Epson Pro Cinema LS12000 4K-PRO-UHD Laser Projector Review (2024)

Home / Projector Reviews / Epson Pro Cinema LS12000 4K-PRO-UHD Laser Projector Review

Review by John Higgins| Mar 21, 2022 | ProjectorCentral.com | Subscribe

John Higgins

In This Review

Introduction
Features
Performance
Conclusion
Measurements
Connections
Calibrated Settings

John Higgins

IN THIS REVIEW

Introduction
Features
Performance
Conclusion
Measurements
Connections
Calibrated Settings

Epson Pro Cinema LS12000 4K 3LCD LaserProjector

Editor's Choice Award

Our Editor's Choice award goes to products that dramatically exceed expectations for performance, value, or cutting-edge design.

Performance
Features

Ease of Use
Value

Price
$4,999

Buy Online

Pros

Four-phase, dual-axis pixel shift for full 4K resolution
3LCD imaging design
Solid-state laser light source
Excellent HDR performance
HDR10+ support
Input lag under 20 ms

Cons

No 3D
No dynamic tone-mapping for HDR10

Our Take

The Pro Cinema LS12000 represents the next generation of home theater projectors from Epson. While itâs missing a couple of expected features, its performance is incredible, especially when you consider the $4,999 price.

For years, if someone came to me (or many of my colleagues) for a projector recommendation one of the first names out of my mouth would be Epson, especially for a projector under $5,000. The Home Cinema 5050UB and Pro Cinema 6050UB—ProjectorCentral Editor's Choice winners with five-star Performance ratings—sit in many a home theater as a result. So it's understandable that when Epson announced the Pro Cinema LS12000, it sent a wave of excitement through the home theater community.

Epson's first standard-throw projector with a laser light engine in years has four-phase, dual-axis pixel shift technology to put a full 4K (3840x2160) resolution picture on screen from native 1080p imaging chips—the first Epson 4K home theater projector to make that claim. This is basically the same process used by most single-chip 4K DLP projectors to put up all the pixels of a UHD signal. The LS12000 also boasts 2,700 ISO21118 (ANSI) lumens of equal white and color brightness, 3LCD imaging with zero chance for rainbow effect artifacts, and support for HDR10+ with dynamic HDR metadata. And all this for $4,999—less than half the price of its closest laser light source/three-chip competitor, the excellent JVC DLA-NZ7/DLA-RS2100.

The potential for the Epson LS12000 to be a game changer cannot be overstated. But even with Epson's track record, we all know the specs on the page are only part of the story. The proof, as they say, is in the pudding. Or in this case, on the screen. And the proof is a very impressive picture and performance, albeit with a caveat or two that might cool the enthusiasm of some.

Features

Epson developed a new blue laser diode array that, combined with a fixed yellow phosphor, creates a white light source. The fixed phosphor is a new design for Epson that has improved heat conductivity and heat resistance. This allows the phosphor to be smaller and quieter than a traditional phosphor wheel. The white light goes through optics that converts it into the three primary colors (red, blue and green) and distributes it to the projector's three 0.74-inch LCD panels. Epson says this design is free of laser speckle that is sometimes visible in other laser projectors, and I didn't experience any speckle at all. The three-chip architecture is also what gives this and other Epson projectors equal white and color brightness. My measurements in Dynamic mode with light output set to 100% fell just 5% short of the 2,700 lumen spec (which could very well be attributable to the lens shift needed for it to fit my screen while ceiling mounted). The laser will last up to 20,000 hours to half brightness without the need for maintenance.

The new Epson VRX Cinema Lens on the LS12000 has a 15-element structure and is designed for zero light leakage. Early reviews of the projector commented on a soft picture, but by the time I had my sample ready to evaluate Epson had released a firmware update that addressed the issue. I never saw anything less than an incredibly sharp picture focused from one edge of the screen to the other. The LS12000 has a 2.1x zoom and a throw ratio range of 1.35-2.84:1 (check the ProjectorCentral Epson Pro Cinema LS12000 Projector Throw Calculator to see if it fits in your space). There's powered focus, optical zoom, and lens shift—up to Â±96.3% vertical and Â±47.1% horizontal—that makes perfect setup a breeze. I had it lined up and focused on my 100-inch Stewart GrayHawk in a minute or two.

Based upon early information, I expected the LS12000 to have an auto iris like the Pro Cinema 6050UB that allowed it to achieve the rated 2,500,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio. (As of mid-March, the downloadable spec sheet on Epson's web page still stated "Contrast Ratio up to and over 2,500,000:1, Auto Iris on.") But after my review process started I discovered that Epson had replaced the Auto Iris from earlier models with a Dynamic Contrast function that adjusts both the laser light source and the panel pixels to dynamically change the contrast. It's accompanied by a Dynamic Contrast menu setting offering the same three selections previously reserved for the Auto Iris in other models (Off, Normal, and High Speed).

Perhaps due to this, I didn't see any significant pumping that I've seen on some auto iris projectors in the past (although you'll see below in the HDR Viewing section an instance where I could see the Dynamic Contrast working hard), and there's also no clicking or other mechanical sound that can sometimes accompany an auto iris. Could the blacks be made deeper with an auto iris instead, or perhaps even as an adjunct to the dynamic laser adjustments as seen in some high end Sony projectors? There's no way to know for sure, but with a Konica Minolta LS-100 luminance meter and the projector in Natural color mode I measured a very low black level that bounced between 0.001 and 0.000 with the Dynamic Contrast set to High Speed. I'm sure the inclusion of Epson's well-regarded UltraBlack technology, which reduces stray light in the light path, also contributes to that performance.

One of the aforementioned caveats that might give some enthusiasts pause is that the LS12000 does not have dynamic tone mapping like, for example, the JVC NZ family. Instead there's a 16-point HDR Dynamic Range slider that basically adjusts the overall brightness of the HDR image—lower numbers brighten it up while higher numbers make the image darker. This is the same control that appears in the HC5050UB. In practice, I never used the outer extremes of the slider, instead keeping the setting between 4 and 11 depending on content. Still, the variety within that range was plenty to address any variation in the HDR content I watched, including challenging, bright HDR movies.

In addition to the HDR Dynamic Range adjustment is the new Scene Adaptive Gamma. It relies on Epson's new ZX processor to apply frame-by-frame enhancement to the image. It's more of a fine tuning control than HDR Dynamic Range, and it works with both HDR and SDR content.

The basic shape and layout of the included remote is similar to what Epson has been using for years on their higher-end Pro Cinema and Home Cinema models. It's a bit chunky, but it has almost every button you'll need including dedicated buttons for HDR Dynamic Contrast, Fine/Fast image processing (explained below), lens memory, and color modes. The only one I was missing was a dedicated Scene Adaptive Gamma button. A backlight button at the top causes the buttons to emit a soft yellow glow that begins to fade out after 10 seconds.

Another feature left off of the LS12000 that caused some discussion after the announcement is 3D. While 3D isn't as popular as it was a few years ago and 3D disc releases have slowed, it's an unfortunate omission for fans of the format who have existing 3D libraries, including many current Epson owners who were hoping to upgrade from their 5050UBs and lesser models that do feature 3D. An Epson rep explained that while they understand there's a niche audience for 3D, it wasn't found to be a priority application in the product planning, and unfortunately, there's no way to add it after the fact with firmware alone.

The Epson LS12000 has two HDMI 2.1 inputs with HDCP 2.3 (and one with eARC) that are able to accept 4K signals at 120 Hz for gaming on the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5. According to the projector menu, they do not support the full 48 Gbps bandwidth that HDMI 2.1 is capable of, instead maxing out at 40 Gbps. There are four EDID settings available in the menu: Up to 4K 120 Hz 40 Gbps, Up to 4K 60Hz 18 Gbps, Up to 4K 60Hz 10 Gbps, and 2560x1080 (21:9). This is still enough bandwidth for a 4K/120Hz signal with up to 12-bit, 4:2:2 chroma subsampling or 8-bit 4:4:4 chroma subsampling. For a low input lag under 20ms there's the ability to change the image processing from Fine to Fast, which disables frame interpolation, noise reduction, and MPEG noise reduction.

Other connections on the back panel include two USB (none for media, but one that can be used to power an optical HDMI cable and another for power and firmware), Ethernet, RS-232, a trigger out, and a mini USB used for service.

Included with the Epson Pro Cinema LS12000 is a black back panel cover to hide the connections, and like prior Pro Cinema models it ships with a mount, in this case a black Chief CHF4500. It comes with a standard three-year limited warranty, two-business-day full unit replacement (including shipping), and free lifetime phone support.

Performance

Color Modes. The Epson LS12000 has five different color modes—Dynamic, Vivid, Bright Cinema, Cinema, and Natural—that share settings with SDR and HDR signals. Natural mode offered the best visual experience of them all, although I gave it a few tweaks for my initial, before-measurement viewing. I increased Light Output to 100% (from 75%) to better mate with my gray screen with slightly negative gain, turned Dynamic Contrast on to High Speed, and changed the Color Temp setting from 6,500K to 6,000K (although the image looked excellent in either, I slightly preferred the whites with the latter setting). The higher light output did engage the fans more and added a very slight whine, but while watching anything it never drew my attention. In the default setting, the projector is virtually silent. I did all of my critical viewing in calibrated Natural mode with Light Output set to 100%, which output a measured 1,919 ANSI lumens.

After a short while watching a variety of TV and movies, I broke out my test gear to see how the five different color modes measured. Using Portrait Displays' Calman Ultimate color calibration software, a Murideo Six-G pattern generator , and an X-Rite i1 Pro 3 photospectrometer, the out-of-the-box Natural settings (without my tweaks) measured incredibly well. Grayscale had an average Delta E (dE) of 3.7 and the color points average dE was 1.7. (A dE value under 3 is considered excellent while under 2 is virtually indistinguishable from perfect.) Average color temperature was 6,869K, which is a tad on the cool side but still very close to the target 6,500K.

I added back the minor tweaks above (except for the Dynamic Contrast setting because it's not recommended to measure and calibrate with it on), as well as changed the Gamma setting from 0 to -1. I had noticed the midtone luminance was slightly above the desired curve, and bringing the Gamma setting down (thereby darkening the midtones and raising the gamma) caused it to track closer to the desired curve and brought the gamma up to just under 2.3, which works well in my room with all the curtains drawn. Re-measuring with these slight changes brought the color temperature to 6,385K (slightly on the warm side, but closer to target than with the default), grayscale average dE to 1.6, and color points average to a dE of 0.8. I went through a full calibration, which mildly improved those already stellar numbers, but nothing that would cause a visual improvement with content. I'll probably get an earful from other calibrators, but I wouldn't hold it against anyone who decided to make these small changes and leave it at that. With a $4,999 projector though, it's worth squeezing every bit of performance out of it you can get. After completing the calibration I improved the average dE of both grayscale and color points by a couple decimal points and the ColorChecker average (a collection of swatches representing common colors such as skin tones, blue skies, and foliage) was 1.6.

I measured the LS12000's highest color gamut at 138.9% of BT.709, 93.1% of DCI-P3, and 63% of BT.2020. This is less than the 109% DCI-P3 coverage we saw from Epson's Home Cinema 5050UB or claimed 100% coverage with the JVC DLA-NZ8 and DLA-NZ9. But all of those have a color filter to achieve that 100% or above that adversely affects brightness (plus those JVCs cost $11,000 and $21,000 more than the LS12000, respectively). Like the LS12000, the JVC DLA-NZ7 does not have a color filter. As measured in our review, it doesn't reach as wide a gamut as the Epson LS12000, going only out to 82.6% of DCI-P3.

There are extensive options available for calibration. White balance can be tuned with either RGB offset and gain settings or an 11-point grayscale adjustment. There's also an 11-point G-M Correction slider that adjusts the balance of green and magenta image colors (I left this is its default position). If there are color convergence issues, panel alignment can be corrected (I did not need to use it). And under the Management menu section (as opposed to the Image section that includes most of the image adjustments) is a Color Uniformity option that allows a calibrator to correct color temperature across an 11-point brightness range for nine different tic-tac-toe sections of the screen. Color uniformity looked great to my eye, so I didn't go through this process. RGBCMY adjustments for Hue, Saturation, and Brightness are available for fine-tuning the primary and secondary color points.

There's a part of the calibration process on the Epson that I was at first excited about, which later turned to frustration. For the 11-point grayscale adjustment and the RGBCMY color management system, the LS12000 puts internal patterns up on the screen. I began my calibration process using these internal patterns instead of those provided by my Murideo Six-G but quickly ran into problems. After using the internal color point patterns, I ran Calman with the Murideo patterns and immediately saw issues that were confirmed by the measurements. There's no way to move the menu location while conducting the calibration, and while the menu doesn't overlap the middle section of the screen, it still seems to either affect the color of the internal test patterns, or they just aren't as accurate as the Murideo. A second press of the Enter button kept the sliders on screen but removed the test pattern, which made using the Murideo test patterns easier. Menu positioning is more of an issue for grayscale adjustment than CMS. The grayscale menu is about an inch from center on my 100-inch screen while the CMS slider is closer to the screen's bottom.

One minor performance drawback I encountered was with the LS12000's handling of bright whites, at least as seen on my early generation GrayHawk screen (approximately 0.9-0.95 gain). No matter what, the projector slightly crushed white at the high end of the dynamic range, even if I lowered the contrast all the way (which also dropped brightness by a bit) or reduced the laser output. The best setting I found was lowering Contrast to 41. This improved the dynamic range to where it only crushed the last couple of steps below digital levels 235 or 255 (depending on the dynamic range setting of 16-235 or 0-255). This is not likely to bother anyone. And for the vast majority of content it would never be noticeable, unless you make a habit of watching shows about Antarctica.

SDR Viewing. When I think of Star Wars movies, Rogue One tends to slip my mind. Not because I didn't enjoy it, because I very much did, but because it doesn't have the same feel as the Skywalker saga films. Instead, it is an excellent war film. The 1080p SDR Blu-ray looks incredible on the Epson Pro Cinema LS12000. There's a grittiness to the film (war movie, after all) that comes across on screen. During the attack on Eadu, with rain falling down as Jyn climbs towards the platform with her father and Director Krennic, there's great depth with detail in the foreground as well as in the rock spires that punctuate the surrounding darkness. As the X-wing fighters fly in to attack the landing platform, their forward lights are displayed brightly by the LS12000 without losing the different levels of shadow of the terrain. Turning up the Scene Adaptive Gamma during the attack caused the lights and later explosions to pop a bit more. I settled in around 10 on the slider.

Epson Pro Cinema LS12000 4K-PRO-UHD Laser Projector Review (31)

There were a few fleeting moments during the movie where I could see the crushed whites if I looked for them. As Director Krennic escapes from the Eadu base, his shuttle's engines burn brightly as it accelerates away and in the brightest moment the white definition is lost. It also happens once the Rogue One shuttle lands on Scarif. A large puff of white smoke is let out as the rear shuttle door opens that looks flat in its brightest points, and some stormtroopers armor as they stand in the sunlight a minute later is a bit blown out.

During the space battle above Scarif, the LS12000 was able to display the distant stars against the black of space while explosions and engine flare popped on the screen. I flipped through the Dynamic Contrast settings of Off, Normal, and High Speed throughout and always preferred the dimensionality added without a visual detriment by the High Speed setting. I watched far more of Rogue One than I originally anticipated after I put it on just to check certain scenes. The detail, color, and brightness held me until the final credits rolled.

The week before I began this review I revisited one of my favorite comics from my youth, Akira. It seemed the perfect time to put in the Blu-ray of the movie and see how the colors looked on the LS12000. Neo-Tokyo is full of vibrant colors and the Pro Cinema LS12000 does not disappoint. In particular, there's a distinct red that's thematically attached to the character Kaneda. It's the color of his bike, his leather jacket and pants, his goggles, and it was nicely saturated. There was occasional stuttering during camera pans, one being right at the beginning of the movie as it pans through a birds-eye view of Tokyo in 2019 before an explosion decimates the city and begins World War III. But beyond the few stutters, any visual issues are due to the Blu-ray and not the projector.

HDR Viewing. Since there is no built-in dynamic tone mapping on the LS12000, adjusting the HDR Dynamic Range slider and the Scene Adaptive Gamma options on a disc-by-disc basis is absolutely essential to get the most out of the projector (more in regards to HDR10+ titles below). I spent a good amount of time mixing and matching these settings with the scene that marks the start of chapter 12 of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2—the one where Voldemort and the Deatheaters stand on the cliff overlooking Hogwarts. Displaying the details in the shadows of the surrounding landscape can be exceptionally difficult for a projector, so it was the perfect way to really put the LS12000 through its paces from the get go.

Epson Pro Cinema LS12000 4K-PRO-UHD Laser Projector Review (33)

Where I settled was with the HDR Dynamic Range set to 6 and Scene Adaptive Gamma on 8. As the camera circles around the evil group, the hillside and Deatheater's faces were highly detailed without adding an artificial glow to them. More importantly, the mountains and fog in the background retained the shadow depth and felt ominous and foreboding, a portent of the attack to come. The Scene Adaptive Gamma setting of 8 supported the facial highlights and the fires providing light at the school below against that deep shadow. That setting also helped the blasts of the spells against Hogwart's protective barrier really pop. They look brilliant and bright against the darkness as they streamed through the air and exploded. But it also had an interesting effect in addition to fine tuning the HDR—it smoothed out the high speed Dynamic Contrast performance as described below.

As mentioned in the Features section, the Scene Adaptive Gamma setting, thanks to the ZX processor, works in real time on a scene-by-scene basis to further adjust the picture highlights. During that circling of Voldemort and his cohorts, at a setting lower than 8, I could see the Dynamic Contrast working. Specifically, as the camera moves from behind the group towards their right side, the Dynamic Contrast quickly diminished the brightness. It wasn't a drastic difference in overall brightness and on a typical movie night it wouldn't have bothered me, but it was a moment I could see the projector working. Setting the Scene Adaptive Gamma to 8 still allowed the Dynamic Contrast to do its job, keeping the dark visual impact of the scene, but without the projector calling attention to itself.

Sticking with dark torture-test material, I switched out Harry Potter for Blade Runner 2049 and the Sapper Morton scene towards the beginning of the film. The moments when K and Sapper Morton walk by the piano in the living room as well as the backsplash under the kitchen cabinets are particularly dark. I lowered the HDR Dynamic Range to 4 for all Blade Runner scenes (the lowest I went on anything I watched) to bring out some of the detail in the wall the piano is up against and for the under cabinet in the kitchen. The LS12000 handled all of it incredibly well. The cracks and peeling portions of the wall, the kitchen paraphernalia, it was as much as I've seen on any other projector. Skin tones in particular looked accurate and realistic, both on K and Sapper Morton, but also later at the orphanage with Lennie James' Mister Cotton. The orphanage chapter did present a couple of challenges. As K walked from his car to the orphanage, the bleak sky occasionally had some slight banding. During K's entrance into the orphanage, when the camera looks directly at the light streaming in from the open door and we see his silhouette, the interior surrounding the door is darker than it should be based on my knowledge of the scene. But the moment is fleeting, and as K steps in and the camera angle changes, the details in the children's faces and the rusted, metallic structure around them have excellent dimensionality.

For a complete change of pace, I ventured out on the open sea of The Meg, where bright highlights push the boundaries of any display. As the crew head out to check on distress beacons from three ships, there's a moment when we see their ship on the open water with the sun's rays reflecting brightly on the right side of the screen. I raised the HDR Dynamic Range slider (which darkens the overall image) to 11 to tone down the blown out whites when it's set to a lower value. Beyond 11, the hull of the ship during a close-up shot moments later becomes too dark and loses the differentiation of shades against the bright sun reflection next to it. The adaptive gamma setting doesn't do as much when the image is as bright as The Meg, but if turned up to high it can still blow out the brightest part of the image. I kept it at 8, as with Harry Potter.

Want more articles like this?

Subscribe to get ProjectorCentral's comprehensive coverage of projector tech delivered directly to your inbox.

I've mentioned it in previous reviews, but The Expanse is easily one of my favorite shows of the past 10 years. Top-notch acting, high stakes space battles (especially in the final season) that rely on physics, and excellent storytelling. And as with most, if not all, original Amazon programming it's available in HDR10+. Without giving too much away, during the final episode of the series there's the beginning of a space attack about 20 minutes in. The HDR10+ presentation has great depth in space with the dots of distant stars illuminated, and as some missiles impact on their targets, the explosions pop against the blackness of space. We go immediately into the control room of one of the hit ships and see damaged control surfaces that suffer electrical flares that briefly shine, almost too brightly in the darkened ship. I originally watched the show in HDR10, but the HDR10+ presentation on the Epson takes it up a notch.

Gaming. High-end projectors have struggled with achieving a truly low input lag, or at least it hasn't been a manufacturer priority for those projectors. Game modes on most drop the millisecond lag to low 30s or high 20s at best, which is good for most, but the sub-20 ms target is what most gamers look for as a threshold where the lag doesn't affect the gameplay. The LS12000 is the first high-end projector to break that threshold, measuring 19.5 ms with a 4K/60 signal and Image Processing set to Fast. Interestingly, 4K/60 offers the lowest lag reading, as 1080p/120 measured 28.9 ms and 1080p/60 measured 38.8 ms. I did not feel the increase in lag while playing, though.

Epson Pro Cinema LS12000 4K-PRO-UHD Laser Projector Review (36)

Visually, games look stunning on the LS12000. Elden Ring was released a week or so before I received the LS12000 and I was excited to try it out on my PS5. The projector really shows off the detail in the game. There's texture to fallen stone monuments where you can see the filigree that's been smoothed by time. The game's designer, From Software, is known for their notoriously difficult games that require quick reactions, and thankfully the input lag on the Epson didn't make the boss battles more difficult than they already are. Response from my controller to the screen was fast and unobtrusive.

Perhaps even more so than on a game like Elden Ring, Forza Horizon 5 requires a low input lag or you could end up in the weeds, literally. Driving on my Xbox Series X there was no perceptible lag, and the cars and scenery looked beautiful. The cars in Forza Horizon 5 are the most realistic yet from the game series. The LS12000 translated that detail to screen. When I had the chance to look around during straightaways, trees looked accurate, skies were the right blue, and the orange of my Corvette was vibrant as the sun glinted off the paintjob.

Conclusion

The Epson LS12000 is excellent at many things. Thanks to its four-way pixel shifting, it displays a full 4K image that's beautifully sharp from edge to edge, the laser light array delivers a bright image, and the Natural color mode is spot-on accurate. And at a $5,000 price point, it's less than half the price of the JVC DLA-NZ7 and a quarter of the Sony VPL-VW915ES, with more light output than both. All things that make this projector enthusiast excited.

Is the Epson LS12000 the game changer we were expecting? I think it might be. Sure, there was the initial shock of no 3D, no dynamic tone mapping, and no auto iris—and for some, just one of those could mean an immediate dismissal of the LS12000. But when it comes down to it, there is a lot to love about this projector. The Dynamic Contrast setting does deliver deep blacks for a projector without an auto iris, and HDR can look fantastic. It also does 4K/120 Hz gaming, and has the lowest input lag you'll find today on a high-end home theater projector with that capability. Oh yeah. Did I mention that it's less than half the price of its closest serious competitor? Perhaps the biggest endorsem*nt I can give is that I'm considering getting one as my reference projector.

Measurements

Brightness. Dynamic color mode with Light Output set to 100% is the brightest configuration on the Epson Pro Cinema LS12000. I measured 2,575 ANSI lumens, which is 95.3% of the rated spec of 2,700 ANSI lumens. Epson suggests that the modest shortfall, which remains well within the 20% ISO21118 tolerance, could be the result of the less-than-centered vertical lens-shift setting required to align the ceiling-mounted projector image on my screen. Epson suggested our numbers seem generally low (Bright Cinema, they say, should come in around 1,800 lumens). We plan to revisit this with a repeat measurement in more ideal conditions and will update our review accordingly.

Color brightness measured at 99% of white brightness, which is the expected result with a three-chip projector.

The Light Output slider can be set between 100% and 50% in 5% increments. Each increment is accurate within 2% below the listed value. The ANSI lumens in the chart below are with each color modes default settings and light output—100% for Dynamic; 75% for Vivid, Bright Cinema, and Natural; 50% for Cinema.

Epson Pro Cinema LS12000 ANSI Lumens

Color Mode	Lumens
Dynamic	2,575
Vivid	1,260
Bright Cinema	1,412
Cinema	957
Natural	1,415

Zoom Lens Light Loss. The LS12000 had a zoom light loss of 34.8% from the widest angle to maximum telephoto. This is on the high side, even for a long, 2.1x multi-element zoom lens. Users should optimize the projector's placement if possible to minimize the amount of zoom required and retain brightness.

Brightness Uniformity. Wide angle brightness uniformity measured 91.3% and telephoto uniformity measured 86.9%. There were no visible hotspots in either zoom setting.

Input Lag. With a Leo Bodnar 4K lag tester, the Epson LS12000 in Fast image processing mode measured 38.8 ms with a 1080p/60 signal, 28.9 ms with a 1080p/120 signal, and 19.5 ms with a 4K/60 signal. With image processing set to Fine, the projector measured 60.4 ms with a 1080p/60 signal, 44.5 ms with a 1080p/120 signal, and 60.5 ms with a 4K/60 signal.

Fan Noise. In my living room that has a noise floor of 31 dBA at a distance of 3 feet below the ceiling-mounted Epson Pro Cinema LS12000, I measured Light Output 100% at 34.5 dBA and Light Output 75% at 32.4 dBA. In high altitude mode, those values went up to 37.4 dBA for 100% brightness and 33.3 dBA for 75% brightness. Epson lists the fan noise at 22-30 dB using the standard multi-point measuring process in a soundproof environment.

Connections

HDMI 2.1 with HDCP 2.3 (x2, one with eARC)
USB Type-A (x2, one for optical HDMI power, one for power and firmware)
Mini USB (service)
RJ45 (LAN)
RS-232C
Trigger out

Calibrated Settings

Calibrated image settings from any third-party do not account for the significant potential for sample-to-sample variation, nor the different screen sizes and materials, lamp usage, or other environmental factors that can affect image quality. Projectors should always be calibrated in the user's own space and tuned for the expected viewing conditions. However, the settings provided here may be a helpful starting point for some. Always record your current settings before making adjustments so you can return to them as desired. Refer to the Performance section for some context for each calibration.

SDR

Color Mode: Natural
Brightness: 54
Contrast: 41
Color Saturation: 50
Tint: 50
Sharpness: 4

White Balance

Color Temp. 6000K
G-M Correction: 4
Offset R: 50
Offset G: 50
Offset B: 49
Gain R: 50
Gain G: 50
Gain B: 54

Frame Interpolation: Off
Light Output: 100%
Dynamic Contrast High Speed

Scene Adaptive Gamma: 7-10 (depending on content)
Gamma: -1

RGBCMY

R Hue: 50
R Saturation: 51
R Brightness: 46

G Hue: 50
G Saturation: 50
G Brightness: 48

B Hue: 51
B Saturation: 51
B Brightness: 46

C Hue: 50
C Saturation: 50
C Brightness: 48

M Hue: 50
M Saturation: 51
M Brightness: 47

Y Hue: 50
Y Saturation: 51
Y Brightness: 49

HDR

Calibration settings are shared between SDR and HDR.

HDR10/HDR10+ Dynamic Range Setting: 4-11 (depending on content, lower for darker content)

For more detailed specifications and connections, checkout our Epson Pro Cinema LS12000 projector page.

To buy this projector, use Where to Buyonline, or get a price quote by email direct from Projector Central authorized dealers using our E-Z Quote tool.

The Epson Pro Cinema LS12000 is also sold outside of the United States of America as theEpson EH-LS12000B.Some specifications may be slightly different. Check with Epson for complete specifications.

Comments (163)Post a Comment

Toby Posted Mar 21, 2022 11:48 AM PST

No 3D is a no no for me. To bad, otherwise I would buy this. Why did they exclude it?

Rob Sabin, Editor Posted Mar 21, 2022 11:51 AM PST

Read the review, Toby, but the reality is that the selection of feature content for any product is always a balancing act between offering features with the most utility to the greatest number of customers and hitting a price point. 3D is a regarded as a niche use that, you can assume, didn't rank high enough on their chart this time to warrant whatever cost or modifications it might require to add it to the projector. There could be different reasons for this. Just pure conjecture on my part, but the emitter hardware required may have been prohibitive from a space or isolation standpoint in the cabinet with the new light engine, or the cost of developing the required firmware with this new model may have pushed final price beyond where they wanted to be...or whatever. I do think it might have been possible to maybe throw in a standard 3D emitter port for an outboard emitter and even update the firmware later to accommodate it if they were committed to keeping a 3D option in there, though. That said, while they say there is nothing that can be done to address 3D capability in the LS12000 or the LS11000 via firmware, they have told us that their engineering team has been made aware of the backlash from the U.S. enthusiast community...for whatever that's worth going forward.

R. Smith Posted Mar 21, 2022 11:51 AM PST

After the 20K hours, how is maintenance done? New laser? How much does it cost?

Rob Sabin, Editor Posted Mar 21, 2022 11:52 AM PST

Most manufacturers of laser projectors assume you won't be replacing the laser light source after it fails at end-life, though JVC has said they expect to put a plan in place. Maybe Epson will do the same once they get enough people asking the same question. But keep in mind this and the lens are two most expensive elements in the projector, and it may not make sense to replace the light source in a then $4,999 projector some 10 (or whatever) years from now.

Nik Posted Mar 21, 2022 11:55 AM PST

Were you able to measure native contrast?

Rob Sabin, Editor Posted Mar 21, 2022 12:08 PM PST

Nik, we don't usually do contrast measurements. It' not because they don't tell us something, but they are heavily reliant on the room and we can't reproduce them consistently among the different environments our reviewers use.

John Higgins, Reviewer Posted Mar 21, 2022 12:09 PM PST

Hi Nik, I did my own contrast measurements, partly for my own curiosity and because I saw the question come up on the product announcement post. But as Rob indicated, these numbers are heavily dependent on individual viewing situations (room, screen, where the meter reads on the screen, etc), so take them with a grain of salt. The quick measurements were taken with a Konica Minolta LS-100 reading cd/m2 in Dynamic mode (with default settings) in the three different Dynamic Contrast settings towards the beginning of my review process.

High Speed: 249/0.001 for 249,000:1 (this actually bounced between 0.001 and 0.000, the extreme for the meter)

Normal: 248/0.007 for 35,429:1

Off: 248/0.05 for 4,960:1

Again, this is more for a point of interest than anything else (which is why they weren't included in the body of the review).

Lowell Posted Mar 21, 2022 12:14 PM PST

I am a 6050 owner. How does the PQ, sharpness, compare to the 6050, also to the Sony 325 4K which is only $500 more. Every time I watch my 6050, I turn to my wife and say, don't let me upgrade, this PQ is great, then I see a new projector and want to upgrade. I just don't know if either of the ones I listed are that great of upgrade.

Rob Sabin, Editor Posted Mar 21, 2022 12:15 PM PST

Lowell, we no longer have a Sony 325 around but we hope to do a comparison with the 5050UB in the coming days, which is essentially the same as the 6050. What I expect to find is that LS12000 will be much sharper, at least when you are closer to the screen where the lack of pixels on the 5050/6050 starts to become apparent. Blacks have the potential to be darker because of the laser, and indeed the LS12000 has about twice the rated contrast ratio of the 6050.

Benevolent Posted Mar 21, 2022 12:48 PM PST

What is the input lag at 4K 120Hz? Thank you for the review!

Rob Sabin, Editor Posted Mar 21, 2022 12:50 PM PST

We are unable to measure 4K/120 with our Bodnar lag meter, which tops out at 1080p/120.

Terry E Mitchell Posted Mar 21, 2022 1:03 PM PST

In this day and age you'd think that manufacturers would allow OTA firmware updates to make things easier for end users. It's a shame you still have to restort to downloading separately and fiddling with cables and/or USB sticks and/or laptops.

Andy Posted Mar 21, 2022 1:23 PM PST

Did you guys happen to measure its light output with a 10% window? On the JVC NZ projectors thereâs some light recycling thatâs boosts brightness with the laser/phosphor system. Iâm wondering if this Epson does the same.

John Higgins, Reviewer Posted Mar 21, 2022 1:24 PM PST

Andy, for the brightness measurements we use the nine-point ANSI method, but before I box it up I'll try and check what the 10% window brightness is and compare it to a full white screen with both measurements taken from the center. I'm curious to see if it does the same sort of light recycling.

John Higgins, Reviewer Posted Mar 21, 2022 1:25 PM PST

Update, Andy. Did a quick comparison measuring the center of the screen using my light meter with a full white screen vs 10% window. I used Dynamic color mode with the Dynamic Contrast setting off. The 10% window has mildly decreased brightness (about 3% dip), so it doesn't look like the LS12000 uses any light recycling like the JVC NZ series.

Reed Posted Mar 21, 2022 1:53 PM PST

Does the 20,000 hours to half brightness assume 100% light output mode the entire time? And would it be 40,000-ish hours to half brightness if you ran it at 50% light output the entire time?

Also, could you suggest an appropriate brightness measure for an apples to apples comparison against the NZ7? I'm coming across so many different brightness measurements -- different color modes, calibrated vs. uncallibrated. I'm sure the proper answer is it depends what you're after, but any rule of thumb here? Looks like brightest vs. brightest measured by Projector Central puts them at 2575 lumens for the LS 12000, as compared to 2213 lumens for the NZ7...

Rob Sabin, Editor Posted Mar 21, 2022 2:02 PM PST

Reed, laser projectors are unlike lamps in that they tend to work at something close to 100% of their initial brightness until the end of their life and then rapidly expire. The 20,000 hours is the expected minimum at full laser power, and yes, you will extend that if you run it at 75% or 50%, though it's not usually the simple calculation of doubling the hours at half-power. But with this projector, the most desirable picture modes -- probably Natural and Bright Cinema -- default to 75% power, and Cinema defaults to 50%. Unless you are using a large screen that requires it or battling some ambient light, there's a good chance you'll get more than 20K hours.

Regarding brightness: Lumens are lumens, though even two projectors with equal lumen ratings may provide different brightness in their most accurate and desirable modes. Since we measure the output of every picture mode for our reviews, you can look at the reviews, determine the mode you're most likely to use for each of two different projectors, and get a better idea of what you have to work with when each is properly set up.

Ryan Posted Mar 21, 2022 2:09 PM PST

Great write up! I am new owner of the LS12000 and did notice the picture being slightly softish having owned many DLPs over the years. The review mentions a sharper picture after a firmware update. Was this a special FW update sent to reviewers? I only see one FW update so far on the official Epson site and it makes no mention of sharpness improvements. Thanks!

See Also

JVC DLA-NZ8 4K Laser Projector review

Tony Posted Mar 28, 2022 10:55 AM PST

Any chance of Epson adding VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) to this projector, or is that not even something that projectors can theoretically do? It's the one feature that has me debating just buying a large OLED instead for gaming.

Rob Sabin, Editor Posted Mar 28, 2022 11:18 AM PST

I have no info on this, Tony.

Havish Posted Mar 29, 2022 8:45 AM PST

I am considering upgrading to this projector from a Epson 4010. When I looked at the throw distance calculator, for the same throw distance (21 ft), image size (110 in diagonal) and screen gain (1.0), I see that the projectorcentral prediction for brightness is much greater for the 4010 (55 fL) than it is for the LS12000 (36 fL). However, the manufacturer spec for both are very similar (51 fL for 4010 vs 50 fL for LS12000). Is there some design difference in the LS12000 due to which the estimate from projectorcentral is so much lower? In general, is much lower brightness something that people considering upgrading to this projector from a lamp based projector like the 4010 or the 5050 UBe should be concerned about?

Rob Sabin, Editor Posted Mar 29, 2022 9:05 AM PST

Havish, once we have tested a projector we will have the measurement for the zoom lens light loss, which then gets factored into our light estimates based on the zoom position. In this case, the long zoom lens in the LS12000 has a measured maximum zoom lens light loss of 35% vs the 26% we measured in the HC4010, so with a long throw distance like yours the greater loss of light will come more into play.

Fred Posted Mar 29, 2022 11:17 AM PST

Any idea why 1080p is getting such a slower input lag compared to 4K?

Bought one of these for mixed film / gaming and Iâm able to notice the lag on a Nintendo switch. I made an assumption that it would perform equally at 1080pâ¦

Jason Posted Mar 30, 2022 5:31 AM PST

Rob you posted above that laser projectors maintain most of their light output until their rated life and then rapidly decline. Most of what I have read elsewhere has indicated that while very slow, dimming is linear over time. So if 50% loss at 20k hours, 25% loss at 10K hours. Have you communicated with manufacturer engineers about this and does it vary by manufacture or even model? Thanks.

Rob Sabin, Editor Posted Mar 30, 2022 5:40 AM PST

Thanks, Jason. I can't say I've read much on the subject but this was information given to me by a manufacturer when I asked that question. I'm not sure how many folks have actually experienced the burnout of a laser projector at this point with the tech being relatively new and it having such a long lifespan. But this is something I'll now investigate further, but I'll be careful about preaching any gospel till I know more.

Keith Posted Mar 30, 2022 8:07 AM PST

I have a JVC NX7 that lit up a 120" screen. I am building a new room in my new house and am really concerned about its light output to fill a 150" 16:9 screen. The NZ line looks great but the prices seem a bit steep. Would you recommend the Epson to someone in my situation or is my NX7 up to the task?

Rob Sabin, Editor Posted Mar 30, 2022 9:14 AM PST

Keith, the NX7 is such a fine projector that I would certainly hold onto it and see how you feel when you blow it up to that size. You can always consider your upgrade options at that point. I assume the projector isn't set up now while you rebuild, but if it is still set up with your 120-inch screen you can always zoom it out beyond the borders to see generally how it looks. Also, keep in mind that if you are making a new room and have the option to move the projector closer to the screen, you may find that light output is close due to the elimination of some zoom lens light loss, which is considerable with these long, multi-element zooms, typically a penalty above 20% and sometimes much higher for using the full telephoto zoom position.

Durin Erwan Posted Mar 31, 2022 2:34 PM PST

Hi, many thanks for your perfect feedback. I would like buy my first 4K projector and it's very difficult to choose one. Please help me to choose between : Epson LS12000, Lg HU810PW, JVC LX-NZ3B

Best Regards.

Rob Sabin, Editor Posted Mar 31, 2022 2:48 PM PST

Durin, not to be disrespectful here to JVC, which makes along with Sony perhaps the finest home theater projectors on the planet, but the LX-NZ3B is a basic single-chip DLP projector tossed into the company's line to accommodate high brightness environments as a relatively low price point and is not in the same class as the other two. Regarding the Epson and LG, there is a $2,000 price difference to the LS12000 that factors into lens quality and the benefits of a 3-chip configuration you get with the Epson, not to mention what I'm guessing are noticeably deeper black level compared with the single-chip DLP LG. The LG has dynamic tone mapping, which is a plus, but with no adjustability by the user, while the Epson has essentially a manual tone-mapping control but can handle a wider range of content as needed. But we haven't looked at these projectors side by side to make that call with certainty.

Dave Posted Apr 1, 2022 9:29 PM PST

I have been closely following the advance of 4k projectors for a couple years now anxiously looking forward to upgrading my aging Panasonic AE3000 and I always felt that HDR was going to be a significant upgrade along with the 4k resolution.

Sadly I feel like it's been 2 steps forward and 3 steps back. Like what Gary and others have mentioned regarding the need to manually adjust the HDR setting for each movie we watch has me a bit baffled. I really enjoy my home theater and to this day wouldn't trade my 13 year old projector for the current crop of 4k tv's. I throw a movie on and just enjoy it. I feel like I am in the theater.

I truly want to enjoy the increased resolution and color provided by 4K and HDR but not at the expense of constant tweaking. If a disc is mastered in the studio to what the directors intent is, what makes it so hard to translate that to the screen at home. I do understand that not all displays are created equal, and maybe that is where the answer lies; HDR is just not ready for prime time without a whole lot of user intervention.

I have yet to read a review of a projector that doesn't have issues in this regard. At least the ones in my budget.

Thanks for the awesome and detailed reviews. At least when I buy, I will know what I am getting myself into.

doyle Posted Apr 2, 2022 5:10 PM PST

I own an LS1200. Upgraded from an Epson 3700. Owned various projectors for 20 years.

Commenters are making WAAAYYYY too big of a deal out of the HDR slider per movie. Frankly, I don't change it. I picked a middle setting that looks great in my space (8) and leave it there. Is it perfect? No. But it's really damn good.

Projectors will never be perfect for HDR. They simply can't get the deep blacks and popping bright whites that an OLED can do.

While some people might be OCD, and therefore frustrated about dialing in the HDR on a per movie (or per scene) basis, you don't really need that level of perfection. Just set it once, forget about it, and you'll be fine. Trust me, the HDR looks AMAZING on a 125" screen.

Oh, and my wife's response was something along the lines of, "Wow, this made old movies from the 90s look brand new again!" That's the type of wife approval you want when dropping $5,000.

The the author of this article, John, you did a great write-up. Thank you for being so thorough.

Rob Sabin, Editor Posted Apr 2, 2022 8:16 PM PST

Doyle, you took the words right out of my mouth about the lack here of true dynamic HDR. The same setting will work well for 95% of movies, but it's nice to know when you get an outlier you can hit a button on the remote and move a control a couple of clicks to bring the projector to full performance. You know, you can spend $3K on an LG HU810 and get dynamic tone mapping with zero ability to adjust or tune it, so you are absolutely stuck with their algorithm. Or you can spend a lot more on a JVC and still likely have to fine tune for the occasional title. Or on a Sony, and also still have to ride the control from time to time.

ELmO Posted Apr 3, 2022 6:37 PM PST

There are very few 4k 120hz projectors (:affordable") for us gamers. This is a good review but I would have loved to hear the high refresh rate performance. BENQ X3000i is not good enough for me at 1080p240hz. Some competitive shooters probably appreciate that refresh rate but 1080p and a projector don't go hand in hand with me anymore. It's a shame they only have that res and 4k/60. A 1440p/120hz might have been a good capability if possible. X3000i at 4k 60 it's just "another 4k" projector. I'm looking at this Epson LS now for 4k 120, otherwise pay for the JVC 4K 120.

Pierce Posted Apr 6, 2022 7:13 PM PST

What is the point of having eARC? Can the projector send sound out of one port? There's no speaker or other audio out.... what does it do?

Rob Sabin, Editor Posted Apr 6, 2022 7:15 PM PST

Pierce, I'm at a bit of a loss myself about the value of this given that the projector has no on-board streaming and, unlike a UST projector that sits on a console and may have other sources connected to it, the great likelihood with a high end long throw projector like this is that you'll make one long HDMI connection to it from an A/V receiver or other switching device and connect all your sources there. But I suppose that if you connected a streaming stick to the second HDMI port you could use the eARC port to send audio back to an outboard sound system. Again, just not sure of the logic.

Ian Posted Apr 6, 2022 7:47 PM PST

Is there a rated or measured input lag for 4K/120hz?

Rob Sabin, Editor Posted Apr 7, 2022 6:49 AM PST

The Bodnar 4K lag meters we use top out at 4K/60 or 1080p/120. I hope they will update this device to allow us to measure 4k/120.

Mark Posted Apr 9, 2022 11:35 AM PST

I'm looking at upgrading from my trusty 5040ub. My needs are complex. I use the PJ 85% for gaming, the balance for movies. I use an anamorphic lens constantly in the light path.

So, the things I'm curious about are how this PJ handles 21:9 content(can it do 120Hz) and is it g sync compatible? I game primarily on a PC.

One other issue is the brigthness. I see this does 1400 lumens in bright cinema mode, whereas I think my 5040 ub does around 2400? I have a .8 gain ALR screen. Very dark material. I'm concerned I'd actually be stepping backwards in this regard.

Any input would be appreciated. Thanks!

FJA Posted Apr 10, 2022 4:31 AM PST

I've been out of the projector game since my last purchase, 5020UB, which I've always been really happy with. Now though I need something new especially with less gaming lag. This is on my radar now but since I've been out for so long, can someone explain to me contrast ratios? Have things changed? My 5020UBe is rated at 320,000:1, was this is a different measurement or just marketing because otherwise it's seems like new PJs are a step backward?

James Ham Posted Apr 11, 2022 5:21 AM PST

Ever since I added a Lumagen Radiance Pro 4242 to my JVC RS500, I've been a fan of DTM and now consider it an essential part of the kit in my 120" HT. At the LS12000's very reasonable (IME) price point, I would have been tempted to buy/try it (marrying it to the LRP) to check out its laser performance specifically for 3D content. I find it interesting and curious that the "EPSON" insider commented that 3D is considered niche. My money follows where 3D goes.

Roger Miall Posted Apr 11, 2022 2:23 PM PST

I live in London UK. I got the LS12000 December 2021 Â£4400. Itâs like Iâve got a new film collection - I canât believe Iâve watched these before - the picture quality is amazing. Have had several projectors before - all recommended by this site - and this blows them all away

Dan Posted Apr 12, 2022 5:26 AM PST

Just wanted to say thanks for the review, and for engaging in the comments. Currently planning to get an LS12000 as our first projector when we buy our first house next year ð¤

Rob Sabin, Editor Posted Apr 12, 2022 5:59 AM PST

Thanks for the comments, Dan.

BobD Posted Apr 13, 2022 12:28 PM PST

Am considering an upgrade from my Sony VPL-HW45 to this LS12000. My question will betray how long I've been an HT hobbyist. Are dust blobs still an issue with LCD projectors? I remember some very annoying experiences back in the day, and some half-way measures like a rubber air blower. Got away from that with a DLP for years, followed by my Sony. I'm hoping that the lower heat generated finally allows a sealed light path?

sajid khan Posted Apr 14, 2022 9:11 PM PST

hi rob,currently im using the epson tw9400 and now want to buy the ls12000...the only and only imperfect thing about the 9400 is the constant judder in all camera pan shots...is this also prevailent in the ls12000?

Rob Sabin, Editor Posted Apr 15, 2022 10:26 AM PST

I don't know, Sajid, but what I can say is that the LS12000 has a new processor and a different platform for delivering 4K content, so it wouldn't surprise me if this is different in the new model.

Chris Posted Apr 16, 2022 10:06 AM PST

John this is an excellent review and I greatly appreciate the comment responses as well. I'm weighing the benefit of a native 4K projector versus this pixel shifting 4K model. Is there a significant picture quality difference? Is this related to distance from screen to projector? I look forward to your review of the JVC NP5 for comparison. Thank you!

Andrew Posted Apr 17, 2022 10:44 PM PST

Hi Rob,

Have you had a chance to compare the Epson to the JVC 790 yet?? I am eager to see your opinion on this as I am in the same boat, I love my X7900 for its ultimate contrast, but I am tempted by all else this Epson can deliver. I owned several EPson before such as the LS10000 and 9400.

So it would be real good to see what the actual real world visible dark material contrast differences look like. One of my favourite test for this is scenes in Interstellar when there is nothing else on the screen but the spaceship in the distance against black space and the stars.

Thanks

Peter Posted Apr 18, 2022 2:16 PM PST

I am ready to replace my 10 year old 8700 UB (2 Lamps) and would love to see the comparison done with the LS12000 and the 6050UB that was mentioned. I do not have much time left as the 8700 is whining, whirring and groaning. When can we expect the review? Thank to all!!!

Safe11x Posted Apr 21, 2022 3:33 PM PST

Hey guys, great review! Question though: were you able to test the resolution in 4K/120Hz? As this is a quad shift projector using 1080p panels Iâm trying to figure out how itâs possible to do a full phat 4K/120Hz. My suspicion is the resolution drops when operating at 120Hz. If it doesnât I would greatly like to know how they are achieving this!

John D Posted Apr 24, 2022 3:31 PM PST

How did you measure 1080p@120hz input lag?

According to LeoBodnar.com, the 4k tester doesn't have a 120hz mode. Does it actually support 1080@120?

Rob Sabin, Editor Posted Apr 24, 2022 3:40 PM PST

John, although it's not "official," if you are using the latest firmware on the Bodnar 4K meter, there is a beta 1080p/120 test available in one of the unassigned options in the desktop software that is used to select the signal type. So far we've used it with no issues. Still missing is a 4K/120 option, which I hope they are working on -- though it's unclear if there's a hardware limitation in the current meter that would prevent them from doing that with firmware.

Citizen J Posted Apr 26, 2022 4:38 AM PST

Will my old ALR screen be suitable for this projector? Do I need to replace it with a CLR screen?

John Posted Apr 26, 2022 4:45 AM PST

Hello, first off thanks for the review, very insightful and detailed. How is the motion handling on this model, I own 6050 and there is simply no ''Smooth'' option like Sony has, they have this settings that is between none and soap opera effect, really smooth one, 6050 does not have that.

Also curious about 1080p upscalling, even sh*ttier (low bitrate) source. My Sony FALD tv does this really well, 6050 okay-ish.

Thank you

Rob Sabin, Editor Posted Apr 26, 2022 5:00 AM PST

Citizen J, this is a standard long-throw projector rather than an ultra short throw, which is where you would look to use a ceiling light rejecting screen. Your existing ALR screen should be fine if you have been using a long-throw projector to date.

ArifT Posted Apr 26, 2022 10:06 PM PST

Hi Rob, thanks for a great review. I was sold on the LS12000 but I am now tempted by the newly announced Sony VPL-XW5000ES-W. Based on specs would this be the better buy for an extra $1k? Thanks in advance.

Rob Sabin, Editor Posted Apr 27, 2022 7:10 AM PST

Based on specs the LS12000 is brighter but in terms of black level/contrast and sharpness/resolution we won't know till we look at them together. I have both in house now and plan to do that.

sajid khan Posted May 3, 2022 8:12 PM PST

so i did an extensive test of this projector last night...having used projectors since the mid 90s all i can say without any bias that this one doesnt handle flesh tones accurately,the black levels are still gray,overall pq is on the softer side...the lamp based 9400 still beats it...if you are only going to watch 1080p content then the 12000 is good...but i was disappointed when it displayed 4k...trust me epson missed a few beats here...gonna wait for the sony 5000

Victor Posted May 6, 2022 7:12 AM PST

Does epson have ust lens for this projector?

Rob Sabin, Editor Posted May 6, 2022 7:23 AM PST

Strictly the attached zoom lens.

AmitPalAp Posted May 10, 2022 12:44 AM PST

Rob, you answered a question regarding to lamp replacing. You said that after about 10 yrs, there is no need to change a coastly laser lamp. My question is that if after 10 years someone replaces a traditional lamp of 5060UB or 5050UB to continue the using it, why the owner of laser projector cannot continue his projector ?

Infact how many times a traditional lamp can be change till the projector lasts to working ?

Does it mean that lamp projectors are for lifetime and laser projectors are for 10 years approximately ?

Rob Sabin, Editor Posted May 10, 2022 5:40 AM PST

There are other factors that may come into play which cause projectors to die, but depending on the projector and its ability to withstand other forms of aging you are correct. This is in fact a potential negative of laser or LED projection. I am contacted frequently by readers who are finally thinking about changing out their first generation 1080p projectors after well more than 10 years of use and multiple lamp replacements, and only because they figure it's time to join the 4K revolution. (The old Panasonics, particularly, seem to last a long time.) When I reviewed the JVC DLA-NZ7 laser projector, I commented that its contrast specifications were inferior to the DLA-NX7 lamp projector that at that moment cost the same, and that there was the potential to see it last longer over time since you could keep replacing the lamp.

This doesn't account for the potential for higher performance that comes from having a laser that can be dynamically adjusted, which is something you can't do with a lamp.

David Posted May 12, 2022 8:25 AM PST

Nice review. I just placed an order for the LS12000 which will be mounted in my dedicated home theater. My theater is completely light controlled with dark walls and ceiling, a real bat cave. The screen is an SMX woven model with a 0.85 gain. You mention in your reviews that out of the box using Natural mode the projector is quite accurate Would you still suggest a professional calibration? Would using something like one of the discs below be enough together with Natural mode? - Spears & Munsil UHD HDR Benchmark (UHD Blu-ray Disc) - Diversified Video Solutions test patterns and calibration discs

Rob Sabin, Editor Posted May 12, 2022 8:40 AM PST

David, it's always a good idea when spending $5K for a projector to go a few hundred dollars more and bring in a pro to dial it in. That said, the discs/test patterns will help you properly set your black level and peak white for your screen and image size, and you don't need instruments for that. Dialing in the grayscale color balance and luminance across the full brightness range, as well as insuring that color primaries are best adjusted to insure the most accurate saturation throughout the saturation range and not just at 100% saturation, are things a calibrator with instruments can help with. Making these tweaks can be noticeable on screen even with a projector that's fairly accurate out of the box, while also providing some peace of mind that you are extracting the very best performance from your considerable investment in high end hardware.

Maarten Posted May 17, 2022 1:39 PM PST

Hi, thanks for the review One question; the TW9400/6050UB is slow in switching between resolutions and refresh rates. Is the LS12000 any faster? Eg when I switch from 4K 60hz hdr to 24hz from an Apple TV, the screen goes black and it takes about 8sec for the image to come back.

BobD Posted May 22, 2022 3:34 PM PST

I really enjoyed the writeup. It didn't get answered when I asked earlier, so I'll ask again. Is there a potential for dust blobs if the light engine is laser vs. bulb? Thanks!

Diego Posted May 26, 2022 7:37 AM PST

Nice review! I need this to project on a 192" x 106" (16:9) screen. My main use is to project movies. Do you think the 2.800 lumens will be enough in an absolutely light-controlled room with a 1.0 gain screen?

Should I go for a higher gain screen or for another model?

I was also looking at the Optoma ZK507-W which is around the same price.

Thanks!

Rob Sabin, Editor Posted May 27, 2022 9:15 AM PST

Diego, this is a 220-inch diagonal screen we are talking about and that is really big. Our own projection calculator, which estimates image brightness based on our measured results in the calibrated mode or the Manufacturer's full spec, suggests you are only looking at 11 ft-L or so in calibrated mode and maybe up to 15 ft-L at full brightness, which you won't want to use. Considering that you want considerably more reserves these days for HDR viewing, I would look to use a 1.3 gain material and/or a brighter projector. Or... go to 1.3 gain and bring down your screen size a bit if that's an option.

Bob Posted Jun 7, 2022 1:35 AM PST

Just picked up the Sony 325ES outgoing model for 20% less than this Epson! Step Up from the Epson (but not as bright spec wise, more than enough for my 120 theatre room).

True 4K, incredible contrast and black's, X1 processor - and does 3D !!

THE best deal in projectors today - if you can still pickup.

Very very happy.

Anmol Kapoor Posted Jun 12, 2022 8:08 AM PST

Hey rob. Too good review. Im a big fan of your reviews mostly of epson projectors. Love from india and indian ht freaks. As u well reviewed epson hc3800. How does this unit compares to epson hc3800?

Rob Sabin, Editor Posted Jun 14, 2022 7:15 AM PST

No comparison - the LS12000 is Epson's newest laser-driven premium projector, while the HC3800 is a budget lamp model. The 3800 is excellent volume for its product class with a good bright picture (albeit limited in color volume). But it is not in the same class as the LS12000.

Scott Posted Jul 15, 2022 11:34 PM PST

No 3D is definitely an immediate showstopper. Extremely disappointing. Furthermore, looking at the Epson models that do support 3D, they are too dim. Note to Epson: make a projector that can actually deliver an acceptable 3D image at size and I'll consider your products again. Sigh....

Allen Posted Jul 20, 2022 7:03 PM PST

Echoing others above: The lack of 3D, as you guessed in your review, is indeed grounds for immediate dismissal.

Jim Yarnold Posted Jul 20, 2022 8:48 PM PST

Torn between the Epson LS12000 and JVC DLA-NZ7. My theater is light controlled. Having reviewed both what would you pick for overall PQ, with price not being a factor?

And 3D absence not a concern, (3D is dead and I donât do repeats)

Thanks and love your reviews!!!

Rob Sabin, Editor Posted Jul 20, 2022 9:08 PM PST

Jim, as much as the LS12000 is an excellent projector and a great value at its price, I do think the NZ7 has much to recommend over the Epson if it's within your budget, most notably the excellent JVC dynamic tone-mapping along with the deep native blacks of the LCoS chips.

Kevin Posted Jul 25, 2022 11:09 PM PST

I have a 5040ub with a purple vertical line...brickof a projector now...why would this be anything different? Seems like it's done on purpose to Rick the device.

Rob Sabin, Editor Posted Jul 26, 2022 8:04 AM PST

Kevin, sorry to hear about the failure on your 5040UB. That projector model definitely faced some reliability challenges, especially as related to the power supply. I'm not sure what the issue is with your unit or whether you've explored it on the forums or with Epson customer support to see if there's a viable resolution beyond replacing the whole projector. But I can assure you Epson doesn't boobytrap their typically very fine projectors.

Kevin Posted Jul 31, 2022 5:45 PM PST

Wow my spelling errors were really bad. Sorry about that. I have seen the forum on the purple line and lots of people have it. To me that seems odd to have a failure like that. So if I buy an LS1100 or 1200 it could be a brick in 4 years with a nice purple line due to the LCD technology. Seems a waste to me.

Rafael Posted Aug 1, 2022 2:09 PM PST

Does the LS12000 support anamorphic lenses or is it capable of showing on a 2.35:1 aspect ratio screen?

JayEye Posted Aug 9, 2022 7:34 AM PST

It has HDMI 2.1 but no VRR?

I've seen many people claiming VRR would be "impossible" on projectors, but that's simply not true. We already have couple of DLP projectors supporting it, and an LCD panel capable of 120Hz output is definitely capable of VRR. Having support for variable refresh even if the max is 60Hz is still beneficial - say your games machine can output a certain title at around 55FPS in 4k, and as you want vertical sync, you'll essentially be playing at 30fps, because the output will drop to 30 any time your machine isn't capable of rendering a full 60fps. But with VRR support, you'll get a much more fluid, up to 55fps experience.

In the future, when you review the "Gaming" capabilities of a projector, please pay attention to VRR support. It really is the dealmaker for me, and many a gamer. So even when manufacturers "forget" the feature, maybe reviewers pointing out the lack of it will eventually make a difference.

Gavin Posted Aug 31, 2022 5:21 AM PST

Hi. How does this model compare vs the 5050ub? Is the additional 2000 usd worth it?

Rob Sabin, Editor Posted Aug 31, 2022 6:21 AM PST

We've not done this direct comparison yet to see, but Epson claims a significant jump in image quality. Part of what you are paying for, of course, is the solid state light source and elimination of lamp replacements over the 20,000 hour or more life of the projector.

Paul Posted Aug 31, 2022 4:19 PM PST

Wondering how is the laser spackle and dark scene contrast (currently have a LG 810p which suffers from both)

Danny Posted Sep 4, 2022 11:55 PM PST

Hi, 21:9 1For35" screen what is the Gian you will recommend to little ambiance light room?

Bhagirath Gudi Posted Sep 9, 2022 5:36 PM PST

Can someone help with making decision between this model and LG HU810PW. Should I really spend another 2500$ for this model, and I mostly plan to use it for watching movies not playing games.

Rob Sabin, Editor Posted Sep 10, 2022 2:42 AM PST

If you care deeply about image quality and are watching in a dark room the black level and overall HDR performance on the LS12000 are worth the extra money. It is also potentially quieter, as the HU810 does suffer from some coil whine that some folks are sensitive to.

Winston Posted Nov 4, 2022 10:29 AM PST

Regarding the post about the purple line in the 5040, I have a teal line in my 5025 and from my research it seems that a single lcd panel going out via vertical bands of dead pixels is a common failure mode for epson projectors. I suspect possibly a loose solder point somewhere on the board, maybe under one of the BGA attached chips that drives the lcd panels, or with the lcds themselves, but I haven't had any luck in tracking down the exact cause. I'm sure Epson knows exactly what the problem is, but I've not found anything publicly stated by them. I got 7 years of life out of my projector so I'm not complaining too much, but at the same time I feel like such failure shouldn't be happening at all and I have doubts the LS12000 I've ordered will make it to a decade of use either since it's the same basic epson design inside. I can only hope that the laser light engine generates less heat and so there will be fewer thermal expansion/contraction cycle issues in their projectors going forward.

DJones Posted Nov 11, 2022 11:51 AM PST

Hello, I'm curious about a comparison btwn the outgoing lamp based models (6050/5050). You mentioned in March you were doing a comparison, but perhaps I've overlooked it on your site. Looking at the reviews of this new laser model vs your review of the 5050UBe, the older model is actually a bit higher in lumens across most of the picture modes. Both do pixel shifting - 6050/5050 actually had a FW upgrade to bump this from 2x to 3x, while the laser models are at full 4K (4x shift). Saw some early reports about the laser models looking a little soft, but also possible that a FW upgrade has improved that. Is the resolution difference actually noticeable? The lamp based models also touted their "ultra black" capabilities (it's right there in the model #), whereas the new models have dropped that nomenclature in their model #s. I know not to expect JVC black levels, but with the price jump you'd expect it to be better than the bulb models. Advertised contrast ratio is considerably higher, but is it noticeable? HDR slider is still the method being employed for tone mapping. Auto iris vs dynamic contrast, is that an improvement? Is there a noticeable improvement in ability to achieve color accuracy? Looking at the two separate reviews I'm not seeing much if any improvement - even fan noise seems the same, which is puzzling given you'd expect the laser to generate less heat. My 5050 has a calibrated HDR mode that employs the high lamp mode, and the fan noise is definitely noticeable - I was hoping the laser models would be nearly silent at their high settings. Yes, it's got a laser light source and will outlast a bulb many times over, with little to no dimming or color shifting, but for the price difference you can replace the bulb every 1000 hrs to keep them fresh. 20,000 hrs is impressive, but most people won't hold onto the same projector for 10 yrs or so for that to be an issue. The LS12000 is literally twice what I paid for the 5050UB. Upgrade-itis has got me curious, but are these new models that much better?

Anthony Posted Nov 18, 2022 6:21 AM PST

My last projector was a Epson Power Lite Home Cinema 8350 Projector years ago. Loved it but always had dust issues on the lcd panels causing dust blobs on the screen. Any Epson warranty would exchange the dusty projector with a remanufactured one with dust.. Has the technology matured and is this projector sealed from dust?

Rob Sabin, Editor Posted Nov 21, 2022 7:49 AM PST

Anthony, we don't hear much about these types of problems anymore and I have to believe Epson has made effort to address it in current models, but the best place to find out is to google this as relates to the specific model you are interested to hopefully bring up anything of concern that might be in the AVS Forum threads or other forums for that model.

Brice Posted Jan 12, 2023 2:27 PM PST

Rob,

Did you ever do a comparison of this vs. your x790? My 790 (which I love, quirks and all), just had a major light engine failure that is costing ~$2500 to fix. As such, I am now looking at replacing it instead with this projector. I have a proper light controlled theatre room, so I am curious as to how much a person would be losing in perceived contrast by moving away from the JVC.

Kurt Posted Jan 14, 2023 7:51 AM PST

I see the calibration on this is just as messy as the JVC NP5 Review. It might be an idea to revisit this model and get a qualified calibrator that doesn't elevate black/reduces contrast while calibrating. Do me the favor to monitor contrast and black level while calibrating, you got the equipment to do so if you do it right.

Kent Posted Jan 23, 2023 4:18 PM PST

Finished calibrating our new showroom LS12000 this weekend and overall happy with the update from our 6050UB. Was more difficult than anticipated to get it to appropriate dE's, particularly the RGB, which we might go back and work on again. Perhaps this is due to laser light source?

First off updated to latest Epson FW (from their website).

Working from the Natural color mode, in conjunction with our SI .85 Pure Gray screen w/ ~12' throw, with lamp at 100% (per author's rec), post cal got color temp from ~6200 OOTB to 6600-ish, gamma from 2.15 OOTB to 2.19, grayscale from 4.8 OOTB to 1.6 dE, RGB more under control from 90%-116% across the spectrum OOTB down to 95%-105%. Got primary/secondary colors down from 1.8 OOTB to 1.3 dE. Clocked 22 fL coming off the screen afterwards (6050 was ~ 14 fL at high lamp mode calibrated). Visual image surveying confirmed the great numbers.

As with the 6050 gamma adjustments using anything other than the projectors built-in generator is not possible. You can preview external content when doing CMR so why not gamma? In this regard we could not do custom gamma settings and set to -1 preset (got us 2.19 avg). Preset 0 shot gamma up to 2.33. Would like to go back and tweak for sure, so perhaps I missing something?

Overall real-world performance when compared to prior 6050UB we are seeing better handling of HDR, which we were unable to get to work well with the 6050 resulting in having to leave all sources at SDR. Love the HDR10+ compatibility. In conjunction with our Panny UB9000 with HDR Optimization engaged, and Epson's HDR slider (moving between 4-11), HDR playback is now possible in our room. Blade Runner worked at -4 on the slider, Planet Earth at 7, and The Meg at 11. Imagine most would be fine with leaving at 7/8.

The Dynamic Contrast option (in lieu of auto-iris) seemed helpful as author noted. Could not get Brightness and Contrast video settings to make much difference. Not sure if that is a good thing? Literally would run the Contrast bar from 0-100 and would see almost no change in external contrast chart.

Quite a few more tweakable settings to fuss with than the 6050, which is why I think calibration took such an effort.

Quick stuff, handshake is about the same, don't have a game console setup to test but sounds like author was impressed, don't miss 3D (glasses have been in drawer for 3 years) so not a deal breaker, fan noise is about the same at 100%.

Of course noticed towards the end there's a dead pixel but 3 year warranty will cover that at some point.

So overall Iâd say worth it to my customers (we area a CI firm) to invest an extra $1500 for the LS12000 over our usual 6050 option due to low maintenance aspect of laser vs bulb alone. Whether or not itâs worth also investing in professionally calibrating it is questionable being as that itâs very acceptable OOTB. Altho I would like to try calibrating again but instead of disk-based generation use something like a Murideo.

Travis Posted Jan 30, 2023 12:35 PM PST

I was wondering if adding something like a lumagen or madvr would make any sense with this projector?

Rob Sabin, Editor Posted Jan 30, 2023 5:09 PM PST

Conceptually this is a very good projector that would greatly benefit from the HDR processing in one of the high end outboard processors. However, the cost of any of those products would exceed the cost of the projector, and I think those units would be a better add for one of the Sony or JVC LCoS models that deliver deeper native blacks and are native 4K at the chip level.

John Posted Apr 4, 2023 8:25 AM PST

Hello. I am looking to replace a lower end JVC D-ILA projector with the 12000 or the new JVC NZ30. Any idea when you might review the JVC and thoughts on a comparison?

Rob Sabin, Editor Posted Apr 4, 2023 11:09 AM PST

We have no immediate plans to look at the NZ30, but you should be aware that this is just a high-power, more affordable single-chip DLP projector that fills out the lower end of JVC's line and is not really competition for its D-ILA models. Your options coming from an existing LCoS-based JVC would really be the lamp-based JVC NP-5 at $7K or the DLA-NZ7 laser step-up at $11K if laser is critical. Short of that the Epson provides excellent value in a laser projector at the lower $5K price point and is a superb projector at the price, though not the equivalent image-wise of the NP-5 in terms of contrast, HDR rendering, or detail.

Bill Posted Apr 25, 2023 10:15 AM PST

All my Epson projectors have been great, upgrading as improvements come. My latest model 6040 is enjoyed by everyone viewing. 3D is important to everyone every time if movie includes it. So 3D is the deal breaker for us. Great report.6434

Garet Andrews Posted Apr 26, 2023 6:36 PM PST

Hello. I have run two projectors over the past 10 years, the first was an Epson 5040 UB that ended its life with the green line across the screen & unrepairable. The second was the JVC X790RBK, which also failed this last month with the picture getting red hue. sent it into JVC & the repair is $4000.00. So I am in the market for a new projector. The Epson 12000 seems like a great candidate although like the other comments, I want 3D & tone mapping. I am considering moving to Sony as both JVC & Epson have let me down. I'm not sure if you have any insight on others Laser models, but am considering the Sony Vw325es, although the lumens are quite low in comparison to even my 4 year old JVC that just died & ran with approx. 1900 lumens. Any comments here?

Rob Sabin, Editor Posted Apr 27, 2023 6:53 AM PST

Garet, coming off the JVC X790, which is a 1080p pixel-shifter I actually own myself, you will appreciate the additional sharpness from the now discontinued 325ES's native 4K imagers and good lens, which is better than the lens on Sony's current XW5000ES replacement. But you might notice the lower brightness depending on how hot you ran your JVC, and I personally think the tone-mapping (and adjustability of that) on the JVC is far superior. If 3D is an absolute must, that narrows your choices to the JVC NP5 lamp model ($7K) or any of the three laser-driven step up models...or the Sony XW6000ES ($12K) which is where 3D starts in their line-up now with the addition of a separate 3D emitter. All very pricey options, but basically state of the art projection from any of those.

If solid state PLUS 3D is a requirement, you may wish to wait and see how BenQ's new HT4550i gets reviewed. That unit was announced at CES and is due out soon with a 4LED light engine with a rating of 3200 ANSI lumens. It demo'd impressively at the show, though I can't say from my notes or BenQ's published info at this point if they carried over 3D from prior models. Price is $2,799, however it's single chip DLP vs the three chip projectors you've gotten used to and which are immune to rainbow effects. I will say that although I don't recall any obvious issues with rainbows on the BenQ demo, they have definitely had a learning curve trying to minimize rainbows with their first few 4LED gaming projectors.

xnappo Posted Jun 17, 2023 7:35 AM PST

Hi, can you please comment on how percentage coverage of BT.2020/DCI-P3/REC709 is calculated? I tried using the RGB XYZ, and even with help from ChatGPT I can't figure it out (unless I am getting totally different results from my measurements!)

Rob Sabin, Editor Posted Jun 20, 2023 9:20 AM PST

These are Calman measurements using their Color Volume workflow, which measures a large number of color swatches that reach out to BT2020 and then provides the results for each of these color spaces. The options are to use L*a*b Color Volume or ICtCp Color Volume; we typically measure the first. I'm not sure how you'd go about calculating this from individual measurements you'd take manually.

Steve Posted Jul 1, 2023 11:16 PM PST

I have been interested in laser projectors for a while now, but what seems off-putting to me, is the quoted life expectancy.

Please correct me if Iâm wrong, but if the laserâs quoted life expectancy is 20000hrs (only producing 50% of its original brightness at that level of hours), this would mean to me that the picture would start to become inferior just after 2 years of use (5000hrs).

Iâm basing this on my current setup and hours used. I currently have an Epson tw9200 (calibrated), and to keep the image crisp and punchy, I usually change out my bulb around 1000hrs (around 16% less foot lamberts from my original 14 foot lamberts). I do start to see picture degradation when I reach 16% less brightness from a new lamp install. And I find I can no longer offset the brightness lost via the contrast / brightness controls, as it just seems to create a wishy-washy picture.

Rob Sabin, Editor Posted Jul 10, 2023 1:15 AM PST

This is an erroneous interpretation of how lasers work. They do degrade on brightness over time, but VERY slowly. You can think of them as operating at something close to starting brightness until they reach the end of their rated life, after which you may experience the failure of one or more laser diodes; which will cause the brightness to drop. And if you are not running them at the projector's full power, they will likely last longer than than their rated life.

JasonXZ Posted Jul 13, 2023 10:10 AM PST

I'm honestly beginning to wonder if it doesn't just make more sense to put a new 98" OLED on the wall and lose 22" of screen space to get the better picture that they can provide. Any opinions on this?

Robert Posted Jul 27, 2023 11:59 AM PST

What would be the ideal throw distance to retain the best available picture? I would shoot on a Stewart Firehawk 1.3 gain 120 inches screen, into a full light control dedicated room. Thx

Rob Sabin, Editor Posted Jul 27, 2023 12:19 PM PST

Robert, you are generally always best to mount the projector as close as possible to the screen for your preferred image size, especially with a long zoom like this that can chew a lot of brightness if you have to use the long telephoto position. The only other consideration is keeping the projector away from viewers to reduce the effect of fan noise. But a 120-inch image on a 1.3 gain screen should give you plenty of brightness to work with if you do want to pus the projector more toward the rear of the room. Use our Throw Calculator for this model to get some idea of the range of distances for a 120-inch 16:9 diagonal, or a 2.4:1 if you're actually going widescreen.

Rich R Posted Aug 31, 2023 10:32 AM PST

Just an FYI for anyone interested. Iâve been running the LS12000 for about a year now â¦ itâs a great projector. Resolution and color is very good and I definitely recommend it.

My only issues are: 1) on a 150â screen (AT, .93 gain, ~15â from screen positioned at top edge), I could use a few more lumens (It could also be that I need to play with the settings a bit more â¦ dark scenes seem a bit too dark) and 2) since I need 100% of the output you can hear it during quiet moments. Not terrible but I do see a hush box in my future.

Rob Sabin, Editor Posted Aug 31, 2023 10:46 AM PST

Thanks for sharing that Rich. It's possible some additional calibration can bring back the crushed shadow detail without raising the black floor by much, though these are often a trade-off if you're playing around at the projector's ultimate performance limitations. Regarding the brightness, I was going to suggest the possibility of moving the projector closer to the screen to avoid the significant light loss associated with using the long telephoto position on that long zoom, but it looks like you are already more or less at the wide open zoom position at that distance and image size. However, you might wish to consider a higher gain screen option among the acoustically transparent fabrics out there. I've seen them at up to 1.3 gain, which would be a noticeable boost and could work assuming you don't have a lot frequently used far off-axis seating. You can so a search for AT screens by gain at our affiliated retailer projecetorscreen.com and you'll see some good quality solutions from some of the better brands in the 1.1 to 1.3 range.

Rich R Posted Aug 31, 2023 3:26 PM PST

Thanks for the suggestion. I did a lot of research on screens â¦ I was very interested in two parameters: screen gain (because I knew it was going to be an issue) & weave/resolution because I wanted to sit at 1.1 x width (about 12ft to a 11ft wide screen).

Anyway, Itâs my understanding that gain is exaggerated by almost all the manufacturers. Seems that very few actually test them to a standard. Have a feeling that any AT screen which actually has a positive gain is going to have other problems when you consider by definition they need to be porous to sound â¦ and therefore light. The screen I ended up with was the DreamScreen V7. Perhaps you know of something better.

Rob Sabin, Editor Posted Aug 31, 2023 5:01 PM PST

Nothing that I can personally point to from experience, though I have a lot of respect for the work Chris Seymour at Seymour Screen Excellence has done on AT screens, and I suggest you investigate Screen Research, a brand out of Europe with somewhat limited distribution in the U.S. and a well respected AT material called ClearPix.

Kyle Posted Sep 15, 2023 3:04 PM PST

Lack of 3d is an issue, but I do have a second projector that has 3d, so not a killer. Low Lumen output is a much bigger deal for me. I also am not impressed with any 10p .47 inch DMD. That requites 4 shifts as opposed to 3 with a .66" higher resolution chip. Given the price of this projector, I expect a lot more. I sort of wonder about the entire article and if the Author has the experience to do the article?

Rob Sabin, Editor Posted Sep 16, 2023 10:47 AM PST

@Kyle, I see some very clear inaccuracies in your statement here I should point out for the benefit of all readers:

1)DMD stands for digital micromirror device and refers only to DLP projectors; Epson's LS12000 is an LCD projector. Although, like the 0.47 inch 4K DLP chipset found in the majority of 4K DLP projectors, it does require 4-phase/240Hz pixel shifting to put all the pixels of a UHD signal on screen.

2)The 0.66 inch 4K DLP chips start with native resolution of 2716x1528. This size was chosen precisely because a 2-phase pixel shift, ie a simple doubling and NOT a 3x pixel shift, delivers the 8 million pixels required for full UHD resolution. Do the math.

3) I sort of wonder if the commenter has actually read the entire article and if he has the experience or authority to criticize the author?

Hugues Posted Sep 21, 2023 10:07 AM PST

I purchased a LS12000 in Q1 2023. Last week a huge dust blob appeared on the green LCD...This is not supposed to happen as, If I understood it clearly, the optics path is sealed and thus not exposed to any dust. So is it in fact not really sealed and/or is it a manufactuing issue. If it were a manufacturing issue, this dust blobb should have been visible from the beginning and not after a few months of use. For information, I never changed the filter nor opened the projector. I returned the projector for a RMA since I'm still under warranty. I'm still waiting for feedback from Epson. I have to admit that for a flagship laser projector costing about 5k, thiq quality issue is kind of worrying. Have you heard of similar cases among other LS12000 owners ?

Rob Sabin, Editor Posted Sep 24, 2023 3:23 PM PST

I have not heard of this Hugues, but other users in the field may be able to report better. You should check the LS12000 Owners Thread at AVS Forum to see if there are any similar reports.

Gary Posted Jan 20, 2024 1:21 PM PST

I'm with Toby on this, no 3D is a hard pass on this projector. I'll just stick with the 5050UB. I get that it's a niche according to Epson, but maybe they should've surveyed their customers when they in the R&D phase of this projector because I would bet more people would rather have it added.

Epson Pro Cinema LS120003LCD LaserProjector

+ Add to Compare List

Rating Details

Price
$4,999
Buy Online

Review Contents

In this Review Close

Introduction
Features
Performance
Conclusion
Measurements
Connections
Calibrated Settings

View Projector Details