Epson Unveils Latest Home Cinema Projectors
Wireless HD 3D, 2D to 3D conversion and even an iPod compatible portable model revealed as Epson try to woo you into upgrading your home cinema set-up
I'll say up front, before What Culture sent me to Berlin's annual consumer technology show - IFA (Internationale Funkausstellung Berlin) - last week, I wasn't aware that Epson even made home cinema projectors. To my embarrassment it turns out they have been market leader in the field for the past decade, with 42 new projector products this year across home, professional and education markets. In 2011 the emphasis of the company's newly unveiled home range is understandably on 3D, as well as improved 2D. Yet there were also a few surprises and some nifty innovations too, with the world's first iPod/iPad compatible projector in particular attracting a lot of attention. That device (the snappily named MG-850HD) isn't the smallest - certainly when compared to increasingly tiny Pico projectors - yet it is capable of displaying much higher resolution images than the usual portable unit and has 2 decent built-in 10W speakers. It's also incredibly light and features a cleverly concealed carry handle, with Epson reps keen to emphasise its suitability for parties and general entertaining. As you'd imagine, you can use the iPod dock to project whatever films you've downloaded to the device, which admittedly look pretty dodgy projected on a large screen (the footage of the film Invictus we were shown wasn't exactly high quality) but, hey, it's another option. It's more ideally suited to presentations and (I think) maybe even impromptu art installations, as well as more standard home use where it outputs 720p HD. Central to this portable concept, it isn't a faff to set up, thanks to the new "Keystone correction" controls - which allow you to quickly find the best horizontal plane for the beam with a simple dial mounted above the lens. The company's European business manager for projectors, Valerie Riffaud-Cangelosi, said the new system is so intuitive "you don't need to read the manual, before adding with a laugh, in fact we know most people don't!" With this easy set up you could feasibly carry a high-quality projector around a mate's house, plug it up to an X-Box and play four-player Halo in HD on a huge screen within minutes of arriving. Hardly something you'd have even contemplated doing in the past. In fact Epson were quite keen to put a lot of the age old worries about home projectors to bed in Berlin. For instance, lamp life on the new models (in "eco-mode" at least) is supposed to stand at around 5,000 hours. The aforementioned Keystone correction is included on all the new models, allowing you to place the projector almost anywhere you want - reducing the need for a specialised bracket or complicated installation. Whilst the manufacturer also showed off two new wireless models which offer full, lossless 3D HD (it really works, with Tron: Legacy looking spectacular in so-called WiHD on the show floor) - so ugly wires need not even be a barrier to having one in the home. Less impressive were the 2D models, but only because they are so sharp in my opinion, too sharp (a problem I also have with high-end LCD TVs, so this might just be me, fans of cold impartial judgements). Watching The Dark Knight and Sherlock Holmes in 2D on the EH-TW9000, there was something creepy, even slightly uncanny, about the images. I suppose I'm just not used to the increased quality to the point where it becomes distracting. That was certainly the explanation offered when I put the question to Riffaud-Cangelosi, who said that the ability to see even the smallest blemishes takes some getting used to: "it's more real" she says, recalling watching a version of Mr & Mrs Smith where she could make out every previously imperceptible imperfection on Angelina Jolie's skin: "it's not wrong, it's just so real that you can now see things you couldn't see... that you wouldn't like to see!" With each model boasting of lots of colour settings, Im willing to bet that if (like me) you dont want to get used to that type of image there will be ways of altering it for your liking. I suspect the sharpness was maximised during the demonstrations to show off the tech at its full power. Incidentally, we were also told these projectors are bright enough that they still work perfectly in varied light conditions though we were shown them running in controlled, optimal conditions, so I cant tell you how true that is. The same is true with regards to the TW9000s vaunted 2D to 3D conversion, which has some impressive new tech behind it, but which was not demoed for the crowds at IFA. Read into that what you will. Despite the increased quality, improved ease of use and more affordable price point (still expensive, starting at just under £600, but cheap compared to a few years ago), the projector supremo accepts that these products will remain a specialist niche in the market, even if it's an increasingly big one. Of the TW9000W she concedes that even with increasingly intuitive menus and controls it wont appeal to every user - and that's not the goal as she sees it: "how can we make it simpler for everyday use? I can find some way to make it easier, but it's still an installation model." With this in mind, the company aren't yet looking to replace your existing TV: "the main trend is complimentary. You can watch the 8pm news on your flatscreen, but if you're really a cinema lover this is something else." But doesn't full 3D HD cinema in the home pose a threat to cinemas? Multiplexes have long seen the technology as a way to offer a unique experience previously unavailable in the home. Though Riffaud-Cangelosi, again, says the two are complimentary, not competitive: "the true cinema lover wants to replicate the experience afterwards. We're just extending the experience." Fans of cold, hard facts need only look below to see the full technical breakdown of the new projector range, including the UK prices: