I have always thought that when I lived in my own house, I would set up a vice room, with a white wall acting as a projection screen. Since in the years we live in this is a rather distant reality, I have not spent too much time looking at projectors for said future project. But, thanks to Epson EspaƱa, we have been able to test one of their HD projectors focused on the world of gaming.
Is it worth investing the money in a projector? Below we will try to help you answer it.
In the case of the Epson EH-TW450, we are looking at a HD Ready (720p) projector, with a very high brightness (2500 lumens), capable of projecting images from 33ā to 318ā. Compared to other projectors on the market, the truth is that the brightness is surprising. Even if there is light in the room we can see the projected image in quite detail (Although as in all devices of this type, the best environment would be with the least possible light).
The projector is not very large, although it is not really small either, it would be comparable to the size of a video game console (228 x 295 x 77 mm) although it has a fairly low weight compared to other models (2.3 kg). Another advantage is that it has a USB that allows us to present photographs directly from the device.
The video connection is made through HDMI or components. In the event that we do not have a sound system at home, the projector itself will act as a speaker, although this is not the ideal solution (the noise of the device itself, about 30 dB, will not allow us to hear clearly) it can allow us at a given moment a quick solution.
As for heat, the truth is that it emits a lot, so in small, closed rooms, it can be a problem in summer. In any case, although it is something to take into account, it is normal for all projectors so it is not a problem with this particular model.
The only real problem is that the cost of the 200W lamp is quite expensive. Furthermore, although we have 4000 hours per lamp (2 years with normal use), the performance in said 4000 hours is not constant, since the perception of the image as the bulb wears out worsens.
Regarding the sensations, the truth is that it is a pleasure to play the console on this projector, especially when it involves many players at the same time. Normally, when we play split screen, each player has a really small screen even on really big TVs. With the projector this is not a problem, for example, we tried playing Halo in 4 split screen and the size of each region was perfect. In the case of watching movies, the feeling is even better. The experience of watching an episode of Game of Thrones 720p at 150ā is incredible.
Is it worth it?, that only depends on you. For me, its price of ā¬600 is more than justified by the characteristics of the projector (if we think about how much a 100ā TV costsā¦). The most we can tell you is that its luminosity makes this projector one of the best we have seen, given the possibility of being able to see the contents with light in the room.
As a fun fact, Iām showing you a video from Extreme Gamer, that with this projector and a PS3 on your back, you can turn the world into your screen.
Balance
In favor
- Great luminosity
- Light weight
- Speaker included
- USB to view images
Against
- Somewhat noisy
- Cost of bulbs when used up
- 720p only