Epson EH-QB1000 projector Review | Trusted Reviews

Introduction

The Epson EH-QB1000 is the brand’s latest home cinema laser projector.

It retains all the features that made the earlier EH-LS12000 so impressive, such as a laser light source and HDMI 2.1 inputs with support for 4K/120p and HDR10+, but improves the performance by boosting the brightness up to 3,300 lumens and adding dynamic tone mapping for an improved HDR experience.

Availability

The Epson EH-QB1000 is available now, and can be picked up for £4,799 in the UK, $7,999 in the US, €5,499 in Europe, and AU$11,999 in Australia. All these prices are reasonable for a 4K HDR projector with a laser light source and extensive set of features, especially in the UK.

The QB1000 is fantastic value for money value when compared to its direct competitors. The Sony VPL-XW5000ES is native 4K but doesn’t have motorised lens controls, dynamic HDR tone mapping, or HDR10+ and 4K/120p support. The JVC DLA-NZ500 is also native 4K, has motorised lens controls, dynamic tone mapping and HDR10+, but lacks support for 4K/120Hz gaming.

Design

• Fully motorised lens controls
• 2 x HDMI 2.1 inputs
• Backlit remote

The Epson EH-QB1000 retains the design introduced on the previous generation with a matte black or white chassis and central lens flanked by forward-firing cooling grilles. The build quality is solid, there’s a motorised lens cover, and basic controls at the rear under a removable cover that keeps things tidy. There’s also an optional bracket for ceiling mounting the beamer if necessary.

The setup is simple thanks to a generous throw ratio and mortised lens controls that include 10 lens memories for anyone using a 2.35:1 screen. The QB1000’s increased brightness makes it ideal for rooms with lighter coloured walls, and as an added bonus the weak contrast ratios won’t be as obvious. There are also various picture modes, along with extensive calibration controls.

The included remote control is chunky but nicely weighted, fitting comfortably in the hand. It has all the controls laid out in an intuitive fashion, and crucially there’s a backlight that makes it easier to use in the dark. There are also memory buttons for quickly and easily changing the image’s shape for movies in different aspect ratios, which is handy if like me you use a ‘Scope screen.

Connectivity

• Two HDMI 2.1 inputs
• 4K/120Hz support

The connections are located in a long recess at the rear of the unit, where you’ll find two HDMI 2.1 inputs with support for 4K/120Hz, eARC, HDCP 2.3 and HDR10+, plus the usual HDR10 and HLG. There are also three USB ports, a 12V trigger, Ethernet port and RS-232C serial connector, along with support for various integrated control systems when used in a custom installation.

The 4K/120Hz support is thanks to the inclusion of HDMI 2.1 inputs, but this isn’t the only reason the QB1000 is a great choice for gamers. This beamer also supports ALLM (auto low latency mode), which automatically selects the dedicated low latency mode when a console is detected.

Features

• Dynamic laser light source
• Enhanced frame interpolation
• Dedicated low latency mode

The Epson EH-QB1000 uses the 3LCD design incorporated in all the brand’s projectors, and this particular technology is limited to Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels). However the QB1000 can accept and display Ultra HD content (3840 x 2160 pixels) by using proprietary technology that shifts each pixel diagonally to increase the perceived resolution, creating more detailed images that look 4K.

Despite using the same laser light source as earlier models, the peak brightness is boosted to 3,300 lumens, and an average lifespan that remains the same at 20,000 hours. As expected with LCD display technology the black levels could be better, and the QB1000 delivers a claimed native contrast ratio of 5,000:1, although the dynamic laser feature can boost this to 5,000,000:1.

New this year is dynamic tone mapping that analyses HDR10 content in real time, optimising the image and allowing the QB1000 to deliver improved HDR images compared to the previous LS12000. As with the earlier model there is also support for HDR10+, which means the QB1000 can use that format’s dynamic metadata to deliver an image optimised to is inherent capabilities.

The QB1000 has improved motion handling, and upgraded frame interpolation. As a result it can deliver smooth and detailed motion with sport, although I’d recommended leaving the frame interpolation off when watching film-based content. The Epson also supports higher frame rates up to 4K/120Hz, which makes this beamer a great choice for any next-generation gamers.

In this mode the input lag measures a very impressive 19ms at 60Hz, and even lower at 120Hz.

Performance

• Bright and punchy HDR images
• Excellent HDR tone mapping
• Impressive motion handling

The Epson EH-QB1000 delivers images that are bright, detailed and saturated, resulting in a hugely enjoyable big-screen experience. The LCD chipset demonstrates excellent uniformity with no signs of patchiness, banding or dust blobs. However, the latter can be an issue with LCD beamers due to the light path not being sealed, so bear that in mind and keep dust to a minimum.

Epson delivers excellent out-of-the-box accuracy in its Cinema mode, with whites that are free of the usual excess of blue in the greyscale. The same goes for the skin tones, which look suitably natural with none of the reds that make everyone look sunburnt. The overall image is surprisingly sharp thanks to the effective 4K pixel shifting and the three LCD panels being very well aligned.

While the QB1000’s laser light source is very bright, the beamer’s fans are generally quiet in operation, although the noise levels will increase if you use the higher laser settings. However, there’s so much brightness available that you probably won’t need to move the laser power up too high to illuminate even a large projection screen while still enjoying punchy HDR images.

The QB1000’s big weakness is its contrast performance, with the native ratio only measuring 4,300:1 in my tests. As a result the blacks tend to look more like a dark grey, and while you can use the dynamic laser feature to improve the contrast, in reality this only really helps with fades to black and the rest of the time the blacks remain the same, robbing images of a degree of depth.

One area where Epson has improved the performance is in terms of motion handling, even with the frame interpolation turned off. When engaged this feature results in smoother motion, which makes it very effective when watching fast-paced sports. However I recommend turning it off for movies and TV dramas, so they retain their film-like quality and don’t end up looking like video.

The QB1000 supports high dynamic range, and really impresses with bright and detailed images where the highlights pop and the shadows retain more subtleties. The QB1000 doesn’t use a colour filter, which means it only covers 88% of the DCI-P3 wide colour gamut. However, thanks to the increased brightness and new dynamic tone mapping the results are often very impressive.

This is evident in the Biblical epic The Ten Commandments, which was shot on the VistaVision film format and the resulting 4K disc looks stunning. The QB1000 expertly delivers the sumptuous images, picking out the fine detail and rich colours with skill. The parting of the Red Sea is a standout sequence, with the Epson’s increased brightness bringing the effects vividly to life.

The snowy landscapes of The Revenant are also rendered effectively, and here the QB1000’s increased brightness really adds value. The native 4K images are wonderfully clear and the mostly daytime scenes hide the weaker black levels. These are more obvious during the nighttime search lit only by torches, but overall the dynamic tone mapping does a great job with HDR10 content.

The Epson also supports HDR10+, and watching The Wizard of Oz in this format reveals the benefits of dynamic metadata. The tone mapping is excellent, and even though the QB1000 doesn’t cover 100% of DCI-P3 the three-strip Technicolor photography of the film is beautifully saturated, especially as Dorothy walks out of black and white and into the wonderful world of Oz.

Should you buy it?