The next projector we're going to look at
is the Epson 4040, which will be on the left
side of the screen.
And we'll be comparing that again, to the
Optoma, the new UHD65 - which is a true 4K
projector using a single chip DLP and an RGB/RGB
color wheel - which is very important, that's
how it gets its amazing color.
The Epson uses 3 chips that are transmissive,
meaning the light is going through each of
those chips.
Theoretically, most LCDs that are transmissive
are not able to get the same contrast and
black levels.
But let's take a look and see how they're
doing because this is Epson's Pro Cinema,
they have a few tricks up their sleeve.
So after we calibrate them, by calibrate,
we're going to do a simple calibration such
as you can do at home, not using instruments.
But, we'll use a test pattern and we'll set
the contrast level, so that we don't clip
any highlights.
And we'll set the blacks so that we're not
crushing any blacks.
Once we do that, we can compare color, we
can compare contrast, and then finally, we'll
compare detail.
So we'll see if the Epson 4K e-shift, how
close it can come to actual 4K.
We're now looking at the, the Epson Pro Cinema
4040 on the left.
And on the right, we're looking at the UHD65
- the Optoma.
And here, we have just calibrated the pluge
patterns, so that we are not crushing blacks
- and if you look carefully you should be
able to see the white square, or the light
colored square in the top white box - which
means we, we will not be clipping any of our
highlights.
But at the same time we're getting the maximum
contrast that's capable out of this projector.
I'm going to zoom in just a little bit to
make sure you can see those little squares
there, but I think you can look carefully,
you should be able to see the first pluge
bar and maybe the second one.
With the eye, I can see them both, but of
course, the dynamic range of the camera under
these circumstances, if I expose - well, here,
I can show you, if I expose so you can see
the bars - you should see the first two.
And we're at the range of the camera, but
with the eye you can see the first two and
then the third one you can just barely see.
And as I bring that back down, now you can
see the little white square.
But I have not adjusted - I have adjusted
the projectors in advance - so that they're
set, and I was just adjusting the iris on
the camera so you could we them where they
are.
Now we're ready to check color and look at
some images.
And here is our skin tone.
The comparison between the Epson Pro Cinema
4040, and for those who are not aware, the
5040 is essentially the same thing but because
it's not Pro Cinema it doesn't have the warranty.
It doesn't have the extra lamp or the mount
with it.
But essentially the performance is the same.
So 5040/4040 very similar.
And here you can see it on skin tones.
We'll zoom in just a little bit so you can
get a close look.
Again, we're not evaluating detail because
these are 1080p slides but in a minute we'll
be going to 4K to evaluate detail.
As far as contrast, as far as color - both
are very good projectors.
Amazingly close.
Contrast is almost identical.
Color - very, very close.
I'd have to give Epson a slight edge in terms
of color.
But, both, again, very good.
So after our basic calibration, we put the
white balance close as we could to 65 with
the settings that it provides out-of-the-box
- not getting into the calibration.
And here are saturated colors - we're going
to look at skin tone in just a minute which
is I think, the most important test.
But here you can see the colors are very good
on both of them.
If you look at the rim on the cap, you'll
see a little difference in the red.
Blues are just a little bit different.
The yellows definitely have a little more
saturation and deeper yellow.
Greens are a little bit different as well.
But overall, if you look at the color of the
mitt and the overall image - the orange in
the bulldogs - it's very, very close.
I froze this image.
This is a 4K image coming off the server,
because the Epson was no where near as bright.
So I brought the Epson now to its brightest
mode so both the Epson on the left, which,
if I measure this - I don't know if you'll
be able to read this - but we're getting 21.6,
20.8, 21.4.
And over here, if I get the shadow out of
the way, on the Epson, or excuse me, on the
Optoma, you're running 30, 29.5 - again, I'm
not sure you can see this but - if I get my
shadow out of the way, it's running 26, 27s
consistently peaks at 30.
Over here, on the Epson, we're about 24.
And let me grab the remove so you can see
the settings.
The Epson is, down here, I'll highlight it
so you can see it a little bit better, but
the power consumption is high.
And if we do that over here on the Optoma,
and I'll tell ya a little secret with the
Optoma - took me a long time to figure out
where the, the lamp power is.
But its under brightness mode, under advanced
display images - you have to go to a second
menu.
And now you can see it's in the bright mode.
so with both of these in the bright mode,
they are close.
The Optoma actually has a slight advantage
of it in this mode.
OK in this trailer, for After Earth, we have,
again, setup side-by-side.
This'll give you an idea, generally, of the
color and contrast performance.
At this distance, with HD, you're not going
to be able to see the detail difference.
So this is more - just to let you see the
color, the contrast, and give you an idea.
We'll take a closer look at the actual detail
differences in a minute.
But this a trailer from Sony, for After Earth,
it has a good range of high contrast scenes,
bright lit scenes - very bright like that
one, and gives you a little bit of the idea
of the range.
Both of these are doing very, very good images.
To the eye, the Optoma, because of the detail,
you'll see in a minute is a slightly more
refined, fine detail because it is true 4K.
And when you're feeding it 4K content that's
full of detail as these scenes are, you'll
definitely see the difference between them.
So one thing I'll mention, so that we don't
miss it, is the Epson, when it is in its high
brightness mode, and the Optoma when it's
in its high brightness mode, the Optoma definitely
has the advantage of being quite a bit less
noisy, or having fan noise.
When the Epson is in its middle or low mode,
it's quite good but when it's in its high
mode it's definitely something that you would
notice with three or four people in the room,
with a large crowd you might not.
What we're looking at now is, I froze this
image because it has a lot of detail in it
and we're going to try and see the difference
between the 4K E, which is four million pixels
more than the Epson on the left, and on the
Optoma, on the right, with its eight million
pixels.
So I'm going to slowly zoom in here.
And if you look at, again, you're looking
at, possibly HD over the internet, if you're
lucky, and so this might be very difficult
to see.
But there is considerable difference in the
sharpness and details - almost like someone
had focused and enhanced the image a little
bit on the right.
I've reverse the image on the left, so again,
you can see the exact same thing.
So I'm not sure how of this you can see, but
we'll try.
I don't know the extent we can zoom in fairly
close here.
And we'll just make sure we're in optimum
focus.
So definitely, 4K E cannot equal what true
4K can do.
It's certainly better than HD, but it's not
as good as true 4k.
Evan back here, at viewing distance, between
these two projectors, it is noticeably sharper
on the right, and more detailed.
There's very fine detail that we can see.
I'm going to come back to - fact, what we'll
do - I'm going to pan over here into these
buildings and then I'm going to do the same
thing on the left.
So hopefully - this is the Optoma UHD65.
We're zoomed in because we're only shooting
this in HD.
And so, hopefully going in that far - now
we're going to rotate it over here to the
same thing.
And we'll double check our focus to make sure
- but you should be able to see that difference.
There is quite a difference in the sharpness
between this side and when we go over here
onto the UHD side.
This scene, is very good for testing the native,
or that actual, what we refer to as the ANSI
contrast.
The ability to have very good blacks and very
good highlights at the same time.
So I'm going to roll this forward then we'll
talk about what you're seeing, because there's
some very significant differences here.
I'm going to pause it on a scene coming up
here, because this is an excellent example.
So what you are seeing, on the right again,
is the Optoma UHD65, on the left, the Epson
4040, the Pro Cinema.
And, what you are seeing is on the right,
the star field is definitely more pronounced
because it's letting the very fine detail
of those pin points of lights come through.
You'll also notice on the Earth, and it may
be a little bit hard to see this because they're
both going to be a little bit over exposed
to show the stars, but the Earth on the right
- the highlights, are much more intense to
the eye.
They're both holding detail, but the Epson
is using probably a combination of an iris
and/or lamp control to bring the level down
so that, you can get good blacks - and those
are good blacks - but it does it at the sacrifice
of the highlights.
So you're not seeing the star field the same.
So, I'm going to let this play through, but
that's a significant advantage for, for most
people it'd be an advantage for the Optoma
- because that's true contrast.
And it's quite a difference that you can see
between those two.
As it comes up here, again, we'll freeze it
here.
And I'm going to adjust the iris so that you're
not overexposing it as much.
But you'll see that the right side is considerably
brighter and darker at the same time - which
is the most difficult thing to do.
The other thing that's playing into this to
some degree, it's not going to affect the
high brightness, you can see the Epson's in
its brightest mode.
And if we go over here to the Optoma, and
we go into its brightness setting, you can
see they're both in the high brightness mode.
I'm going to take those menus off the screen
so that you can see the pictures without anything
else onto them.
But I think the other reason, any I'm going
to open up this iris just a little bit so
you can see some of the differences in the
background, the star field.
But it could be, and probably is also related
to at least the fine points of light - is
the left side is the 4K e-shift and the right
side is 4K.
So here's a case where the detail, the star
field in this case, is so fine, that the 4
million pixels on the left just can't compete
with the 8 million pixels on the right.
So this is a combination of both detail and
contrast.
