Bring home the movie theatre

There’s something about watching movies on a big screen, light streaming on it from a projector, bringing visuals to life on what is otherwise a blank wall. Or maybe that’s just the theatre-lover in us all. And a lot of well-known brands are keen on bringing this experience to our living rooms. Well, at least for those who can afford them.

Epson, known for its range of printers and projectors, earlier this year launched a home projector in the country — the TW6700. Priced at about ₹1.3 lakh, this one seems aimed at those looking for a full-blown movie experience at home, and willing to shell out some cash for it. I got my hands on a review unit and spent a week throwing light on walls. Here is how the experience was.

The TW6700 isn’t exactly portable. At almost 7 kg, it’s not too easy to lug around, so it makes sense to set it up in a space of your choice and let it be. Its smooth, white looks seem more at home in an office boardroom than your living room, to be honest. But it doesn’t stick out.

Setting this projector up is child’s play. Actually. The review unit came with the usual accompanying paraphernalia — power cable, VGA cable, USB, remote, HDMI cable etc. Just plug in the power cable, switch it on, and in about 30 seconds, the lamp comes to life, throwing 3,000 lumens of light on the screen (wall, in my case). I used the HDMI cable to connect it to my laptop and DTH set-top box and that was straightforward too. Place the projector anywhere between roughly three and five meters from your screen and you should be able to get a cool 100-inches of action. The back of the device has the various input ports — two HDMI ports, VGA port, USB, and an audio port as well, if you want to connect audio enhancements. The power-in is kept conveniently below the AV ports.

The TW6700 has 1080p full HD resolution and the picture quality was very good and lucid. Epson claims a 70,000:1 contrast ratio, and while there was no way to measure that actual number, the quality of display was some testimony to it. The best part about the display was that there was no need to darken the room to watch it. The brightness ensured that the picture quality was consistent even in a well-lit room. However, whites and bright visuals can come across as a little jarring on the eye, especially in dim set-ups, which are mostly the case when watching movies.

There are two dials on the top of the projector that let you adjust the picture on the screen horizontally and vertically. There is also an automatic colour optimiser that senses the ambient light and chooses the apt colour mode for you, something that I found handy. The TW6700 comes with a remote control with functions laid out quite easily for you to grasp and use.

The projector comes with two 10W stereo speakers that are in-built. This is very useful, given how I did not have to connect external speakers and my job was done by just plugging-in the HDMI cable. Now, whether these speakers fit the bill for a fully immersive movie experience is a relative aspect. I found them fine, at moderate volume levels in quite large a living room. But if you want something akin to what you hear and feel in a movie hall, the company has provided an audio port as well. It is also equipped with Bluetooth connectivity, so you can pair your Bluetooth speakers or soundbars to it too.

Heat dissipation was efficient, with the vent located on the front of the projector, next to the protruding lens. This means that placing it in a shelf or other similar enclosed spaces won’t pose a problem. Epson claims a lamp life of 3,000 hours, extendable to 5,000 by using the Eco mode. Using Eco mode also reduces power consumption, bringing it down to 279 W from the regular 364 W, according to the company. (Again, something I could not measure.)

The TW6700 is 3D capable and though I could not test this feature, purchasing the HD 3D glasses along with the projector is an option. It is also capable of converting 2D to 3D. It also supports devices such as a USB memory stick. So you can view pictures even without having to connect your laptop.

Overall, this is a simple, yet feature-packed home entertainment offering from Epson and if the price isn’t an issue, is worth being considered.

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