In 1987, Epson developed and launched one of the world’s first compact full-colour projectors. The VPJ-700 was ahead of its time, presenting a video with liquid crystal panels instead of the traditional cathode-ray tube. This boosted output and video quality so much it revolutionised the projector market forever.
Today, Epson is a household name in the data projector world. They have a history of innovation in other markets too, developing the world’s first handheld computer in 1982 and the world’s first LCD TV watch the same year.
Suffice to say, Epson is a top, top brand.
Epson projectors
Epson has a data projector for virtually any budget and use case. Prices for basic projectors start from around £300, rising to as high as £3,500 for some models.
In most cases (and this isn’t unique to Epson) the difference between an inexpensive projector and an expensive one is that the inexpensive models accept high-definition video, but they downgrade the video when they display it, whereas expensive projectors display content in its true resolution, which might be 1080p, 2K or 4K.
Take, for example, the Epson EB-X39 with its native resolution of 1024 x 768. This means the projector can play videos at 720p, but no more. It’ll accept higher definition videos, but it won’t go beyond its native resolution. It costs around £300.
Now, let’s take the Epson EB-G7900. It has a native resolution of 1920 x 1200, so it can display content at 1080p comfortably. Importantly, it displays that resolution in 1920 x 1200 or 1920 x 1080 to suit the video format.
Basically, you pay more for the higher quality video!
But whichever Epson data projectors take your fancy, you’ll find all of them offer high-quality video playback. There really aren’t any ‘poor’ models out there. Some are just better at handling higher resolutions than others.
Standard and short throw projectors
Standard throw projectors can typically create a 100” 16:9 image from 10 feet away. Short throw projectors can create the same 100” image from around 4 feet away. Which projector is best for you depends on the space you have available.
Epson has data projectors that tick both boxes. They also have ultra-short-throw projectors, which can display a 100” image from around 2 feet away. Unlike with resolution, the ‘throw’ of a projector does not necessarily reflect in the price.
If you are looking for a good budget standard throw projector, the Epson EB-970 will do you well. It has 4000 lumens and a 1024 x 768 resolution. The best budget short-throw model is the Epson EB-530 with the same resolution. Ultra-short throw projectors are higher in price, with the cheapest Epson model being the EB-680.
Warranty and value
All Epson projectors come with a 3-year projector warranty with the entitlement of one free lamp replacement if it fails in that period.
Value-wise, Epson isn’t a budget brand, but their data projectors are reliable, powerful machines. We know people who have been using their Epson for over a decade, so if you’re after a projector that’ll last, you can’t go wrong.
