Epson’s 3LCD projector gives you ease-of-use and smart functionality to take your media-viewing up a notch.
Projectors were once a hot commodity for entertainment and movie-lovers, but with the introduction (and subsequent affordability) of larger and smarter TVs, projectors seem to have fallen by the wayside. However, Epson’s EH-TW5820 is one such device entertainment fans should take note of.
Long-life lamp
A concern around projectors is the set-up process, usability, and longevity (you know, that pesky issue about the lifespan of the bulb), but with the EH-TW5820, you could watch a film every day for 11 years thanks to the long-lasting lamp light source, Epson says. is all about convenience. It’s compact, powerful, and delivers 1080p projection without too many complicated features. According to Epson, you could watch a film every day for 11 years before it would need replacing.
It features Epson’s 3LCD technology, which is up to three times brighter than other 1-chip DLP projectors on the market. This means you get an extremely bright and strong colour contrast (even in not-so-dark rooms) rather than that ‘washed-out’ look some projectors provide.
Cinema mode
And this is thanks to the 2 700 lumens and a 70 000:1 contrast ratio that the TW5820 can deliver. What you get is a strong and rich picture quality, which you can obviously play around with in the settings to find the visual look you desire. The ‘cinema’ mode added a lot of depth to the black colours and enhanced the brights. This became a favourite of ours during our time with the projector.
As for the image size, the TW5820 can throw a projection onto the wall that rivals the size of a 60-80-inch TV with ease. What’s even better, is that the projector has a keystone correction and lens shift slider. This lets you adjust the orientation of the projected image to compensate for the angle of the projector. So, even if you have to put the projector to the side of the room or at an awkward angle, you can still get a perfect rectangular image, rather than a slanted or distorted picture.
Built-in speaker
On the back of the projector, you get an HDMI 1.4 and Stereo mini jack audio out, which gives you the option to run any device you have your media on into the projector, and the ability to connect an external speaker system. Speaking of, it does have an internal speaker, which is pretty decent and can deliver a volume level that’ll do the job. It’s not going to bring the bass for those explosive blockbusters and high-tension moments, however.
The device does have Bluetooth, so you can sync it to an existing audio set-up (which is recommended if you have one) and comes with Android TV built into it. Having a native Android system on the projector is a huge bonus. It makes the TW5820 its own media box, with Netflix, YouTube, and all other potential Google Play apps available.
Conclusion and price
Realistically, if you own a huge TV, you might not feel you need a projector. However, if you love that cinematic look and feel, are passionate about gaming on a huge display, or if you’re a sports-fanatic or movie-lover looking for a big screen (but don’t have the space or R100k for a TV) the TW5820 is a great option for an 80-inch viewing area.
The Epson TW5820 is priced at R24 000 and scores 5 out of 5.
5.0 out of 5.0 stars
