Epson EH-DM3 Projector With DVD Player

Epson, one of the leading names in 3LCD display technology, have come out with a new consumer oriented Home projector model called the EH-DM3. It does the pleasingly satisfying task of combining 2 forms of related tech into one, meaning lesser headache for the consumer. It has a built in DVD drive, thus no need for a source player in this scenario. It sounds like a good idea, so let’s check it out in realtime.

The model comes clad in a full black, glossy chassis. The shape is cuboidal and a little blockish, but not really cumbersome. After all it houses a lens and a optical drive, thus a little consideration for extra weight needs to be given. All buttons are flush and similarly colored like the chassis, thus a uniformity in the aesthetics is maintained. But in my opinion, a full gloss finish is not in the same league as a subdued� faux brushed one or even plain old matte. The main reason is fingerprints, they are a chassis’s worst nightmare.

The connections at the back are as follows: one HDMI1.3, one composite video, one component video out, one coaxial (digital) audio, a mic in for karaoke( yippee!), and last but not least a USB (type A) slot.
The lens is covered by an inbuilt slider flap, thus negating the need for those extra lens caps that can get lost all the time. The unit also has a 2 x 10 watts speaker in built, thus furthering its claim to be the all in one Home entertainment solution for a budget.

Tech specs
The native res is not HD - it’s actually 960 x 540 pixels and 16:9 ratio. Thus on an HDMI input one can get Standard Definition, that is 480p video. We have 2000 lumens brightness and a 3000:1 contrast ratio. Plus there is a feature called Auto Setup, and as the name suggests, it aims to set your image color and brightness, its keystone alignment etc with an automatic sensor, the kind of stuff that HDTVs do these days. There is no autofocus, only manual, and for zoom we have an optical zoom of 1.35:1