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Epson Home Cinema 5050UB 4K PRO-UHD Review

This premium projector provides a superb home cinema viewing experience if you're feeling spendy
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Epson Home Cinema 5050UB 4K PRO-UHD Review
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Price:  $3,000 List
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Manufacturer:   Epson
73
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#5 of 11
  • Entertainment - 30% 9.5
  • Business - 30% 6.3
  • Contrast Ratio - 15% 7.0
  • Brightness - 15% 5.8
  • Set up/Use - 5% 6.6
  • Input Lag - 5% 6.1

Our Verdict

The top-notch color accuracy and impressive capabilities of the Epson Home Cinema 5050UB make it a great projector for committed home cinema enthusiasts. With its true-to-hue colors, stark contrasts, mesmerizing resolution, and fantastic ease of use, the Epson 5050 will not disappoint. In addition to the wonderful technical performance in our image projection tests, the digital user interface made set-up and focusing a breeze. Our testers were more than pleased with the smooth lines and crisp images across all our tests. But this beast of a projector is not without downsides. Its considerable size means it's bound to be a stationary projector, and its sticker price makes it a purchase you'll have to think twice about, especially when compared to other projectors on the market. Our review of the best projectors shows how it stacks up versus competing products.
REASONS TO BUY
Fantastic movie quality
Lens shift and zoom features
Great edge-to-edge clarity
Incredible color accuracy
REASONS TO AVOID
No smart features
Expensive
Big and heavy

Compare to Similar Products

 
Awards Top Pick Award
Best Home Cinema Projector
Top Pick Award
Best Premium Projector
Editors' Choice Award
Best Overall Projector
Best Buy Award
Best Bang for the Buck
Best Buy Award
Best Buy Under $100
Price $3,000 List
$2,780 at Amazon
$1,898 List
$1,748 at Amazon
$1,300 List
$1,051 at Amazon
$428 List
$392.50 at Amazon
$80 List
$79.99 at Amazon
Overall Score Sort Icon
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79
45
Star Rating
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Bottom Line This high-end cinema projector delivers exceptional home theater picture quality, but it'll cost youThis premium projector has a great aesthetic and some of the best image clarity you can getA well-rounded projector with tremendous color, clarity, and features at a decent priceA very bright projector that excels in an office environment and offers a decent movie experienceIf your expectations are low and you're deadset on an ultra-low-budget projector, this is the one to get
Rating Categories Epson Home Cinema 5... Hisense C1 Laser Epson Home Cinema 2... ViewSonic PA503W Happrun H1
Entertainment (30%)
9.5
9.1
9.0
6.8
3.7
Business (30%)
6.3
8.1
7.5
7.8
6.2
Contrast Ratio (15%)
7.0
9.0
9.5
9.0
3.2
Brightness (15%)
5.8
6.7
7.5
9.5
2.4
Set up/Use (5%)
6.6
9.5
8.4
4.9
5.0
Input Lag (5%)
6.1
7.3
6.1
9.1
9.3
Specs Epson Home Cinema 5... Hisense C1 Laser Epson Home Cinema 2... ViewSonic PA503W Happrun H1
Measured ANSI Lumens 1410 Lumens 1703 Lumens 2000 Lumens 2664 Lumens 249 Lumens
Measured Fan Noise 38 dBA 48 dBA 41 dBA 41 dBA 45 dBA
Measured ANSI Contrast Ratio 67:3 511:20 313:10 775:26 43:5
Measured Input Lag 76 ms 60 ms 76 ms 48 ms 46 ms
Measured Dimensions (L x D x H) 20" x 17.75" x 7.13" 7.1'' x 8.5" x 9.7" 13.1" x 10.8" x 4.8" 11.6" x 8.6" x 4.3" 9.3" x 8.1" x 3.5"
Measured Weight 24.8 lbs 10 lbs 9 lbs 4.9 lbs 3.5 lbs
Projection Technology 3LCD Trichroma Laser 3LCD DLP LCD
Light Source Lamp Laser Lamp Lamp Lamp
Claimed Brightness 2600 Lumens 1600 Lumens 2800 Lumens 3600 Lumens 9500 Lumens
Carrying Case Included No No No No No
Native Resolution 1920 x 1080 (With Additional 4K Enhancement Technology) 4K 1920 x 1080 (With Additional 4K Enhancement Technology) 1280 x 800 1920 x 1080
Smart Streaming Capability? No Yes Yes No No
Contrast Ratio 1,000,000:1 2,000,000:1 35,000:1 22,000:1 10,000:1
Aspect Ratio Native 16:9 Not Specified Native 16:9 Native 16:10 Not Specified
Zoom Ratio 1.0 - 2.1 Not Specified 1.32 - 2.15 1.0 - 1.1 Not Specified
Throw Ratio (Wide to Zoom) 1.35 - 2.84 1.2:1 1.32 - 2.15 1.55 - 1.70 Not Specified
Backlit Remote Yes Yes No No No
Vertical Keystoning Correction Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Horizontal Keystoning Correction No Yes Yes No No
Lens Shift Yes Yes Yes No No
Lens Cover Yes No Yes No Yes
3D Capable Yes No No Yes No

Our Analysis and Test Results

The Epson Home Cinema 5050UB is a high-performing home cinema projector with pixel-shifting technology and outstanding digital user interface features like digital lens shift and digital focus buttons. It's a beast of a machine in both size and performance and won't let discerning buyers down once they get past the sticker shock.

Performance Comparison


The 50550UB is a home cinema beast.
Credit: Matt Lighthart

Entertainment


As far as entertainment-centric projectors go, the Epson 5050UB is the cream of the crop, despite not having built-in streaming apps. It has an impressive 1920x1080p resolution, but it shines with its additional 4K Enhancement Technology –– a feature that accepts 4K UHD content and upscales non-4K content to display better than Full HD resolution.


We noticed sharp precision in every image during our photo browsing analysis, and the video tests were even more impressive. Macro videos were crisp and clean, and we were thrilled to watch 4K movies on the Epson 5050UB's big beautiful screen. It felt like true movie theater quality. Detractors may argue that this unit's 4K Enhancement Technology is not true 4K viewing; however, our testers were very impressed with all of the 4k output from this projector.

epson home cinema 5050ub 4k pro-uhd - we tested the top cinema projectors back to back.
We tested the top cinema projectors back to back.
Credit: Matt Lighthart

The color accuracy of the Epson Home Cinema 5050UB is where this model really shines. Its fantastic out-of-the-box colors pop, and unlike most projectors, no color suffered from a noticeable shift in hue. This projector was the benchmark by which we graded all others in the test with regard color accuracy and image quality.

The only holding this projector back from a perfect score in this metric is its lack of smart features like native streaming apps and mobile device mirroring capabilities. However, most users purchasing a projector at this price point are probably already invested in or planning out a component system with dedicated audio and high-quality streaming devices to complement it.

Business


Some of the qualities that make the Epson 5050UB a great entertainment projector carry over into the business metric, but in many other ways, it just doesn't excel for the business use case.


This projector's color accuracy and clarity will be top-notch no matter where you set it up, and while it has adequate luminance to perform in well-lit spaces, it's not as bright as some of the models aimed squarely at business users present in bright rooms. Font sharpness, edge-to-edge clarity, and color accuracy to match source documents were all very good with this projector, and it even has a nice selection of ports: 2x HMDI, 1x computer, 1x USB-A, and B, 1 video, and a RS 232C.

epson home cinema 5050ub 4k pro-uhd - the 5050ub isn't quite as good for office use as it is for home...
The 5050UB isn't quite as good for office use as it is for home cinema.
Credit: Matt Lighthart

Where things start to fall apart for the Epson Home Cinema 5050UB in the business metric are its physical size and weight, which contribute to poor portability. It tips the scales at nearly 25 lbs, and it's large at 20"L x 17.75"D x 7.13"H, which is not ideal for lugging around between meetings.

Lastly, we feel that business projectors should have all the necessary buttons to access settings located on top of the projector. The 50505UB has very few of them. Most of its functions are accessed from the remote control. That's fine unless the remote control gets lost or left behind before an important business presentation.

Contrast Ratio


Epson claims a stunning 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio for the Home Cinema 5050UB. We measured a ratio of 67:3 in our ANSI contrast test. Don't let that number deter you, as they were able to make the most of it through its ultra-whites and inky blacks. Both leaped off the screen, but mid-tones lost some contrast due in part to the extreme performance on the ends of the spectrum. Bright whites tended to wash out surrounding areas, and dark grays melded right into blacks.


In our video tests of clouds and space scenes, we were amazed by the brilliance and depth of the whites and blacks but lost some of the effects in transition areas. Surrounding colors were slightly washed out. Nevertheless, we felt that the darker shadowed scenes were phenomenal, and overall, we had a great viewing experience. The 5050UB has some of the best blacks of any projector but gives up some ground to other premium units in the whites and midtones.

epson home cinema 5050ub 4k pro-uhd - we put every projector through thorough ansi contrast testing with a...
We put every projector through thorough ANSI contrast testing with a light meter, but it's plain to see that the 5050UB has deep blacks and bright whites.
Credit: Matt Lighthart

Brightness


The Epson Home Cinema 5050 has a manufacturer-claimed brightness of 2600 lumens; however, we measured an average of 1,410 lumens in our ANSI lumen test.


While this is a significant drop from the manufacturer's stated output, we found that it didn't greatly impact the projector's viewability of pictures and movies in a home theater setting. A projector doesn't necessarily need to be the brightest to excel in that environment, but if you plan to set the projector up in a bright space, there are brighter prospects on the market.

epson home cinema 5050ub 4k pro-uhd - the epson 5050ub has adequate viewing brightness for a nice home...
The Epson 5050UB has adequate viewing brightness for a nice home cinema set up.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Setup & Use


While the 5050UB had an impressive technical performance, we discovered some of our favorite features during the setup and ease-of-use tests. First up is the lens focus method. Unlike most projectors where the lens is twisted, and focusing is a process of corrections, overcompensating, and corrections again, the Epson 5050 has digital lens focus buttons on both the side of the unit and the remote, allowing users to make micro-adjustments to focus at the touch of a button. During 4K viewing, the ability to precisely adjust focus and not lose out on resolution due to setup errors is important. The digital lens shift (obstacle avoidance) and zoom were also nice features to have, as were auto and manual keystoning. There's also an integrated tripod/ceiling mounting point for specialized installations.

The large remote is intuitively laid out, with big backlit buttons that make navigating easy, even in the dark. One thing to note about the Epson 5050 is that despite its size, only the front two feet of the unit adjust, whereas you can adjust all three or four legs with most models.

epson home cinema 5050ub 4k pro-uhd - this projector has ample ports to connect a multitude of devices.
This projector has ample ports to connect a multitude of devices.
Credit: Matt Lighthart

Input Lag


Input lag measures the response time of the video on the screen. It's most important to those who wish to play competitive online video games with their projector. If that's you, you may not be satisfied with the Epson Home Cinema 5050UB's middling 68 milliseconds average response time.


Incidentally, many of the budget projectors possess superior response times. That is likely due to their simpler operating systems that don't overburden themselves with advanced image processing.

epson home cinema 5050ub 4k pro-uhd - large backlit buttons, digital lens shift, and focus features made...
Large backlit buttons, digital lens shift, and focus features made adjustments to the Epson 5050UB's settings a breeze.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Should You Buy the Epson Home Cinema 5050UB 4K PRO-UHD?


The Epson Home Cinema 5050UB 4K PRO-UHD is a knockout of a projector that leads the pack in image quality for entertainment use; however, it comes with a price tag significantly greater than the competition. If you are crazy about colors and want a truly high-end projector right out of the box no matter the cost, then this is likely to fit the bill. If you plan on a stationary home theater for your cinematic favorites, then the Epson 5050UB could be a great model for you.

epson home cinema 5050ub 4k pro-uhd - the epson home cinema 5050ub is a stunning home theater projector if...
The Epson Home Cinema 5050UB is a stunning home theater projector if you have the space and budget for it.
Credit: Matt Lighthart

What Other Projectors Should You Consider?


For those entering the home cinema arena and looking to score a quality model at over a thousand bucks cheaper than the 5050UB, the Hisense C1 Laser has top-notch images and will leave something leftover for a sound bar system or other electronic accessories. If you are a discerning viewer who still wants to keep an eye on the wallet, then consider the Epson Home Cinema 2350. It has excellent ratings, and with a few tweaks of the settings, its color accuracy rivals that of the best without breaking the bank.

Jessica Riconscente, Hale Milano, Sentry Kelly, and Adam Stout