The ‘4K Pro UHD’ EH-LS500

Here in Australia there wasn’t much time between Epson’s September 2020 release of the EH-LS500 (which went on to win a Sound+Image Award) and the January 2021 release of the EH-LS300. But in fact the LS500 was first unveiled in 2019, so there’s as much as a full year of development between the two.

It is not, therefore, simply a case of the LS300 having 1920 x 1080 resolution versus the LS500 doubling that, using a 4K input signal and Epson’s 4K Pro UHD technology to deliver something of more impressive and smoother resolution. Notably the smarts are much more developed in the newer model, whereas the LS500 originally lacked a TV interface at all, until it was bundled with a stick as the ‘Android edition’ to enable it to be marketed alongside rivals which have been describing their ultrashort-throws as ‘laser TVs’, a term Epson is now also using for the more integrated LS300.

Nevertheless we’ll vouch for the picture quality of the LS500 as being a level above. It fully employs the High Dynamic Range and wider colour information available from 4K input signals, employing 10-bit HDR and 12-bit video processing to assist in delivering smooth tonal transitions. As for the 3840 x 2160 input resolution, this is remapped for projection using its 1920 x 1080 panels, which are pixel-shifted once to deliver two overlapping images per frame, a total of around four million pixels, so half the number of actual Ultra High Definition 4K. Epson has strong arguments in favour of this technology over DLP systems which use four flashes per frame to deliver the full UHD resolution, noting the value of Epson’s better brightness and contrast, and especially its use of three larger 0.74-inch panels compared to the single 0.47-inch DLP470TP micromirror device plus colour wheel used in nearly all entry-to-midlevel 4K DLP projectors. That’s a big difference in area, so each pixel is larger, brighter and, all other things being equal, also less prone to noise. The same argument occurs in the camera industry, where the argument of ‘more pixels’ versus ‘larger pixels’ invariably comes down on the side of larger pixels. It’s easy to think that resolution is everything

— TV manufacturers are the leading brainwashers in this regard — but we’ve confirmed the benefit of Epson’s technology in several previous projectors, and again it shines here.

We also experienced no problem with frame rate (on either Epson) from regular inputs, whereas we regularly find DLP-based projectors which are locked to 60Hz by the Texas Instrument chip within, delivering unavoidable judder with 50Hz material and, entirely unforgiveably, with the 24 frames per second of nearly every movie ever made. From the LS500’s supplied Android stick, however, it did seem that a 60Hz lockdown was in force, so that we’d recommend streaming from an external source.

We used the minijack analogue audio output for sound, although there is also HDMI ARC as an option, or the two built-in 10W speakers. Unlike Stephen’s pass grade given to the speakers in the LS300 review, our Editor pronounced the LS500’s built-in speakers to sound unlistenably harsh, boxy, entirely devoid of bass and unmusical. Don’t factor them in for any use other than very low-level speech, and even then he’ll be amazed if you can bear listening to them. You must use an external audio system of some kind with this projector.

With just two HDMI sockets available we plugged a Fetch PVR into one and a 4K AppleTV into the other. To play 4K Blu-rays we physically swapped out cables, taking care not to nudge the projector out of position while doing so.

Again consider your bench space: the pictures are deceptive. For a 100-inch image the projector lens needs to be 65cm from the screen or wall, for a 120-inch image the distance needs to be around 74cm, and the projector will extend out another 12cm or so beyond that lens distance. (For 130 inches, the figure is 82cm, the projector front now 94cm from the wall.) So go measure your bench depth to see if you can accommodate the Epson.

Despite the impressive brightness here, extreme ambient light will still wash it out (one of Epson’s ALR screens will improve this), so that for bright rooms a TV remains a far superior day-time display. Once direct sun passes by, however, the bigscreen projection from the LS500 comes to life, and Epson’s 4K Pro UHD proved its merits with an image not only bright but smooth and well-coloured, along with most if not all of Epson’s usual excellent adjustment image options to get the very best results (no Skin Tone slider, no Super White option under Advanced, but full RGBCMY hue/saturation/ brightness tweaks).