Epson EH-TW6000 Review

Control panel at the top

DisplayMate
To start off with the performance, we ran the DisplayMate test to gauge the rendering of colours, greys and black levels. We tested it with the settings set to auto and there was no need to calibrate it as greys and whites rendered accurately out of the box. The black levels are really good and most of the dark grey blocks could be seen. However, in this test, some of the dark grey blocks had a reddish tinge and this was strange, as in the previous test, it was not noticeable. In the pixel tracking and timing lock test as well as in the defocusing, blooming and halos check, we observed that there was the moire effect across the image slides. But for its part, its reproduction of the image is a lot better than most other projectors found in the market.

In the reverse video contrast check we noticed that the text of some colours appeared crisp while others seemed soft. The softness of colours was especially present in colours such as green and cyan. While checking the primary colours we noticed that there was only a slight difference between dim green and green and both shades appeared more vibrant than it should be. Apart from green all other colours appeared accurately. In the colour intensity scales test, we observed that there was a lot of detail present in most bars except the ones that had shades of blue in them such as cyan.

Focal ring located above the lamp

Blu-ray Playback
While testing the Blu-ray performance of the projector, we observed that the quality is really good. A great feature of this projector is the brightness levels and content can be viewed easily with ambient lighting. However, as in the end it being a projector, one would want to turn the lights out to experience the projector’s true capabilities. While watching our test Blu-ray, we observed that there was a lot of detail seen and all colours appeared natural. This was apparent, especially with skin tones and they did not appear saturated or unnatural. While watching dark scenes, the projector does really well in reproducing blacks and the image on screen looks great.

HD Playback
To playback high definition videos, we connected the projector to our test rig and ran videos in HD 720 and Full HD 1080. While watching videos in 720p, we noticed that it does well in upscaling the content. Images ran smoothly across the screen and there was nothing to complain about. We really liked the way the projector renders colours and they all appear natural and not enhanced. While playing a video in 1080p running at 60fps, we noticed that there was a slight judder visible and it was not as smooth as it should be. This slight fault may not be noticeable to most people, but it was certainly present. Other than this slight judder, there was no other fault with the projector.

3D Playback
To test the 3D performance, we played a 1080p sample video that had stereoscopic 3D. The 3D performance is not really great as the level of 3D depth is not that substantial.  But the black levels really come out strong when the EH-TW6000 is in this 3D mode. However, there are a few issues that go along with playing 3D through the projector. We tried the 2D to 3D conversion, but we were limited to only side - by - side and top and bottom. To get it to work is a bit of a roundabout process, especially while trying to view 3D content from a PC, which is kind of time consuming. Another issue we had with it is that one would need to purchase the glasses separately as Epson does not bundle them along with it. This is apart from the fact that one needs to own a 3D capable player.

General Performance
The interface of the projector is really smooth and one can get used to it within a matter of few minutes. Navigating through the interface is simple when used on the station on the projector or the remote. The performance of the remote controller is really good and one does not necessarily need to point it to the projector for it to function. The backlighting feature available here allows one to easily use it in the dark. The EH-TW6000 emits a lot of heat, as compared to other projectors, which would be a cause for concern for those planning on using it as their only display option. To keep it cool, one would want to put it in an air conditioned room, where it can get that additional cooling.

Large vents at the front

Verdict
The Epson EH-TW6000 3D HD projector is available in India at an MRP of Rs. 1,14,000. Although this may come across as a rather expensive printer, considering all the features that have been loaded in it, this model offers good value for money. Epson, as a brand have established themselves as great projector manufacturers and this model exemplifies it. When it comes to 2D performances, this model does really well and though it has average 3D performances too, we had some issues with it. That being said, this is a projector that performs well and also has looks that match.

This projector is ideal for home users wanting to spend a little extra and get a projector that offers above average 2D performances. Alternatively if one does not want to spend this much, then there are other options without 3D capabilities, such as the Epson EH-TW3600 available for around Rs. 10,000 less. On the other hand, this can also be an ideal solution for small office conference rooms or classrooms, as it can be used with an amount of light seeping in the room as well.