Best Reviewed
Projectors
- Budget home-entertainment projector Epson MegaPlex MG-850HD *Est. $700
- Budget 1080p projector Optoma HD20 *Est. $1000
- Best value 1080p projector Epson Home Cinema 8350 *Est. $1300
- Budget 3D home theater projector Optoma HD33 *Est. $1500
- Best 3D home theater projector Epson Home Cinema 5010 *Est. $2750
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- Great black levels
- Near-perfect color right out of the box in THX mode
- Good brightness
- Easy placement in any room
- Great SD performance
- Manual focus and zoom
- Auto iris noise
Reports say the Epson Home Cinema 8700UB projector sits at the top of its class. Thanks in part to an effective auto-iris system, black levels are excellent for the price -- equaling or beating projectors that cost at least $1,000 more. Colors are dialed-in so perfectly out of the box in the 8700UB's THX mode that they can go untouched by users or professional calibrators. As is typical, high brightness modes spoil the color perfection, but not as much as with lesser projectors. Motion-smoothing technology similar to that found in higher-end flat-panel TVs is included and works well, though not well enough to please all purists. Though blacks aren't as deep and some tweaking might be needed for best results, the Epson Home Cinema 8350 (*Est. $1,300) delivers very good picture quality in its own right, making it a good alternative for projector buyers on a tighter budget.
The Epson Home Cinema 8700UB gets a trio of worthwhile professional reviews. Go to ProjectorReviews.com, ProjectorCentral.com and PCMag.com to read those. Its dedicated thread at AVSForum.com sheds some light on how much owners like the 8700UB.
Our Sources
Art Feierman is impressed with what he's seen from the Epson Home Cinema 8700UB. He says that its predecessor earned the site's Best in Class award, and that this year's model is improved in some subtle but important ways, yet it costs less. Complaints are minor and include a slightly noisy auto iris that Feierman says could annoy others more than it bothers him.
Review: Epson Home Cinema 8700UB Projector Review, Art Feierman, Oct. 2010
Though ProjectorCentral.com gushes over some other projectors more than it does the Epson Home Cinema 8700UB, that doesn't stop Bill Livolsi from providing a laundry list of pluses, including a picture that needs no calibration out of the box, high brightness, the deepest black levels in its class, great clarity, terrific performance with SD material, high placement flexibility and more. His only complaint is that the zoom/focus adjustment is manual, which can be a hassle for some.
Review: Epson Home Cinema 8700 UB Review, Bill Livolsi, Nov. 18, 2010
PCMag.com gives the Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 8700UB its Editors' Choice review in a report that, while not quite as detailed as those at the enthusiast sites above, covers all of the important points. M. David Stone writes "the 8700 UB offers an impressive collection of features and performance made even more impressive by the relatively low price." His only complaint is that 3D support is missing, though he admits that it's a feature with only limited support in projectors anywhere near the price of the 8700UB.
Review: Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 8700 UB, M. David Stone, Dec. 9, 2010
4. AVSForum.com
This 1,600-post and growing thread on the Epson Home Cinema 8700UB at AVSForum.com provides a solid glimpse at what owners think of their projector. You'll find commentary, questions and answers, photos and more -- along with the occasional digression, of course.
Review: The Official Epson 8700UB Thread, Contributors to AVSForum.com
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