Epson Home Cinema 4010 vs Home Cinema 5050UB: Which Epson Home Cinema Projector is Better for your Home Theater?
Building a home theater setup has been gaining traction, especially with the current situation we are living in today. Home theater setups are great DIY projects you can do that can essentially bring a big difference in your movie experience. You can either go to the traditional television way or the unconventional but cheaper projector route. If I were to write this article 10 years ago, I can confidently recommend televisions over projectors. Years ago, image quality on projectors is not on par with televisions. However, the landscape constantly changes due to advancing technology.
In this article, we are going to compare two projectors from Epson that can output a full 4K resolution with HDR support – Home Cinema 4010 and 5050UB. If you are interested in these projectors and is currently having trouble choosing between them, I can help you with this in-depth article. So, without further ado, let’s start by taking a closer look at their similarities and differences.
Epson Home Cinema 4010 vs Home Cinema 5050UB – Similarities
Quick Glance
| Name | Epson Home Cinema 4010 | Epson Home Cinema 5050UB |
| Projection System | Epson 3LCD, 3-chip technology | Epson 3LCD, 3-chip optical engine |
| Projection Method | Front / Rear / Ceiling mount | Front / Rear / Ceiling mount |
| HDR Capable | Yes | Yes, HDR10 |
| Native Resolution | 1920 x 1080 pixels | 1920 x 1080 pixels |
| Maximum Resolution | 4096 x 2160 pixels | 4096 x 2160 pixels |
| Projected Display Size | 50″ – 300″ | 50″ – 300″ |
| Zoom Capabilities | 1.0 – 2.1 | 1.0 – 2.1 |
| Peak Brightness | 2400 Lumens | 2600 Lumens |
| Contrast Ratio | Up to 200,000:1 | Up to 1,000,000:1, Auto Iris on |
| Color Gamut | 100% DCI-P3 | 100% DCI-P3 |
| Aspect Ratio | 16:9 widescreen (4:3 resize, 16:10 resize) | 16:9 widescreen (4:3 resize, 16:10 resize) |
| Lamp Type | 250 W UHE | 250 W UHE |
| Rated Lamp Life | Up to 5,000 hours (ECO Mode); up to 4,000 hours (Medium Mode); up to 3,500 hours (High Mode) | Up to 5,000 hours (ECO Mode); up to 4,000 hours (Medium Mode); up to 3,500 hours (High Mode) |
| Keystone Correction | Vertical: ±30 degrees (Manual) | Vertical: ±30 degrees (Manual) |
| Audio | No speakers | No speakers |
| Ports | 1x HDMI (HDCP 2.2), 1x HDMI (HDCP 1.4), 1x USB Type A, 1x Mini USB, 1x D-Sub, 1x Trigger Out | 2x HDMI (HDCP 2.2), 1x USB Type A, 1x Mini USB, 1x LAN Port, 1x D-Sub, 1x Trigger Out |
| Item Dimensions (W x D x H) | 20.5 x 17.7 x 6.7 inches | 20.5 x 17.7 x 7.6 inches |
| Item Weight | 24.7 lbs | 24.7 lbs |
| What’s included | Home Cinema 4010 Projector, Power cord, Two HDMI cable clamps, Remote control with AA batteries, Quick Setup Guide | Home Cinema 5050UB Projector, Power cord, Two HDMI cable clamps, Remote control with (2) AA batteries, Quick Setup Guide |
| Price | Check Price on Amazon | Check Price on Amazon |
4K Enhancement Technology
Epson advertises both the Home Cinema 4010 and 5050UB as 4K projects. In actuality, both projectors only have a native resolution of 1080p. Epson uses the 4K Enhancement Technology to make 4K output possible. The 4K resolution is essentially just four 1080p screens. Epson’s technology shifts each pixel diagonally to create a 4K resolution. One huge advantage of choosing projectors over televisions is that you can stretch the image using a projector to up to 300 inches diagonally.
Color Accuracy
Color accuracy is one aspect that Epson has a lot of experience with as they sell other products that need to have color-accurate output such as printers. Epson used a 3-Chip design with both Home Cinema 4010 and 5050UB to attain a great picture quality. Thanks to this technology, these projectors can output the whole DCI-P3 coverage. Therefore, it guarantees you that all the content you watch with these projectors is color accurate and vivid. On top of that, both projectors are HDR-capable.
Keystone Correction
Keystone correction helps with keeping the projected image as square as possible regardless of its position. Both the Home Cinema 4010 and 5050UB has manual keystone correction of up to 30 degrees. However, you can only do vertical adjustments.
Epson Home Cinema 4010 vs Home Cinema 5050UB – Differences
Picture Quality
The picture quality comes first in any projector. Bad picture quality can translate to a bad movie experience.
Epson Home Cinema 4010Aside from being color accurate, the Home Cinema 4010 can output a decent peak brightness of 2400 lumens. Even with little ambient light in the room, colors and contrast will not be washed out. Speaking of contrast, its contrast ratio is lower at only 200,000:1. Although it has a lower contrast ratio compared with the 5050UB, it is still relatively high compared with other projectors in the market.
Epson Home Cinema 5050UBOn the other hand, the Home Cinema 5050UB is just on a whole other level. It bumps up its peak brightness to 2600 lumens and drastically increased its contrast ratio by five folds to 1 million is to 1. These impressive specifications gave the 5050UB an HDR10 rating which will be discussed shortly.
The Winner Is- Epson Home Cinema 5050UB
HDR Capabilities
HDR gives more life and realism to the content you are consuming. It makes the colors pop and the black parts dark.
Epson Home Cinema 4010The full 10-bit color output plus the high contrast ratio of the Home Cinema 4010 makes it a projector with a high dynamic range. Therefore, this projector can deliver an extraordinary range of colors with great details in either bright or dark scenes. However, compared to the 5050UB, its HDR capabilities are not that wide and impressive.
Epson Home Cinema 5050UBEpson put its UltraBlack Technology with its Home Cinema 5050UB to attain its astonishingly high contrast ratio. Moreover, the 5050UB has the Precision HDR Adjustment with 16-steps of control that corrects the HDR of your content in real-time. The 5050UB is HDR10-compliant assuring you of its color accuracy and HDR capabilities out of the box.
The Winner Is- Epson Home Cinema 5050UB
Ports
Although both projectors have two HDMI ports, there is one little difference that you should take note of.
Epson Home Cinema 4010The Home Cinema 4010 has two HDMI ports, one of which supports HDCP 2.2 while the other only supports HDCP 1.4. The difference between these two is the maximum output resolution they can project. For HDCP 2.2, you can project the full 4K resolution at a 60-hertz refresh rate. However, you can only output 1080p with HDCP 1.4.
Epson Home Cinema 5050UBOn the other hand, you can take advantage of the full 4K resolution at 60 hertz with either HDMI ports since both are HDCP 2.2. Moreover, you can install the 5050UB as your network projector since it has a LAN port at the back.
The Winner Is- Epson Home Cinema 5050UB
Pros and Cons
Epson Home Cinema 4010
Pros:
- Although it does not have an HDR10 rating, the Home Cinema 4010 still gives you a great movie experience for its cheaper price.
- It has Epson’s 4K Enhancement Technology giving you the crisp and high definition 4K resolution.
- It covers the whole 100% DCI-P3 color gamut.
Cons:
- Its picture quality is not even close compared with the Home Cinema 5050UB.
Epson Home Cinema 5050UB
Pros:
- The picture quality that the Home Cinema 5050UB offers is lightyears ahead of the Home Cinema 4010.
- It is HDR10 compliant which guarantees wide HDR capabilities.
- You can connect two devices that can output 4K resolution at 60 hertz without reseating the HDMI cable every time.
Cons:
- You will pay a hefty amount more for the 5050UB.
Final Verdict
This comparison has not been a fair fight for the Home Cinema 4010 from the very beginning. The price difference between these two projectors is large. That is exactly why the Home Cinema 5050UB crushed its competition. However, some people want the best picture quality for the best theater-like movie experience. Perhaps, you are one of these people. Then, go ahead get the 5050UB because you won’t be disappointed. However, to more budget-conscious people, Home Cinema 4010 is the way to go.