Epson LightScene EV-100 Laser Projector Review - Picture Quality

Posted on May 14, 2019 by Phil Jones

Epson LightScene EV-100 Laser Projector Review – Picture Quality: Color Modes, Video Image Quality, Text & Presentation Quality, Black Level & Shadow Detail

Color Modes

❮ ❯

The EV-100 has two preset color modes. For those who want to further fine tune the EV-100 color reproduction, there are additional color adjustments including color temperature and RGB balance (Gain, Offset).

Dynamic Best for images projected in a bright room
Normal Best for maintaining natural colors

While I am including sample photos, please be advised that it is difficult to truly evaluate color accuracy because some color information and details are always lost when photographing content that has been projected onto a screen. Like all our photos, they remain unadjusted for color, so they do not look as good as what the projector produced.

Looking at the images on the player above, the first are our test images of color pie charts and skin tones using the two preset color modes. Next two test images with the EV-100 set to Normal color mode and light laser source brightness level set to Normal.

Video Image Quality

❮ ❯

The EV-100 projector was specifically designed to display motion graphics in commercial applications so it normally wouldn't be used to view a full length feature film or TV show. With this in mind, I did take the time to view several video and movie clips on the EV-100 and its overall picture quality is very good.

As usual Dynamic which is the brightest picture mode is also the least color accurate but switching the EV-100 to Normal color mode and making a quick adjustment to color temperature resulted in natural looking skin tones. Epson’s 3LCD technology ensured that the projector delivers just as many lumens for your whites as it does for colors to produce vivid colors while still maintaining maximum brightness.

Text & Presentation Quality

❮ ❯

If the EV-100’s primary purpose was video playback I would have preferred higher resolution but the EV-100 offers more enough clarity for a retail display or digital signage. Ultra-high resolution would just be overkill in most retail and commercial applications because large bold fonts are usually utilized at retail to ensure readability from across the store so WXGA is more than enough resolution.

With a claimed contrast ratio up to 2,500,000:1 combined with the WXGA native resolution, the Epson LightScene EV-100 delivered crisp and clear graphics and text.

Black Level & Shadow Detail

Overall, the black level performance is very good. While transmissive LCD panels, such as those in the LightScene series can’t match the native contrast of a DLP projector, the EV-100 does have the equivalent to a dynamic iris. The laser light engine can brighten and dim to perform the same benefits on dark scenes as an iris. On black frames that contain no content, the laser engine shuts down completely producing a true black frame which lamp projectors just can’t do regardless of whether they are DLP, 3LCD or LCoS.

Dark shadow detail could have been a touch better however in most applications where this projector would be used (stores, restaurants, museums, etc.) ambient light wouldn’t allow you to fully appreciate any additional black level and shadow detail anyway.

Epson LightScene EV-100 Laser Projector Review – Picture Quality: Color Modes, Video Image Quality, Text & Presentation Quality, Black Level & Shadow Detail

Color Modes

❮ ❯

The EV-100 has two preset color modes. For those who want to further fine tune the EV-100 color reproduction, there are additional color adjustments including color temperature and RGB balance (Gain, Offset).

Dynamic Best for images projected in a bright room
Normal Best for maintaining natural colors

While I am including sample photos, please be advised that it is difficult to truly evaluate color accuracy because some color information and details are always lost when photographing content that has been projected onto a screen. Like all our photos, they remain unadjusted for color, so they do not look as good as what the projector produced.

Looking at the images on the player above, the first are our test images of color pie charts and skin tones using the two preset color modes. Next two test images with the EV-100 set to Normal color mode and light laser source brightness level set to Normal.

Video Image Quality

❮ ❯

The EV-100 projector was specifically designed to display motion graphics in commercial applications so it normally wouldn't be used to view a full length feature film or TV show. With this in mind, I did take the time to view several video and movie clips on the EV-100 and its overall picture quality is very good.

As usual Dynamic which is the brightest picture mode is also the least color accurate but switching the EV-100 to Normal color mode and making a quick adjustment to color temperature resulted in natural looking skin tones. Epson’s 3LCD technology ensured that the projector delivers just as many lumens for your whites as it does for colors to produce vivid colors while still maintaining maximum brightness.

Text & Presentation Quality

❮ ❯

If the EV-100’s primary purpose was video playback I would have preferred higher resolution but the EV-100 offers more enough clarity for a retail display or digital signage. Ultra-high resolution would just be overkill in most retail and commercial applications because large bold fonts are usually utilized at retail to ensure readability from across the store so WXGA is more than enough resolution.

With a claimed contrast ratio up to 2,500,000:1 combined with the WXGA native resolution, the Epson LightScene EV-100 delivered crisp and clear graphics and text.

Black Level & Shadow Detail

Overall, the black level performance is very good. While transmissive LCD panels, such as those in the LightScene series can’t match the native contrast of a DLP projector, the EV-100 does have the equivalent to a dynamic iris. The laser light engine can brighten and dim to perform the same benefits on dark scenes as an iris. On black frames that contain no content, the laser engine shuts down completely producing a true black frame which lamp projectors just can’t do regardless of whether they are DLP, 3LCD or LCoS.

Dark shadow detail could have been a touch better however in most applications where this projector would be used (stores, restaurants, museums, etc.) ambient light wouldn’t allow you to fully appreciate any additional black level and shadow detail anyway.