Epson LPE Filter. Over 1600 Color Correct Lumens Out Of the 5010/5020 6010/6020? A Detailed Review.

What is the LPE filter? It's a filter 12 cm in diameter that mounts on the 5010/5020. It comes with special edition "Light Power Edition" 5010/5020s projectors. It corrects the native light output of the bulb in the same fashion as the internal filter, except that it is more efficient due to it's size. You run the PJ in Dynamic with a few adjustments listed in the instructions. Supposedly, you get over 1200 color correct lumens--in ECO lamp mode. Over 1600 in Normal lamp. PLUS, you get a healthy bump in native contrast! (Up to 5000 from about 4300 on the 5010. Even more on the 5020.) Here's the link. It's in German, so you'll have to use Google Translate. http://www.cine4home.de/tests/projektoren/Epson_TW9000/TW9000_Test.htm http://www.cine4home.de/Epson/LightPowerEdition/TW9100/Werte/Kurzanleitung9100er.htm
Why is this only available in a couple of European countries? I have no idea.



I'll calibrate it and measure lumen output to see how it lives up to the claims. I'll be using an i1 Pro, and an i1 Display Pro to test and calibrate with Calman 5 software. I'll be taking measurements off my DIY 138" screen. It's Glidden Diamond 450 Titanium White and has a DeltaE of 1.43; RGB measure out at 245, 246, 243. (Measured with an i1 Pro and BabelColor.) I'm guessing gain at around 1.1 to 1.2; hopefully I'll be able to get the gain measured soon. Lumen output will be measured directly with a Lux meter. I have no means to objectively measure contrast.

There are a few minor adjustments you're instructed to make in addition to snapping the filter in place. Contrast -10, Color temp 7000 (I ended up at 7500.), Skin tone 5. (Many thanks to AVS member ANDYK48 for translating the instructions to English!)

I got my 5020 today. I was able to do some very rough testing of lumen output and watched a few scenes from Avatar. It'll be a day or two before I can do any real testing and calibration. But I thought I'd share my first impressions.


WOW!

First the measurements, and bear in mind these are rough. I'll get better readings soon. ECO lamp mode: 1200 lumens. Normal Lamp mode: 1600 lumens. To my eye, the color is pretty darn good! Using the starship scene at the beginning of Avatar, it seems to my naked eye that contrast is improved. The star field is very black and the starship is brilliant. Forest scenes where there is sun lit areas along with shaded areas look incredible. Skin tones during the live action scenes look very good. Subjectively, this picture looks outstanding! If I never calibrated it I'd be a happy man to have it look as good as it looks now. Calibration can only make it look even better.

I have an Epson 8700UB that I calibrated Dynamic on. The gray scale actually turned out pretty good, colors seemed close but curved through the saturations instead of straight. Output measured at 1100 lumens. Let me tell you one thing straight and clear: That 8700 in calibrated dynamic never looked even one tenth as good as this 5020 with the LPE filter. In THX mode, I never saw more than 12 Ftl with a brand new bulb. I thought that looked great, but it can't hold a candle to this LPE equipped 5020. I'm only getting 9 ftl out of my Epson now in THX, I'm getting over 20 With the 5020. I'm gushing, I know. But if you have a large screen, this filter is a complete game changer for the Epsons. A whole new level of performance.

Someone at Epson is absolutely insane for not making this filter available in the US.

Measurements, calibration, screen shots, and more movie watching to come.
Edited by Kirnak - 11/30/12 at 9:52am

The first three graphs are stock Dynamic Normal lamp.




Edited by Kirnak - 12/3/12 at 10:28am

Here's the measurements with the suggested settings for the 5020. Not calibrated, just the directions that come with the filter. Pretty darn good! This was in normal lamp mode, I'll post up if ECO has any significant variance.

Obviously, things can be tightened up a bit. But considering this is what you get without needing a calibration, it's excellent.

Lumen output was measure at 1655 lumens.
Now, bear in mind there's a bit of zoom here. The Lens is at about 15.5 feet, I think around 14 feet would be wide open. So, max lumens should be just over 1700 lumens. I'll edit to add ECO lumens later. I'm guessing over 1200.



Edited by Kirnak - 12/2/12 at 8:19pm

Calibrated Lumen Output:
ECO: 1337
Normal: 1780

Here's the best I could do. Colors came out exceptionally well, except for red. Gamma is near perfect. The Grayscale calibrated is not much better than not calibrated. The problem is that the colors are curved in such a way that the typical Gain/offset just can't be adjusted so that DeltaE is below 5 at each point.

Overall, color is very good. Not outstanding, but very good. In all honesty though, while watching a movie color seems very natural. The fact that red and the gray scale is not perfect is just not noticeable to my eye. Skin tones are excellent in every scene that I used to evaluate them. Blacks look black, whites look white and grays look gray. Colors look excellent and natural.

For the vast majority of us I think this is as good as it gets. Purists will want better, no argument there. The color is available at every point, it's just that adjustment is not sufficient. A video processor that can adjust gamma for each of the colors would have no problem nailing a perfect grayscale, and all colors too I'm sure.

Screen shots to come.





Settings I used. Anything not listed is at default value.

Dynamic
Contrast -1
Color -4
Temp 6500K
Skin Tone 4
Gamma Custom

RGB
Red Offset -15
Green Gain -4, Offset -2
Blue Offset -16

RGBCMY Hue, Saturation, Brightness
Red: 0, -3, -12
Green: 29, 38, -24
Blue: 8, -35, 0
Cyan: -13, 30, -25
Magenta: 12, 0, 8
Yellow: 0,0,0

And here's the Grayscale after calibrating with an iscan Duo video proccessor. No hit in lumen output to get this. 100 IRE green was not dropped, rather Blue and Red were bumped up. So, if anything a slight bump in lumen output. The bump in Gamma at the higher IREs and the drop in Gamma at the lower IREs was intentional.

Edited by Kirnak - 1/6/13 at 6:33pm

Here's the results of my 3D calibration with my 5020 and LPE filter. 3D Dynamic mode:











I could have tightened things up a little bit, But I have a new PJ on the way and it's not worth the effort for now. Measured output is 1600 lumens. Mind you, I have full horizontal shift and the PJ is at 15 feet. If the PJ was centered and wide open on the zoom, I think output would be closer to 1700 Lumens.

Also, there should be a Mini 3D on the way soon! Woo Hoo!
Edited by Kirnak - 12/27/12 at 9:52am

@ UdoG: I haven't used anything other than the basic settings that were in the instructions--and shown in my post. Further analysis and calibration will come in the following days. How are you liking the results with your LPE filter?

@ Buddhamus: It's not that Epson is screwing you guys; this filter is only available in a couple of European countries. Again, I haven't the slightest idea behind the reasoning here. Perhaps someone at Epson will take note of this thread and release the filter world wide.

Unfortunately, I doubt it. I'm not sure how you'd mount it and the native color output of the lamp is different. I guess the mounting is doable... I have an 8700UB--same lamp as the 8350--at the very least I'll hold the filter up in front of the PJ and eyeball the results. I'm leery of trying anything more as I'd be terrified of damaging the filter. Right now I have no way of getting another and without it I'm back to low brightness or inaccurate color...

The instructions I have are for the 5010, but the PJ I have is the 5020. It would be great if you could post the instructions for your 6020!!!! If your instructions include them, could you also post the native contrast with and without the filter? Thanks!!

@UdoG: Are the settings in your post above what you did with a calibration, or are those the settings that Epson provided with the filter?

Here's the Google translation of UdoG's settings:

Colour mode: Dynamic
Brightness: 0
Contrast: -1
Color: -4
Hue: 0
Abs:. 6500K
Skin tone: 4 or 5

Menu / Picture / Advanced ...:
Gamma: 2.2
RGB / Offset: R: -10 / G: 0 / B: 0
RGB / Gain: R: 0 / G: -7 / B: 0

RGBCMY
Hue R: "0" saturation R "-12" Brightness R "-12"
Hue G: "0" saturation G "0" G brightness "-9"
Edited by Kirnak - 11/30/12 at 9:17am

Thanks! I'll add that link to the first post.

A couple of people, including myself, have managed to find this filter separately. Pretty hit or miss at this point. I don't have a source right now, but I'm working on one. Hopefully, if we can show demand, Epson will release this filter more widely.

@Lesliew: LOL, that was me! I finally had to go to bed after messaging with those guys all night, 5 minutes before they finally put the filters up. It all worked out in the end as I was going to make them available here too.

PM sent