Epson’s growing range of home cinema projectors, which currently goes from the £450 720p portable entertainment EH-TW490 all the way up to the £6,000 4K laser EH-LS 10000 model, is expanding once again, with some further additions to the family.
Espon PowerLite 740HD
Appealing to the needs of a wide market, there are three new models, starting with another 720p model, the 740HD, which offers plug and play action and a bright 3,000 lumen display – perfect for the typical family who may not have the space for a full home cinema set-up and a dark room to enjoy movies in.
The 740HD has Epson’s 3LCD, 3-chip technology to deliver incredible colour and detail without the risk of the dreaded “rainbow effect”.
Espon PowerLite 2040 and 2045
Further up the ladder are two new full HD models, the Epson Home Cinema 2040 and Home Cinema 2045 editions, which are directly aimed at enthusiasts. These 3D supporting models offer a contrast ratio of 35,000:1 and brightness of up to 2,200 lumens. On the software side, they both offer the latest in detail boosting techniques and interpolation to improve the image quality.
As many home cinema users move into the Blu-ray and HD streaming age, they support MHL devices to stream TV content, Netflix and other services, plus PC and consoles games in HD. The models have four preset modes to offer the best on-screen results, depending on the content source and type.
Wireless connectivity is also offered on the Home Cinema 2045 model for those used to casting content from their smartphones or tablets; it supports Miracast and Intel’s WiDi 4 standard, so will work with iOS, Android and other devices.
Among the hardware-level improvements are an up-rated optical engine, better LCD panel, and the latest video processing technologies. The lens features an improved New Wing iris, which is quieter and produces deeper blacks via efficient light reduction processing.
The 3D glasses are sold separately if you want to enjoy that modern cinema experience, while both projectors feature their own in-built speakers, but you can connect them to home cinema audio systems for that big sound experience.
There is no date for a UK release of these new models as yet, and pricing is to be confirmed, but will likely be in line with Epson’s current full HD models, so around £1,300 to £1,600.