Digital Journal — If you’re trying to think outside of the clunky 21-inch box that’s your current TV, there is certainly no shortage of choices out there. A visit to your local retail store will quickly reveal a bewildering array of home theatre-type systems. In addition to having to choose between manufacturers, you’ll also have to decide if you want high-definition, flat-screen, plasma, LCD or projection TVs. While each type of system has its advantages and disadvantages, they all have one thing in common: They’re huge, as in, there’s no way you’re going to cart that product from store to home without a couple of muscle-bound men to help you out.
If you’re already feeling the pain of trying to plan how to move that enormous flat-screen TV into your den, there is some good news: You can get a big screen without having to buy something of gigantic proportions. The solution: a video projection system.
Traditionally, video projectors had no video source of their own, thus having to be plugged into a computer, VCR, or cable source to function. But today, a newer class of projection system that integrates a DVD/CD player, stereo speakers, subwoofers and portable screens make setting up a home theatre a lot easier.
Digital Journal performed some tests on a variety of projectors recently, and one name that floated to the top of the pile was Epson, with the company’s MovieMate 25 offering an incredible array of functions.
A bit larger than some of the competition — the unit is 13.4” x 12.2” x 7.1” — the Epson MovieMate 25 looks like the iPod of video projectors and is a great alternative to today’s hulk-like TVs.
At 15 pounds, the MovieMate 25 is still easily movable from room to room, and it comes packaged with speakers, a subwoofer and an 80-inch portable screen. With an easy plug-and-play setup, we turned one room in our office into a home theatre in a mere five minutes.
Traditionally, video projector setups were difficult to install, often requiring a technician or technically-inclined user to get things working properly, with all cables tucked out of sight. That was because the projector had to be placed in awkward position just to hit a blank wall that, in many cases, many people didn’t have.
With the Epson MovieMate 25’s packaged floor-standing, pull-down, 80-inch screen, we were able to place the unit in any area of the room. And for users that prefer to use a white wall (or even curtains against the window), the MovieMate 25 proved to be quite versatile on any surface.
Aiming the projector at a surface about 10 feet away, we were able to get a TV picture of about 80 inches. For tighter rooms, the MovieMate is still able of casting a 30-inch wide image from as little as 2.4 feet away. The projector can display both 16:9 (widescreen) and 4:3 aspect ratios.
Another bonus with this home-theatre-out-of-a-box is the fact that it comes with a built-in DVD player, thus eliminating the need to go back to the big-box store to buy one.
The built-in drive actually recognizes a number of other formats, too. For example, you can play a traditional music CD or even a CD with MP3 and WMA files. The two built-in 10W self-amplified speakers, in conjunction with the 40W subwoofer deliver rich, deep sound. If you already own speakers, you can use them in lieu of the packaged ones. The drive even handles image files, so a CD of digital photos (JPEG format) can be projected into a slide show.
An S-video port and standard RCA input jacks also provide ways to get video in from other sources. For example, you can easily connect your cable TV digital box, VCR, video camera or gaming console.
The image quality is also very impressive. The MovieMate’s 135W UHE lamp (estimated life is 3,000 hours) delivers up to 1200 lumens, working in conjunction with the system’s 3LCD technology to provide a sharp picture with vivid colours and good contrast at 854 x 480 resolution. It even works well in rooms flooded with daylight.
The supplied remote control gives you access to the usual DVD controls, and a couple of dials on the MovieMate itself let you adjust focus and change screen size and position.
With all of its features, you’d expect such a multimedia monster to be noisy, as fan cooling is often noted as a drawback of video projectors. However, the Epson MovieMate 25 is surprisingly quiet, with a 26-decibel fan blending the cooling sounds unnoticeably into the background noise.
The Epson MovieMate 25 is a home theatre solution that eliminates the need to purchase an additional DVD player (which saves the consumer about $100 CDN), speakers and a subwoofer (which can save the consumer upwards of a couple thousand dollars) and a TV source (which can save the consumer about $4,000 for comparable technology).
With so many capabilities, you’d expect it to come with a scary price tag. Incredibly enough, the unit sells for only $1,599 (CDN). Not too long ago, the consumer would never have been able to get so much bang for his or her buck.
For its long list of functions, its ease of setup, its incredible image quality in many lighting conditions, and its affordable price tag, we are awarding the Epson MovieMate 25 with Digital Journal’s Best Product Award in the projector category.
