When 1080p Is All You Need
Home Cinema Choice|April 2017

The EH-TW6700 is the newest iteration in what has proved a long-running and popular line of home cinema projectors from top LCD purveyor Epson. It combines a manageable form factor with bullet-proof setup and high-quality 1080p imagery. But given the growing hubbub surrounding 4K Ultra HD and High Dynamic Range technologies, does it still make sense to invest in Full HD theatre?

Steve May
When 1080p Is All You Need

While the EH-TW6700 may just about be compact enough for impromptu coffee table use, it's really intended for permanent installation in a home cinema or media room. This long-throw projector can cast a 100in screen from anywhere between 2.95m and 4.8m. If you want to project ad-hoc, there's an onboard sound system rated at 2 x 10W; stereo speakers are positioned to the rear.

Some will recognise this as a refresh of last year's EH-TW6600, albeit with higher brightness (up 500 Lumens) and slightly better contrast. Epson quotes an impressive (Colour) light output of 3,000 Lumens and a dynamic contrast ratio of 70,000:1.

The projector has two siblings in the Epson stable: the £1,600 EH-TW6700W, which adds a wireless HDMI transmitter, and the step-up £1,700 EH-TW6800, which improves contrast again to 120,000:1. The more expensive TW6800 also has a 12V trigger, which infuriatingly is missing from this model (a point to bear in mind if you want to sync it with an electric screen).

Curves in all the right places

This model uses the same chassis as its predecessor, measuring 410mm wide and 304mm deep. It looks suitably swish in its gloss white livery, and has rounded edges indicative of contemporary styling.

The lens is offset to the right, with hot air vented front left. Two rotary dials, for lens shifting on the horizontal and vertical, are positioned above. Zoom (1.6x) and focusing are done manually.

Rear-facing connectivity includes a pair of HDMIs with MHL support for smartphone hookup, plus VGA PC and USB. There's also an audio line out, which facilitates direct connection to a sound system, perhaps for gaming or sports event viewing. Obviously, in a home theatre setup, this won't be used at all. The EH-TW6700 warrants partnering with a full-blown multichannel sound system. For most home cinemas, you'll just need to run an HDMI from the output on your AV receiver.

This story is from the April 2017 edition of Home Cinema Choice.

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This story is from the April 2017 edition of Home Cinema Choice.

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