Epson 5020UB Owners Thread... - Page 3

ok got everything hooked up and loving every minute of it.

I had a question for everyone whos used to projectors, or espon ones. Seeing as this is my first one EVER, I may just be not used to it. So far the out of the box calibration isn't to bad, and I tried to follow the calibrations from http://www.projectorreviews.com. It seems, at least to me that everything has a sort of greenish tint to it... kind of how "the matrix" did, but not nearly as bad. Seems like once the scene settles (or maybe its my eyes), the colors settle out.

Im using a monoprice 92" drop down screen (which is actually cool), with 1.0 gain. Also running the projector in ECO mode (THX setting). I was kind of surprised on eco mode, even at about a 11' throw distance, it seems a little dark. Maybe thats just from the 1.0 screen... BTW I'm in a completely dark room, pretty much no light other then the screen. The blacks look great too. Maybe I just need to get used to it. Coming from a LCD, I think I'm just to used to that lol

Hey all, I'm a little confused. I've decided to hop on the 3D bandwagon to see what all the fuss is about and settled on the Epson 5020UB (order placed, just waiting on delivery). I'm coming from a Sony HW15 which has been spectacular and I still love it, but the 3D thing sure has tempted me for a bit. Anyway, I read that the 5020 has a panel convergence menu similar to what the VPL-HW15 uses which was a definite sales point for me, yet I keep seeing mention of convergence issues with the 5020 in numerous posts here... So to my confusion, are people unaware of the adjustments that can be made or is the degree of correction so minimal that it's ineffectual? Or is the convergence menu not an actual panel alignment system like I'm thinking of?

Is perfect convergence (at least to the human eye) obtainable on the 5020? I ask because after calibrating and aligning the HW15 I go up and put my nose to the screen and see a nice white crosshatch pattern. I'm hoping for the same with the 5020 but I'm a little concerned I won't be able to get the same uniformity. Probably worrying too much, eh?
Edited by convexion - 1/21/13 at 9:24pm

In my opinion, convergence worries are overblown. Alignment can usually be corrected to acceptable levels using the panel convergence feature. Just don't use subpixel correction since this is faked by playing tricks with timing and neighboring pixel brightness and which can cause color artifacts. Unless the panels have a rotational misalignment, you should be able to get to within a half pixel of convergence across the screen which cannot be detected from normal seating distance and typical video sources. Don't expect perfect convergence with a 3-panel projector, but it should be close enough after adjustment to look fantastic at seating distance. And if it cannot be so adjusted, you can always do an exchange through Epson, so I wouldn't worry about it at all.

Sounds good, thanks for clarifying that. Hopefully I'll get one with great alignment, but I'm kind of looking forward to tinkering with it now.

Any more news on 3D glasses that are compatible with the new Epson? Do you notice any difference in brightness when using the Samsung glasses as opposed to the Epson supplied ones? Projector review stated that the new Epson glasses allowed for much brighter picture than last year's IR Epson glasses.

Got my JVC RS-40 back from the warranty service and the 3D's working (they replaced a processor), but if there was ever any doubt that the EPSON is better (and really there wasn't for me) a direct A/B comparison confirms it in spades.
True, the JVC now has about 600 on the bulb (original one) and needs a new one, but still, the Epson's bright, almost perfectly ghost-free 3D is at least 50% better.

But I'm keeping the JVC for 2D viewing, I figure it's not worth much for re-sale now, and frankly the image is a bit better still than the 5020, it just feels "smoother" to me and more film like. Yes, the blacks are a bit better, but I have such a long throw that this is not much of an issue, and the Epson's blacks are pretty darn good.
But the D-ILA image has a kind of subtle refinement that straight LCD can't quite match.

However, if I wasn't in this unique situation, I think I'd be perfectly happy with the 5020 as an all-around projector in my theatre.

S A M 33

Well, got my 5020UB in yesterday and have been messing with it for a bit now. All I can say is WOW! The 3D effect this PJ produces is unmatched compared to anything else I've seen. Very bright and I haven't seen any crosstalk/ghosting when using TMT5 for playback. The alignment menu is great too, I was able to get perfect alignment to my eyes within about 5-10 minutes. And what a light cannon this is even in eco mode. Overall I'm really impressed with my first Epson projector!

The only downside compared to my Sony VPL-HW15 is a little more audible noise in eco, and a lot more in full power. It's not terrible by any means, I've certainly had worse, but it's not whisper quiet like the Sony model. I would also say that the LCoS panels on the Sony are of higher quality in that it produces a softer, more natural image. The Epson is certainly sharper though so I suppose it evens out. I still need to calibrate the Epson once I hit 100 hours, I'm sure it will look even better after that. Out of the box color isn't bad but it definitely has an overblown look to it. Not a bad thing if you want a really huge plasma like display. Gaming is also excellent on this projector, I haven't noticed any delay between controller input and display.

For anyone interested in 3D movies I wouldn't hesitate to recommend these Epson models, really great stuff.

I've had my 5020UB for 9 days now. I have ceiling mounted it and I was able to get good convergence using the convergence menu. My question now is, has anyone else been annoyed with how amazingly slow the 5020UB is to sync up to input signals? I'm not taking about video processing lag, but rather when I switch from say HDMI1 to HDMI2, it's several painful seconds before I see a picture. Also when I am browsing channels on my Digital Cable box connected via HDMI, if I view a channel that is sending a 720p stream and press channel up and the next channel is 1080i, the screen again blanks out for quite a long time. My old Sanyo Z700 never did this. Was I just spoiled? Or is there something that can be done in the settings somewhere to reduce this sync delay?

I have noted HDMI handshake problems with the Epson. I hope today to finally hook up my new Oppo 103 with a new HDMI cable and see if that helps.

S A M 33

I've noticed the same thing when it comes to HDMI sync, a delay of about 3 seconds. I'm not overly bothered by it but it would be nice to know if there's a way to speed things up. I've seen it both on my HTPC and PS3 so I doubt it has anything to do with cabling or devices other than the PJ. Maybe a future firmware update can fix the problem...

Has anyone noticed a problem with the hours kept for lamp time? I've used my 5020 for around 8-10 hours now, and in the menu it still has lamp hours at 0. Was just curious if anything might be wrong

thats normal
it only starts counting after 10-to 20 hours i think
how do you like your 5020?
i have one coming soon

I ordered one of these and hope it fixes some of my HDMI issues. In my case, it's AMD (ATI) video cards and the projector. No handshake issues with Nvidia or Intel chipsets. I do prefer ATI 2D quality, though, hence why I am buying this:
http://www.vidabox.com/products_dr_doctor_hdmi.php

It will start keeping the hours after 10, at least mine did.

S A M 33

O solid, good to know

and i love it so far honestly. There's a few things here and there I need to tweak to get it just right. But for how and what I use it for, its awesome. I'm actually getting sold more and more on the 3D thing. Watched Resident Evil Retribution last night, it was kick ass in 3D (and the movie wasn't near as bad as people made it sound to be)

Could someone PM me with the best deal on a new Epson5020UB projector. I live in Canada and I'm doing research for my condo Board of Directors. I have seen prices of $2600.00 at BestBuy in Buffalo NY but cannot cross border because of the warranty issues etc.

Thanks

PM Sent

Not sure how it works in Canada, but as far as here in the states its a locked in price. It's the same no matter WHERE you get it from. If you can get it for cheaper, your not buying it from a legit dealer of Epson products, and Epson void the warranty. One of the bad reasons buying things off Ebay.

Crutchfield.com doesn't charge tax, so you could check if they ship to Canada

I just picked up the 5020ube this weekend and finally got a chance to fire it up. I have to admit, my heart sank a bit when I saw the contrast and black levels. I'm not certain if I have just grown too accustomed to my 58" Samsung plasma over the last three years, or if some just isn't right with the projector. It has been 3 years since I last had a projector (a Sony 1080p with a Da-Lite HCCV 120" screen).

Luckily my wife isn't a videophile and hasn't sensed my disappointment / confusion. However, I seem to remember the black bars on Sony image looking deeper black and the image itself having a darker contrast. My current setup seems on the very bright side of colors, even though I did do a moderate level calibration using Disney's WOW setup disc.

I am currently using a 90" 16x9 screen made from Wilson Art Designer White laminate. I thought that I would need the light output given that our room has some ambient light issues during the day and my wife has to have a lot of lights on in the house in order to be comfortable. However, even the calibrated THX mode is more than bright enough during the day. When we were watching Prometheus in 3D, I noticed that the black levels seemed a lot better with the glasses on than with them off.

Is it possible that my setup yields a picture that is just "too bright"? Sounds funny to say that, but if I'm liking the black levels on THX 3D when many say 3D is still a bit dark; might I be too bright? Would a neutral density filter or something along those lines help me out? (Is that even an option?)

Or am I just being too picky? I guess I could get a grey screen sometime in the future, but I wanted to do the less expensive screen alternative at this time since we are expecting our first child in July and I don't want to look like I'm spending too much money on my music / movie obsession

I think it is more of a resolution changing issue. I have a theater PC with an ATI card, an Oppo model 80, a Panasonic model 220, and a DirecTV HD-DVR and I can change between them all if the resolutions are the same (1080p). However, when watching a 1080i or 720p sports broadcast and switching to one of my Blu-ray player, I lose signal lock. I have to futz around with the inputs to get a picture back again. But my issue may be more a problem with the video switching in my Onkyo TX-NR5010 receiver as it also caused similar issues with my Samsung plasma TV. Thankfully, the Samsung re-established connections reasonably fast. The Epson 5020ube isn't nearly as fast or forgiving; I think it just makes the issue much more pronounced.

To do this, first burn the AVS HD 709 Bluray test disc which contains 2 useful patterns for convergence: a set of horizontal lines that alternate between R/G/B segments (to measure vertical alignment), and a set of vertical lines with the same pattern (to measure horizontal alignment). The default patterns the 5020 uses for pixel alignment are not very good; it is far easier to see the pixel structure when only primary colors are displayed, as in the AVS patterns.

Then follow the following procedure:

1. Put the 5020 in Dynamic mode (makes it easier to see pixel structure) and turn off any detail enhancement and sharpening adjustments
2. Bring up the AVS HD 709 horizontal line test pattern
3. Using the center of the screen, assess whether R needs to move vertically by -1 or +1 pixel in order to line up with G
4. Go through the 5020 convergence procedure and set R to -5 or +5 accordingly on all 4 corners (ignore the pattern displayed).
5. Go back to the AVS pattern and confirm improvement.
6. Repeat for B vertical.
7. Switch to the AVS HD 709 vertical line test pattern and repeat the process for both R and B horizontal alignment.
8. Check the AVS patterns one last time across the whole screen, hopefully you have good results at this point!

I hope this helps.
-Brian[/quote]

Brian I was interested to know why you suggest increments of -5 or +5. I understood a full pixel was 8 increments and 1/2 4 and it had to be these to avoid sub pixel issues and subsequent artefacts. I've got to admit the whole adjustment issue and the compromises it involves is a tad confusing.

Is anyone besides me having an issue with the Frame Interpolation causing the image to be jerky? I like the way it looks when set on Low or Medium when watching TV, but instead of making the video smoother, it is more jerky. I switch it off for movies.

I also have bad lip sync issues when watching 1080p/24 blu-ray using a PS3. I have switched it off until I can figure out what is going on.

I have directv and the PS3 going thru a Onkyo 809 then video is output from the 809 to a DVDO Duo. From the Duo I am using both HDMI outs, one to the Epson 5020 and one to a Panny plasma. d

I like to use the Duo for the CMS features, but I am wondering if it is my problem.

Thanks for any advice.

Jim

^^ Interpolation is a little jerky from time to time (depending on the action) but it's not that different to what I'm used to.

*HOWEVER*

The RGB settings aren't saving properly (at least for mine). Instead of being specific for each display mode (eg: Cinema vs. Living Room)
the RGB changes for ALL modes (ie: it's acting like a global setting). I opened a case with Epson to investigate this since it might just be
my own. They'll get back to me in 24-48 hrs they said.

Not true, I purchased mine from Best buy Magnolia with 15% off.

I think it may be your duo, it could also be your hdmi, depending on the length of it. I currently have a 40 ft hdmi (with redmere chip) to my Onkyo 809 and a sony blu ray player in my input 1, with no lip sync issues. Have you tried eliminating the duo? I would just have the ps3 in the game input of the 809 and the direct tv to the cable/tv input. Try that and see if the resolves the problem. Also, make sure the 809 is set to through in your input settings.

Newbie to the forums, but not to the A/V universe, hehe. Anyway, I just wanted to let you guys know that the epson 5020ub does work with samsung glasses. I own the Samsung UN55D7000 which came with the Megamind 3d package and the glasses worked. I think that any glasses that work with the D, E, and ES samsung tv series will work just fine.

I also own the UN60ES7100FXZA, but I haven't even opened up the box yet, so I can't confirm for sure if it works, but the glasses are compatible with the D series tv, so theoretically they should work too.

On another note, the Projector is AMAZING! 3D is breathtaking! I currently have a new build with a designated theater room (which was built under my garage) 25ft x 18ft with a screen size of 135 inches. The room is so big I was afraid I wouldn't be able to find a high speed HDMI cable that would support 3d, but I was able to find a great cable at Monoprice, it has a redmere chip in it to boost the signal. It works flawlessly. Check it here: http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10255&cs_id=1025501&p_id=9171&seq=1&format=2

Just FYI, I purchased the projector at Best Buy last Monday (along with the UN60ES7100FXZA) here in Wichita Ks. The website said the Epson was backordered, but the associate was still able to order it and have it delivered this past Saturday. I negotiated the projector to 15% off the 2,599 price and I also had a $75 reward certificate, good deal overall.

At first, the associate said he could take off 10%, I said no, take off 15% and I'll buy it right now. He asked his manager and 1 minute later he came back and said yes. Now, I'm not sure if it was because I was also buying the Samsung TV, which was on sale for 1799, but it doesn't hurt to ask for the discount. Also, if you're a silver member, you get free delivery.

If you're thinking of purchasing the epson, just walk up to an associate and tell them that you're ready to buy the projector now, if they take off 15%. Good luck!

Joos519, you got lucky because my local BB Magnolia want do that.

Maybe I did or maybe bb sales have been down for the month, or the Manager got laid the day before. I'm just happy I walked out with such a great price. It could have been a combo of things, I was also purchasing a tv for 1799 so that could have a played a role in it. Still though, I think people should ask for a discount. Everything is negotiable.

I noted today that all of the BB's near me which had been out of stock are now showing plenty in every store in MD and DE. I will ask the next time I am there, if I could get 15% off it's a done deal for me.

I hate hate hate the locked prices thing. It's the most unamerican thing I've ever seen. =p

I hear ya, Sonos does that, but I will wait to buy it till I get my reward zone certificate from the TV and Projector (double points too for silver members) to avoid paying full price. Definitely ask for a discount, I've negotiated plenty of times at BB and 9 times out of 10 they'll say yes.