Epson EH-TW6000 Review

When one steps into a theatre to watch a 3D movie, they may certainly enjoy the entire effect of the show, as they are not restricted by size. No matter how many advancements are implemented in 3D HDTV sets, one will always feel confined by the fact that they are staring at a box and not in your face 3D content. So what does one need to do to bring the experience of a theatre to their home?

Since 2010, brands launched a range of 3D projectors that cater to customers with different budgets and requirements. When this concept was still in its budding stages full HD 3D projectors were quite expensive, but as with technology and time, the prices of these full HD projectors have dropped quite significantly.

Full HD 3D projector

Keeping this concept in mind, Epson have launched the EH-TW6000, a Full HD 3D projector that is relatively pocket-friendly and comes loaded with a range of features that may excite any home theatre enthusiast.

Design and Build Quality
Being a full HD home projector, this model is larger than most other models when it comes to its size. By looking at the design, one might mistake the projector to be an extremely expensive one. Finished in glossy white, this model can surely complement a potential buyer’s home. Moving back a little to the size of the projector, though it is on the larger side, it can be easily table mounted, or ceiling mounted. LCD technology projectors, such as this EH-TW6000 are typically larger in size than their DLP counterparts.

On the glossy white top panel, apart from the branding, the controls for the projector are located. These include options for controlling the various settings and on screen options. The toggles for the large focus ring and horizontal keystone are located at the top, above the lamp. The rear of the projector is littered with connectors, which include ports, such as two HDMI, a USB 2.0, composite, component, DVI, an RS-23 and a port for an external 3D IR. The addition of an additional HDMI interface can certainly prove useful as it allows one to tether more than a single device to it.

Connections at the back

The first thing one may notice is the large fins located at the front. These assist in keeping the temperature of the projector in check and cause it not to overheat. This design comes as a refreshing change from the standard vents that are usually found on projectors. Moving on to the legs of the projector, they are fitted with plastic tips that can be turned to either raise or decrease the height of it. What we found lacking was that there were only two legs only located at the front and none at the rear. This can be a bit inconvenient especially if one needs to position it accurately.

Features
When it comes to the features of the projector, the chief attribute of it is that it offers full HD 3D projection. Though this may be a very impressive feature, there are various other full HD 3D projectors available in the market these days, such as the Panasonic PT-AE7000, which is also based on the same LCD technology found here - taking some of the shine off this model’s USP. This model from Epson is one of the first of their projectors to come with 3D capability. Though it comes loaded with this feature, one should ideally use a 3D Blu-ray player to get the best out of this projector.

In the case of the Panasonic projector, it was a real pleasure to view content on it and since it uses the same LCD-based technology as this model, naturally we were excited about the performance of the EH-TW6000. Epson have established a name for themselves for the LCD technology, termed as 3LCD, which is used on their projectors. Ideally there is no real difference between the LCD technology used in other projectors and this one as all LCD projectors have three LCD panels that transmit light.

Backlighting featured on the remote

The Epson EH-TW6000 features a brightness of 2,200 lumens and this is more than sufficient for displaying content in an ambiently lit environment. Being a full HD projector, the native resolution is 1920 x 1080 and the aspect ratio found here is 16:9. Featuring this resolution, there will be no need to upscale content for full HD videos. The projection distance is sufficient for a medium to large sized house, a small office or even a classroom.

The interface of the projector is extremely easy to use. The text of the interface is crisp and the menu overall is well detailed. The colour mode, brightness, contrast, colour saturation and colour temperature, along with a range of other settings can be changed, thus making it a very customizable projector. These many setting adjustments is quite in depth for a Full HD 3D projector, priced at this amount. Apart from adjustment to the image quality, one can also tweak the different signals as well and in this tab, one can adjust the way 3D is rendered, for instance allowing one to choose between 3D in side by side or 3D in top and bottom. Another neat feature found in the menu is the split screen mode, this allows one to watch content via a Blu-ray player and a PC or TV at the same time. It is a feature found on HDTVs and it could prove useful to those who need it.

Besides the above mentioned features, the Epson EH-TW6000 comes with a horizontal keystone slider that allows one to quickly adjust the keystone from the top panel itself. While adjusting the digital keystone using this slider, the vertical keystone also gets automatically adjusted. This helps when it is positioned in an angle, since this way the entire projected image will appear accurately.

Horizontal keystone slider

This projector also comes with the ability to read USB flash drives, but strangely, there were very few formats that were supported. This feature of adding a USB flash drives to projectors isn’t particularly new or unique as many entry-level projectors come equipped with this ability. The Epson projector also features an Auto Iris feature, which automatically scans the scenes and automatically adjusts the videos that help in reproducing brighter or darker images when needed. This feature comes in handy while watching movies and one does not need to strain to notice images in different lighting settings.

The bundled remote acts as an all-in-one remote for other devices, such as AV receivers and Blu-ray players. While this projector is 3D capable, the brand does not bundle 3D eyewear with it and one will have to purchase it separately. This is a bit of a put off, as considering the price of the projector, the brand could have easily thrown in a pair, which costs approximately Rs. 3,000.

While you do not get 3D glasses, you do get integrated speakers with the projector, they have added two 10W speakers on the projector which are loud enough for casual viewing. They can easily be used, instead of attaching a dedicated speaker set to the projector.

Highlighted Specifications of the Epson EH-TW6000:

• LCD Size - 0.61-inch wide panel with MLA
• Native Resolution - 1080p
• Projection Lens - Optical Zoom (Manual) / Focus (Manual)
• Lamp Type - 230W UHE (E-TORL)
• Lamp Life - 4,000 hours (Normal) / 5,000 hours (Eco)
• Brightness - 2,200 lumens
• Contrast Ratio - 40,000:1
• Dimensions (Including Lens and Feet) - 365mm x 420mm x 137.3mm
• Weight - Approximately 6.0kg