Author Topic: Epson EMP-S3 (Read 4436 times)

nerveblocker · « **on:** Mar 09, 2006 at 03:01 PM »

Since I bought this projector for my home theater, might as well start a thread.

It has been 3 days since I have been using this projector and it just provided me sleepless nights enjoying it. This has been marketed as a multimedia projector (and not a popular brand of projector here in our forum) and I compared it with the Epson EMP-TW20 Dreamio Home Theater Projector (looks better though) which I found to be a little dark. Maybe because I am used to watching my DVDs from a CRT TV that's why I was looking for a pj which is a little brighter. Hooked it up to my DVD player with S-video connection it was good enough. I was projecting an image of 75 inches diagonal from a distance of 3 meters. I do not hear any fan noise during its operation. Screen door effect isn't as bothersome as the rainbow effects of DLP projectors. You'll get to live with it and not notice it. It was minimized when I got a component video to VGA adapter cable. There was a big jump in improvement in the video quality. Colors were more vibrant, clear and stunning. I had to recalibrate with my Ht set-up disc to lower almost all settings from brightness, contrast, etc after changing cables and activating progressive scan. My wife commented as watching comparable to an LCD TV but bigger and syempre she was happy about it.

The thing I like about this pj is that it has a fast start up around 10 secs and the cool down before you turn it off is from 5-10 secs. Much better than the Benq DLP projector I demoed which starts up for around a minute and cools down longer than that. The remote is not a cheesy card type remote but like a remote of a DVD player with easy access keys without going through all the menu settings. You can just shift from 4:3 to 16:9, change viewing settings like theater, games, rgb, presentation, change source, still picture etc with just one press of the button in the remote. And you can just point your remote to the screen just like TV and not necessarily towards the projector when accessing the different menus.

The price: P54,995.00 from All Visual & Lights Systems in Cubao with a free Vega 60" x 60" pull down projector screen. Replacement lamp would go from P11500-12500 depending on the dollar rate.

I am just happy and proud of my purchase that's why I wrote this. To anyone looking for an entry level projector with good customer support(Epson Phils) and low maintenance. This pj is highly recommended.

Here are some pictures:

My New Toy

In 16:9 mode

In 4:3 mode

BTW, these pictures were taken when it was still hooked to S-video. No progressive scan yet.

Jairus · « **Reply #1 on:** Mar 09, 2006 at 03:41 PM »

Congratulations sir on your new toy!...very tempting

nerveblocker · « **Reply #2 on:** Mar 10, 2006 at 08:16 AM »

Jairus-Thank you for the comment.

nerveblocker · « **Reply #3 on:** Mar 17, 2006 at 05:26 AM »

I have discovered that the US counterpart of the EMP-S3 is the Powerlite S3 which has the same replacement lamp. Amazon cost of the replacement lamp is $165.29 = P8600

Dracula · « **Reply #4 on:** Mar 17, 2006 at 08:18 AM »

Hi Nerve,

Post mo naman yung room dimensions mo....I'm trying to pitch the idea of a PJ to my wife but she feels that the room we are going to use is too small....if you're able to post pictures which will give us an idea of the size of the room you're using the projector in that would be great....

jaytl · « **Reply #5 on:** Mar 19, 2006 at 10:29 PM »

how's the picture quality of this projector where there is some light?

mheloy · « **Reply #6 on:** Mar 20, 2006 at 09:25 AM »

Sir,

native aspect ratio nito is 4:3, tama ba?
kamusta naman pag nanonood ka ng 16:9 na DVD? lumiliit ba just like watching sa TV? nagkakaroon ng black bars sa tass and baba?

thanks

nerveblocker · « **Reply #7 on:** Mar 20, 2006 at 12:42 PM »

Quote from: dracula on Mar 17, 2006 at 08:18 AM

Hi Nerve,

Post mo naman yung room dimensions mo....I'm trying to pitch the idea of a PJ to my wife but she feels that the room we are going to use is too small....if you're able to post pictures which will give us an idea of the size of the room you're using the projector in that would be great....

Sir,

Actually my room is really small. Can accomodate only 4 persons watching side by side. From back wall to front wall around 3 meters lang but I have 75 inches diagonal projected image which was limited by my screen size and I had to reduce the image size. Siguro the room size is less than 10 square meters.

I also thought that my room was too small for a projector but then on actuality it can be accomodated. It may really depend on the screen size you want to achieve. A big screen size at such a short viewing distance isn't also that appreciable just like watching at the front row of a movie theater.

I suggest you get one with a short throw lens like the Home Theater projector of epson which can project an 80" image from 2 meters away if you really have a smaller room than mine. It can also do lens shift (up,down,left,right up to 2 screensizes off center) like putting the projector beside you and you can project the image to the center with little degradation on video quality.

nerveblocker · « **Reply #8 on:** Mar 20, 2006 at 12:56 PM »

Quote from: jaytl on Mar 19, 2006 at 10:29 PM

how's the picture quality of this projector where there is some light?

Picture quality has little difference if your light source is just above you or behind you. I have a lamp with a normal light bulb (not fluorescent) on top of me just in case i need a little reading while watching and still can maintain almost the same picture quality. Definitely the no-light-dark-room is still the best. If you have a brighter ambient light, you have to shift the projector's mode into presentation or put the lamp into normal mode to have a brighter display to counteract room light just like using the pj when doing presentations.

You have to really have the pj demoed to see how it performs. Like I said, it is really hard to audition projectors coz you need a larger and darker audition area with a projection screen to see the pj's video quality. Only a few stores can achieve this unless they are really specialized projector or HT stores.

When I went to electroworld last month and asked a side by side audition with a Benq and an Epson projector, they were just like duhhh.

You can contact projector distributors and they can do home audition for you but you have to schedule it. Astech Pengson and AVLS can do this for you without any commitments. Nakakahiya lang nga minsan and mapipilitan ka pakainin sila or something kasi they go to your house tapos nakataxi lang without any assurance that you will buy from them. Kaya kelangan desidido ka to buy when you request for a home audition. And another thing about home audition, you must be prepared like hanging a white cloth or having a white wall to project the image or an extra long S-video cable to attach your DVD player to it.

nerveblocker · « **Reply #9 on:** Mar 20, 2006 at 01:03 PM »

Quote from: mheloy on Mar 20, 2006 at 09:25 AM

Sir,

native aspect ratio nito is 4:3, tama ba?
kamusta naman pag nanonood ka ng 16:9 na DVD? lumiliit ba just like watching sa TV? nagkakaroon ng black bars sa tass and baba?

thanks

Yes. It is like watching in a 4:3 TV and when you shift to widescreen mode, lumiliit sya. When you have a dark room, you wouldn't notice the black bars anymore. Maski lumiliit sya sa 16:9 mode, malaki pa rin sya than any other TV!

Limitations mo lang talaga eh yung room size mo. Palakihin mo pa kwarto mo para sa maximum na 300"

mheloy · « **Reply #10 on:** Mar 20, 2006 at 03:34 PM »

Quote from: nerveblocker on Mar 20, 2006 at 01:03 PM

Yes. It is like watching in a 4:3 TV and when you shift to widescreen mode, lumiliit sya. When you have a dark room, you wouldn't notice the black bars anymore. Maski lumiliit sya sa 16:9 mode, malaki pa rin sya than any other TV! Limitations mo lang talaga eh yung room size mo. Palakihin mo pa kwarto mo para sa maximum na 300"

Thanks sir!

nerveblocker · « **Reply #11 on:** Mar 28, 2006 at 05:19 AM »

Was tinkering with my set up and I was able to achieve darker blacks by shifting the smart picture mode of my DVD player from standard to soft. I had a darker picture but better blacks.

Dracula · « **Reply #12 on:** Mar 28, 2006 at 07:50 AM »

Nerve,

Post ka naman ng screenshots na nakakabit na yung component cables para makita natin yung difference from before

bejiboys · « **Reply #13 on:** Mar 29, 2006 at 09:53 AM »

Seen at Filinvest (just across Astrovision), this same unit for sale at 50k only. FYI.

Dracula · « **Reply #14 on:** Mar 29, 2006 at 10:56 AM »

Quote from: bejiboys on Mar 29, 2006 at 09:53 AM

Seen at Filinvest (just across Astrovision), this same unit for sale at 50k only. FYI.

meron din bang free na screen?

nerveblocker · « **Reply #15 on:** Mar 31, 2006 at 12:24 AM »

I also saw this one at Festival Mall but I do not think they have the free screen to go with it. $:-\$

nerveblocker · « **Reply #16 on:** Apr 02, 2006 at 09:14 AM »

dracula- here are some screenshots with progressive scan

Jurassic Park

Kill Bill

Lord of the Rings

Note: Just showing how the pj performs in dark scenes. As you notice that the picture quality is not as sharp as the brighter scenes. It is the limitation of the camera to take shots in the dark thus the grainy resolution. The picture doesn't justify its true performance.

Dracula · « **Reply #17 on:** Apr 03, 2006 at 09:46 AM »

Nice

Big difference from your previous pictures......

"All I want for chirstmas is a PJ...." ang aga manghingi ano

..........

Mag Front PJ talaga ako!!!!!

crenshaw · « **Reply #18 on:** Apr 04, 2006 at 07:43 AM »

nerve, kmusta kaya sa xbox360 performance ng s3? HD ready na yan diba?

jerix · « **Reply #19 on:** Apr 04, 2006 at 11:03 AM »

Doc, how about the effective hour-lifespan of the bulb? tnx

nerveblocker · « **Reply #20 on:** Apr 05, 2006 at 06:22 AM »

jerix- 2000 hours for normal mode and 3000 hours on eco mode

If you are watching a 2 hour movie a day....it will last you around 4 years if you are running on eco mode before you change your pj lamp.

mel (nirvblakr)

jerix · « **Reply #21 on:** Apr 05, 2006 at 12:23 PM »

thnx Doc! -- have u tested your PJ on both the NORMAL and ECO modes already? whats the quality difference?

I like your review on this because it shows so much of the level of customer satisfaction...

I just included this in my shortlist.

keema · « **Reply #22 on:** Apr 06, 2006 at 02:09 AM »

sir, yung bulb po ba nito napapalitan? mahal ba ang bulb nito? salamat...

nerveblocker · « **Reply #23 on:** Apr 06, 2006 at 08:45 AM »

keema

Quote

Replacement lamp would go from P11500-12500 depending on the dollar rate.

I have discovered that the US counterpart of the EMP-S3 is the Powerlite S3 which has the same replacement lamp. Amazon cost of the replacement lamp is $165.29 = P8600

nerveblocker · « **Reply #24 on:** Apr 06, 2006 at 09:02 AM »

Quote from: jerix on Apr 05, 2006 at 12:23 PM

thnx Doc! -- have u tested your PJ on both the NORMAL and ECO modes already? whats the quality difference?

I like your review on this because it shows so much of the level of customer satisfaction... I just included this in my shortlist.

Honestly, when you try this projector, the normal mode would be bright enough close to a CRT TV already considering its brightness is 1600 ANSI lumens. In watching using a PJ in a dark room, you would want to lower down the brightness thus I shifted to ECO mode (1400 ANSI lumens still higher than most home projectors in normal mode). Everything was fine and later on after watching a few more movies I find it still bright so I shifted my DVD player's video settings from normal to soft. I achieved better blacks and now happy with it.

The settings would be still dependent on your personal preference. Others would still want it bright, others darker and film like.

One thing I've learned, if you have gotten used to watching from CRT TVs before, you would tend to find a pj that would at least come on par with the brightness of a CRT TV. But after watching and getting used to PJs you would want a lower and less bright setting later on. The difference is the room lighting wherein you usually watch in a CRT TV with lights on compared to watching using a PJ with a dark-no-light-room. Mas maarte ang PJs sa room lighting compared to direct view displays.

Everything will be dependent on your room lighting and dimensions for your choice of PJ. The best thing there is to audition a projector in your room which I think would really entail you to schedule with a dealer, etc. So much hassle. Or, you can just buy one based on reviews and just cross your fingers. Hehe!

I still have a lot to know about PJs....and everything I posted is just based on my limited experience. $:-\$

jerix · « **Reply #25 on:** Apr 06, 2006 at 12:18 PM »

thnx again Doc

-- considering the price of the emp-S3 as compared to other PJs in the market and your review on it, this thread i believe will be very hot. M also eyeing a PJ come end of the year, hence my focus is directed to much cheaper PJs such as this one, I hope you continue reporting your observations..

jaytl · « **Reply #26 on:** Apr 06, 2006 at 01:25 PM »

someone is seeling this projector at ebay for 43k only with warranty i think.

nerveblocker · « **Reply #27 on:** Apr 06, 2006 at 02:56 PM »

Quote from: jerix on Apr 06, 2006 at 12:18 PM

thnx again Doc -- considering the price of the emp-S3 as compared to other PJs in the market and your review on it, this thread i believe will be very hot. M also eyeing a PJ come end of the year, hence my focus is directed to much cheaper PJs such as this one, I hope you continue reporting your observations..

Masipag lang siguro ako magpost. Hehe!

Kato · « **Reply #28 on:** Apr 06, 2006 at 04:33 PM »

Quote from: nerveblocker on Apr 06, 2006 at 09:02 AM

Honestly, when you try this projector, the normal mode would be bright enough close to a CRT TV already considering its brightness is 1600 ANSI lumens. In watching using a PJ in a dark room, you would want to lower down the brightness thus I shifted to ECO mode (1400 ANSI lumens still higher than most home projectors in normal mode). Everything was fine and later on after watching a few more movies I find it still bright so I shifted my DVD player's video settings from normal to soft. I achieved better blacks and now happy with it. The settings would be still dependent on your personal preference. Others would still want it bright, others darker and film like.

Bro, you might wanna use calibration DVD's like Avia or DVE (if you haven't done so yet) with your projector. They will greatly help improve your already good PQ and achieve more accurate color reproduction.

These DVD's are so informative to the point of being quite entertaining.

nerveblocker · « **Reply #29 on:** Apr 06, 2006 at 05:45 PM »

Kato

I have my own Home Theater Set-up disc I bought from the States but not Avia but well, it serves its purpose. I have been always using it when I change my display.

Yes it improves the video quality from the factory settings to an ideal set-up for watching movies.