Gamers are looking for low lag and fast response times on Projectors producing good clear images in 2D, with the added bonus of 3D images. They also look for ease of operation, because afterall a TV will allow immediate game play, so why settle for less with your new projector? All projectors have their good points and most have some flaws, but those aren’t going to be pointed out to you by the manufacturers who are more concerned with the bottom line than providing all of the information. So, I decided to put a Gaming Projector to the test, so I could give you the inside information on what it does and the potential benefits it has. This is the Epson EH-TW5200 Full HD 1080p 3LCD 3D Home Cinema and Gaming Projector Review.
PROS
- 15000-1 Contrast Ratio
- Easy Set-up
- Full 1080p HD
- Full 3D
- No Lag Time
- Fast Response Time
- Fast Gaming Mode
- Great and 2D and 3D Quality
- Portable
- MHL enabled
CONS
- Terrible Speakers
- 2000 Lumens
Overall Impression
Size and Design
The first thing you’ll notice about the design is the distinct lack of vents. On many projectors, you’ll see a large number of vents for letting out sound waves and hot air. Instead, Epson has gone for one gaping huge vent and we’ll discuss in the performance section whether or not that worked well. Overall it’s an excellent design with wonderful curves although it is a very shiny black; so shiny in fact that it looks as if it was French Polished 50 times over pre-release. The measurements are 9.72 inches by 11.69 inches by 4.13 inches and it has a weight of 2.8KG. So it’s a little on the bulky side and slightly heavier than most Gaming Projectors but not by so much that you wouldn’t be able to carry it around easily.
Performance
The set-up is very easy but you must use Keystone Correction, which can import distortions so be careful, and if there are any you should go back and do the set-up again. Done right the first time you’re looking at 15 minutes total set-up time.
As far as performance I’m going to start with the speakers because they’re absolutely terrible and only Epson knows the reason why they included 2 Watt speakers on a Gaming Projector. Given that I’m about the describe some of the best 2D and 3D images you are ever likely to see on a Projector, this inclusion is made all the worse; It does however explain the single-event system. If you have or can purchase external speakers then of course you’ll have great sound and I’m sure most gamers already do have these.
If the sound is seriously bad, then the pictures are seriously good. They’re good because of the 3LCD projection method which uses mirrors instead of a color wheel and without going into the jargon, it makes colors appear brighter and more vibrant than some wheel-based technology. Critically 3LCD also helps to avoid the distortions associated with single-chip projectors because it projects all colors together at once on-screen using 3-chip technology, instead of in projecting colors sequentially using 1 chip and a color wheel. Color Wheel systems have a tendency to overwhelm single-chip systems and produce rainbow effects and other distortions.
In the absence of any distortions, what you get with the Epson EH-TW5200 is some wonderfully bright images, with a Contrast Ratio of 15000-1, and over a billion individual colors. Images appear crisp, clear, and incredibly vibrant in both 2D and 3D. Another plus point is that Epson chose to include two HDMI connections so you can hook up two devices at the same time. The Epson EH-TW5200 will also throw up images on almost any surface, making the whole experience more convenient, and it has an MHL connection so you can connect a third device like your Smartphone or Tablet to the Epson EH-TW5200 easily too. Many Gaming Projectors don’t include MHL and therefore it’s not possible to play online games or Facebook games you might have installed on another device, whereas it’s very easy on the Epson EH-TW5200. You can even charge a device via MHL on this projector.
Most projectors have low lag but the Epson has no lag time creating an environment for gaming that is second to none. There’s also a fast response time for arcade-style gaming and a specific gaming mode you can go to that ramps up the responses even more.
The Epson is Full 3D, and it is compatible with all 3D formats so you can watch a 3D Blu-Ray, as well as use your PC for 3D gaming. With a screen size of up to 300 inches, 3D images look great and 3D mode is very fast. Unfortunately, though you can add this to the long list of projectors that don’t come with 3D glasses so you’ll have to buy yours separately. If you’re looking for a downside to the 2D and 3D experience then I suppose you’d focus on the Lumens. There are only 2000, and although the 3LCD technology makes images appear brighter, in practice it never makes up completely for a lack of Lumens. So, you’ll be viewing either in the dark or in low levels of ambient light for the best possible pictures.
Final Verdict
The pictures are the Holy Grail gamers have been looking for their entire lives. The sound is completely the opposite because with only 2 Watts of power it’s terrible. You should buy external speakers or use some you already own, otherwise do not buy this projector. But I hope you have some or can get some because I was astonished by the fast, arcade-like, low lag gaming environment produced, and by the fact that you get Full 3D for less than $500. Being a 3-chip Projector, the EH-TW5200 doesn’t have the distortions you find on Single-Chip Projectors, and the Lamp lasts 6000 hours making this a durable system. The MHL was the real bonus here and it enables buyers to hook up almost any device for online gaming as well as console and PC-based gaming. Did I mention it’ll throw up an image on almost any surface? The Verdict: A wonderful projector and we’ll put the Speakers down to a bad day at the office for Epson.
