The Epson Pro Cinema 6050UB Projector - Epson's most advanced home theater projector to date, is fully 4K capable. It is the higher end of the two new Epson UB series projectors launched this quarter. The Pro Cinema 6050UB replaces the now 2.5-year-old PC6040UB. Epson has refined and improved many capabilities, and upped performance, resulting in the ability to put a picture on the screen that is sometimes significantly better than the projector it is replacing, especially when viewing HDR.
Most interesting, perhaps, is how the Pro Cinema 6050UB differs from the Home Cinema 5050UB, which received all the attention with a month earlier launch. Did you notice the "It Is Even Better" in the title? You must have asked - "better than what". The short answer is better than the HC5050UB, as well as better than the HC4010 and PC4050. But wait! One thing at a time.
Once again, I am partnering with Epson to create an "advertorial" type information piece. My goal, as the primary writer, is to give you the big picture, and some juicy details, without overhyping as much as a manufacturer's marketing might go.
Let us begin with a bit of an overview. The PC6050UB is incredibly capable. 2600 lumens, 2.1:1 motorized zoom lens, 4K HDR capabilities, and serious gaming abilities... Of note, unlike most projectors, the Pro Cinema 6050UB relies on a "Cinema filter" to enhance picture quality, and enhance the picture it certainly does!
Having the cinema filter results in giving you a great choice: Choose the best experience, depending on the circumstances.
Choose the best possible picture - for 4K that will be Digital Cinema mode which engages the filter, to watch when you have a good darkened room -- a dedicated home theater, or cave... The Epson UB projectors are the only lamp-based projectors claiming 4K HDR with full P3 color!
Alternately, choose brighter modes with still some pretty great color (Natural and Bright Cinema modes), capable of very nicely handling a theater-like room with lights on, or sports in that theater-like setting with friends and lights on. Using these modes you can also watch 4K content with full HDR, but the HDTV standard REC709 color instead of P3, while enjoying almost double the brightness. That's a modest trade-off for a great and brighter picture when you need it.
Immerse yourself in the big screen experience in living rooms, media rooms, dens, and family rooms. A friendly reminder - just be sure to pair this Epson with the right screen for the room.
Jennifer Lawrence in Passengers - HC5050UB; 4K UHD HDR P3 content - excellent skin tones!
Epson's Pro Cinema 6050UB is about many things:
Really good picture quality "right out of the box"
Great black level performance - long a major strength - of Epson's UBs - "Ultra-Black" projectors.
A massive feature set - there are few projectors anywhere near the price that can take on this Epson, feature for feature, or even at double the price.
Great placement flexibility
Excellent warranty and support program
One could say pretty much the same about the PC6050UB's twin - the HC5050UB. Not quite. The 6050UB comes with a longer warranty and replacement program. And a black case instead of white, and a spare lamp...
Something new for Epson this year regarding the Pro Cinema 6050UB. Now Epson is further quality controlling key components including the 15-element all glass lens. Epson is putting the best optics and other components in the Pro Cinema 6050UB.
Note, if wondering if there are enough of these lenses to do this, currently, four Epson's share using the lens - not just the PC6050UB and HC5050UB, but also the HC4010 and HC4050. The point being, they are using enough of these lenses, that they should be able to identify sufficient quantities of superior lenses, to meet Pro Cinema 6050UB demand. (Or, so I assume!).
As a result, expect the Pro Cinema 6050UB to produce a perceivable, slightly clearer, and possibly slightly sharper image than the HC5050UB. Note: differences will be subtle, but they should be visible.
The Pro Cinema 6050UB is sold by Epson's network of authorized local CEDIA dealers and integrators. That HC5050UB is sold online - from highly knowledgeable online projector dealers, as well as Amazon and other large players. It is also sold at "Big box" houses including Best Buy and Walmart.
Choose the Pro Cinema 6050UB for the longer warranty, improved optics, etc.(not to mention free spare lamp, mount and cable cover), and, of course local dealer support, or choose the HC5050UB for the white case, dollar savings the year less warranty, and skip the "extra trimmings (spare lamp, etc.).
Projector Reviews review of the PC6050UB is waiting for our review unit to arrive.
The PC6050's twin, the HC5050UB tackles a night cityscape from The Black Panther: 4K HDR P3 content.
Epson tells me that while the step down HC4010 and PC4050, have many improvements, there were a few new features and capabilities that were just not ready in time for a near year-end launch of a new UB projector. We'll be discussing those in a minute. Those new features essentially pushed both this Pro Cinema 6050UB and the Home Cinema 5050UB launches to 2nd quarter 2019.
The Pro Cinema 6050UB should be arriving at dealers and distributor warehouses, as we publish this.
Here are the Basics - Epson Pro Cinema 6050UB:
- MSRP: $3999
- Includes ceiling mount, spare lamp, cable cover, longer warranty
- Brightness: 2600 lumens
- Motorized Lens features
- Zoom
- Focus
- Lens shift
- Lens Memory - to support owning wide screens
- Faster (18Ghz) HDMI than all previous Epsons allows for
- Low input lag for hardcore gamers
- Full support of 4K up to HDR/60fps/P3 color
- Two ways to do HDR and color
- "Best" - Digital Cinema mode for 4K HDR with P3 color
- "Brightest" - Cinema or Natural mode for 4K HDR with REC709 color
- Choose "Best" for the best color
- Or about twice as bright: Choose "Digital Cinema " for a big jump in brightness, but the color is still really good just not P3, merely the REC709 we are long used to (ie. Blu-ray discs, HDTV).
- Use that "best" for movies in a properly darkened room
- Use that "brightest" combination for sports or some lights on
- Three-year warranty with three years of a rapid replacement program
- Usually overnight (1 business day). (That's one year more than the HC5050UB'w warranty.)
Now, let's talk about where the Pro Cinema 6050UB fits in terms of the big picture - of home theater projectors." I'll start with a little background.
Here's a story I keep updating over the years: It has been over a decade since the first "UB" series projector. When that one launched in 2007, (the HC1080UB), it was a game changer. The selling prices were similar back then, but those older model UBs were no match in features. The original Pro Cinema 1080UB was straight 1080p and sold for about what this Pro Cinema 6050UB will over its life.
This new 6050UB offers owners lots of big-time new capabilities and improved picture quality: Now you get motorized lens features including lens memory for wide screens, 3D, 4K capabilities including HDR and P3 color, etc. Black levels and brightness have also improved. What set that first UB apart from everything else near or below its price, was truly superior black level performance. To do better, back then, you would have had to spend way more on a JVC.
Note that both companies launched their first projectors with great black levels in 2007. Not exactly the same price. The old Epson PC1080UB was under $4000, while the JVC RS1 was $6295!
To this day, Epson remains the leader in more affordable projectors with excellent black level performance.
Colors are rich, almost riotous, but not over the top when viewing this scene from Journey...
Again, the Pro Cinema 6050UB is available from trained dealers in your area, most of them are full-fledged integrators that can provide the projector, all the accessories, and, if you choose, do a professional installation in your home.
Epson’s Pro Cinema 6050UB, like many great Epson UB projectors before it, blend technology expertise with performance, a great feature set, and legendary support. Providing value, it seems, is one of Epson’s key strengths. With that in mind, there should be little surprise that Epson is by far (no one close), the largest seller of projectors in North America.
We will review the Pro Cinema 6050UB in the upcoming weeks. In the meantime, our full review of the HC5050UB will provide you most of the details you are looking for.
Again, as a disclosure: This is an advertorial contracted by Epson, primarily written by me, aka Art Feierman (they get to do minor edits - if I approve of them). Works for me! -art
