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1080p, 2015, 2016, 2017, 4K UHD, Great Deals, LCD, OLED, Projection
1080p, 2015, 2016, 2017, 4K UHD, Great Deals, LCD, OLED, Projection Entries in Projection (6)
Deal Alert!
Friday, November 24, 2017 at 8:40AM There are great deals right now for anyone's budget! The major TV manufacturers have dropped prices for the holiday season, and it's a great time to treat your eyes with lifelike color and contrast that exceeds our good old HD formats. The 55-inch TCL P607 remains the top budget choice for a 4K high dynamic range television, but only consider it when the price is right ($650 or less.)
For 55-inch and larger screens, LG's 2017 4K OLED TV's are pure eye candy that will make you smile everytime you gaze upon its pixels. The company's revamped B7A series does away with internal Dolby ATMOS decoding for increased affordability but otherwise provides the same display technology found in its more premium designs such as the picture-on-glass E7 and G7 series as well as its most desirable W7 'wallpaper' versions.
Pro tip: If you already know what you want, always do a price check and take advantage of free shipping when available!
Picture-quality 4K UHD favorites right now
- 65-inch LG E6 OLED TV
OLED/3D/webOS 3/4 HDMI
Glass-backed HDR + Lowest price! - 75-inch Sony XBR 940E Ultra HD
120Hz/Android TV/4 HDMI
Awesome 4K + Lowest price! - 75-inch Sony Z9D Ultra HD
120Hz/Android TV/4 HDMI
Brightest 4K HDR + Lowest price! - Sony VPL-VW285ES 4K Projector
3D/1500 lumens/3-chip
True 4K projection + Lowest price!
Value big screen favorites right now
- 65-inch Sony X900E Series 4K TV
120Hz/4 HDMI
Android TV + 4K HDR Value! - 65-inch Sony XBR X850E
120Hz/Android TV/4 HDMI
Low price + BIG 2016 UHD TV! - Sony VPL-HW45ES 1080p Projector
3D/1800 lumens/3-chip
Amazing big screen color/detail!
More excellent deals for gear that I wholeheartedly recommend
You don't need to pay for an expensive subscription TV plan to enjoy live programming! A simple antenna enables any HDTV to receive local HD channels for free in crystal clear digital quality. Amazon's Ultra-Thin Indoor HDTV Antenna is a thin and flat design that's perfect for hanging in a nearby window or for easy concealment behind a wall mounted TV or nearby hanging picture. I use a similar antenna to receive local programming and I'm impressed with the sensitivity of this design and its ease of setup - connect the 15-foot coax cable to the RF input on a TV and run the DTV channel scan. This Amazon-branded antenna is made in the U.S.A., is reversible with black and white sides, and it's a terrific value!
Learn about the benefits of 'cutting the cord'!
Review: LG Portable LED Projector
Read my review of the LG PF1500 LED Projector!
The Epson Home Cinema 5040UBe is one of the best values for a quality video projector. The 5040UB's light engine uses three LCD panels for artifact-free imagery at up to 2500 lumens of brightness, and its optics feature horizontal and vertical lens shift for greater placement options without compromising image quality. The 5040's support for 4K input and "4K enhancement technology" also claim complete HD and DCI color space coverage for more natural-looking, saturated colors - especially with HDR sources. The otherwise identical Epson 5040UB (without the 'e') costs a little less, but it lacks the UBe's 60GHz wireless video link with a convenient 5-port HDMI transmitter/switch.Professional Video Calibration
Monday, November 23, 2015 at 2:58PM What is video calibration?
Video calibration is the process of precisely measuring a display's color characteristics and adjusting its picture controls in order to produce the most accurate output possible. Video production for movies and TV conforms to an industry specification that defines a very specific color pallet and detail levels.
tl;dr Robert brings tens of thousands of dollars worth of test equipment, software, and know-how to a location and perfects picture quality.
Any video display device (LCD, OLED, plasma, projector) that hasn't been properly calibrated isn't showing you the intended vision of the content's creator, and no consumer display produces accurate imagery right out of the box!
Why calibrate?
There are several benefits of having your TV or projector professionally calibrated:
- Accurate color - a display's depiction of color should accurately represent the information contained within a video signal. Finding and properly adjusting the appropriate picture settings to exacting broadcast and film production standards will result in faithful video reproduction.
- Revealing picture detail - an improperly configured television or projector often sacrifices bright and dark details that should otherwise be visible to the audience.
- Consistent color mixing - Almost all televisions and projectors generate color by mixing red, green, and blue (aka the primary colors in additive color mixing). With these display systems,
the color white is generated by mixing the three primaries together. Shades of gray, like those depicted in the picture above, are created by collectively reducing the brightness of the primaries until there is no light (aka black). The signals in our video sources are often encoded as high resolution grayscale pictures with relatively low resolution color information that is combined to form the imagery that we see. A critical aspect of professional video calibration is to fine tune a display's depiction of grayscale information to be neutral-colored so as not to negatively influence the color information in the video signal. - Minimizing artificial enhancements - most televisions and projectors are factory configured to produce as bright of a picture as possible regardless of color or detail accuracy. Many LCDs also enable a motion resolution enhancement that unnaturally smooths the appearance of movies to the point that it appears as if they were recorded on a camcorder. Professional video calibration minimizes these unwanted artifacts resulting in a more eye-pleasing picture!
- Efficiency - while we strive for optimal picture performance, a side-effect of professional video calibration is often a display device that also consumes less electricity.
Which picture setup is correct? Image credit: Samsung
Is your display sacrificing detail?
Today's televisions and projectors are capable of producing some of the finest imagery yet seen, however, variances in manufacturing along with the myriad of picture adjustment options mean that even the best models from top manufacturers leave room for improvement.
Robert uses CalMAN calibration software from Portrait Displays
Contact
Robert is a THX/ISF trained calibrator based in Northern California/Bay Area, and he welcomes project requests from anywhere in the world!
For more information, questions, or to schedule an appointment, please contact Robert directly.
in 1080p, 4K UHD, Calibration, Display Tech, LCD, OLED, Plasma, Projection
1080p, 4K UHD, Calibration, Display Tech, LCD, OLED, Plasma, Projection Review: LG PF1500 LED Projector
Tuesday, October 27, 2015 at 5:06PM Note: this projector has since been surpassed by the remarkably similar (and even more affordable, and recommendable) LG PF1500W.
Projectors are the ultimate flat screen display that can transform a blank wall into supersized video viewing nirvana. Sure, the setup and maintenance of a video projector is more involved compared to a regular television, but the visual reward is almost always worth the effort. The LG Portable LED Projector with Smart TV (PF1500W) is a compact wonder of a display device that features useful multimedia capabilities and technologies that help ensure long-term, hassle-free enjoyment.
Size, style, and setup
The compact design of the LG PF1500 measures about 5.25" x 3.5" x 9.25" (WxHxD) and weighs in a 3.3 lbs. The projector’s stylishly well-ventilated exterior is textured to resist fingerprints and mask dust while improving grip when handling. The PF1500’s exterior controls are simple and effective with a chromed 4-way joystick, a matching lens focus ring, and a slide for adjusting the relatively limited zoom control (1.1x zoom ratio).
The PF1500 projects its image slightly above the plane of its lens so it can be placed on flat surface and pointed at a nearby wall or screen. The projector’s wide front foot is height-adjustable with the press of a button, and automatic vertical keystone correction ensures a square picture no matter the angle of the projector. A 4-corner keystone adjustment is also available for when the projector is placed in a less than optimal location.
The bottom of the PF1500 features three points for connecting a standard ceiling mount, and a fourth centralized point is compatible with tripod adapters. Use of a tripod made it easy to quickly square the PF1500's image without resorting to digital keystone correction that sacrifices picture resolution. Use of a tripod also made it easier to live with the PF1500's limited zoom (and related throw range) when filling a fixed-size screen. In the case of using an 80-inch portable screen that I'm particularly fond of, the PF1500's zoom control left less than a foot of throw distance to work within. For fixed installations with the PF1500, carefully consult a projection calculator before finalizing a potential mount location.
Power for the PF1500 is supplied by a brick-style switching adapter with a rated output of 19V at 5.79A. Input voltage compatibility is listed as 100V-240V at 50/60Hz (1.5A maximum). During operation, the power brick became very warm to the touch and measured up to 130F (54C) according to my infrared thermometer.
Projection tech
A lamp module is a key component of any projector, and its eventual failure is all but guaranteed to occur immediately prior to an important viewing event. The LG PF1500's lamp module ditches the old school bulb in favor of an array of RGB (red, green, and blue) LEDs that are rated for 30,000 hours of operation - about 5-7 times the longevity of a typical lamp module. The projector's LED array also enables very fast start up and shutdown times - less than 7 seconds before a usable picture appeared! The only downside to the projector's LED system is that it isn't user replaceable. LG rates the light output of the PF1500 at 1400 Lumens making it ideal for screen sizes up to 120-inches with adequate ambient light control.
The PF1500’s imaging system centers around a single Texas Instruments DLP chip. Traditional single-chip DLP projectors utilize a segmented spinning wheel to generate color from a white light source, and increasing the rotational speed of the wheel as well as the number of segments help reduce the perception of a distracting artifact known as color breakup (aka rainbows). The use of fast-switching RGB LEDs in the PF1500 eliminates the need for a color wheel, and another potential source of unwanted noise, while minimizing rainbow artifacts as well as I've seen with any single-chip DLP projector.
Audio
The speakers built into most portable projectors are there for convenience rather than epic audio quality, and the dual 3W speakers of the PF1500 are certainly convenient. I appreciated having sound without the added bulk of external speakers, and the projector's stereo output had enough volume to overcome modest amounts of background noise in indoor and outdoor environments.
For augmented listening, the PF1500 provides several audio output options including an HDMI-ARC port (Audio Return Channel), optical, Bluetooth, and a headphone jack. Bluetooth streaming to a quality portable speaker like the RIVA Turbo X (read my review) greatly improved the listening experience, however, Bluetooth output had the unfortunate side effect of disabling the projector's game mode feature that reduces video lag.
Inputs and networking
The selection of inputs on the PF1500 gave me everything I could ask for in a projector of any size. Ports included dual HDMI (MHL/ARC) and dongle adapters for component/composite video with analog stereo input. Dual USB ports support a lengthy list of popular multimedia file formats as well as office documents including PDF files, spreadsheets, and text files.
The projector's Ethernet and WiFi networking gave a solid performance for accessing local files and streaming content via its built-in apps, and an RF input feeds the projector's ATSC/QAM tuner.
Remote
The projector's Freespace-enabled Magic Remote provides Nintendo Wii-like cursor control for fast and precise menu navigation. The remote's contoured shape and simplified button layout with a clickable scroll-wheel made it easy to orientate and operate, and its RF link eliminated the need for line-of-sight to the projector. The on-screen cursor appreciably enhanced the use of virtual keyboards and interactive apps, and its built-in microphone proved adept at responding to a variety of spoken commands including search queries, channel selection, and changing inputs.
Free TV
Every television sold today includes a built-in digital tuner that enables the free reception of local stations using an antenna. The PF1500 marks the first projector I've used that also incorporates an over-the-air (OTA) digital tuner. Using a quality indoor antenna, the projector's impressively sensitive tuner captured my local stations with ease and stability. The PF1500 lacks a channel guide, but station and program information is displayed at the top of the screen along with the time and date. Also, the remote's scroll-wheel made it easy to quickly zip through and select available stations.
Gaming
With its selection of analog and digital video ports and input signal support up to 1080p at 60Hz, the PF1500 would seem to be a near-perfect companion for any game console made in the last 20 years. However, video lag measuring 170.2ms with my calibrated picture setup was certainly less than ideal for any game that requires precise timing, and the 70.2ms of lag using the projector's Game picture mode translated into more than 4-frames of delay with 60Hz video input - some of the best gaming TVs feature sub-20ms lag measurements.
Apps
Another feature of the PF1500 not typically associated with video projectors is its selection of popular apps. The PF1500's menu of apps was limited at best, but some of the must-haves like Netflix and YouTube were there. Other apps included MLB.TV, VUDU, Spotify, and Google Maps. Obviously absent from the lineup is Amazon Instant Video and Hulu. App performance was very good, and consistent integration with the Magic Remote's cursor control made the projector's app experience all the easier.
Fan noise
Projectors require active cooling to prevent a meltdown, and the PF1500 brightest picture configuration produced audible fan noise that thankfully wasn't overly annoying. Moderate amounts of volume from the projector's speakers easily masked fan noise, and reducing light output using the mid or low power settings all but eliminated cooling-related sounds.
Review: Epson Home Cinema 3500
Video processing
With all keystone correction features disabled and the projector focused on an 80-inch screen, the PF1500 breezed through my suite of 1080i video tests. The classic HQV benchmark revealed terrific deinterlacing and 24p source detection, and results from the Spears & Munsil Blu-ray test disc further confirmed solid video processing with only a slight roll-off noted in the benchmark's chroma tests.
Calibration
Grayscale optimization using the PF1500's 2-point white balance setup proved effective at taming the default response that was too blue and lacking green in the brighter shades. However, I found that the white balance controls for the darker shades of gray were ineffective, and a 20-point white balance setup was available but I didn't use it.
Color measurements showed that red at 100% saturation was very oversaturated compared to the HD video spec. Also, yellow and cyan exhibited the most obvious chromaticity errors. The PF1500's color management system (CMS) proved effective at optimizing primary and secondary colors, but it was unable to reign in the overly saturated 100% reds and blues. Also, unlike the white balance calibration that could be copied to other inputs using a menu option, CMS adjustments required tedious manual entry on a per-input basis.
Viewing exams
My time with the LG PF1500 included many hours of enjoyable video viewing. Having live TV and some of my favorite video streaming apps built-in was further enhanced by the speed at which the projector could achieve full brightness and produce a viewable picture. Using the PF1500 on a tripod mount, it was easy to relocate the projector to different rooms and have it quickly up and operational.
Local HD stations broadcasting in 720p and 1080i looked crisp and detailed. Sports on the big screen looked great with no signs of issues related to fast on-screen action. Likewise, prime time HD programming revealed excellent post-calibrated color and detail. Netflix and YouTube content at up to 1080p resolution loaded quickly and looked as good as expected. The red-heavy logos of these particular streaming services did appear a touch too colorful, but this characteristic of this LED projector didn't obviously taint the content I enjoyed.
For Blu-ray movie exams, I configured a player for 1080p/24Hz output and switched off the projector's video motion smoothing feature (aka TruMotion) for faithful cinema reproduction. Loading up The Dark Knight revealed excellent picture detail with this classic Blu-ray title. Skin tones among the movie's wide variety of characters appeared natural and properly represented in the many bright and dark-lit scenes. However, the Joker's painted smile did appear a bit too colorful with the projector's RGB LED light source.
The audio and visual treat that is the Blu-ray edition of Samsara takes the viewer on a worldwide journey exploring people and places in exquisite film-captured detail. The PF1500 adeptly recreated the cinematic viewing experience with careful preservation of fine detail and naturally colorful imagery that avoided the projector's tendency to over-saturate some red and blue hues.
Bottom line
The LG Portable LED Projector with Smart TV (PF1500) impressed me with its useful integrated features including compatibility with a wide variety of multimedia and office file formats. Its LED lamp technology gives this portable 1080p projector impressive light output for its size as well as hassle-free longevity and fast start up times. A good 720p projector can be had for half the price of the 1080p PF1500, but none incorporate a DTV tuner and smattering of popular streaming applications. The projector's Magic Remote brings everything together with precise navigation and functional microphone control. A dedicated home theater room may be better served by a projector with greater zoom range and installation-friendly lens shift capabilities. However, the PF1500's light weight, good video performance, and feature-rich functionality make it a great option for less than $1000.
Review: Epson Home Cinema 3500
Friday, January 30, 2015 at 4:01PM 
Note: the Epson 3500 has since been replace by the equally capable Video projectors are perfect for creating a wall-filling picture that is easily resized to best fit the available space. Projection in a dark room is the best case scenario as there is little interference with the creation of an immersive and detailed viewing experience. Projection in spaces with ambient light reaching the screen surface require much more light output to look good, and the Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 3500 came through with impressively bright imagery and useful audio/video (AV) extras that added to an already strong value.
Size, style, and setup
The Home Cinema's curvy white-colored chassis measures 16.1" x 12.6" x 6.4" (WxDxH) and weighs in at 15 pounds. The projector's slightly offset lens configuration provides space for a front facing exhaust that's ideal for placement close to a wall at the back of the room or on a table in front of the viewer. A removable cover on the top of the projector provides easy access to the lamp module even if inverted for ceiling mounting, and a side intake vent simplifies air filter maintenance.
Display tech
The Epson 3500 features 3LCD technology that incorporates a 3-chip light engine for superior color brightness compared to single-chip DLP projectors. Three-chip projectors process and display primary colors (red, green, and blue) simultaneously whereas a single-chip design quickly flashes each primary color in sequence. The projector's 0.61 inch 1080p LCD panels refresh at 240Hz in 2D mode doubling to 480Hz during 3D playback. Two pairs of rechargeable RF 3D glasses are included in the box.
Light cannon
As a home theater projector, the Epson 3500's primary benefit is its brightness. It's the brightest projector I've tested to date with its maximum light output rated at 2500 lumens including an equivalent level of color brightness. The BenQ HT1075 is a favorite value of mine that features a single-chip DLP light engine that can produce 2200 lumens of white light output, however, its color brightness measures about 37% less at 1390 lumens. For light-controlled rooms, the 3500's ample brightness will easily fill the largest screen sizes or a wall (ceiling-to-floor) with well-defined imagery.
Fan noise
Projector brightness and cooling fan noise go hand-in-hand. The projector's 250W UHE lamp operating in Eco mode kept fan noise to barely audible levels yet still provided ample brightness for a smaller 80" screen in a room with some ambient light. The much brighter Medium lamp setting increased fan noise into the audible (but very tolerable) range and made for a much improved viewing experience during daylight hours. I found the slight difference in light output between the Epson 3500's Medium and High lamp settings wasn't enough to justify the latter's increased fan noise.
Robert's Favorite Home Theater Gear
Picture setup
Lens controls on the 3500 are all manual and include a 60% vertical and 24% horizontal lens shift adjustment - pricier projectors like the excellent Panasonic PT-AE8000 extend vertical lens shift to 100% of the screen height. Compared to projectors that provide only digital keystone correction (that the 3500 also has), lens shift allows for precise image placement without altering geometry or degrading fine picture detail. The 3500's 1.6x zoom lens gives it good throw range too. For example: filling a 100" screen, the 3500 can be positioned 9.6' to 15.6' away from from the screen surface. A 120" screen would increase the throw range to 11.6' to 18.8'.
The 3500's picture presets include a Dynamic mode that maxed out the brightness with a slightly green-hued picture and audible fan speed to keep things cool. A Living Room preset defaults to a medium lamp setting, reduced fan speed, and a cool (bluish) color temperature that proved ideal for general daytime use. For a calibrated picture setup, the projector's Natural picture mode preset produced a good RGB balance that was well-matched to the D65 white point used in HD video production.
Calibration
Prior to calibration and use, I confirmed the convergence of Epson 3500's 3-chip system using a convenient built-in test pattern and related adjustment controls. A convergence check is a must for any 3-chip projector as it improves picture brightness and detail with all displayed content.
Use of the 3500's RGB gain/offset controls enabled me to better optimize the Natural picture preset for my setup (above): reduced red slightly in the darker grays, reduced blue in the brighter grays, and smooth out the gamma response. The 3500's color management controls were unable to improve upon the projector's somewhat truncated primary color response that limited the saturation of secondary colors like cyan and magenta (below).
The above response is likely due to relatively 'loose' RGB filters being applied to the white light source enabling more light energy (luminous flux) to exit the system. I've measured superior coverage of the HD color palette with more costly projectors including the Sony VPL-HW40ES and Epson's 5030UB, but they're less suited for use in rooms with elevated levels of ambient light compared to the Epson 3500.
Audio quality
In addition to being the brightest consumer 1080p projector I've seen, the Epson 3500's built-in stereo speakers (2x10W) proved impressively loud and clear. These rear-firing speakers won't replace a decent soundbar or surround sound system, nor will they delivery room shaking bass, but its ample volume proved useful for impromptu use where audio options are limited.
Input options
Inputs are located on the rear of the Epson 3500 and include two HDMI ports (one MHL-enabled), component video input, VGA, and composite video. There is also a 12V trigger output and serial port for integration with an electric screen or home theater control system. The 3500's USB port enables easy display of JPG slideshows, but I found it more useful for powering a DVDO Air3C-Pro wireless HDMI receiver (read review). Epson also offers the similarly-speced Home Cinema 3600e that integrates WirelessHD technology and includes a 5-port HDMI transmitter hub.
A picture-in-picture function includes options for placement and resizing of the sub-screen. Epson claims this function will work with almost any combination of inputs, but I was unable to successfully enable it when feeding both of the Epson 3500's HDMI ports with HD source devices.
Remote design
The 3500's substantial baton-style remote is fully backlit and features large mashable buttons that are clearly labeled. The remote's dedicated shortcuts proved useful and included buttons for quickly selecting picture presets, detail enhancement levels, and lamp power levels.
Viewing Exams
The Epson 3500's dynamic iris was adept at seamlessly reducing light output for dark scenes to enhance contrast perception, however, this projector is optimized for brightness and projectors like the Epson 5030UB and the Sony VPL-HW40ES produce darker black levels in a dimly-lit environment where light output isn't as critical. For dark room use, the Epson 3500's extra brightness would be useful for very large screen sizes or when trying to fill a wall floor-to-ceiling with imagery.
That extra brightness proved ideal for 3D viewing as the Epson 3500 delivered the best home 3D experience I've had to date. The slight tint of the excellent rechargeable RF glasses improved perceived contrast, and the projector’s 480Hz 3D mode exhibited very little crosstalk with the games, Blu-ray movies, and streaming sources that I examined.
The selection of Blu-ray movies experienced on the 3500 included Samsara, Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, and The Dark Knight. I was picking out details on the big screen that I hadn't noticed before. However, scenes with lots of dark detail reinforced the projector's suitability for brighter room environments where some ambient light is best countered with increased light output.
Benchmark tests
Motion resolution performance of the Epson 3500's 3LCD technology is similar to that of any other LCD that lacks video smoothing technology (motion compensation/estimation) or has the feature turned off: 300-350 lines on a 1080 line test pattern. Static resolution tests produced 600 lines with the Fast video processing setting enabled and 800-850 lines with the Fine setting enabled. The Fast/Fine setting also affected video lag measurements with a drop from 111ms to 47ms when switched to Fast.
An adjustable detail enhancement setting labeled Super Resolution improved the appearance of lower resolution content like DVDs and standard definition TV shows when enabled at moderate levels, but it also reduced the projector's ability to filter jagged edge artifacts and I left it disabled with most HD sources.
Bottom line: it's bright!
Video projectors deliver truly big screen viewing on a budget, and the Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 3500 brings this experience to more places with bright, detailed imagery at an attractive price. I've put several hundred hours on the 3500 in a room environment that almost always has some ambient light present, and its ability to push additional light output on demand has left my reference flat panel television feeling a bit neglected. I've also become accustomed to using wireless HDMI with this projector and would give greater consideration to the Epson 'e' models that integrates this feature.
2015 CES: Home Theater and TVs
Monday, January 5, 2015 at 6:39PM Updated April 5, 2015: added Vizio product information
It's that time of the year again, and the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) has consumed the city of Las Vegas, Nevada. This is a major show for display manufacturers and here the notable announcements so far:
Vizio
Technology
This article will be updated as information is gathered at the 2015 CES.
