Epson reveals life in 4K

I have to admit something quite shocking… I’m not really a gamer. I left that addiction, apologies “hobby”, behind in my teens. In those days I did my bit to manipulate dad into supporting the Nintendo industry and played Mario Brothers and Donkey Kong on a console, most would probably call retro, or dare I say even antique, now. I grew out of the video game phase, or so I thought…

…Let’s chat about the day Epson encouraged me to release my dormant gaming beast, I believed was locked away in a deep and dark dungeon. However, the hideously unladylike and competitive me reared her ugly head when Epson invited me to partake in a gaming evening to celebrate their recently launched range of Full HD and 4K-enhanced 3LCD projectors. How could I say no?

This new range of projectors was specifically designed to create immersive home theatre experiences and offer crystal-clear and detail-enhanced viewing experiences for anyone from film fanatics to sports lovers to gamers and tech enthusiasts. The demos were seriously insane, which is the impression I think I gave when I stepped up to the driving wheel…

“As the first global brand to introduce a range of 3LCD projectors that support 4K-enhanced technology and High Dynamic Range (HDR) playback, Epson continues to position itself as a world-leader in projection technology and innovation,” says Timothy Wilson, VI Product Manager at Epson South Africa.

“Epson’s 4K-enhanced projectors are designed to create incredible big-screen experiences in homes of virtually any size, making home-cinema experiences accessible to all users, which is a remarkable achievement for us and for the projector industry. We believe this will significantly impact how consumers think about their home viewing experiences.”

So, if you are blessed with the space for a home theatre system, then have a look at the Epson EH-TW7300 and/or the Epson EH-TW9300. Epson dubbed these “the deluxe home theatre experiences with two 4K-enhanced premium projectors”.

Initial introduction was made to the Epson EH-TW9300 which was set up as a home cinema. White couches and foot stools and the ever so cleverly enlisted bonus popcorn made you want to sit back and relax. The EH-TW9300 boasts exceptional image quality, with a vivid white and colour output of 2 500 lumens, high contrast ratio and deep blacks. It’s the ultimate projector for a spacious living area that requires a huge screen size and uncompromised visual quality over longer distances.

But if you are short on space and yet still dream of a great home entertainment experience that makes the mates green with envy, then Epson has answered those prayers too. The Epson EH-TW6700 3LCD projector was the second projector revealed on the night. It combines all the features of high-end projection models into a more attractively-priced package, turning even the most compact spaces into gaming, sport and movie-watching havens.

Epson’s 3LCD technology offers higher levels of colour light output than the more traditional digital light processing projectors, and the Epson EH-TW6700 is a full HD 2D and 3D projector which, according to Epsom, is easy to install, is equipped with both horizontal and vertical lens shift. This means that the EH-TW6700 can be placed far off-centre to a screen, and still project three times’ brighter*, accurate images, making it the ideal choice for those in a more compact or angular living space.

I was shown the Wi-Fi capability, that allows users to play content from a tablet or smart phone, while a mobile high-definition link (MHL) cable can also be used to connect a wide range of MHL-compatible devices to the projector, converting content to a higher resolution on a bigger screen. Jungle Book was on the playlist that night but ideally sport fans can bring their dreams of a home bar to life with this easy-to-install projector.

The final station was where I lost my dignity and scary Clary might have reared her ugly head. This is why I don’t engage in competitive anything anymore because it just gets UGLY!
The Epson EH-TW7300 was set up as a racecourse and the weaving and bobbing was so realistic, I literally felt like I had motion sickness. That didn’t stop me from trying again though… The EH-TW7300 projector literally hauls you onto the racetrack or battlefield, obviously depending on your virtual preference of gaming or cinema. Frame interpolation and incredible detail enhancement provides smooth transitions during fast-moving action scenes. Epson claims the projector can easily convert 2D high definition films into 3D experiences (although this wasn’t actually demonstrated).

So if you’re still unsure whether you’d enjoy playing the host of movie marathons or gaming tournaments or perhaps even prefer to Grinch it up at home, I’ve included some specs below that could leave you salivating and should assist in decision-making.

Epson EH-TW6700:

• Full HD 3LCD technology
• Displays 2D and 3D video
• Frame interpolation and detail enhancemen
• Watch a movie a day for seven years**
• Wide lens shift
• 70,000: 1 contrast ratio
• Optional Wi-Fi capability
• RRP: R27,775.00 ex VAT

Epson EH-TW7300:

• 4K-enhanced and 3LCD technology with full HD, UHD BD and HDR support
• Watch a movie a day for seven years
• Fully motorised optics for powerful zoom, focus and lens shift functionality
• Frame interpolation and detail enhancement for more fluid motion graphics and less blur
• RRP: R36,435.00 ex VAT

Epson EH-TW9300:

• 4K-enhanced and 3LCD technology with full HD, UHD BD and HDR support
• Watch a movie a day for seven years
• Incredible definition and the deepest blacks
• High 1,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio
• Fully motorised optics for powerful zoom, focus and lens shift functionality
• RRP: R46,250.00 ex VAT.

P.S. Full disclosure: My score left me somewhere at the lower end of the scoreboard without a position on the podium but an enormous appetite to win. BUT… and it’s a huge one, not everyone made it onto the scoreboard in the first place! Boom!

* Compared to leading 1-chip DLP home entertainment projectors. Epson 720p projectors are three times brighter; Epson 1080p projectors are consistently two and up to three times brighter. Based on NPD data, July 2011 through June 2012. Colour brightness (Colour Light Output) measured in accordance with IDMS 15.4. Colour brightness will vary depending on usage conditions.
** Based on watching an average 1hr 45mins film every day and the lamp set in Eco mode.