Those in the know will already be aware of Epson, and its fantastic range of projectors. For those that are unfamiliar with the brand, I’ll let you in on a secret… we’re quite excited to get in its latest model. And that’s a massive understatement!
Epson’s new 3LCD EHTW6700 (tap here for the full specifications & latest pricing) is an incredible Full HD projector with an immensely bright picture. The advantage of LCD projectors is how they handle and display the image. Splitting the image into the three primary colours, it is capable of displaying a brighter image with improved black levels and contrast. It also negates the issue of “rainbow effect”. This is when images break-up into the comprising colours when viewed on a DLP projector.
This unit itself is BIG, coming at at 6.9kg. It could be a little overwhelming for some slightly smaller rooms, but the size is the compromise for great performance. We had ours set-up on a 92″ screen roughly 3m from the projector. The configuration was a breeze, thanks to one of the projectors biggest trump-cards, lens shift. This moves the projected image up to 60% vertically or 24% horizontally, without affecting the keystone (squashing at either end) of the image. Combining this with optical zoom and keystone correction, we saw excellent results in little-to-no time.
With some other brands the remotes and user interface can be can difficult to navigate, but the EHTW6700 was easy and quick. Whether you’re ceiling mounting or positioning on a desktop, you can achieve near perfect images in a matter of minutes. We only have a 92″ screen, however then Epson can fill a huge 300″ screen in optimal conditions.
Another key selling point of the EHTW6700 is the brightness. If you’re not one of the lucky people who have the joy of blacking-out your entire room/cinema, then fear not. The projector is bright… like really, really bright! In non-energy saving mode, it pushes out 3000 lumens, enough for even daylight conditions.
For connectivity, it’s very straightforward, with everything you would expect: 2 HDMI inputs, as well as an audio out and a PC connection too.
It does have speakers in it, and I’ll be the first to admit, it’s one of the best I’ve heard, but that doesn’t mean it’s any good. Projector speakers are not good, they always have been this way and they always will be. Please disregard any reviews you read that say anything else. I understand speakers on a sub £500 projector, but the EHTW6700 should take pride of place in your living room, wired into a dedicated sound system. I can’t stress this enough. Unfortunately, when it comes to projectors it’s not a case of pick one, buy one and take it home. There are factors to bear in mind.
The EHTW6700 is an ideal companion for nearly every home cinema set-up
For this test we had ours rigged up to an Onkyo TXNR656 AV receiver, and for my initial test I used David Attenborough’s Planet Earth II. The ’6700 offers a beautiful crisp image fresh out of the box, with a very accurate colour spectrum. Sifting though the picture modes I was much happier with “natural mode”. I found the colour representation to be a little more accurate, and really gave the picture a degree of subtlety, while maintaining a good level of sharpness that looked just perfect. To get the best out of it, we used a Spears and Munsil calibration disc, and I would recommend you also get one to really hit optimal performance.
Epson seem to have hit the nail on the head with the EHTW6700; it’s a very easy to use projector that gives a fantastic image, even on the brightest of days. While I do wish those blacks could be kicked up a notch, I’m not going to hold that against it. It’s a sacrifice worth having, especially if you can’t black-out your room.
If you’d like to see it in action, or discuss anything mentioned in this review further, please pop-in to your local store today.
Author: Garrett, Plymouth store
