PROJECTORS
For a bigger, more cinematic-style picture in your home set-up, forget tellies – you need a 4K projector
Epson EH-TW7100 £1599
Sticking with tradition has its advantages. In a world of laser and ultra-short-throw technologies, Epson has kept faith in its traditional 3LCD projectors. The EH-TW7100 may not be native 4K, and its bulb will need replacing after four years, but its reasonable price tag speaks for itself.
The EH-TW7100 has Bluetooth for audio-out to a soundbar or wireless speakers, but there are sufficient HDMI and powered USB ports to handle a media streamer on top of other sources. It also runs at 3000 lumens – bright enough to get a decent picture even with some light in the room.
The EH-TW7100 is easy to live with, thanks to its compact size and adjustable lens that can project a 100in image from between 2.95m and 4.77m. It can be ceiling, rear rack or desktop mounted.
The EH-TW7100 isn’t native 4K resolution; it works on the basis of a trio of 1080p LCD chips and employs pixel shifting to give the UHD effect. Given that native 4K projectors start at more than double the price, this represents a reasonable compromise. Regardless of the resolution, it’s Hdr-enabled, supporting HDR10 and HLG.
The Epson EH-TW7100 gives an excellent picture right out of the box. The opening, wide shots of the Missouri countryside in Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol.2 are expertly balanced for a projector at this price. The scene is bright, the colours natural and the clouds carefully shaded. While it’s not as sharp as a true 4K picture, nor the blacks as deep as those of similarly priced TVS, there’s a nuance to the tone and texture of the actors’ faces that’s hard to beat.
We move to 1080p with The Imitation Game on Blu-ray, and the picture is still sharp. The close-ups during Alan Turing’s Bletchley interview are detailed and unaffected by noise or blur. The colours and black depth are just as good as at 4K, and these sequences offer an excellent opportunity to show off this projector’s skills with dark detail.
Even at standard definition, watching Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers on DVD, the big picture from this projector stands up well. The colour saturation needs a bit of a kick but, once adjusted, this epic adventure comes to life.
The Epson EH-TW7100 stretches the limit of what can be considered a budget big screen device, but it more than justifies its price. It produces a picture that’s in line with the character, if not the class, of what you’ll get at the cinema.
That performance, combined with its luminance, connectivity, flexibility and the available accessories, all add up to a superb family projector that will make an excellent addition to almost any home. You won’t find better in this class.