Customer Rating: 
Summary: great for playing xbox 360!
Comment: i have a completely dark basement and am using a 100' diagonal screen. HD movies look really good. The only disappointment is the image looks way to dark during many dark scenes. Ive noticed this with an old Optoma projector I used to own too. Maybe its just the technology. The Epson does have a useful DYNAMIC color setting which will seriously brighten things up but it causes many movies to look to pixilated for my taste.
Using the DYNAMIC mode with my XBOX 360 Elite (HDMI port) however is AWESOME and is highly recommended. Nothing like HALO 3 on a 100' screen. It Brings a tear to my eye. This projector is made for HD video games. Take advantage of the HDMI port!
I do wish dark scenes in certain movies were brighter. But, I'm not willing to throw down more than 2500 bucks on a projector, so maybe you get what you pay for.
One final word: Get the BBC series PLANET EARTH on HD. It rocks on this projector!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Powerlite Home Cinema 1080 - Model Number V11H245120
Comment: This Epson projector model: V11H245120 and called "Powerlite Home Cinema 1080" is priced at 2,499.99 on the Epson web store where can be directly purchased.
http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/consumer/consDetail.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=yes&infoType=Specs&oid=63068239&category=Products
(And Epson had a promotion with a $300.00 mail-in rebate which expired on 9/30, although I am not sure the current price was the same during the promotion period)
That made me wonder why on Amazon is being offered at higher price 2,636.66 at the time of this writing. If you were about to get this item do a little more research and see what's available online... Sometimes is not worth to go and buy elsewhere on the web or on ebay, and especially from unknown sellers, but here that's not the case! We are talking about getting it directly from the manufacturer and for over $100.00 cheaper... a no-brainer :)
Episodes such as this one make one think that is always worth to do some more comparison shopping, when planning to purchase an expensive items since even Amazon seems not to be able to guarantee a price lower than a product's MRSP .
So even if you are lucky enough and you can afford an extra $100.00 charge without caring too much about it, think about the fact that you have been tricked into buying an overpriced product... that's not too nice is it? You could have got an extended warranty for that for instance :) Well I hope this review will help you avoid making the mistake to purchase an overpriced projector at least and make the most out of your hard-earned money... other than that enjoy the show on your big screen ;D!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Best 1080p projector for the money!
Comment: Pros
- Under $3000!
- VERY easy to set up.
- Well-designed, backlit remote.
- ZERO screen-door effect from real viewing distances.
- Relatively bright (even in theater mode).
- Excellent performance.
Cons
- Blacks could be a little deeper.
- No vertical stretch (only an issue if you're looking to do CIH).
- Menu navigation a little sluggish when using a universal remote.
Being the first 1080p projector under $3000, the Epson Home Cinema 1080 arrived with a lot of hype and anticipation. I bought into that hype, and as a result I was among the first to pick up one of these bad boys the day it came out. Prior to the Epson, I had owned two different 720p HD projectors- a Sanyo Z4 and a Panasonic AX-100U. The Sanyo produced a super-sharp, noise-free picture, but I found the visible pixelation too distracting at close viewing distances. The Panasonic doesn't have that problem as it utilizes Smoothscreen technology to reduce screen-door effect, but it also results in a noticeably softer image. The Epson, on the other hand, is capable of projecting a sharp AND pixel-free image (both undoubtedly thanks to the 2 million pixels afforded by 1080p). The Epson also performs surprisingly well out the box, and after a simple calibration I found that it can deliver even more vivid and accurate color. Black level is the one area where I feel this projector is lacking. For deep, DLP-like blacks you would have to shell out another grand or two for a higher-end model like the JVC RS-1. What I did though was paint my own screen, using a special DIY mix designed to boost contrast and improve black level performance, and voila! I'm looking at a beautiful picture with much darker and convincing blacks. Summing up, the Epson is a killer deal, and for under $3000 I honestly couldn't be happier. If you haven't experienced HD front-projection before, I would advise you to go with a 720p model first as prices are tumbling and you can pick up a pretty decent model for around $1000. If you're looking to jump from 720p to the next level, and you watch a lot of HD DVD, Blu-ray, or other high-res HD material, then this is the projector for you. Highly recommended!
Summary: great for playing xbox 360!
Comment: i have a completely dark basement and am using a 100' diagonal screen. HD movies look really good. The only disappointment is the image looks way to dark during many dark scenes. Ive noticed this with an old Optoma projector I used to own too. Maybe its just the technology. The Epson does have a useful DYNAMIC color setting which will seriously brighten things up but it causes many movies to look to pixilated for my taste.
Using the DYNAMIC mode with my XBOX 360 Elite (HDMI port) however is AWESOME and is highly recommended. Nothing like HALO 3 on a 100' screen. It Brings a tear to my eye. This projector is made for HD video games. Take advantage of the HDMI port!
I do wish dark scenes in certain movies were brighter. But, I'm not willing to throw down more than 2500 bucks on a projector, so maybe you get what you pay for.
One final word: Get the BBC series PLANET EARTH on HD. It rocks on this projector!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Powerlite Home Cinema 1080 - Model Number V11H245120
Comment: This Epson projector model: V11H245120 and called "Powerlite Home Cinema 1080" is priced at 2,499.99 on the Epson web store where can be directly purchased.
http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/consumer/consDetail.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=yes&infoType=Specs&oid=63068239&category=Products
(And Epson had a promotion with a $300.00 mail-in rebate which expired on 9/30, although I am not sure the current price was the same during the promotion period)
That made me wonder why on Amazon is being offered at higher price 2,636.66 at the time of this writing. If you were about to get this item do a little more research and see what's available online... Sometimes is not worth to go and buy elsewhere on the web or on ebay, and especially from unknown sellers, but here that's not the case! We are talking about getting it directly from the manufacturer and for over $100.00 cheaper... a no-brainer :)
Episodes such as this one make one think that is always worth to do some more comparison shopping, when planning to purchase an expensive items since even Amazon seems not to be able to guarantee a price lower than a product's MRSP .
So even if you are lucky enough and you can afford an extra $100.00 charge without caring too much about it, think about the fact that you have been tricked into buying an overpriced product... that's not too nice is it? You could have got an extended warranty for that for instance :) Well I hope this review will help you avoid making the mistake to purchase an overpriced projector at least and make the most out of your hard-earned money... other than that enjoy the show on your big screen ;D!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Best 1080p projector for the money!
Comment: Pros
- Under $3000!
- VERY easy to set up.
- Well-designed, backlit remote.
- ZERO screen-door effect from real viewing distances.
- Relatively bright (even in theater mode).
- Excellent performance.
Cons
- Blacks could be a little deeper.
- No vertical stretch (only an issue if you're looking to do CIH).
- Menu navigation a little sluggish when using a universal remote.
Being the first 1080p projector under $3000, the Epson Home Cinema 1080 arrived with a lot of hype and anticipation. I bought into that hype, and as a result I was among the first to pick up one of these bad boys the day it came out. Prior to the Epson, I had owned two different 720p HD projectors- a Sanyo Z4 and a Panasonic AX-100U. The Sanyo produced a super-sharp, noise-free picture, but I found the visible pixelation too distracting at close viewing distances. The Panasonic doesn't have that problem as it utilizes Smoothscreen technology to reduce screen-door effect, but it also results in a noticeably softer image. The Epson, on the other hand, is capable of projecting a sharp AND pixel-free image (both undoubtedly thanks to the 2 million pixels afforded by 1080p). The Epson also performs surprisingly well out the box, and after a simple calibration I found that it can deliver even more vivid and accurate color. Black level is the one area where I feel this projector is lacking. For deep, DLP-like blacks you would have to shell out another grand or two for a higher-end model like the JVC RS-1. What I did though was paint my own screen, using a special DIY mix designed to boost contrast and improve black level performance, and voila! I'm looking at a beautiful picture with much darker and convincing blacks. Summing up, the Epson is a killer deal, and for under $3000 I honestly couldn't be happier. If you haven't experienced HD front-projection before, I would advise you to go with a 720p model first as prices are tumbling and you can pick up a pretty decent model for around $1000. If you're looking to jump from 720p to the next level, and you watch a lot of HD DVD, Blu-ray, or other high-res HD material, then this is the projector for you. Highly recommended!