What Makes the PC4040 So Special? - 4K
I had incorrectly pointed out in the 5040UB/6040UB that the least expensive projector on the market at the time, that was capable of playing 4K UHD discs, and supporting HDR was the 5040UB. That's because I had overlooked the Pro Cinema 4040.
If you can't afford true 4K at this time (Sony at $9999 is still the least expensive true 4K projector), and if you can't wait any longer for those single chip DLP projectors referred to as 4K UHD projectors to start shipping (pixels 2X the size of true HD, but use pixel shifting), then the only other game in town are the 1080p pixel shifters - from JVC and Epson, including the UBs and this PC4040.
So, if you want to check out 4K with HDR for a different experience, if you want to have a projector that thanks to a lot of fancy processing, can seem to be about as sharp as true 4K (I'm not claiming equality, of course), then we're talking about pixel shifting 1080p projectors.
The Epson 4040, is simply, by far, the least expensive projector you can buy today, that you can hook up a true 4K Blu-ray player to, and pass that 4K content to the the projector for processing. From a pricing standpoint, it is $2499, but compared to the 5040UB, remember, you are getting an extra year warranty, a ceiling mount (value about $200) and a spare lamp (another $200+ value). And the cable cover is a nice touch, too. So, all considered, the 4040 nets out to being right around $2000 for the projector itself.
That's about a grand less than the 5040UB.
So, why pay the extra grand for the 5040UB, or inversely: how is the 4040 so much less?
It really comes down to this:
The Pro Cinema 4040 has new 3LCD panels. These new panels are than those in all less expensive Epson projectors (except the HC3900 which we haven't tested yet, but which does not support 4K), but they do not rival the higher native contrast panels that go into the Epson UB projectors. The contrast claim says it all: Epson UBs: 1,000,000:1 contrast. The PC4040: 160,000:1
What that means is that the PC4040 just can't begin to match the black level performance of the 5040UB and 6040UB. But it rivals those projectors at everything else - except coming in at 2300 lumens, which is only 8% less bright than the UBs (and plenty bright in its own right).
So, while you will have to (at this time) look to the $3000 5040UB if you want 4K handling, and great black levels, or the JVC X570 (at $3999) for even better black level performance and 4K handling, You can have all that 4K capability for "dirt cheap" by comparison, by going Pro Cinema 4040.
Pro Cinema 4040 Special Features
Since the Pro Cinema 4040 doesn't have a single special feature that isn't already on the 5040UB and 6040UB, I'll just list them here. If you want to read more commentary in each of them, click here to go rightto the first of the UB review's "Special" Features pages.
- 4K Support
- 4K UHD (aka Blu-ray UHD)
- Image Enhancement Controls
- A comparison of 1080p, 4K, image enhancements
- CFI - Creative Frame Interpolation (aka "smooth motion")
- Performance as a Gaming Projector
- (pretty good - 30.9ms input lag)
- New lens, lens memory, light engine
- 3D
- Picture In Picture
- HDMI Link
- Lamp Life (5000 hours in Eco, 4000 in Medium, 3500 at full power)
So, just click on over there to read about any of these. That will save me a few hours of rewriting paragraphs to say exactly the same thing I said in the other reviews. -art
Time to get into the differences - the next page provides photos, and talks about the color performance, black level performance, and more, and how they differ from the PC4040's "big brothers" with their fancier 3LCD panels.
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