CEDIA 2010

Among all the super-expensive projectors at CEDIA, some of the biggest buzz has been about Epson's entry into the LCoS market, which turns out not to be entirely true. In fact, Epson has developed a new but related imaging technology it calls "3LCD Reflective," which is basically liquid crystal on quartz instead of silicon. (Keep in mind that quartz is silicon dioxide, so maybe it's not that different after all.)

In any event, the new Reflective Series includes three models—the 21000 ($3300), 31000 ($4500, 500,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio), and 61000 ($7000, 1,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio). All three provide a calibrated light output of 750 lumens (about twice that of the 9700UB) with a lamp life rated at 5000 hours. They support anamorphic lenses, but they also offer lens memories that let you store settings for different aspect ratios. Finally, all models use the new IDT Vida video processor, which is the next-generation of HQV technology.

The demo was played from a 31000 with dynamic iris disabled on a Stewart Studiotek 130 (10 feet wide, 2.40:1, auto masking to demonstrate the lens memories). Clips included Alice in Wonderland for pastel colors, G.I. Joe for detail and fast motion, and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix for black level. All looked spectacular; I can't wait until we get one of these in the studio for some serious testing.