New Products

Epson today introduced a less expensive follow-up to the $5,000 Pro Cinema LS12000 4K laser projector the company introduced last month.

At $4,000, the Home Cinema LS11000 is almost identical to the LS12000 in terms of features but has a slightly lower rated color/white brightness — 2,500 lumens versus 2,700 — and contrast ratio spec’d at half that of the LS12000: 1,200,000:1 versus 2,500,000:1 (both auto iris on). Epson says even with the reduced brightness the LS11000 is still bright enough for use in rooms with ambient light.

Another difference: The LS11000 lacks ISF-certified calibration tools and an anamorphic lens option.

Like the LS12000, the new projector is a three-chip LCD projector featuring a multi-array laser that uses a new digitally controlled Precision Shift Glass Plate to achieve 4K resolution and it employs Epson’s 36-bit ZX Picture Processor, which handles color, contrast, HDR frame interpolation, and resolution enhancement in real time.

The LS11000 also supports refresh rates up to 120 frames per second (fps), with frame interpolation for lower frame rates, and 10-bit high dynamic range (HDR) processing for content encoded in the HDR10, HDR10+, and HLG (Hybrid Log Gamma) formats with 16-step real-time HDR curve adjustment. Input lag times are rated at less than 20 milliseconds (ms) for improved gaming at 120 fps.

The projector supports 4K 4:4:4 60Hz chroma sampling at 12 bits and provides HDMI 2.1/ HDCP 2.3-compatible ports, one of which supports enhanced Audio Return Channel (eARC).

Epson says its 3LCD design, which uses three LCD chips to display 100 percent of the RGB color signal for every frame, makes possible “outstanding color gamut while maintaining excellent brightness without any rainbowing or color brightness issues.”

The projector is covered by a three-year limited warranty. For more information, visit epson.com.