Epson Pro Cinema 4030 Projector - Special Features 2

I like this black and white movie mode, although few people will use it very often.  Not only does Epson provide a mode for viewing old black and white movies, but they are targeting the correct 5500K color temp.  But Epson also added a touch of sepia, giving my copy of Casablanca that slight brownish caste that old movies had "in the day."   It's a nice touch, and I can think of two friends who would really like this.  One's really into horror flicks and the other loves the old classics.

Let me be clear about how this works.  Selecting B&W Cinema does not get you a monochrome image.  It's still a full color image, but with that warmer color temp than the usual 6500K.  Epson adds that slight sepia flavor to the picture as part of the mode.  If Mike measured that mode, it would be interesting to see the CIE chart.

This is a definitely a nice extra feature to have!  The real trick is to remember you have it, the next time you watch something black and white!

All the new Epson home theater projectors, from under $800 to the more expensive models, now sport 3D.   The Pro Cinema 4030 has what it takes to be a good 3D projector.  For openers, it's got plenty of lumens.  It's not the brightest out there, but it's still brighter than most.  And 3LCD projectors seem to be slightly better than the other technologies at delivering the highest percentage of brightness to the eyes.

3D is considered very good, and I have watched a good deal of it.  There is always some minor cross-talk and you can give up some brightness for less cross-talk.  DLP projectors should be crosstalk free by comparison.  Just remember, the projector isn't necessarily where the cross-talk comes from.  It's often in the content.

I like Epson's glasses, they are some of the lighter ones out there, weighing in in the mid-30 gram range, not much different than my normal glasses.  They fit a large head like mine, better than most.  Epson's glasses are RF, not IR or DLP-link. That's definitely the right way to design them.

The technology is well thought out.  The glasses are rechargeable, but what really is cool, is that if you are ready to watch, and you pick up a pair of glasses and they need a charge, just 3 minutes of charging will allow them to last all the way through the average movie.  That is, you can put enough charge on in less time than you can microwave some popcorn!  Clever folks.

As with most manufacturers, their 3D glasses aren't inexpensive, but you do get two pair with the projector.  An $89 list price graces the glasses, but you can buy 3rd party 3D glasses for a fraction the price.  The snap together Samsung glasses that are compatible, are flimsy, but at $20 a pair, you can afford 10 extra pair for 3D Movie party night.

Epson's panel alignment helps to maximize perceived sharpness.  The projector allows you to start off aligning the RGB both vertically and horizontially in each corner.  You can then pick other points around the image to further refine.  This is not the same as having true perfect alignment, but I found it helpful in producing a slightly sharper image with this 4030.