Epson EH-TW6700
FOR Punchy image; easy to set up; handles motion well AGAINST Upscaling could be better; more subtlety needed
If a projector is some kind of halfway point between the big-screen spectacle of the cinema and the comfortable familiarity of the home, then Epson’s EH TW6700 bridges that gap perfectly.
The spec sheet for the EH TW6700 is roughly in line with what we’ve seen from other Epson products at this price. It has a 1080p resolution with a 16:9 aspect ratio, a brightness of 3000 lumens and a claimed contrast ratio of 70,000:1.
It will give you a 100in image from three metres away, whether that is in 2D or 3D, with a maximum image size of 300in.
Satisfying result
The EH TW6700 is certainly easy to use. The remote control is simply laid out, with easily identifiable buttons for changing inputs, although we would prefer it to be backlit too.
On the top of the projector you have a couple of dials to control the height and direction of the image, as well as navigational and power buttons, while on the back are the inputs: two HDMI ports, one USB, one VGA and a 3.5mm output to connect some speakers.
That 3.5mm output is probably going to come in handy, as more often than not you’re going to want some extra hi-fi working in combination with the projector. While the EH TW6700 does come with in-built stereo loudspeakers for casual use, it doesn’t have a particularly detailed, dynamic or refined sound.
It’s adequate for those without a sound system, but if you want to take a decent step into home cinema you should be looking to pair this projector with a good AV amplifier and speakers.
While setting up the EH TW6700 – opting for the ‘Cinema’ mode – we tweak the contrast, brightness, and colour saturation levels to suit our testing room. We put the Auto Iris on 'Normal', switch on Epson’s ‘Super White’ to temper any overexposed whites, and turn the 'Frame Interpolation' down to low to adequately reduce motion judder without making movements look too processed.
Turning up the Epson’s noise reduction is also recommended, to remove some of the noise in Blu-ray and DVD images. However, the downside is that it can reduce fine detail, so when adjusting, it’s worth checking your picture at each increment.
Once it has been calibrated, the results are pretty satisfying. Kicking off our test with high-action blockbuster Captain America: The Winter Soldier, the EH TW6700 can track the superhuman leaps and punches of Steve Rogers both smoothly and naturally.
One billion colours
Later, when Rogers is talking to Alexander Pierce, there’s a palpable depth between Pierce and the walls and ornaments behind him – the EH TW6700 conveys a crisp, sharp picture without exaggeration.
Going off-world for Avatar, there’s no doubt the alien planet Pandora’s lush plant life and brightly coloured animals are displayed boldly and with a clear sense of vibrancy. Epson says this projector is capable of just over one billion colours, and we can believe it.
You also get quite a detailed image, although there is more that could be done. The surreal exploration of Davy Jones’ locker in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s
End renders each of Jack Sparrow’s freckles and the wisps in his unruly beard during the close-ups in precise detail, but the EH TW6700 does lack a level of subtlety at both ends of the spectrum.
No exceptions
The translucent woodsprite in Avatar, which floats in the air like a jellyfish, comes across as lacking in texture. The projector finds it difficult to reveal the nuances in the CGI creature. Similarly, it makes tough work of distinguishing the outlines of objects, or differentiating between a black outfit and the background, during dark scenes.
Upscaling could be a little more sophisticated when using DVDS. Watching
Morgan, neither the felt on Morgan's hoodie as she is interrogated nor the fabric of the scientist’s jacket are quite as subtle as we’d like.
Epson is known for putting out high-quality projectors and, on the whole, its latest addition is no exception to this rule. The EH TW6700 is rich, relatively detailed, and happy to handle even motion-heavy movies. If you’re looking to get a cinema experience into your living room, this projector is a good place to start.