Epson EH-TW5500 LCD projector exclusive hands-on preview

Epson has launched a new range of home cinema projectors and HCC was first in line for a hands-on trial at its Paris based European headquarters.

Part of the Seiko group, the brand has enjoyed a leading market share in projectors worldwide, but it still has a bit to prove – in the last quarter it was pipped to the post by Optoma in the UK for sales of home cinema projectors, and competition continues to be tough.

Still, Epson has long been an innovator. It did the original development work on the use of three LCD panels in combination – which with startling originality it describes as 3LCD technology – and which is rivaled only by DLP for overall market share.

New flagship
All bar the new entry-level model are fully HD 1080p capable projectors. The most exciting of the new models, and the new flagship, is the TW5500, which replaces the award-winning £2.9K EH-TW5000, but boasts significantly beefed-up internals. The contrast ratio has been increased to a claimed 200,000:1, and video processing switched from Pixelworks, which is used in most of the cheaper models, to the more sophisticated Reon HQV 12bit chipset, with ISF (Imaging Science Foundation) fine-tuning. The results are suitably impressive. I particularly liked the frame interpolation which helped deliver very solid-looking motion during my audition with the projector; images are largely free of artifacts and smearing. Super Resolution firmware contributes to a very stable, detailed onscreen image.
The projector was demonstrated alongside similarly priced models from Optoma and Sony, and more than held its own. To my eyes, it demonstrated a clearly superior colour gamut, with excellent motion-handling, black level performance and very low levels of pixilation. I concluded that this is going to be a hot model, and even leaving the chosen comparison models aside, it should stand up to some very upmarket alternatives.
DVD/projector combo system
At the other end of the range, Epson is introducing an interesting entry-evel portable called the EH-DM3, which doubles as a DVD/DivX/CD player, and includes built-in ‘virtual surround’ speakers. The unit gave a decent performance from DVD, even in a daylit room, and could make a very presentable first step on the ladder for those interested in the big screen experience but hampered by a tight budget.
In between these two extremes are four more models, all of which offer slightly simpler video processing than the EH-TW5500, but in some cases with virtually the same performance on paper as the previous flagship – but for considerably less money.

New lamps
For its new season PJs, Epson has developed its own lamps, which it argues are more efficient and longer lasting, and all bar one come with a three-year guarantee, for the projector and lamp alike. The solitary exception is the EH-TW5500, which comes with an unprecedented five-year guarantee, again including the lamp. The cost of replacement lamps is a key concern for projector owners, but whether Epson’s prospects for the new range will be hindered by the sharp ramping up of the prices announced shortly before this piece want to bed, but (unfortunately) after much lower initial prices had been suggested, is anyone’s guess. The increased prices disproportionately affect the EH-TW5500, but on an initial assessment it still looks good value.
The physical packaging of the new range has been tidied up too. The EH-TW5500 and most of the other models have a matt black casing, following some complaints about reflections from the bodywork of earlier models, though this doesn’t explain the white casing of the next model down, the EH-TW4400, pictured above.

New models at a glance:
EH-DM3 - £580 including three-year warranty for projector & lamp, available November
EH-TW450 - £650 including three-year warranty for projector & lamp, available October
EH-TW2900 - £1,100 including three-year warranty for projector & lamp, available October
EH-TW3500 - £1,300 including three-year warranty for projector & lamp, available October
EH-TW4400 - £2,999 including three-year warranty for projector & lamp, available November
EH-TW5500 - £3,999 including five-year warranty for projector and lamp (with Saturday service), available November