homework, some kids copy their friends work, and still others charm their way into good grades. The latter is the category where you might put the ideal buyer of the new Epson Ensemble HD Home Theater Systems. The Ensemble is a truly charming – and totally put-together – package for any buyer who doesn’t want to do their homework – but really wants to succeed.

It’s Easy

If you’re technically minded, putting together a home theater system is probably sounds like fun. But if you either don’t have time to understand all there is to know about HD home theater, or you really just want the HD experience without all the work involved, then there is an Epson Ensemble HD package that is just right for you.

One of the great benefits to purchasing a package is that you get most of all that you need in one purchase. But even with a good package, there may be some things that are not included. A subwoofer cable tripped me up over the holidays, as I was setting up my new Tannoy speakers. Who knew that wouldn’t be included in the box? So I had to wait till I got back to the electronics store to hear Rock Band at full volume.

It’s Fast

But with the Epson Ensemble HD systems, they have thought of everything. Each cable is included, and is packaged together for each step of the project. The speakers are integrated into the screen, so once your screen is installed your front and center speakers are mounted too. Also, your rear speakers are housed in the projector mount, and the speaker and projector can be powered by the (included) power cables that connect to the subwoofer. No additional power outlets are required. And all your cables can be hidden away in special molding that has a peel and stick adhesive and sticks right to your ceiling. So you have a solution for hiding cables, complete power to your system, and everything you need is shipped together.

Since everything is included, it is possible that you could have all of the electronic components installed for a home theater in one weekend, without leaving your house!. In fact, the remote control is pre-programed, so it’s ready to go when you open the box. There is even an installation video to help you piece together all the parts if you don’t like to read manuals. We have it online here.

It’s Cool

As if a 100-inch image with HD resolution and surround sound isn’t cool enough, the Ensemble system includes an AM/FM tuner and an iPod input built in to the receiver and more. The receiver also includes a PC card slot for quick and easy viewing of photographs, and you can listen to the music without dropping your screen for an impromptu dance party.

It’s Included

The Epson Ensemble HD system takes the ‘everything’s included’ concept to the next level. The pallet of boxes shipped to you includes all the screws, cables, nuts, bolts, components, wire covers, that you need to do the entire installation. Here is what’s included in the Epson Ensemble HD Home Theater System :

• Your choice of three HD Epson projectors (Epson Home Cinema 6500 UB, 6100, or 720)
• One (1) 100-inch electric screen with integrated speaker (center, right, left)
• One (1) custom 5.1 surround sound system with 10-inch subwoofer
• One (1) AV controller with dual HDMI inputs, built-in progressive-scan DVD player with 1080p upconversion and AM/FM tuner.
• One (1) pre-programmed remote control with LCD display.
• All mounting brackets, cables and wire management tracks.

It’s Easy, Fast, Cool and Included

Technically, I suppose you actually are doing your homework by reading this article, but now you’re pretty much done. If you have been waiting to purchase till you had all the info you need for a killer Home Theater, your work is done here.

We Have Video!

Take a sneek peek into our Epson Ensemble HD home theater system training. You can watch our complete, slightly edited for time, Ensemble HD training session with Epson’s National Training Manager. The video includes an overview of each of the ‘pieces parts’ included in the system. Give your self a half hour to watch the complete video. It is available on YouTube (in 3 segments) and Vimeo.

Watch our Epson Ensemble HD Home Theater system training Video

Have you ever dreamed of becoming a Projector Expert? Of course you have! And now you can. Sit back and watch 20 some minutes and learn all there is to know about the new Epson HD projector packages. Watch and learn below.

Epson Training Session : Epson Ensemble HD Home Cinema Systems June 2009 from Projector People on Vimeo.

Projector People is now offering exclusive rebate savings on select Epson PowerLite business projectors. Also, Epson Home Cinema and education rebates have been extended into July!

Epson PowerLite Business Projector Rebates

The following Epson projectors have Projector People exclusive rebates from 06/10/09 – 07/10/09. Take advantage of these special reduced price offers while they last!

• Epson PowerLite S6 – $ 50 off
• Epson PowerLite 78 – $ 70 off
• Epson PowerLite 1715 – $100 off
• Epson PowerLite 1810 – $150 off
• Epson PowerLite 1825 – $200 off
• Epson PowerLite G5000 – $300 off

These Projector People exclusive rebates above are valid from 06/10/09 – 07/10/09

Epson Home Cinema Projector Rebates

Epson Home Theater projector manufacturer rebates have been extended. As has our exclusive offer on the Epson Home Cinema 6500 UB – get a 25 foot HDMI 1.3 cable, and universal projector ceiling mount through 7/15/2009.

Epson Home Cinema 6100 – $100 rebate Epson Home Cinema 6500 UB – $400 rebate

See all Epson projectors and details on all available rebates and promotions on our Epson Projectors list page:

As always, you can call a Projector Expert between the hours of 8:00am and 8:00pm Monday – Friday for advice on which projector is best for you, for package pricing, and any of your projector related questions.

We have already blogged about our 1080p projector shootout and showed some of the photos from the day. Now we are ready with the corresponding video. The video is located on YouTube (and embedded below) and on Vimeo. The Vimeo video may be a little higher quality.

As we already discussed in our blog post a couple weeks ago, each of our six projectors displayed good video. Unlike shootouts three years ago or so, all of the projectors we demoed are bright enough, have good color, and display video with limited artifacts. And all but one of our tested models were designed specifically for the home theater market. We threw in the Optoma TX1080 because it’s a good crossover option for those who want a widescreen business projector that does good video.

So, without further ado, please feel free to check out the video. It’s not fancy, by any stretch, but it does give you a chance to see the models side-by-side. Below are some of the things that the camera may not show exactly as we saw them.

What the Camera Couldn’t See

We wanted to film all five (technically six) projectors at once, playing the same content, since that is one of the most frequent requests. But like with any comparison like this – there are some limitations to our professional video camera. that means some of the most noticeable differences between the units we saw in person are not apparent in the images you see.

Black Levels

The black levels were far superior on the Epson Home Cinema 6500 UB, the Sanyo PLV-Z3000, and the Panasonic PT-AE3000U – with the overall ‘blackest blacks” nod going to Epson. The Sanyo PLV-Z700 showed the worst blacks in our test with out of the box settings.

120hz Superiority

The projectors with 120hz processing (again the Epson Home Cinema 6500 UB, the Sanyo PLV-Z3000, and the Panasonic PT-AE3000U) looked incredible in person. They look good in the video, but even in scenes with just a little movement – like people walking through the metro station – the difference was remarkable and obvious. We hope to get some HD video that can capture the difference soon.

Brightness

The camera tends to adjust for brightness, finding a happy medium that makes all the images look their best. The good news here is that there was not much to report. All of the projectors looked about the same in terms of brightness although there are a few hundred lumens difference between some of them. In fairness to the brighter projectors, the images were relatively small since we had to get them all on the wall. If we made the images bigger, the brightness difference would have likely been more apparent.

Help Us Help You!

This is our first attempt at a shootout video, and we are still learning how to best provide you with the most useful content. One lesson we learned this time is that we need to use an HD camera. Yes, it does seem like the obvious choice. Yes we will do it next time. However, even with an HD camera we still have limited bandwidth on sites like YouTube and Vimeo. So, I think next time we will offer a higher resolution HD video feed for you to download at your leisure. We have also had requests to do some reviews with calibration settings. We are still considering this. Please feel free to share your thoughts and ideas! You can do so by replying to the newsletter email, or send your thoughts to webmaster@projectorpeople.com

[ some artifacts are visible from the Vimeo compression. Click here for larger version.

Quick Reference Video Log

Projector order in video : Sanyo PLV-Z700, Sanyo PLV-Z3000, Panasonic PT-AE3000U, Epson Home Cinema 6500 UB, Epson Home Cinema 6100, and Optoma TX1080.

• 0:00 – 3:05
  Product introductions. Our product manager mentions ‘black bars’ visible in person, but do not show up on the camera. Example of DLP “flicker” at 02:12 – 02:28 is visible on camera, but not visible to the naked eye for most viewers.


• 03:06 – 04:11
  Discussion of black levels in each product (sales person obscures view of the Sanyo PLV-Z3000)


• 04:12 – 04:59
  Example of 2X zoom on the Panasonic PT-AE3000U.


• 05:01 – 06:15
  Lights on brightness check and brightness discussion.


• 06:16 – 6:55
  Brief discussion of 120hz. Unfortunately the differences are not very visible here.


• 07:00 – 07:37
  Color contrast mentioned


• 07:42 – 8:30
  Nice action comparison. 120 hz mentioned again.


• 08:33 – 08:55
  Close up of 120hz projector (Epson Home Cinema 6500 UB). You may notice the improved quality. In person, this image looked almost 3-D.


• 09:00 – 10:00
  Final round up.

We finally got a chance to do a shootout with our best selling 1080p projectors, including one we had yet to see in person, the Sanyo PLV-Z3000. The shootout was also filmed, and we will have that video for you soon available now. But, as a preview, we thought we’d also post some of the photos we took to get your gears greased.

• Sanyo PLV-Z700 (1200 lumens, 10000:1 contrast)
• Sanyo PLV-Z3000 (1200 lumens, 65000:1 contrast)
• Panasonic PT-AE3000U (1600 lumens, 60000:1 contrast)
• Epson Home Cinema 6500 UB (1600 lumens, 75000:1 contrast)
• Epson Home Cinema 6100 (1800 lumens, 18000:1 contrast)
• Optoma TX1080 (no photos of this one, but we will have it on video)

Note : These are all 1080p native projectors. Brightness and contrast differ, and only three of them have the 120Hz processor (the Epson HC 6500 UB, Panasonic PT-AE3000U, and the Sanyo PLV-Z3000). Check our projector comparison charts for head-to-head details of projector specs.

Big Dif?

While each of the images below may appear to favor one projector over another, in the actual shootout there was a consensus that there wasn’t a ‘bad’ projector in the bunch. Some – like the Epson 6500UB – had really nice black levels. Other projectors excelled in their processing ability. Still others featured particularly dynamic colors. Below we have some images and some of my personal commentary on what I saw. Others in the demo may have seen differently. I will share any of the other commentary I heard in my notes below the images.

1080p Projector Shootout

One of the limitations of this shootout is the image size. In order to fit them all on our wall at once, we kept the image a little smaller than most aim for in their home theater. We used 2 different HDMI distribution amplifiers to create our image, since our 1:8 HDMI couldn’t power all five on the main wall. We used one BluRay player showing the BluRay version of the movie Fifth Element. We used out-of-the-box settings for each projector, since few customers report taking the time to calibrate their image.

Comparing the (left to right) Sanyo PLV-Z700, Sanyo PLV-Z3000, Panasonic PT-AE3000U, Epson Home Cinema 6500 UB, and Epson Home Cinema 6100.

[ click image for higher res photo on our Flickr page ]

The Sanyo PLV-Z700 (far left) and the Epson Home Cinema 6100 (far right) have lower contrast ratios than the three center home theater projectors. Notice how visible the “black bars” above and below the images are as a guide to determining the projectors ability to produce deep, rich blacks and colors.

[ click image for higher res photo on our Flickr page ]

The three center projectors all feature 120Hz rates. The Panasonic PT-AE3000U, Epson Home Cinema 6500 UB, and the Sanyo PLV-Z3000 absolutely blew away the lower priced projectors in high action scenes. Even in scenes with people walking in the movie Fifth Element the image looked almost 3-D on the center three projectors. The image was truly beautiful. Personally I never would have thought it made such a big difference, but after seeing them head-to-head, I am converted. Hopefully this will be visible on the video – which is coming soon.

Comparing the (left to right) Sanyo PLV-Z700, Sanyo PLV-Z3000, Panasonic PT-AE3000U, Epson Home Cinema 6500 UB, and Epson Home Cinema 6100.

[ click image for higher res photo on our Flickr page ]

A good color comparison shot. All the projectors were set up using out of the box settings. There is still plenty of tweaking that could be done to improve color. But in our out of the box shootout there were some who preferred the color of the Sanyo, some the Panasonic, and some Epson. Viewers also sometimes reported liking the color better in one scene on one projector, and another on a different model. Personally, the color on the Sanyo PLV-Z3000 looks good to me in this photo, but in other scenes both the Panasonic and Epson shined.

[ click image for higher res photo on our Flickr page ]

Here’s another good shot for color comparison. I like the Epson 6500 (second from right) in this image, but all of them look good. Other viewers liked the Panasonic AE3000. The two end projectors (Sanyo PLV-700 -left and Epson HC 6100 – right) both produced very good color too, even though they are a few hundred dollars less.

[ click image for higher res photo on our Flickr page ]

With the lights on, they all look about the same. In fairness to the brighter models, however, these are fairly small images. If we blew up the image a few feet there would probably be a greater difference. In a dark room, the difference wouldn’t be particularly noticable.

Shootout, Round Up

So, in conclusion, all the projectors looked very good. If you bought one of them without seeing another directly next to it, the vast majority of viewers would be completely happy with the image on any of these models. However, if you are picky about your video, then you should invest in one of the 120Hz products. The difference is very noticeable in side by side comparison, and although you may not realize what’s making it happen, the image is going to look much crisper, and nearly three dimensional. It’s worth the extra cash if you have it.

Video of our Shootout Now Online!

There are some artifacts are visible from the Vimeo embedding compression. But you can Click here for larger/less compressed version.

[ some artifacts are visible from the Vimeo compression. Click here for larger version.

• Increased from $200 to $500 mail-in rebate.
• Valid on purchases between 2/23/09 – 03/31/09.
• Cannot be combined with previous rebate offer.

Epson Home Cinema 6500UB Now in Video Demo Showroom!

View High Resolution Video of Projectors in Action

• [ See high resolution video from the Epson Home Cinema 6500 UB - 65 MB ]
• [ See high resolution video from the Epson Home Cinema 6100 - 65 MB ]
• [ See high resolution video from the Optoma TX1080 - 65 MB ]
• [ See high resolution video from the Epson Home Cinema 6500UB - 65 MB ]

Spec Comparison Tool

[ Photos from the "Band of Brothers" HBO Series now on Blu-Ray. ]

Rich says : “I would say at the new price point the Epson Home Cinema 6100 is in a class by itself. Better than the ‘budget units’ and close to the better ones.”

[ Photos from the "Band of Brothers" HBO Series now on Blu-Ray. ]

[ Photos from the "Band of Brothers" HBO Series now on Blu-Ray. ]

Rich says : “My biggest surprise is having a bright image at the same time as deep black levels. This is a great choice for outdoor movies… actually I used it outside for some of the FSU bowl game. Didn’t take any pictures… couldn’t hold my camera AND a (beverage).”

Ups

• Sharp, bright picture (1800 lumens / 18000:1 contrast)
• Price point very competitive
• Accurate color with good flesh tones (even muted tones as in “Band of Brothers”)
• 2-year warranty

Downs

• Some visible video noise (not 120 hz)

Conclusions

For around $1,700 (after $200 rebates) the Epson Home Cinema 6100 outperforms cheaper projectors in the category. It falls between high performance and entry level pieces and is a good mid-range option for buyers who want a bright, new 1080p projector with good contrast at a lower price.

Epson’s Home Cinema 1080 and Home Cinema 1080UB have been (and still are) best sellers for us. By comparison they are some of the nicest on the market. We were excited to learn more about the new line up.

Jeff is always an entertaining presenter, so it’s a great way to start our ‘Watch and Learn’ video series. Watch (or read) and enjoy!

Your Training Cheat Sheet for Epson Home Theater

If you don’t feel up to watching our entire training video here are a few notes from what we discovered this week.

• The Epson Powerlite Home Cinema 6100
• The Epson HC6100 will include a 2 yr. advance replacement warranty
• The higher-priced 1080p HC6500 expected to ship last week of November
• New models have new industrial design, no longer “chiclets” but more squared edges and slightly larger cabinets for better heat and noise reduction, and for bigger video processors
• The new Color Light Output specification, developed by the 3LCD consortium, has been adopted by Sony as well as Epson with more to come

• Average contrast ratio in a commercial movie theater is 150:1
• Lights off commercial movie theater contrast would be around 350 to 400:1
• The highest, true contrast ratio Jeff Paiva has ever measured was just over 400:1 and the image looked holographic from all the detail revealed

Watch:

Jeff Paiva on Contrast Ratio. How is contrast measured in a home theater projector? Epson’s Jeff Paiva discusses the difference between full on / full off contrast ratio and reveals the highest contrast ratio display he has ever tested in his years of experience.

• Pushing green levels to achieve higher brightness
• Typically have poor video processors which show artifacts. Can’t handle fast motion video
• Louder fans on ultra portable projectors because of emphasis on smaller casing

• 3 million vs. 6 million pixels (or 1 million x 3 panels vs. 2 million x 3 panels)
• Colors appear more saturated in 1080p because there are more pixels to show depth
• Better black levels in 1080p
• More detail in the image, and a smoother image since less screen door effect visible

Watch:

Jeff discusses the advantages of 1080p over 720p projection.

Watch Entire Training Video

Full Epson Home Theater training video, including all of the things we mentioned in our cheat sheet above. Jeff also demonstrates how projectors create white light, how the new Epson home theater projectors achive their high contrast ratios, and the benefits of 1080p projectors over 720p.

New 1080p Projector Comparison Chart

[ Based on preliminary specs only. ]

* Expect Sanyo to post dramatic improvements to this spec before release date.
** We are trying to confirm this. Sanyo reports the HDMI 1.3b input on their projectors is the same dimension as 1.3a HDMI, but with more pins.

A Big Contrast

Contrast ratios are coming in around the 10,000 to 60,000:1 range. But as the numbers get higher, the specification seems to mean less and less. Back in the day when people wanted to bring their work projectors home on the weekends – with 400:1 contrast ratios – contrast ratios were a serious consideration. But the visible difference between 10,000:1 and 60,000:1 contrast is not nearly as dramatic as it sounds. That is not to say that it doesn’t mean something, at least, but a 10,000:1 projector looks MUCH better than a 400:1 contrast projector. But unless you can make your room nearly black, the difference between 60,000:1 and 10,000:1 is not nearly as noticeable.

More Sizzle for your Nickel

This year there seems to be an emergence of more high-performance HD options around the same prices as some of last year’s entry level products. That’s good news for buyer’s who have been planning to spend around $3,000 based on last year’s prices, since they will get more for their money this time. Here’s a link to a blurb on Gizmodo about the Panasonic PT-AE3000U, dropping prices, and the high quality of this new $3000 projectors.

New 1080p Projectors : Product Photos

These photos were not taken by a professional photographer, as you can clearly see. They were taken by a professional product manager with many years of experience in the audio visual industry, and no natural photographic talent. I would show his photo but he doesn’t photograph well either.

Panasonic PT-AE3000U and the AE2000U Upgrades

Panasonic PT-AE3000U projector

Panasonic PT-AE3000U projector and developers

Sanyo PLV-Z700 projector