The Offical Epson 8350 Owners Thread - Page 245

MississippiMan, you can no longer say none of your clients have errors on the 8350. Carps gone through a half dozen and he is one of your clients. He's one of my buddies, and my fourth 8350 just failed this week. Onto the fifth for me. That's five in six months. That taints my opinion pretty strongly against epson as well, since both carp and I have had so many issues.

I've had two panasonic projectors in the past with nary a problem. Luck of the draw or what? I don't know. As you mention -- you can have problems with any manufactorer --- but I'd sure recommend a panasonic at this point over an Epson based on personal experience of carp and I. Yes Epsons' customer service is good, but if they just keep sending us defective product, customer service stops being excellent because of the QA issue. I mean who wants another defective projector delivered overnight a half dozen times?

thanks for pointing me in that direction - so i have my projector hooked into my receiver along with my dvd player hooked into my receiver. The
manual says that the aspect in that config has to be changed at the source...any idea what the source is...dvd player or receiver? There has to
be a setup that makes sense so we can change the projectors aspect via projector remote especially since the projector needs a source for sound

By pass the receiver and connect the player directly to the projector.
Then see if the aspect ratio looks correct.

If not, check your player aspect ratio settings.
If it looks good, then reconnect the receiver and check the receiver video settings.

*In most cases, if using HDMI, you want the receiver to pass through the video signal with no processing.

Epson's RMA Shipping Methods - A Tale of Woe and Misfortune for anyone returning an Epson RMA

I received my fourth advance RMA about 5 weeks ago and have been quite happy with it. Before shipping a replacement unit to you, Epson advises that you must return the old projector within 7 days in order to avoid being charge for the unit. On the day that my replacement unit was delivered, the van was packed for a two week family vacation at the beach. I quickly confirmed that the RMA worked and packed up the malfunctioning unit and dropped the package at the local FedEx shipping location as we headed south.

Four weeks later, Epson called and informed me that they never received the unit. To my utter horror, I could not find the small FedEx confirmation sticker that I had affixed to the return instructions. It had somehow detached during our vacation somewhere in the van and an extensive recovery effort could not locate it.

No problem, FedEx must have a record of the package, right? I knew the exact time and date of drop off and the destination of the package. However, there was a problem - since the shipper's and receiver's name and address were the same (Epson), the package could not be tracked easily or at all. After 3 conference calls with FedEx CAT (Customer Advocate Team) and Epson that lasted over 8 hours, a tracking number could not be found. I decided to try one more call to an absolutely dedicated FedEx customer service rep in El Paso.

The upshot of these conversations was that Epson does not record the shipping label that goes with its respective RMA. For this reason, Epson does not want to give out the details of their tracking number scheme because they have no idea if a tracking number that you give them is actually your return.

FedEx used the shipper's number, ground location number, and approximate date to narrow down the candidate packages to ~2000. The FedEx customer rep then went through the tracking details of all 2000 and further narrowed it down to two. She gave me both tracking numbers and Epson accepted one as my actual proof of return.

If anyone finds themselves in a similar pinch, be aware that Epson will not budge with regard to charging you if you can't produce a tracking number. I had the unit's serial number, an employee at the FedEx drop point who attested that I dropped off the unit, and my wife as witness to me dropping off the unit. Also be aware that it is extremely difficult (but not impossible) to track down an Epson RMA without a FedEx tracking number.

In the end, Epson did not charge me, but the entire experience left a bad taste for Epson and a deep appreciation of FedEx customer service.

The easiest thing to do is ask FedEx for a receipt.
The receipt will have the tracking number and time the package was dropped off.

Also, keep all RMA/tracking info in a save secure place until all has been finalized.
Epson will send an email of the RMA as well if you're not afraid to provide them an email address.

No doubt. To be sure, I was at fault for losing the number. Ironically, I can put my hands on the previous and superfluous RMA FedEx tracking numbers. This is the only one I lost and Mr Murphy insisted that I should be punished for it. My hope is to document my experience in case someone else finds themselves in this unfortunate situation.

I had the RMA, but since the tracking number and RMA are not connected, it did not help in this situation. The most frustrating aspect is that Epson had received the projector and I had the serial number of the projector, but this did not help for unknown reasons. My suspicion is that you could avoid sending the unit back and guess a correct tracking number and Epson would have no idea if you had actually sent the unit back.

Another interesting fact, I can tell you that over 20,000 projectors have been sent back to Epson in the last 6 months through Memphis.

Wow. "[T]he singularly most ludicrous statement" in 11 years - and it's true.

I did not "infer" (sic) that they were all 8350s, you did. This was an approximate number of Epson projectors returned to the projector Unit Exchange addresses in Pinfield Indiana according to the FedEx CAT in El Paso. I was told this information on a conference call with FedEx and Epson. I can't remember if I told Ed Colfer of Epson America about it when I had corespondance with him.

Indeed.

How many consumer projectors were returned to Epson in the last 6 months? Where is your evidence to the contrary?

I will ask you what you asked me (and I supplied).

Where did you possibly get your information that is verifiable conformation by Epson associates?

I do not wish to get into a forum argument with you Miss Man and I have appreciated and benefited by your contributions to this forum - I'm merely relaying what I was told by a FedEx employee (Shannon in El Paso in fact) about Epson shipments to an RMA location and the difficulty involved in tracking down a particular package. You questioned my sources and impugned my honesty for which I gave you names and figures as I recall and as you requested.

You have responded with ad hominem and supposition. Please, take from my comment what you will. If not, life goes on.

Viva Civility Miss Man! My respect for you has be fully restored.

I almost had to pay double MSRP for a refurbished projector and Miss Man takes me to task for hearsay involving said projector. Rough week for my relationship with all things Epson

Sounds like a good excuse to kick back with some brews and take purchase of a new BluRay for my perfectly functioning 8350!

Amen to that! I will be joining you in spirit tonight with my good buddy Sam Adams.

Refurb vs new 8350

Hello,

I am building a new home with a dedicated movie room. I have a 10 percent off coupon fom Epson store.com

I think the 8350 is the best projector for our general needs, netflix and blu ray.

I am owing to order a 120 inch screen from Jamestown screens. In you all opinions, should I go with he refurb, or go for the new one? 900 after coupon vs. 1170 after coupon?

Thanks!
Edited by sksahai - 7/31/12 at 11:14pm

can you tell me where to get that coupon?

I can't say where sksahai got his coupon, but I purchased an Epson printer awhile back and signed up for email notifications. Perhaps once a month I get an email that has a coupon code. I was going to use a 10% off code when I got my 8350, but Epson was temporarily out of stock so I got it from Projector People.

I signed up for the newsletter / special offers thing on the epsonstore website. About two weeks later, I got the coupon.

So my sixth projector, a new one that was sent out in early June, is now giving me the auto Iris almost every time I turn it on. I have power cycled the unit many times, turn off/on the auto iris option and still it throws this error. I have the projector sitting on a shelf with nothing restricting air flow so no heat issues and I keep my house ac set at 78 degrees.

So today I called epson and was transferred to a level 2 somebody who spent about 30 minutes trying to convince me that this error was by design and as such I should be content with it. He went on to comparing it to a muscle and how sometimes it locks up and needs to be power cycled. I couldn't believe he was trying to justify the frequent occurrence of this error and almost had this tone in his voice that I shouldn't have a problem with this error but rather deal with it.

I will try to live with one more "brand-new" unit but if that starts giving me issues as well, I will demand a refund and buy a unit that I don't have to have replaced 6 times in less than a year.

For those that left the epson camp, where did you go and which projector did you end up getting?

I am looking at the Mitsubishi HC4000, various BenQ projectors (W7000 caught my eye). any feedback from those people returned the 8350? Thanks in advance

That doesn't sound good, this is the first I've heard of them trying to explain away a problem in an attempt to get the customer to just give up and live with a projector that isn't working properly. I'm on my 3rd new working projector (6 total projectors have been here though, 2 refurbs and a new unit were DOA), and I have very little faith that I won't have problems with this one too.

Yea it was frustrating to say the least, especially given the fact that every rep prior apologized and said it should not happen so frequently, if at all. They offered me a few options and once I receive the new one, I will update everyone on what was offered to me personally.

I know since this is an epson thread there will be a bias towards epson projectors when compared to others, but what would give the best 2D picture, the 8350, 3010, or benq W6000? All my limited research is saying the w6000 is the best choice out of the three and I can get one for only a $200 price increase if I should get a refund from epson. Thanks again for any advice. I just want a projector that I don't need to replace every few months.

We managed to get our money back. I went looking for something bright, a step up in blacks and good for gaming. Ruled out all Epson for obvious reasons. I liked the hc4000 but it wasn't bright enough for my high ambient light needs. The benq 7000 is the one I ended up with and am very happy with it. Granted it was $900 more expensive but it has 3d too. I would likely have been happy with the 2d version w6000 but they are hard to come by in Canada. Long story short everyone in my house is happy and good on Epson for refunding the money.

The W6000 is a sharp projector but you'll need to tolerate RBE(Rainbow Effect).
The iris also has a higher pitch sound than the Epson when in motion.

To see how sensitive you are to RBE, watch a movie with dark scenes with mood lighting like candles or a black and white movie like Sin City.
A slight wondering of the eyes or head will let you know how sensitive you are to RBE.
Once you see them, you can't undo RBE.
It's just a matter if you can tolerate them.

Also, DLP projectors have a slightly louder fan.

I've read the last few pages of the thread, it seems a lot of you are upset with your 8350's? I'm concerned because I'm about to upgrade from my Optoma HD70, and I've been interested in the 8350 because it doesn't have a color wheel (which I had to replaced on my HD70). How happy is everyone with their 8350, and if not - which projector do you guys recommend? Many of the projector reviews I can find are outdated.

I think also less forgiving as to placement (for a given screen size). At least that was the case for my 8350 vs my brother's DLP Optoma.

Edited by Tesla1856 - 8/3/12 at 9:47pm

Not me. I love mine.

 

It's about 1 year old. No problems at all. I use it 6-10 hours a week. I like the brightness of non-Eco mode and placement flexability of optics. 96" picture is great.

No issues here about seven months in. I love the image that my 8350 throws up on my 115" diag image. I run mine mostly in eco/cinema mode and it is beautiful. My only complaint is the horizontal/vertical is pone to moving when there is a lot of heavy activity on the floor right above it. Just a minor nit pick as it is very easy for me to rest it, but a little more friction or some type of lock would be helpful. On the reviews since this is an "old" model you won't find many "new" reviews as most reviews have moved on to the newer offerings from the manufactures.

You will find many here that have had issues, but I qualify that statement saying this. Many who are happy have had no issues or problems, so they say nothing/post nothing or maybe not even bother to visit. Others search the web when they have a problem or when they get a projector come to the owners forums for suggestions and advice. Just a balanced way to look at that aspect of ownership. Just make sure you purchase from a reputable dealer and if you do have issues then Epson's CS will be there for you.

Regards,

RTROSE

Human nature is to be vocal when there are problems, but not to be when there are none. So all you hear about, mostly, are the problems.

I've had mine for about 6 months. Fantastic. I have a couple of dust blobs, but my previous Panasonic models got those as well. Its easy to clean them out, see the instruction earlier in this thread. I haven't done that on my 8350 yet, but I used the same procedure on a Panasonic and it was easy and worked.



quote name="Pyrex238" url="/t/1280137/the-offical-epson-8350-owners-thread/7320#post_22277139"]I've read the last few pages of the thread, it seems a lot of you are upset with your 8350's? I'm concerned because I'm about to upgrade from my Optoma HD70, and I've been interested in the 8350 because it doesn't have a color wheel (which I had to replaced on my HD70). How happy is everyone with their 8350, and if not - which projector do you guys recommend? Many of the projector reviews I can find are outdated.[/quote]

Rtrose and gazza hit it on the head. Like many things people are quick to point out the negatives. I have had my 8350 for maybe 3 months, lil over 100 hrs and love it. I have it set to econo mode on a 96 inch and couldnt be happier. Truthfully I have nothing to compare it to as I am the first of my buds to have one but friends have fallen in love.

I popped in hugo (blu) with 7.2 surround...magic. Also recently watched Real Steel with my son,awesome. Cant wait for Tuesday when Lorax comes out as I know this will be dynamic.

I researched optoma, mitsubishi and epson and glad I bought this one.

I'll make a few observations here again as well.

Early on, I went through a few exchanges over what seemed to be convergence/alignment issues. I finally settled on the fourth and called it good enough.

However, as I worked with the unit it seemed that the degree of misalignment was not consistent over time... sometimes worse, sometimes better. I wiggled the lens barrel and focus/zoom bits and it may or may not have had an effect.

What I do see lately is

1) Proper mechanical focus (and I mean as close to dead-on as you can get it) seems to improve color alignment. No big surprise. Proper alignment of projector and screen are also vital in getting uniform focus and subsequently minimizing color alignment issues. Using the AVSHD and the WOW composite pattern, I looked for best pixel/edge definition and minimal flare in white-on-black dots.

2) Proper sharpness setting minimizes color fringing at dark/light transitions. This is a bit tricky. I have bounced between advanced settings of 0 0 0 0 and 0 0 3 3 and 0 0 5 5. Setting the first two at 0 0 is nominal (thin/thick line enhancement.) The higher the sharpness, the more pronounced and "solid" any color offset seems. At 0 I had a solid red fringe along the top of white lines. Lower sharpness softens this and blends it back into the white. Now, before you say I'm throwing away detail...

The hard part was getting the best setting for vertical/horizontal, mostly because of the initial difficulty in setting mechanical focus. It's a very coarse thread and very very sensitive. Doing it solo and running back and forth (no binoculars that focus close enough...) was problematic. But I finally got it with great focus corner to corner (some compromise, of course...)

Then it was just a matter of evaluating patterns and following the data. For the most part, I used to AVSHD disc (the composite pattern which is like the 5th pattern from the start of basic settings, with white-on-black dots, gray steps, resolution, fine text etc and WOW zone plate with composite patterns for final eval. Proper mechanical focus seems essential for proper evaluation here, otherwise, the finest-level-detail goes missing and electronic sharpness becomes a band-aid.

Using the zone plate, I eliminated all traces of aliasing artifacts at (trying to remember, I'll verify later when I fire up the system!) 0 0 4 5 or something very close to that (verification pending.) This did result in a loss of definition on dots and edges. BUT 1-pixel lines and checkerboards became free of color artifacts and average-value mismatch. In other words, they were now being displayed correctly. Color fringing on dark-light transitions was dramatically reduced. While the finest text on the WOW composite pattern and sharpness (focus) pattern was softened, it was still as legible as before.

Yes, it's very different from a super-sharp-edge presentation, but after acclimation and real-program-image eval, I like it. I'm 8 feet back from a 100" or so screen and it looks more like "a movie" than video. I perceive no loss of real detail.


I also had a lot of difficulty setting proper RGBCMY using ColorHCFR, I-1 and the AVSHD disc. I don't know if my room with full blackout was kicking off-spectrum bounce back to the sensor or what. (Watch out for this... if I drape a piece of black cloth over my sensor, horizontally-bounced "white" light goes green. Maybe a by-product of polarization?) At any rate I no longer have difficulty. Other than the green primary living on another planet...

I had a couple minor dust blobs appear when I changed my bulb (very carefully, I may add.) They only really show in very dark images. They're not bad enough to may me want to go in and clean!


In summary, I'm very happy with my 8350. A lot of my early problems were probably self-induced and now as I work more with it and trust my EYES as well as the numbers it's just better and (now incrementally!) better. My only real technical gripe is the green primary. There's no excuse for that to deviate as much as it does, to the point of being uncorrectable.* Contrast, brightness etc are all what I'd expect per specifications, technology and price-point. I'm happy!

* I did take readings on the XV color mode and while it pretty much sucked in every way, the green primary seemed perfect. Go figure. I want to know the service menu access codes so I can use that modes primary tracking in my other useful modes!
Edited by TrekFX - 8/8/12 at 11:41am