Jordan O'BrienIt’s expected that 2016 will be the year HDR goes mainstream – with countless TVs announced at both CES in Las Vegas and IFA in Berlin supporting the format. It’s not just TVs that are coming out in support of richer colours and deeper blacks however, as at CEDIA numerous projectors have launched supporting the HDR standard. One such projector that can be seen on the show floor is Epson’s EH-LS10500.
The new EH-LS10500 features 3LCD reflective panels, 4K-enhancement, a laser light source and support for Ultra HD Blu-ray discs and other HDR sources.
Charlotte Hone, product manager, Epson UK, says: “HDR is set to make home cinema more intense and immersive, so we’re really proud of the EH-LS10500. It’s our latest generation of home cinema projector with a dual laser light source, which is now able to show HDR material in all of its glory. By increasing the contrast between the darkest and lightest areas of the screen, HDR creates more depth and new levels of detail that have previously not been possible, and it also massively enriches colours – the EH-LS10500 can display it all perfectly.”
Epson says that the EH-LS10500 was created with the home cinema in mind – something an HDR TV will be unable to promise. At its core are Epson’s 3LCD reflective panels and the dual laser light source producing a wide colour gamut and absolute blacks. A high aperture promises silky smooth images, while a high speed motion response is said to deliver crisp and detail-rich images during fast-motion sequences.
While HDR is the flagship feature of the EH-LS10500, Epson says that its image processing suite also provides support for 4K enhancement and UHD Blu-ray support. What this means is that users will be able to not only enjoy Ultra HD content from physical Blu-ray discs, but they will also be able to upscale 1080p content to enjoy in a 4K resolution. The 4K enhancement goes further than just upscaling however, promising detail enhancement, super resolution, frame interpolation and ISF calibration.
Epson says that it is the dual laser light source that makes the wider colour gamut possible, but also stresses that it has other advantages over producing a better image. One such advantage is the claimed 30,000-hour life of the light source without maintenance while the projector is in eco mode. To put that into perspective, Epson says that its long life is enough to watch a film every day for 46 years.
Beyond picture quality, the EH-LS10500 is designed to fit seamlessly and discreetly into the home. Its lens shutter, hidden control panel and almost silent fan has been designed specifically for home cinemas, with a wide lens shift for off-centre installation. Epson claims that the projector is also easy to set-up and use thanks to motorised optics: a powered lens for adjusting lens shift, zoom and focus.
The EH-LS10500 will be available from November 2016, with an RRP set at £5,999 inc.VAT.