Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity - Best Of Awards 2015

Epson Home Cinema 3500 LCD Projector Review Highlights

When I’m asked to recommend a budget projector, my go-to brand is always Epson. For years now they’ve consistently offered the best performance for the money bar-none. Since yearly improvements in image quality are usually small, they’ve turned to simply adding more features to each successive model upgrade. Today I’m checking out the Home Cinema 3500. It’s a 1080p model with a tried-and-true 3-LCD light engine, 3D, full calibration controls and (surprise, surprise) lens shift. The best part is at $1,600, it costs no more than a mid-line flat-panel television. You even get built-in stereo speakers and two pairs of 3D glasses in the box.

Epson Home Cinema 3500 LCD Projector Review

Epson Home Cinema 3500 LCD Projector Highlights Summary

  • Excellent overall picture quality
  • Brightness up to 56 foot-Lamberts
  • Light-weight and portable with built-in speakers
  • Reasonably bright 3D, 2 pairs of glasses included
  • Lens shift at a low price point

Introduction to the Epson Home Cinema 3500 LCD Projector Review

People often ask me what accounts for the difference in projector prices. Compared to televisions, the range of costs for front projection is very large. You can spend as little as $1,000 or as much as $100,000 on a home theater model. The easy answer is light output. Most five and six-figure machines are designed to crank out a lot of light in a large room with 20 seats or more. When you scale back to sub-$10,000 models however, you’re looking at a small room with five or six seats and no more than a 15-foot throw.

EPSON HOME CINEMA 3500 LCD PROJECTOR SPECIFICATIONS

  • Panel Type: 3-chip LCD
  • Native Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Native Resolution: 1920 x 1080
  • Anamorphic Lens Support: No
  • 3D formats: Frame-packing, Side-by-Side, Top-Bottom
  • 2D-3D Conversion: Yes
  • Throw Ratio: 1.32 – 2.15
  • Lens Shift: 60% Vertical, 24% Horizontal
  • Light Output: 2,500 Lumens
  • Contrast Ratio: 70,000:1
  • Iris Control: 2-speed Auto
  • Image size: 30” – 300”
  • Inputs: 2 x HDMI 1.4a (1 MHL), 1 x component, 1 x Composite, 1 x VGA, 1 x USB
  • Audio: 1 RCA Stereo Input
  • Speakers: 2 x 10 Watt
  • Control: 1 RS-232, 1 12V Trigger Out
  • Lamp Power: 250 Watts
  • Rated Lamp Life: 5000 (Eco) / 3500 Hours (Normal)
  • Dimensions: 6.4″ H x 16.1″ W x 12.6″ D
  • Weight: 14.9 Pounds
  • Warranty: 2 Years, 90 Days Lamp, ExtraCare Home Service
  • MSRP: $1599.99 USD
  • 3D glasses: 2 Pairs Included
  • Epson
  • SECRETS Tags: Epson, Projectors, Home Cinema, LCD, Projector Reviews 2015

I always praise Epson for their terrific value and this year’s new mid-line Home Cinema model, the 3500, ups the ante a little. When I review inexpensive projectors, I always ding them for not including lens shift. I know it’s a money-saver for manufacturers but it’s really hard to align an image precisely without it. Epson has, once again, listened to my complaints. The 3500 is the first projector under $2000 I’ve seen with lens shift.

As if that weren’t enough, Epson has thrown in the same feature set I saw in their flagship 5030UB model. In fact the only things missing in the 3500’s carton are anamorphic lens support, THX certification and wireless HDMI. Now that’s pretty impressive for only $1600! Let’s take a look.

 

Design of the Epson Home Cinema 3500 LCD Projector

Epson Home Cinema 3500 LCD Projector

Epson splits their Home Cinema line into Value and High-Performance segments. The 3500 fits into the middle of the latter category. At $1,600 it’s just a couple of steps below the top-line 5030UB that I reviewed here a few months ago.

The big draw in my opinion is the inclusion of lens shift. Usually you have to spend closer to $3,000 to get this feature. Epson includes it not only in the 3500 but also in the $400 cheaper Home Cinema 3000. If you’ve read my reviews in the past you know I’ll always ding a projector at any price point if it lacks lens shift. I feel it’s a necessary feature to achieve proper image alignment without the use of resolution-robbing keystone correction.

The basic chassis is Epson’s tried-and-true 3LCD light engine paired with a 250-watt bulb. The lamp is rated at 5000 hours in its ECO mode where you can get a peak light output of over 28 foot-Lamberts. If you’re willing to drop the service life to 3500 hours, the Normal mode pumps out a blistering 56fL in the projector’s Dynamic picture mode.

The front is dominated by an offset lens and a large vent. This vent leaks some light during operation though it doesn’t seem to affect image quality. The lens has zoom and focus rings while the shift controls come in the form of small dials on the chassis’ top. The shift is fairly imprecise so you’ll have to tweak it carefully when you’re installing. To further align the picture, there are two independently adjustable feet on the bottom.

Epson Home Cinema 3500 LCD Projector

In addition to the lens shift dials, the top has basic keys for power, input selection and menu navigation along with two blue status lights. There is also a large panel which allows easy bulb changes without moving the projector. Further maintenance items include a side-mounted filter that should be cleaned every few months.

Epson Home Cinema 3500 LCD Projector

Around back is a loaded input panel along with two 10-watt speakers. While they won’t replace a good soundbar or bookshelf speakers, they work just fine when you just want to set up a quick movie night. I’d say they are equal in quality to most television’s built-in audio.

Inputs include two HDMI, one of which is MHL-compatible; one each of component and composite and a VGA port. You can also play JPEG files from a USB thumbdrive. The USB port can also be used with Epson’s WiFi adaptor. This enables content delivery and control from a computer or mobile device. If you’re integrating the 3500 into an automated system, there are RS-232 and IR inputs as well.

Epson Home Cinema 3500 LCD Projector

Epson makes my favorite projector remotes. They have one-button access to inputs and many functions and they have very powerful IR emitters. And there is always a backlight. Starting at the top we have discrete power keys followed by input selectors. The next section has transport controls for HDMI-CEC enabled components. Just above the navigation keys are buttons to toggle the 3D format and picture modes. On the bottom are more direct-access controls for 2D-3D conversion, the CMS, settings memories and others.

Epson Home Cinema 3500 LCD Projector

There are two pairs of rechargeable 3D glasses included with the Home Cinema 3500. After a full charge from your computer’s USB port they are good for about 40 hours. If you run them down to zero, a 3-minute quick charge will get you enough time to get through a movie. They are very light and comfortable and easy to use with a sliding on/off switch. I prefer this to the press-and-hold method of turning glasses on. With a slider, you know when they’re on or off. There is also a pairing button but I didn’t need it in my tests. Switching the 3500 to 3D mode automatically paired them in a few seconds.

 

Seup of the Epson Home Cinema 3500 LCD Projector

Installation was easy thanks to a good amount of vertical and horizontal lens shift. It’s never a good idea to use any sort of keystone correction since even the slightest change reduces resolution noticeably. The dials are not the most precise I’ve used but I was able to get the image lined up and filling the screen in just a few minutes.

Focus was a little tricky for two reasons. First, the optics are not the high-quality glass I’ve seen in more expensive Epson models. I would say that compared to the higher-priced 5030UB the 3500 is merely sharp rather than very sharp. Second, the sharpness control’s default settings add a fair amount of edge enhancement to the image. Turning the slider to -4 eliminated it.

After connecting my sources via HDMI, it was time to explore the Home Cinema 3500’s complete set of calibration options.

The OSD looks just like the one I’ve seen in every previous Epson product. In fact the only thing missing was a THX mode. You still get a full set of gamma, white balance and color management controls. That’s pretty impressive in a $1600 projector.

I performed the calibration in the Natural mode which is the best starting point. It’s also the most accurate preset if you don’t choose to calibrate. I was able to correct most of the minor color errors with the grayscale adjustment. There’s a full CMS included in the RGBCMY menu but it can’t help fix the saturation errors I encountered.

I also had an interesting experience with the gamma controls. In addition to five presets there is a curve editor. Unfortunately its starting point is too far from the 2.2 power or BT.1886 standards and the adjustment range is too small to be useful. I settled on preset -1 which came reasonably close to BT.1886.

My only nitpick concerns users who want to throttle down the 3500’s light output. 28fL is about the lowest you can go, give or take a fL. You can turn down the contrast control but more than few clicks will create serious color saturation errors. I was OK with the bright output in my theater but if you want to get down to the SMPTE standard of 16fL, you’ll need to add a neutral density filter.

Now that the tweaking is done, let’s check out some movies!

 

The Epson Home Cinema 3500 LCD Projector In Use

Epson Home Cinema 3500 LCD Projector

I started my viewing with an old standby, Seabiscuit. It’s an excellent Blu-ray transfer full of rich vibrant color and decent detail. It’s also free of any computer-generated trickery – just live action filmed beautifully. The Home Cinema 3500’s color reproduction is very good and looked quite natural and well-saturated throughout. Nothing was overblown or cartoonish. Detail was a tad soft but a little experimenting with the Super Resolution slider fixed that issue. The optics in this projector aren’t quite as sharp as Epson’s more expensive models but Super Res did a decent job of making up for it. If you’re familiar with the Darbee processor, the effect is pretty much the same. Gamma is tweaked at the pixel level to create a little extra clarity and it works pretty well. Use it carefully though, on its highest setting edge enhancement starts to appear.

Moving on to more contemporary films, I watched Guardians of the Galaxy next. This film needs no extra sharpness added so I turned the Super Res slider back a couple of clicks. Dark scenes looked great with tons of shadow detail. In fact it prompted a debate with myself over just how bright a projector should be. My reference Anthem LCoS unit can only reach about 15 foot-Lamberts which is enough for pretty much any content; and its blacks are terrific. The Epson 3500 is peaking at 28fL which sounds super-bright but it really isn’t a problem. Blacks are not as deep of course but it’s so much easier to pick out fine detail. With the auto-iris on, the overall contrast ratio is over 11,000 to 1. My Anthem is around 15,000 to 1. The difference isn’t that great. The question comes down to how black do you want your blacks? I enjoyed what I saw on the Epson just fine.

I finished up my 2D viewing with The Maze Runner. This film isn’t quite as dark as many of Hollywood’s latest releases and it looked great on the 3500. Running the Super Resolution on its highest setting made things look a tad artificial so I backed it off two clicks. Luckily there’s a button for it on the remote. Scenes both bright and dark looked great with well-saturated color and great detail. I really have no complaints about 2D image quality on this fine projector.

Epson Home Cinema 3500 LCD Projector

My library of 3D titles is limited so I went to a tried-and-true torture test, Disney’s A Christmas Carol. This animated film has lots of difficult dark material and several instances of ghosting. I experimented with the 3D Brightness option which is set to Medium by default. Turning it up to High brightens the image but at the expense of added crosstalk. I could see it mostly on background objects. I decided after a time that leaving it on Medium was the best choice.

I can’t seem to review a 3D display without watching Avatar at least once. It truly is a spectacular example of the film-maker’s art. I saw no crosstalk artifacts here and leaving 3D Brightness on Medium gave me plenty of output. I know 3D has fallen out of favor with both television makers and viewers but when you watch a beautifully-crafted film like this, it makes you thirst for more. I used the auto-iris on its fast setting along with the 3D Cinema mode and the bulb on high. There was a bit of extra fan noise but it didn’t reduce my enjoyment. When James Cameron finally gets around to finishing the Avatar sequels, I’ll be adding them to my library just for occasions like this review.

 

The Epson Home Cinema 3500 LCD Projector On The Bench

In a change from past projector reviews, I’m now taking all grayscale, gamma and chroma readings from the lens rather than the screen. The X-Rite i1Pro is still used for all color measurements. Contrast tests are done with a Spectracal C6 tri-stimulus meter positioned at the lens axis and measuring from the screen at a 12-foot throw distance. Material is Carada Brilliant White with a gain of 1.3. 3D measurements are taken with the glasses placed over the meter’s sensor head. Patterns come from an Accupel DVG-5000 signal generator and the whole procedure is controlled by CalMAN version 5. Color standards are Rec.709 with a white point of 6500 Kelvins. Gamma is compared to the BT.1886 spec.

Since the Home Cinema 3500 is not one Epson’s THX-certified models, I ran my tests in the Natural picture mode. It has always been the best starting point for calibration on past Epson projectors and this one is no different.

Epson Home Cinema 3500 LCD Projector

In the budget projector world, professional calibration is a rarity given the low price point. Epson recognizes that by making the 3500 pretty accurate out of the box. All the grayscale errors are below three which makes them invisible to the naked eye. My only concern is the gamma trace. It shows a pattern I normally see when an auto-iris is in operation. In the chart above, I’ve turned it off. A skew like this means that the darkest shadow detail might look a little murky while brighter tones will be a little lacking in depth. The average error is an excellent 1.69 DeltaE

Epson Home Cinema 3500 LCD Projector

Post-calibration, the grayscale tracking is quite good with an average error of only 1.05dE. The gamma trace is only a little better though. I’m starting to wonder if the auto-iris is a requirement for decent tracking. Usually its use will throw it off but my last review of Epson’s 5030UB showed it was actually better with the iris engaged.

Epson Home Cinema 3500 LCD Projector

Here is what the gamma looks like in both the Normal and Fast iris modes. It isn’t perfect but it is much better than before. Add in the fact that the iris improves contrast more than seven-fold and you’ve got a pretty good case for turning it on in all content. It certainly improved image quality in all my viewing sessions.

Before moving on to the gamut measurements I re-calculated the gamma chart using the 2.2 power function. Here is the result.

Epson Home Cinema 3500 LCD Projector

I was able to match the BT.1886 standard pretty closely in my review of the 5030UBe but not with the 3500. This is obviously a power function gamma projector and should be calibrated as such. The above chart was generated with the Epson’s gamma preset on -1. If you want the image to be a tad darker, set it to -2. This will give you a gamma value of around 2.3.

Epson Home Cinema 3500 LCD Projector

Color gamut accuracy is also decent without calibration. The only real issue here is the gamut is a bit under-saturated. It’s most apparent on the blue/cyan/green side of the triangle. Because the green primary is skewed a bit toward yellow, cyan can’t reach its full saturation. Where would you see that? Most likely in mid-day sky or underwater content. The brightest shades of cyan will be missing a little detail. If you look at the luminance chart in the middle, blue has been compensated by increased brightness. Overall errors are still fairly low at an average of 2.42 DeltaE.

Epson Home Cinema 3500 LCD Projector

Epson includes a color management system in the 3500 but most of the gains you see above came from the grayscale adjustment. The CMS can’t fix the saturation issues in green, cyan, blue and red. I was able to improve the hue of magenta however. I also left the color luminance sliders alone since the extra brightness shown in the chart helps compensate for the under-saturated tones. Overall errors are invisible with just a couple of minor exceptions. Average error here is a low 1.52dE. This is excellent performance; especially for under $2000.

Contrast Performance

Getting the best contrast from an LCD projector requires a good auto-iris and Epson provides one of the best. They’ve refined and tweaked it for years now into an excellent tool for improving image depth.

The 3500’s native contrast isn’t too bad however. After calibration in Natural mode with the bulb on ECO, I measured a peak white level of 28.9371fL, a minimum black of .0188fL and an on/off ratio of 1537.1:1; better than many LCD televisions. Turning the Iris to its Normal mode yields the same white level but black improves to .0025fL and contrast increases to 11450.3:1.

If you’re looking for maximum output, I suggest the Dynamic mode. This kicks the bulb into its highest brightness and yields over 56fL of output. Black level is unmeasurable in this mode. If you can live with a somewhat over-saturated color palette, Dynamic will compete well with ambient lighting if you’re projecting images in a less than ideal environment.

3D Performance

With so much light available I expected superlative 3D brightness. While image quality was pretty good, it wasn’t as bright as expected. With the bulb on high and the iris turned off I measured a peak white of 4.8244fL, a black level of .0037 and a contrast ratio of 1304.4:1. Turning the iris on renders the black immeasurable.

Turning to the Accupel’s crosstalk pattern I measured a fairly low .63 percent. It’s not the lowest result I’ve seen but it’s sufficient that you won’t see ghosting in most content. If you do, chances are it’s in the material itself and not the fault of the 3500.

Video Processing

Epson Home Cinema 3500 LCD Projector

The Home Cinema 3500 clips a single pixel from the bottom of the image, hence the Overscan test failure. My jaggies test shows a classic sailing ship with lots of ropes and angles in it. These elements pulsed and flashed while the ship bobbed in the waves. I experimented with the sharpness controls but was unable to eliminate the artifact. Cadence-handling is first-rate with passing grades in the 2:2 and 3:2 tests. And 24p is processed correctly for Blu-ray content.

 

Conclusions about the Epson Home Cinema 3500 LCD Projector

Epson Home Cinema 3500 LCD Projector

Likes

  • Solid picture quality
  • Lens shift
  • Tremendous light output
  • Amazing value
  • Easy portability

Dislikes

  • Optics are a tad soft
  • Color accuracy isn’t quite up to the level of more expensive models

Epson has produced another winner in my opinion with the Home Cinema 3500. For less than the price of many HDTVs you get an extremely bright, reasonably accurate full-featured projector that can anchor a home theater or be used as a portable display. Thanks to its built-in speakers and easy connectivity, you just need a Blu-ray player or computer to create a big-screen image in any room with a large wall. Or add a roll-up screen for even better image quality. With up to 56 foot-Lamberts of possible output you can easily project a good image in a room with some ambient light. It won’t replace a flat-panel TV but have you checked the prices of a 100-inch LCD lately?

Not only has Epson added lens shift to a price category that almost never offers it, you get full calibration capabilities as well. It isn’t quite up the standards of its THX-certified stable-mates but the Home Cinema 3500 boasts decent out-of-box accuracy and even better results when calibrated. And the image enhancements like Super Resolution work very well at making the picture look better without causing artifacts or other flaws.

I’m still holding on to my venerable Anthem LTX-500 DILA projector for its terrific blacks and smooth-toned image. But I believe an Epson model will be its most likely replacement. After covering both their most-expensive and least-expensive products for the past several years, I have yet to encounter any significant flaws.

If you’re looking for great image quality and tons of features for under $2000 I’d have a hard time recommending anything but the Home Cinema 3500.