Epson Home Cinema 2150 review: Lens shift and lots of light

The finest projectors underneath $one,000 typically execute very effectively and commonly you can expect to have to used a good deal more to get a apparent leap in picture high-quality. Though these types are nevertheless 1080p (no 4K however), the shiny, colourful illustrations or photos they can develop are a excellent solution for film evenings or even just for binge-looking at Netflix shows. The Epson Residence Cinema 2150 doesn’t have the significant-line options of present-day TVs, like HDR or vast coloration gamut, but it does permit you develop a massive picture. On a a hundred-inch screen it is really brighter than quite a few TVs from a couple of many years back, although the coloration and distinction ratio aren’t rather as fantastic as the finest in this value variety.

The Epson’s benefit more than other projectors in its class is the capability to in good shape much better in quite a few residences. This is mainly because it has a broader zoom variety, so it can be placed farther from the screen, and a little something very unusual amid its counterparts: vertical lens change. You can position the projector on a shelf powering the couch rather of on the floor, for instance. Also, mainly because it is really Lcd-based mostly, there are none of the DLP “rainbows” that can hassle some individuals. 

I in comparison it directly with two likewise priced DLP rivals, the BenQ HT2050A and the ViewSonic PX727HD — I am going to have full opinions of each coming shortly. Amid the three, the 2150 is finest for brighter rooms wherever light-weight regulate isn’t really fantastic or for predicaments wherever you want its placement flexibility, but the BenQ was my most loved so far for in general impression high-quality.

Primary specs

• Indigenous resolution: 1080p
• Discrete pixels on chips: one,920×1,080
• HDR-appropriate: No
• 4K-appropriate: No
• 3D-appropriate: Indeed
• Lumens spec: 2,500
• Zoom: Manual (one.6x)
• Lens change: Manual
• Lamp existence (Standard manner): 4,500 several hours

The 2150 can acknowledge indicators up to 1080p/60, no HDR or 4K, which is fine as this isn’t really an HDR or 4K projector. 3D TVs are dead
but projectors like the 2150 nevertheless display 3D videos, although glasses aren’t integrated. The $ninety nine glasses are out of inventory on Epson’s web site, but there are 3rd-party choices on Amazon.

Epson claims a utmost light-weight output of 2,500 lumens. With my sample, I measured an outstanding one,620 lumens (it is really regular for projectors to evaluate less than their claimed specs). This is far less than the brightness of most TVs right now, but shiny in comparison with projectors and TVs from a couple of many years back. On a a hundred-inch+ screen, it is really a good deal. The claimed distinction ratio of sixty five,000:one is the only spec that’s greater than the wired edition of this projector, the somewhat less costly HC2100.

The vertical lens change lets you change the impression vertically on your wall or screen without having going the projector. The Epson also has one.6x worthy of of zoom, which is a bit more than other projectors in this value variety, which means you can have it a bit farther from, or closer, to your screen. 

Lamp existence is a claimed 4,500 several hours, or 7,500 in the considerably quieter, but dimmer, Eco manner. This is fantastic for this value variety. To set this in perspective, if you were being to use this projector as your principal “Television,” looking at it 4 several hours each day, the lamp in Eco manner would past you more than five many years. For comparison, the BenQ’s lamp existence, in its Eco manner, is five,000 several hours.

Connectivity and comfort

• HDMI inputs: 2
• Pc enter: Analog RGB
• USB port: one (1A electricity)
• Audio enter and output: Output only
• Electronic audio output: No
• LAN port: No
• 12v result in: No
• RS-232 remote port: No
• MHL: Indeed (On HDMI one)
• Distant: Not backlit

On the again there are two HDMI inputs and an analog Pc RGB-fifteen connector. The USB-A connector materials one amp of electricity, plenty of to electricity a Roku Streaming Stick. If that’s the form of film rig you want to construct, you will find one/8th-inch analog audio output as effectively to join to exterior speakers. Alternatively, you will find a tiny, rearward-experiencing speaker designed in. It really is not bad, but rather considerably any exterior speaker arrangement is heading to audio much better (do yourself a favor and at minimum set a low-cost soundbar underneath the screen). At greater volumes with the designed-in speaker there was a bit of a rattle from the scenario.

The remote is not backlit, and has quite a few compact and likewise shaped buttons. Most likely, just after you’ve established the projector up, you can expect to most likely just use the remote to flip the projector on and off, so this isn’t really a huge challenge.

The 2150 also has wi-fi connectivity. Employing Miracast, you can send out content from your notebook to the screen with minimal setup fuss, but it is really not best. Miracast can be finicky, and this setup will count on you acquiring your notebook (Pc only, thoughts you) open up and actively playing the content. If you don’t want to run an HDMI cable, streaming sticks are low-cost and will be a lot easier to use in the extended run mainly because you happen to be just sticking them into the projector alone. Roku also has Miracast designed in so you could nevertheless stream content from your pc to it.

Image high-quality comparisons

All round the Epson makes a very watchable, exceptionally shiny impression. Though its black level and distinction aren’t as fantastic as the finest in this value variety, it receives dim plenty of not to be distracting whilst looking at a film with letterbox bars. The shades are fantastic, but yet again, not rather as fantastic as the finest. Greens, for example, don’t rather have the leafy jungle vibrancy they could have. And yet again, mainly because it is really Lcd-based mostly, and not DLP-based mostly like most projectors underneath $one,000, it doesn’t have that technology’s principal issue: rainbows. Most individuals aren’t bothered by the rainbow trails on shiny objects with DLP, but if you are, the Epson is a excellent different.

The headline quantities of the 2150 are rather fantastic. In Standard manner, it places out an outstanding 182 nits on a 102-inch, one.-gain screen. This converts to around one,620 lumens, around the very same as the BenQ, and considerably greater than the ViewSonic.

Contrast ratio is rather improved from more mature Lcd projectors. It falls correct in among the BenQ and the ViewSonic. I measured an normal of about one,220:one across the a variety of lamp modes. The BenQ, for comparison, was 2,094:one. These quantities most likely seem to be lower in comparison with the claimed specs, but projector distinction ratios have usually been wildly exaggerated. Neither of these projectors looks washed out, however in comparison with OLED
or local-dimming Lcd TVs, they don’t have nearly as considerably distinction.

Supporter noise is a bit loud, particularly if the projector is sitting down or mounted in close proximity to your head. The Eco manner is about twenty five% dimmer, but the enthusiast noise drops by about 10dB, which is a good deal.

My comparison included all three projectors stacked, in their finest-hunting modes, on the very same screen working with a Monoprice 1×4 distribution amplifier. I began with Thor: Ragnarok, mostly mainly because it looks excellent but also mainly because I preferred to observe it yet again. The Epson and the BenQ, at initial glance, were being rather evenly matched and likewise shiny whilst the ViewSonic was significantly dimmer. All round you will find a good deal of light-weight to enjoy with but I nevertheless would advocate dim or blackout curtains if you observe a good deal for the duration of the day. No projector can compete with the sun.

Splitting the screen among the BenQ and the Epson, an additional distinction results in being apparent. As it is really a 2.39:one film, there are black bars on a 16×9 screen. The BenQ’s bars are a shade darker. It really is not a massive distinction, but side by side it is really evident. With these significant light-weight output, nonetheless, the distinction most likely wouldn’t be that apparent at dwelling. The ViewSonic’s black ranges were being basically closer to the BenQ’s than the Epson’s, but with less light-weight in general, I would have hoped it would have experienced the cheapest black level. Supplied that it was so considerably dimmer, and its distinction ratio the cheapest of the bunch, I concentrated more on the Epson and BenQ.

A lower black level and significant brightness translate to a significant distinction ratio, at minimum graded on the curve of projectors in this value variety. The impression on each the Epson and the BenQ punched far much better than projectors in this variety from a couple of many years back and never ever appeared flat or washed out. Aspect by side, yet again, the BenQ is a small much better, with just a small more “depth” in the impression in comparison with the Epson.  

Early in Thor: Ragnarok, Thor and Loki travel to Norway to find Odin. This was the initial scene that confirmed a substantial distinction among the Epson and the BenQ. With the BenQ, the grass in this scene appeared far greener, like an early summer season lawn just after the rain. With the Epson, it was nevertheless green, but more like the end of a dry summer season. The water powering Odin was bluer with the BenQ as effectively.

All round the shades from the BenQ were being just a small more precise, however the Epson’s were not that far off. Flipping that, the coloration temperature of the Epson is a bit more precise, with the BenQ being a bit warm out of the box. It really is shut, nonetheless, and the darkest illustrations or photos on the Epson have a slight blue tint. So it is really a bit of a clean. Pores and skin tones are fantastic either way.

Switching gears a bit, I shifted more than to Deadliest Catch, a display with impression high-quality ranging from superbly cinematic slow-mo to barely satisfactory GoPro. There wasn’t considerably to separate the BenQ and Epson. The two pictures were being exceptionally comprehensive, demonstrating whiskers, wrinkles, claws and carpus. The BenQ was a small cleaner, nonetheless, than any manner on the Epson, with less noise in solid shades and all around objects, indicating it experienced somewhat much better online video processing. The Epson wasn’t noisy by any extend, but it wasn’t rather as smoothly noise-free of charge as the BenQ. Once again, a insignificant quibble and a little something you’d be not likely to see except you experienced them side by side.

Though the BenQ’s pixels are closer collectively, that’s just how DLP is the Epson’s aren’t that considerably farther aside. You are going to only see particular person pixels if you happen to be sitting down very shut, the screen is exceptionally large or each. And then, you’d most likely be observing pixels on a DLP-based mostly projector at around the very same measurement and length much too.

The Epson has an computerized iris, dimming the impression for dim scenes, opening up for shiny types. I wasn’t specially bothered by it, however if the display cuts from a dim scene to a shiny just one, when a character’s heading from inside to outside, say, you can expect to see the iris choose a defeat to catch up. If it bothers you, you can flip it off.

The two projectors are fairly loud, at minimum in their regular modes. If this projector is any where shut to your head, you happen to be heading to listen to it. Dropping either just one into Eco manner, nonetheless, not only prolongs the existence of its lamp, but will make the enthusiast noise far more livable.

All round, whilst it doesn’t rather have the picture high-quality of the BenQ HT2050A, it is really shut. The impression is shiny and colourful, and the distinction ratio is fantastic plenty of that the impression never ever looks washed out or flat. All that, additionally the larger flexibility of lens change and a much better-than-normal zoom, make the Residence Cinema 2150 a excellent solution for individuals who hate DLP rainbows, won’t be able to position or mount a projector without having lens change or just want a fantastic-hunting projector for large-screen videos, Television and athletics.