Epson Home Cinema 720 Owner's Thread - Page 3

Great, thank you for your trailblazing. Looking forward to your pics and impressions, especially where sharpness and black level are concerned. I hope you are rewarded.

Ditto from me, I hope this machine is fantastic.

The fact that I can get one locally for the same price as the US, and Epson's strong history of warranty service definitely have me intrigued.

I sent Art @ ProjectorReviews an email last night, and he advised that a review of the HC 720 would possibly be coming after the Thanksgiving holiday.

I get the impression that he has contacted them for a sample projector and is waiting to hear back.

Glad to see some movement on this model. Looking forward to seeing some reviews.

So my unit arrived yesterday. I have to say I'm very impressed by VA and am glad I decided to go through them. Very quick and eager to please.

Haven't taken any pictures yet, but damn is this thing bright. I currently table mount to a 92" greywolf screen and its default "living room" setting is simply too bright, even in ambient lighting. I plan on mounting a shelf close to the ceiling to place this projector (rent an apartment, so can't really bother with nicely mounting this thing). I have been using Theatre Black 2 in ambient lighting with Dynamic Iris on.

Performance has blown me away. Much better contrast than the z3 ever had, specifically in shadow details. I watched some "Three Sheets" on mojo and there was footage of a grinder used in rum making which had lots of small scratches on its darkened surface. All the ridges glistened slightly and had a depth which was simply never present in such dark areas on a z3.

Overall black level is a good bit lower, probably half the grey level of the z3. The black level is also completely neutral and I didn't notice an influence of any particular color (this was always a problem on the z3 even before my polarizer started to go, it always shifted towards blue in the blacks)

Also, performance with SD material is noticeably better. I haven't ran tests with comparing its scaler to my upscaling dvd player, but it definately deinterlaces better than the chip in my receiver that I use for Comcast.

If you guys have any configuration tests/questions feel free to post 'em.

Sorry, I'm a little confused. To be clear, are you saying that the z3 "black" is actually grey, and the 720 is about 50% "blacker"?

Thanks for your review!

Last year the TW700 had some professional reviews saying that it produced a very clean image. I have seen a few reviews stating the AX200's std def image is a little lacking with some grain and image noise. Therefore it may have a leg up over the AX200 in that regard and at least spec wise it has a better contrast ratio. There is a chance we may have a projector that puts out a beter image than the AX200with similar brightness, but at the expensive of no internal CH scaling, and only (1) HDMI

Definately need a side by side shootout

Decisions, Decisions ....

Yes, the 720 is significantly closer to a pure black as opposed to a dim grey. It still has some light passing through, but it is much closer to film projection than the z3 was ever able to muster.

Today I put on "Dynamic" mode while watching the morning news during sunrise. I have windows facing the screen covered by plain white metalic blinds. Even in this setting with a substantial amount of sunlight I would describe Dynamic and Living Room as simply too bright. The Natural and Theatre settings were very watchable and had great depth in this setting.

Thanks. When you get a chance, can you post your impression of the fan noise in the various settings?

In high brightness modes, as loud as the z3. Noticeable, but not an xbox 360 by any means. In "low brightness" i can't hear it from sitting 3-5 feet away.

Hi dstr5725,

How is the white field uniformity when you're using the most telephoto position of the zoom? Do you see any pink to blue left to right?

How is the panel mis-convergence when you throw up the grid test pattern?

thanks,

Jonathan

Any vertical banding (one of my pet peeves)?

what about sharpness? how would u describe it? how does it work with standard televison signal, like cable tv or something, what about shadow detail?, r u able to watch it in dynamic mode or the picture is unwatchable? (like washed out colours, etc), thx a lot,raff

I've had my TW700 for 11 months (purchased from Japan via EP) and regarding black levels I have to say that last week I watched that Tom Hanks Doc on the Apollo Moon Program. There is both documentary real footage and "staged" footage. On the moon you have scenes that contain huge amounts of solid black and very bright in the vistas. I was impressed with the blacks and with the contrast. Note the dynamic iris on the Epson can be noisy. No problems otherwise with the Epson. And I'm considering their Home 1080P
for another installation but may wait to see their new UB line. But may also go with another 720 P if the 1080's don't come down in price. ( I plan to buy from Japan directly, in any case, one way or another) Do look at the Hanks film for great pics and for a piece of history.

Nope.


As I said its great with standard def. It does not accentuate artifacting and does a great job of blowing it up in the various zoom/squeeze modes.

It is a softer image than my sanyo, but it also has less noticable sde.

High brightness modes are not washed out. The colors are vibrant. I would say for me its unwatchable because its so bright in my rather small room that it causes eye strain.

I have my copy of Avia at work from doing some monitor calibration. I'll be sure to bring it home this weekend and take some pictures along with doing some more technical test patterns.

is your z3 a lot sharper?, would u describe hc720 as too soft?, I wanted to buy one but wanted to check the sharpness level first, since HC400 was a little bit too soft for me, was wondering if they used better optics or video processor on this one, thx a lot for your info, raff

Dstr,

Could you please look at the model number tag on the bottom of the unit. Does it say HC720 or TW700? I am almost willing to bet it says TW700...

When the Epson HC1080 came out it said TW1000 which confirmed it was the same as it's overseas counterpart.

If it says TW700 that just confirms it is the exact same unit that was available last year. However I'm hoping it isn't, so there may be some improvements. Thanks.

fillydee,

The HC400 is badged as the TW550, but the specs are different than the 550. So, I think even if it's marked TW700 ( which I bet it is too ) it's no guarantee its the exact same unit.

BTW, I find with my 400 that the image is much sharper if you feed it upscaled SD, assuming a good scaler at the component end. I seem to remember the reviews reflected this too.

Jonathan

He must be sitting in his apartment loving his projector. Which is a good sign. I am not sure how sharp the Z3(which dstr5725 said was sharper than the HC720 ) but I hope the HC720 got the TW700 optics.

With the advancements of LCD 720p projects coming to a screeching halt. I can't think a more crucial time in LCD 720p projector history where a LCD 720p head to head to head to head to head t shootout was more needed. With Split screen shots and direct comparisons

Sony VPL-AW15
SANYO Z5
PANNY AX200 With a AX100 Present for a sub comparison
EPSON H720
BENQ 500W

and the DLPs deserve one too, but am not privy to the pertinent models as I get dizzy watching them. Same goes for them.

Sorry guys, been busy enjoying the new projector and chillin with my girl (she's taking the GRE so she studies during the week and I only really see her on weekends).

The model is EMP TW-720. I think on average sanyos are considered very sharp projectors. I would not say the softness of the 720 is distracting but it is noticeably softer than the z3. That being said, it does not accenuate artifacting like the z3 did and the more I watch SD material with it the more pleased I am.

Watched "Over the Hedge" in HD on Comcast and was blown away by how detailed the dark scenes were.

I promise I will take some pics and do some testing soon. Every time I get a new projector it takes me a minute to get over the initial wow factor. Hard to take time to do tests when you are constantly muttering to yourself "this looks so amazing".

Interesting that it boasts a TW moniker, usually the Euro / Asian counterpart of an NA model. The cine4home Epson tour only showed the TW680 as a new model, and the TW700 as a continuing model. So, I guess it must have some new stuff. Maybe for once NA gets an Epson model that Europe / Asia doesn't?

Jonathan

Here you go: http:// w w w . b e i s a m m e n . d e /thread.php?threadid=78255

Yea I saw that one a while ago. Very nice shoot out. Looks like pictures are down now. If I remember( I don't currently have the translation) it was out of the box only. and the Z5 needs color adjustments out of the box. Plus I would like to see the Sony in the mix as its the only one I have seen extensively.

But thank you. that is a great shoot out. Nothing better than those side by side shots.

I would really like to see the brightness numbers/real world experience compared between the 200U and the Epson. I remember that the last review of these Epsons said that their ANSI numbers were underestimated--but is it really as bright as the Panny? Is it perhaps brighter? If it is comparable in brightness, is the LightHarmonizer still an advantage or make any difference at all?

Maybe I should send this as an email to Evan Powell at PC.

I got a good look at the Epson 400 today and got to play with it a bit, not to much but the salesmans said he had ran Avia on it a few weeks ealier and the colors looked very good. Even the Blacks were down right good, not great but good. But I just couldn't get it sharp. It was soft. I saw some HD sports and a bit of HD-DVD. And some DVR'ed Three Sheets which I had just seen last night on MY HS10.(not the same episode). This thing was Soft soft soft. Yea, it was HD and there was some definition there. but no eye popping. It was an unacceptable projector for me.


Anyway, I need to know if the HC720 has the 400 optics or not because the 400 lack of sharpness takes it out of contension.

My mind is currently boggled that there is thread after thread(many negative) about the panny ax200 and seeming hundreds of people who have bought them. And this point the Epson with better spec-ed blacks, similar brightness, a significantly better quality control reputation, and a has a total know ownership group of 1.


I am ready to buy but the lack of information on this last available model is stifling me. Its really the one that has the most of what I need if all its promises are met. Thumb twiddling is driving me crazy.

mjn,

the 720 does have different optics. It has a 2:1 zoom where the 400 has a 1.5:1. It most likely has the lens from the TW700 / PC810.

As far as 'softeness', if your room can accomodate it, you'd probably like something the Mits HC1500 better. It's very 'sharp'. ( I have both a Mits 1000 and HC400 ). If you need to stick with LCD for flexibility, maybe you should stick with Sony. Their panels have always had a 'sharper' look.

The important factor is resolving power. I haven't done anything but cursory tests, but both projectors will resolve 720p patterns without a problem. It comes down to what you like in an image. If it's sharp, then I would tend to recommend DLP's.

Jonathan

At a glance I love DLPs, and I haven't given one a chance in 2 years, maybe I will try to sit down and watch one again. The last time I did(and I didn't know it was a DLP(I got Seasick). I love the Sony, and actually ordered it and had some uniformity issues and refunded it out, I am not against giving it another try, but i am giving up my 92" diag home theater with dark walls and ceiling for a rec room with lighter walls, a bit of ambient light and a 106" diag screen(I want to go 110") but seems all the screens coming 106" diag these days. But a DLP would be pefrect as I will be in a wide open are and noise level and heat output are less of an issue. Maybe I will see if I can find a demo and see if the latest faster colorwheels make a diiference. I really want blacks, sharpness, and brightness wraped into into one(who doesn't I guess).

I just wish the details, reviews, and opinions would comepout on this unit. All the other units had revies , shootouts, screenshots, and huger user threads seemingly withing hours of their release. Yet here I twiddle.

How are the 1500s blacks and brightness?

I'm also interested in hearing more about this projector. It's listed #7 most popular among 720P projectors on projectorcentral.com. Also, Visual Apex is showing it as their #4 best selling projector. SOMEBODY out there is buying'em.

Hi mjn,

I was actually suprised that the 400's blacks were as close to the 1000 as they were. I use a CRT in our main theatre, so I can't really gush over the 1000's blacks, but, overall I'd say they are quite acceptable and satisfying. If you think you might be slightly DLP artifact prone, I'd consider saving a bit and getting the HD80. I thought it was stunning when I saw it at a trade show in a good, blackout demo room. I tend to see rainbows, and in a hour of viewing I couldn't see a single one with the HD80.

Although I've never seen one in person, the HC3000 might be another contender for you. Very sharp and well balanced, and within the same price range these days as the 400 / 1500.

Too keep this on topic, I prefer the look of the 400 for watching movies. I consider it's look 'smooth' rather than 'soft'. The one time I saw the 810, it wasn't under ideal conditions so I can't comment with any authority, but it did look 'sharper' than then 400. From what everyone here has dug up so far about the 720, it appears it is an improved TW700 / PC810.

Good luck in your quest!

Jonathan

Thanks I am looking at this as fun rather than frustrating and waiting for a a good review or shoot out on the HC720, until then maybe I will seek out some fo the Projectors you mentioned and see if I can find some local Demoed DLPs, but I have been to all or most of the stores demo-ing PJs within a reasonable distance. Come on reviewers and HC720 Owners!!!!!!!