Epson Announces The Epson Pro Cinema 4050 4K PRO-UHD

by Allan Abbott on September 6, 2018 | ProjectorCentral.com |

Epson has announced the Epson Pro Cinema 4050 4K PRO-UHD Projector with an improved version of the company's advanced pixel-shifting technology, HDR compatibility, and a reduced price of $2399, down from the $2699 for the Pro Cinema 4040 it replaces. The Pro Cinema 4050 4K PRO-UHD also boasts automated lens memory to allow constant image height display of multiple aspect ratio sources on 2.4:1 screens without an external anamorphic lens--a rare feature on home theater projectors in this price range.

The Pro Cinema 4050's 15-element all glass lens is an unusual bonus at this price, and the projector offers a long zoom ratio of 2.1:1 as well as extensive horizontal and vertical lens shift to expand placement options. The powered lens allows remote control of zoom, focus, and lens shift, so image adjustments are easy even when the 4050 is ceiling-mounted.

Epson ProCinema 4050

Epson Pro Cinema 4050 key features:

1920x1080x2 UHD resolution

Improved pixel-shifting precision and 4K enhancement processing

2400 ANSI lumens

200,000:1 contrast ratio

HDR10 compatibility

Up to 5,000-hour lamp life

All-glass 15-element 2.1x zoom lens

Powered zoom, focus, and lens shift

Automated Lens Memory for CIH installations

Switchable auto-iris

Frame interpolation

3D at full HD resolution

No color wheel, so no rainbow artifacts

3-year projector warranty

The Pro Cinema 4050 is HDR10 compliant to take advantage of high dynamic range content. It delivers equal color and white brightness,and can display the full DCI-P3 color gamut in Digital Cinema Mode. Contrast is specified as 200,000:1. It is also 3D capable in full HD (1920x1080) mode.

Epson Pro Cinema 4050

Epson claims that the Epson Pro Cinema 4050 4K PRO-UHD Projector delivers an improved, next generation pixel-shifting technology with associated refinements in video processing that together render a more precise 4K approximation than was achieved by the Pro Cinema 4040. It arrives with a ceiling mount and extra lamp as part of its cost and is covered by Epson's 3-year warranty for the projector and 90 days for the lamp. If service is needed during the warranty period, an exchange unit can be provided within two business days under Epson's Extra Care Home Service policy.

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Comments (35) Post a Comment

Micah Hamer Posted Sep 6, 2018 1:47 AM PST

Why is it taking so long for Epson (or most other projector manufacturers for that matter) to release actual native 2160p projectors?

Rob Sabin Posted Sep 6, 2018 2:00 AM PST

Micah, we are starting to see a few more native 4K projectors this year at CEDIA, including three new models from JVC that we'll discuss in an upcoming show roundup. But Epson told us they're sticking with 1080p pixel-shifting for now because the extra light output it provides vs native 4K imaging devices allows them to do more with HDR. This projector also introduces their new generation pixel-shift technology, dubbed 4K Pro, which delivered extraordinary detail with 4K content in their show demo. We'll say more about this later...

Peter Posted Sep 6, 2018 6:42 AM PST

Very interesting. Your initial info says "no color wheel" - I would presume that this is an LCD-based projector so why would a color wheel even be mentioned? I look forward to the usual comprehensive review from Projector Central and hopefully with a comparison to the 5040/6040 (which are both performance-wise the same) with a focus on picture quality and black levels. Thank you.

Barry Koehler Posted Sep 6, 2018 2:40 PM PST

Any idea when you will be able to review this projector?

Steve Atkinson Posted Sep 6, 2018 3:02 PM PST

Great News....

Now when can we expect a review Evan?

Evan Powell, Editor Posted Sep 6, 2018 3:06 PM PST

Barry and Steve, Rob and I will be meeting with Epson tomorrow and will get a feel for review timing.

Jason Cohen Posted Sep 6, 2018 3:37 PM PST

It would be great to check if the 3D support for 1080p is 24 Hz (HDMI 1.4a) or 60 Hz (HDMI 1.4b), if it has a low-latency mode, and if the 3D mode works with low-latency. It would be amazing to *finally* get a 1080p 3D gaming projector.

Brett Posted Sep 6, 2018 4:47 PM PST

Will there be a 5050?

Evan Powell, Editor Posted Sep 6, 2018 4:56 PM PST

Brett, sorry, no word on that yet.

Tom Roseman Posted Sep 7, 2018 4:00 PM PST

For my first faux k projector would you suggest this or the 6040.

Rob Sabin, editor Posted Sep 7, 2018 7:05 PM PST

Tom, there's a significant difference in price between the two, and that's still reflecting the 6040UB's price drop as of CEDIA to $3,495 from $3,695. The 4050 includes Epson's newest pixel-shifting technology and also an improved tone-mapping profile for HDR. From what we could see at the show, these are significant improvements. The 6040 has the better specified contrast ratio, but contrast with HDR content looked very good in the 4050 demo. This strikes me as a very high value projector. We'll look forward to seeing what it looks like under review conditions.

Kelvin Pena Posted Sep 10, 2018 7:48 AM PST

Will this projector finally have the 18gb HDMI chipset?

Thank you!

Rob Sabin, editor Posted Sep 10, 2018 8:55 AM PST

Kevin, let me check on this with Epson. They don't specifically mention the bandwidth of the HDMI inputs in their specs, but the projector does perform 12-bit or 10-bit color processing depending on frame rate and color compression, which seems to suggest the ability to take in a wide bandwidth signal.

Here's the HDMI details straight from Epson for the 4050:

- One HDMI 1.4 (10.2Gbps bandwidth) with HDCP 2.2 (i.e., copyright management for 4K content)

- One HDMI 1.4 (10.2Gbps bandwidth) with HDCP 1.4

Ricardo Posted Sep 13, 2018 11:19 PM PST

Does anyone knows if this projector will do 2.35.1 aspect ratio? Will it project a 2.35.1 image on an ultra wide 135" 2.35.1 screen? I didnt see the info in the product description. Thanks

Rob Sabin, editor Posted Sep 14, 2018 6:36 AM PST

Yes. The 4050 has a motorized lens with 10 memory positions. So with a 2.35:1 screen, you can create one setting for 16:9 content (full height with side-bars) and another for widescreen content (which will bleed the black top/bottom letterbars off the edge of the screen.

NJ M. Posted Sep 16, 2018 5:25 PM PST

This projector a TRUE 4K?

Alan Posted Sep 18, 2018 12:19 PM PST

1920x1080x2 UHD resolution is still pixel shifting. Yet this is similar to the Optoma UHD60 so the quality should be very good. Looking forward to PC doing a deep dive.

Rob Sabin, editor Posted Sep 18, 2018 12:41 PM PST

Alan, you are correct that both this Epson and the Optoma are pixel-shifters. However the DLP chip used in the UHD60 and other 4K DLP models starts with a pixel count of 2716 x 1528, which doubles up to the full 8-million plus pixels inherent in 4K UHD signals. The 1920 x 1080 imagers used in pixel-shifters from Epson and JVC's past models double that count to around 4 million pixels total. The DLP models put more pixels on the screen, but the apparent differences vs. late generation 1080p pixel-shifters can be difficult to see. Epson and JVC have both narrowed the gap in successive generations of their technologies, and Epson has done so again with this new Pro-UHD version.

Kelvin Pena Posted Sep 20, 2018 8:06 AM PST

Too bad that Epson didn't upgrade to 18gb HDMI which makes is one of the key limitations o the previous generation. Many of the streaming devices and game consoles require this for true 60PFS HDR.

NJeezy Posted Sep 21, 2018 11:05 AM PST

This isnt a TRUE 4K projector right? 4K enhancement only?

Rob Sabin, editor Posted Sep 21, 2018 11:19 AM PST

As noted, not 4K native but a 1080p pixel-shifter, which Epson refers to as "4K Enhanced" technology.

John Dirk PHILLIPS Posted Oct 17, 2018 2:23 PM PST

I agree. I'm in the market and this sounds like a great overall projector but I want something [reasonably] future proof. I'm not a gamer but I do love movies and UHD content. I would happily pay more for this projector to offset the cost of 18Gbps HDMI inputs. The 2017 JVC models have them and this one could seemingly compete at a much better price point.

Kinder Posted Nov 5, 2018 2:07 PM PST

Any report of the lag on this unit?

Also any mention of an upcoming firmware update to achieve 1080p/120hz game mode?

Thanks.

Rob Sabin, Editor Posted Nov 5, 2018 7:07 PM PST

Kinder, the Epson Pro Cinema 4050 is identical to the Home Cinema 4010, which we just reviewed. We measured 28 ms lag time on it; you can see more details in the review. As for 1080p/120Hz game mode, this projector has HDMI 1.4 ports that will not support 1080p/120Hz with any kind of firmware update.

George Toth Posted Nov 13, 2018 1:15 PM PST

My 4050UB has been hanging in the great room for a week! It’s a stunner! Replaced a 6030UB. Not sorry. At less than half the cost of the Sony 295ES!

Mdcubsfan Posted Dec 19, 2018 8:08 AM PST

Looking into getting a projector - how does this compare to the 5040UB, which from what I can gather is True 4K? And is it worth waiting for the next Epson upgrade, as some of the new features in the 4050 may be carried over to the new 5040? And do we have any idea when the 5040 gets a newer version?

I'm not in a rush to get a projector, so figure I can wait if it's worth the wait and not too long of a wait.

Rob Sabin, Editor Posted Dec 19, 2018 8:58 AM PST

This projector is the commercial-market equivalent of the new Home Cinema 4010, which we've reviewed and report on extensively elsewhere. The HC 5040UB is the last-generation step-up model, which we directly compared with the HC 4010 in a comparison review. Despite the generational difference, it is largely the same projector except for notably deeper black levels that become obvious in dark-room viewing on overall dark scenes.

The new-generation update to the 5040UB is expected fairly soon; it's European version is already on the market. Along with better contrast/blacks than the 4010/4050, and possibly a bit of extra brightness over the current 5040, it is expected to offer the modest improvements in pixel shifting and HDR tone-mapping developed for the 4010/4050 and some other improvements over the 5040. This includes at least one full 18 gbps HDMI 2.0 input, which is a feature of interest to gamers.

None of these projectors is full 4K resolution; they are all 1080p models that use pixel-shifting to approximate a 4K image.

Mdcubsfan Posted Dec 24, 2018 7:45 AM PST

Thanks so much Rob! Another quick question - how does this compare to the Epson 4000, which is currently on sale at Amazon for $1240? Is this newer model worth the extra cash and will I notice this difference (dedicated theater room with minimal lighting), or are my better off putting the money saved towards getting a different upgrade such as installing some Dolby Atmos speakers or a new/larger screen?

Rob Sabin, Editor Posted Dec 29, 2018 10:13 AM PST

I have not been able to directly compare the 4000 with the 4010, but I would expect any visible differences to be pretty minimal considering that contrast/black level with the 5040 was pretty much the only differentiating factor there. You most certainly will get a touch more brightness,and possibly some finer tuning on some of the picture modes. If money is tight, adding Dolby Atmos or a going for a larger screen would certainly have more impact day to day.

Todd Forgan Posted Jan 16, 2019 9:34 AM PST

"Automated Lens Memory" does this mean the projector will automatically adjust the lens when 2.35 movies is play? Or do you still have to manually recall the lens memory setting ' Lens1 or Lens2 on the remote?

Rob Sabin, Editor Posted Jan 17, 2019 7:36 AM PST

Todd I apologize for the imprecision in that language. By automated we mean it's mechanized, but you do still need to manually select the appropriate lens memory setting when you change from 16:9 to 2.35:1 and back again. The projector can't recognize the aspect ratio of the content you feed it.

Mississippi Man Posted Feb 8, 2019 9:48 AM PST

Why should introducing the ability to sense format changes be excluded from the Epsons when it existed for so long with the venerable Panasonic PT-AE8000u ?

And...to still exclude the ability to accept 18 GB input delegates the PJ (and user) to accepting 8 Bit color w/no HDR10 support? Better to go with the much less expensive Optoma HUD50, if you cannot manage to score a JVC X790r

Rob Sabin, Editor Posted Feb 10, 2019 10:10 AM PST

Your information is wrong regarding HDR--this 4050 and the identical 4010 do 4K/30Hz with HDR, just not 4K/60Hz with HDR. They'll do 4K/60 without HDR...

Bill Freeman Posted Feb 15, 2019 4:07 PM PST

I have enjoyed my Epson pro 6040 projector purchased new replacing my Epson 3020. I simply wanted to view 4k movies + blue rays. I absolutely recommend the 6040. Picture is worth waiting for, coupled with full Denon & Definitve Tech sound system. With the new Epsons released, what model takes the place of my pro 6040? Is it still to be released in 2019.

Thank you Bill

Rob Sabin, Editor Posted Feb 17, 2019 11:10 AM PST

Bill, just to clarify for other readers who might not know, the 6040UB is the commercial version of the 5040UB is exactly the same except for a black casing vs white in the 5040UB and the fact that it comes with a ceiling mount and extra lamp.

The replacement for this model remains pending but is definitely due to come out sometime this year. Epson has not announced what the new model number will be.

Epson Announces The Epson Pro Cinema 4050 4K PRO-UHD

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