This year Epson is going big, they are in the process of releasing six new projectors, all of which are rated between 6,000 and 10,000 lumens. The Pro Z line will soon have a total of eight, three full HD and five SD models for you to choose from. I was sent the Pro Z8455WUNL, a 7,000-lumen HD unit; it captured my attention from the moment I received the box.
I know it sounds cheesy that a box would grab my attention, but it did. I was out of town when the unit arrived in our package room. When I went to get it I looked right past the Epson box thinking it was a large format printer for our IT department. I came by an hour later for another package and it dawned on me that the Epson box was the projector I was waiting for.
Right out of the box the Epson was refreshing to look at. It is not the standard large rectangle with a lens hole on one side and input terminals on another. This unit has a sleek design; it reminded me of a spaceship. Its length and width dimension are about standard for a 7k lumen projector, but its height is what immediately caught my eye. The body height without including the handles is around five inches and the handles run almost the length of the top of the projector, making it very easy to pick up and move around. They also act as the location for mounting brackets. While handles are not normally used day to day for a unit of this size, it is nice to have a place to get a firm confident grip before moving or installing. Some of the models also have case color options; you can choose between black and white, depending upon your installation.
Standout features
There are a couple of very nice features built into the Pro Z line; some of these features may differ slightly from model to model. Here are a couple I really liked on the Z8455WUNL. The input section of the projector is hidden behind a case cover; after you loosen one thumbscrew and push on a release catch the cover slides off, exposing all of the various input options. The input cover has two holes and a trim bezel. To completely cover all the input cables and unused connections you simply install the bezel on the opposite hole the cables will run out of. When you re-install the input cover you will not be able to see any of the cables running to and from the unit. This is a nice aesthetic option, especially when you need to preserve the architectural look of a space.
With the name Pro Z you expect a professional-level projector—and Epson delivers. The Z8455WUNL unit I had has all of the modern expected inputs, BNCs for composite, component, and RGBHV. It also has S-video, VGA in and out, and two HDMI inputs. It is missing a DVI input, but with two HDMI inputs you can easily convert your DVI signal to HDMI. The input I was most interested with and impressed by was the single BNC for SDI or HD-SDI signal. I personally am a huge fan of the HD-SDI format, and to have this input option on a projector as standard equipment not only makes me take a second look, it also tells me this is truly a professional unit.
The professional nature of the Pro Z line does not stop at the inputs. The Pro Z line has a lot of built-in features you can access directly from the menu. A few noteworthy mentions are built-in edge blending for side-by-side and top-and-bottom blends, split screen (viewing two inputs side by side) and a time scheduling program. It also has TCP IP settings for remote network control. Internally, the LCD panels are liquid-cooled, which reduces the amount of fans needed for internal cooling and cuts down the fan noise generated by the projector. Another feature is newer lamp technology that does not require the one to two minute cool down period most other projectors have.
When you power down the Pro Z, the lamps douse and the fans turn off seconds later. With the Epson you know right away—and more importantly your volunteers and other church staff will know they have everything turned off. It is common for me to find projectors running the next day at our church because people thought the unit was turned off but did not stay the extra two minutes to ensure everything powered down properly.
More findings
Image quality is superb and there are no secret or hidden menus you need to find to be able to adjust the image. The menu structure is very intuitive and will select and de-select options for you based upon what signal and options you are using. Calibrating the unit was very easy, mainly due to the ability to control each adjustment with precision control. Some LCD projectors have a difficult time reproducing the green color spectrum. The Pro Z is able to completely reproduce the full green spectrum, as well as red and blue. The grayscale measurement (a measurement of how evenly the unit projects RGB) was also very good. In the lower levels of gray, the green was slightly lacking, but once you get to 40% brightness and above, all colors aligned very closely, creating a quality white image.
As I mentioned earlier, maintenance on this unit is literally a snap, and [does] not require the use of tools. Everything from changing the lamps to changing the filter can be done by hand. The lamp door, lamps and filter door release with your fingers. The lamps are rated at 2,500 hours in normal mode and 3,500 hours in Eco mode. The filter can run for 10,000 hours before replacement. For some perspective, if you run your projector 10 hours a week it will take almost 19 years before you need to replace the filter. The replacement filters run about $50, and if they get dirty you can simply vacuum them off and re-use them. If you do end up needing service, the standard three-year warranty means you will never be without a projector. If your units needs service, Epson says they will deliver a replacement unit to your door the next business day and they will pay for both ways of shipping.
In the end, the new Pro Z8455WUNL is a refreshing new unit in the very crowded market of LCD projectors. It captured my attention from the moment it arrived, and at a MSRP of $20,000, it has me taking another look. If you don't need full HD resolution, HD-SDI or edge blending, Epson offers seven more Pro Z models starting from $8,999.
