Epson home projectors - put all the dots above i (part 2)
(The post was updated and supplemented in March 2016 in connection with the update of the Epson home projectors line)
In the first part of this series of posts we tried to reveal the essence of the main characteristics of home projectors, and now we just have to do what it was all about - to tell, actually , about the line of home projectors Epson and about how one model differs from another.
Next, we will discuss all current models of home projectors, except for the latest Epson EH-LS10000 laser high-end projector , which we described in a previous post. If you can afford Epson EH-LS10000, take it without even reading the post =)
From senior to junior
At the time of publication of the post (March 2016), the actual models of home projectors can be divided by functionality into three groups: junior, middle and senior.
In the older group is the model Epson EH-TW9200 , which is considered "affordable high-end projector." This is the flagship of the line.
In the middle group are the projectors:
- Epson EH-TW7200 , the "lightweight" version of the EH-TW9200, designed primarily for the darkened rooms of real "home theaters."
- Epson EH-TW6600 , a model designed for ordinary living rooms and living rooms.
- Epson EH-TW6100 , time-tested model, today this projector can be considered a compromise between the EH-TW6600 and EH-TW5300
And the younger group (although it is already very successful to call it “younger”, read on):
- Epson EH-TW5300 , the entry-level new universal home full-HD projector, the successor to the EH-TW5200.
- Epson EH-TW5210 , the lightest version of the EH-TW5300, giving the best price.
- Epson EH-TW5350 , version EH-TW5300 with support for wireless video transmission via Miracast and WiDi.
- Epson EH-TW570, a very bright projector with HD resolution, designed primarily for watching sports and TV, as well as computer games.
The main characteristics of the projectors
| Younger group | ||||
| EH-TW570 | EH-TW5210 | EH-TW5300 | EH-TW5350 | |
| Resolution | 1280 × 800 | 1920 × 1080 | 1920 × 1080 | 1920 × 1080 |
| Contrast | 15,000: 1 | 30,000: 1 | 35,000: 1 | 35,000: 1 |
| Brightness | 3000 lm | 2200 Lm | 2200 Lm | 2200 Lm |
| Middle group | Senior group | |||
| EH-TW6100 | EH-TW6600 | EH-TW7200 | EH-TW9200 | |
| Resolution | 1920 × 1080 | 1920 × 1080 | 1920 × 1080 | 1920 × 1080 |
| Contrast | 40,000: 1 | 70,000: 1 | 120,000: 1 | 600,000: 1 |
| Brightness | 2300 lm | 2500 Lm | 2000 Lm | 2400 lm |
- Epson EH-TW7200 / EH-TW9200 projectors - the highest contrast, ideal for professionally trained home cinema.
- Epson EH-TW6100 and Epson EH-TW6600 - high contrast, the perfect contrast for the living room with the lights off and good - for home cinema. Epson EH-TW6600 has a higher ANSI contrast.
- The initial group of projectors - Epson EH-TW5XXX - a very good contrast for the living room with the lights off and the average - for the home theater.
In other words, it is precisely between the Epson EH-TW5300 and Epson EH-TW6100 that the first ANSI contrast jump occurs, although judging by official figures, everything looks exactly the opposite. In this case, the general rule should be remembered: the higher the contrast ratio of the projector, the better the room should be darkened so that you can really see it. For example, it would be quite wasteful to use Epson EH-TW9200in a lit room. Although it allows you to achieve 2400 lumens in the brightest image mode, which makes it a very versatile and flexible model, but in the most accurate color mode, its brightness is calculated just under a well-darkened room and is not very high. The same statement is true for Epson EH-TW7200, and to an even greater extent. These two projectors best show themselves in a home theater , not in the living room.
The best option for a living room is Epson EH-TW6600 . This projector has the brightest accurate color mode , which is ideal for living rooms and living rooms. This projector will be able to convey to the viewer in its original form the color palette of the film, coping with a small amount of light in the room, including light reflected from white walls and ceilings. In general, projectors of the middle and older groups have close to perfect color reproduction, and Epson EH-TW9200 has an ISF certificate and has almost perfect color accuracy without additional calibration.
About the Epson EH-TW6100 projector little is said, although it occupies a unique position for the price - as the most affordable projector of the average price category.
It is noticeably cheaper than the EH-TW6600, but has a significantly higher ANSI contrast than the Epson EH-TW5300. Being a "lightweight version" of older models, Epson EH-TW6100 has a more massive body than the younger models. This gives almost complete noiseless operation of the cooling system, but this model does not have a “lens shift”, which allows you to set the projector to the left / right or above / below the position in the center of the screen. The Epson EH-TW6100 should ideally be located in the center of the screen, so that you will most likely prefer a fixed installation on the ceiling mount at home. In this case, the absence of a “lens shift” is not a problem. With a desktop installation, the lower boundary of the image will be slightly above the center of the lens. Again, starting with this model you get a powerful optical zoom - in this case, 1.6x,
The big news was the recent update to the entry-level home projectors line. The proven model Epson EH-TW5200 has been upgraded to Epson EH-TW5300 . You can read more about testing the new projector and the comparison with the Epson EH-TW5200 in our special blog post at Geektimes . Epson EH-TW5350 is a version of the EH-TW5300 with the ability to "mirror" the picture on it through Miracast and WiDi. Epson EH-TW5210is a slightly trimmed version of the Epson EH-TW5300, and it is even cheaper than its predecessor, the Epson EH-TW5200. During testing, it was found that the capabilities of Epson EH-TW5300 / EH-TW5350 have expanded not only evolutionarily. Certainly, the color rendition has improved, ANSI-contrast has improved, new functions have been added, the brightness in the standard power mode has been increased, and the lamp life in the economy mode has been increased ...
The revolution was a significant reduction in the delay of the output signal, so that these models can now become an excellent choice for gamers! All improvements significantly closer this series of projectors in terms of image quality in ordinary premises to the average price group. It is worth recalling that all Epson projectors have the same high maximum (white) and color brightness ( see our post on Habré on this topic ). This allows you to get excellent results in partially lit rooms, allows you to use 100% brightness of the projector, without getting terrible compromises on color reproduction. In general, we do not hide our enthusiasm for the value that these three models represent!
Epson EH-TW570is the brightest projector from the entire line of Epson home projectors, capable of projecting a colorful image from even in fairly well-lit rooms. Due to the high color brightness, it will give noticeably better color reproduction in such conditions than many projectors based on competing technologies. It can also be used as a projector for watching movies, sports, TV and games on the big screen. Due to its small size, you can also take it with you to a friend or even to a business meeting.
There is no "rainbow"
All Epson projectors are guaranteed to be deprived of the “rainbow effect”, which can be noticeable from other manufacturers' projectors in contrasting scenes, for example, if you accidentally move your eyes across the screen.
Image enhancement features
| Younger group | ||||
| EH-TW570 | EH-TW5210 | EH-TW5300 | EH-TW5350 | |
| Epson Cinema Filter | not | not | not | not |
| Super Resolution | not | not | not | not |
| Frame Interpolation | not | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Middle group | Senior group | |||
| EH-TW6100 | EH-TW6600 | EH-TW7200 | EH-TW9200 | |
| Epson Cinema Filter | not | not | Yes | Yes |
| Super Resolution | Yes | in 2D and 3D | in 2D and 3D | in 2D and 3D |
| Frame Interpolation | not | not | Yes | Yes |
Why do something to "improve"?
The fact is that at the moment we are still living by the rather old standards of the era of HD and Blu-ray. This applies both to clarity and to the coverage of the color palette. A good idea for expensive projectors is the opportunity to offer the buyer to see their collection of Blu-ray and DVD-films in a new light. "Epson Cinema Filter" allows you to see more saturated colors that are beyond the standard HD (Rec.709). This optical filter is automatically turned on in the “Cinema” mode of Epson EH-TW7200 and Epson EH-TW9200 projectors.
"Interpolation of personnel"make smooth those scenes in which the movement of the camera or objects occurs and it looked too sharp and jerky. Surely most readers are already familiar with this technology. Of course, those viewers who do not like the “digital video effect” will prefer not to use this opportunity.
"Super Resolution" will allow you to emphasize subtle details when viewing quality-mastered Blu-ray discs, producing a feeling of higher resolution. The second purpose of this function is to increase the definition of DVD Video when displayed in the native full HD-format for the projector. Of course, all these functions are turned on and off at the request of the user, and the intensity of video processing can be adjusted. It is also worth noting that the same function can be implemented in several different ways in different projectors.
Easy installation
| Younger group | |||
| EH-TW570 | EH-TW5210 | EH-TW5300 / EH-TW5350 | |
| Zoom | 1.2x | 1.2x | 1.2x |
| Lens shift | not | not | not |
| Trapezoid correction | Werth: ± 30 ° Gore: ± 30 ° | Werth: ± 30 ° Gore: ± 30 ° | Werth: ± 30 ° Gore: ± 30 ° |
| Trapezoid Auto Correction | vertically | not | vertically |
| Middle group | Senior group | |||
| EH-TW6100 | EH-TW6600 | EH-TW7200 | EH-TW9200 | |
| Zoom | 1.6x | 1.6x | 2.1x | 2.1x |
| Lens shift | not | Werth: 60% of the Mountains: 24% | Werth: 96% of mountains: 47% | Werth: 96% of mountains: 47% |
| Trapezoid correction | Werth: ± 30 ° Gore: ± 30 ° | Werth: ± 30 ° Gore: ± 30 ° | Werth: ± 30 ° | Werth: ± 30 ° |
| Trapezoid Auto Correction | vertically | not | not | not |
The Epson EH-TW9200 model provides a mount for an anamorphic lens , which allows, without adjusting the lens settings each time, to display on a widescreen screen both regular movies in 16: 9 format and their widescreen versions with an aspect ratio of 2.4: 1. The Epson EH-TW6600 also has a zoom and lens shift, although its range is slightly smaller.
Younger models are much more limited by the owner in the installation options. They project the image not in the center of the lens, but with a fixed vertical offset (offset) up (with a desktop installation) or down (when mounted on a ceiling mount). The projection calculator on our site will help you to accurately determine the installation parameters .
Models of the initial group are compact, weigh less than 3 kg and are easy to transport, and the digital geometry correction allows, even if the brightness is slightly degraded, to position the projectors at a vertical or horizontal angle to the screen. The entire younger group has an automatic vertical tilt correction , and the horizontal correction is controlled by a special slider, which is located next to the lens adjustment and allows you to adjust the image geometry with one hand movement. The projectors of the middle group, EH-TW6100 and EH-TW6600 are equipped with powerful stereo speakers, allowing, if necessary, to do without an external sound system. For younger models, the built-in speakers are weaker, and older models are not equipped with them for understandable audiophile considerations.
Work with 3D
| Younger group | ||
| EH-TW570 | EH-TW5300 / EH-TW5210 / EH-TW5350 | |
| 1080p 3D (HDMI 1.4) | Yes | Yes |
| Bright 480 Hz Drive | Yes | Yes |
| 3D glasses | ELPGS03, sold separately | ELPGS03, sold separately |
| RF technology | Yes | Yes |
| 2D to 3D conversion | Yes | not |
| Middle group | Senior group | |||
| EH-TW6100 | EH-TW6600 | EH-TW7200 | EH-TW9200 | |
| 1080p 3D (HDMI 1.4) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Bright 480 Hz Drive | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 3D glasses | ELPGS03, 1 pc. in set | ELPGS03, 1 pc. in set | ELPGS03, 1 pc. in set | ELPGS03, 2 pcs. in set |
| RF technology | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 2D to 3D conversion | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
One of Epson's 3D features is high brightness and vibrant colors. The dull image is a typical 3D problem, and in Epson home projectors this problem is solved not only due to the initially large margin of brightness, which gives 3LCD technology, but also thanks to the technology "Bright 3D Drive" , which gives an increase in brightness up to 15% when using active 3D points. Radio frequency synchronization technology 3D-glasses provides the highest stability, even in the absence of eye contact with the projector.
In the settings, the user can choose two color rendering modes in 3D: a brighter “Dynamic” mode and a “Cinema” mode designed for dark rooms. It is also possible to adjust the “3D depth” parameter. Some projectors also allow you to convert 2D video to 3D on the fly.
At last
As we have said, starting with the EH-TW6100, a large case and an extremely quiet cooling system are used. Even more quietly, any projector works in the “Eco-mode” of the lamp, at the same time saving a resource. Estimated lamp life for the models we described is as follows:
| TW570 | TW5300 TW5210 / 5350 | TW6100 | TW6600 | TW7200 | TW9200 | |
| Resource at normal power, h | 5000 | 4,000 | 4,000 | 3500 | 4,000 | 4,000 |
| Resource in Eco mode, h | 6000 | 7500 | 5000 | 5000 | 5000 | 5000 |
In any case, even the most zealous users who use the projector as a “screen” for their computer or spinning movies day after day do not spend more than 8 hours and 5 days a week in front of the projector screen. It turns out that even in such a ruthless mode of operation without interruptions, the output lamps of the projector will last at least two years. I emphasize that this is subject to the daily use of a home projector for 7-8 hours. It is difficult to imagine such conditions for a home projector.
It should also be noted that the Epson EH-TW570, EH-TW5210 / EH-TW5300 / EH-TW5350 and EH-TW6600 projectors support the HDMI MHL standard, which allows you to project from mobile devices with their simultaneous charging. The Epson EH-TW570 model additionally supports USB projection, in which case the sound is also transmitted to the projector, and the projector’s remote control can act as a wireless mouse. Here is a universal projector for both home and business.
In this article, we deliberately paid attention to the high-end laser projector EH-LS10000 based on the new 3LCD Reflective technology. In general, we talked about it in a previous blog post .
We thank you for your attention
Perhaps we have listed all the most important features of the current line of Epson home projectors. We hope this information will help you navigate our line and accurately understand the purpose of each model.
Of course, we are always open for communication and ready to answer your questions.