Epson Pro Cinema 6040UB 4K Enhanced Projector Review

[gene]

If you’re in the market for a 4K/UHD-compatible projector that can deliver a taste of the full potential that 3840 x 2160 resolution, high dynamic range (HDR), and the BT.2020 expanded color gamut that today’s UltraHD Blu-rays can deliver, then you can’t go wrong with Epson’s Pro Cinema 6040UB. The 6040UB projector is simply superb. With the potential for 100% coverage of the DCI-P3 color gamut, 4K-enhancement technology, HDR10, and ISF support all in a price point under $4,000, you have a winning combination.

Read: Epson Pro Cinema 6040UB 4K Enhanced Projector Review

 

[CaW]

I will add the current JVC line namely the RS540(X790)/R640(X990) are great options too. I have the RS540 and the larger colorspaces on the UHD formats take precedence over the nominal resolution increase. Most film are still only finished at 2K(HD) resolution. Its the color that makes the newer format stand out.

 

[Schrodinger23]

In the review it is mentioned that one has to choose between being able to display the full DCI-P3 color gamut and the extra brighness needed for the specular highlights of HDR. I understand that putting the color filter in will drastically reduce the light output. But, does it reduce the light output so much that one can't hit 100 nits (for specular highlights, which I assume would be only a small portion of the screen) on a reasonably sized screen? That is the maximum brightness that Dolby cinemas can achieve and it seems like a reasonable spec to try to hit at home to reproduce the specular highlights similarly.

 

[TheoN]

In the review it is mentioned that one has to choose between being able to display the full DCI-P3 color gamut and the extra brighness needed for the specular highlights of HDR. I understand that putting the color filter in will drastically reduce the light output. But, does it reduce the light output so much that one can't hit 100 nits (for specular highlights, which I assume would be only a small portion of the screen) on a reasonably sized screen? That is the maximum brightness that Dolby cinemas can achieve and it seems like a reasonable spec to try to hit at home to reproduce the specular highlights similarly.

@Schrodinger23 there won't be any such problems with this projector.

As you're probably well aware, when talking about the projector side of things, some consumers hear HDR and mistakenly think that a projector can somehow generate the type of light output they see on an LED and hit 1,000 Nits.

When I spoke with the folks at Epson, the specific context they were discussing was putting the 6040UB projector in a room with poor light control. As we know, those situations are tough on projection installations. In those types of installations, where you'll need to bump up the light output to compensate for poor light control, you'll end up taking a DCI-P3 color hit.

 

[BMXTRIX]

Solid review. A slight clarification is that doubling 1080p isn't 3840x2160, but somewhere in between. These 1080p pixel shifting models are only reaching halfway to 4K resolution. Which is fine as they still look really good.

Two items not mentioned that I think are really important:
PRO: The Epson has motorized lens memory and preset recall making it one of only a few projectors on the market that can support a 2.35 and 1.78 screen out of the box. (JVC being another)
CON: Only has a 10Gb/s HDMI input which limits the accepted input formats.

2018 should see a ton of entries into the 4K (faux-K) marketplace now that we finally have a 4K DLP chip on the market. So, Optoma, Vivitek, BenQ and others are lining up their DLP models with the new DLP chip inside of it and are hitting sub $2,000 price points all over the place.

The problem being that Epson does contrast worlds better, and JVC does an even better job then Epson.

I still remain firm that unless you need that extra light output, that JVC is the way to go. From their entry level RS440 on up, their use of 18Gb/s HDMI 2.0 inputs vs. Epson's 10Gb/s allows for higher color depth inputs and they are working on their 5th generation of 4K projectors vs. Epson still working with their first generation.

The best part of the article was really saying, flat out, that 4K is still, very much, a growing technology and has a lot of details to get figured out before it will be truly standardized across the board. Getting more HDR support and several true standards adopted and supported is going to be critical to the format as is ensuring full Rec2020 support on the products.

The 6040 isn't exactly a new model anymore, but it does remain one of the best. More notably in the 5040 version that comes in around $2,500.

 

[Schrodinger23]

@Schrodinger23 there won't be any such problems with this projector.

As you're probably well aware, when talking about the projector side of things, some consumers hear HDR and mistakenly think that a projector can somehow generate the type of light output they see on an LED and hit 1,000 Nits.

When I spoke with the folks at Epson, the specific context they were discussing was putting the 6040UB projector in a room with poor light control. As we know, those situations are tough on projection installations. In those types of installations, where you'll need to bump up the light output to compensate for poor light control, you'll end up taking a DCI-P3 color hit.

Thanks Theo.

 

[WookieGR]

It frustrates me to no end when people reviewing projectors never say what screen they're using, it's aspect ration or its size. A 158" diag 2.35:1 home theater screen at around 12 foot wide will not the look the same as your run of the mill entry level 100" diag 16x9 screen.

 

[BMXTRIX]

From the review:
"I used a 90-inch 1.1 gain screen and a 120-inch 0.8 gain grey screen for my viewing and could instantly call up my custom settings for each screen at the press of a button."

Generally speaking, all reviewers will be using 1.78 screens because the projectors they use will be 1.78 aspect ratio. It is unusual for any reviewer to use an odd aspect ratio that doesn't match the native ratio of the projector. If they are using a different aspect ratio, it would need to be noted. But not when they are using 1.78.

Referencing the gain also matters as that will make the image appear brighter/dimmer depending on the size that is worked with.

IMO - The use of the smaller 90" screen is almost completely out of date as people can get 75" flat panels for under two grand these days. Most people start about 100" and most manufacturers shoot for use between about 100" and 150" without much issue. About 120" seems to be a very common sweet spot for size.

When it really matters, you want to find a review that covers different lumen ratings for the projector. Both calibrated ratings, and maximum ratings to see if you will have issues. The target goal is at least 15 calibrated lumens per square foot of screen space. So, take your screen size, in square feet, based upon the aspect ratio of the projector, and then multiply it by 15. That's how many lumens you should be shooting for as a minimum. Some reviewers fail to deliver this number, and I consider that bad on their part as it is an incredibly important number in projector reviews. Nits and lux are worthless measurements, and measuring incidence light is meaningless to people buying. It is only good for calibration for that person, for that screen.

 

[BMXTRIX]

Is Epson Home Cinema 5040UB similar to Epson 6040UB?

They are identical. The 6040 typically comes with a mount and a spare lamp and support for an anamorphic lens, which is RARELY purchased as it is over $1,000 to get and the zoom memory works better if you happen to be using a 2.35 screen.

The 6040 is black, the 5040 is white. Otherwise, my understanding is that they are 100% identical for hardware and software.

The vast majority of purchases are the 5040. Best Buy and other custom shops generally sell the 6040 as there is a bit more profit for them there, which they rightly deserve for the effort, but if you are doing it yourself, the 5040 is a fine way to go.