TABLE OF CONTENTS
Epson is a very well-known and trusted brand. But you should never buy on the basis of a name. Even the best manufacturers sometimes get it wrong, so be vigilant and don’t fall into that trap. What you should do, is look with a critical eye at all the offers available. This is what I do in my reviews and today I’m taking a look at the Epson EX5240, XGA, 3200 Lumens Color Brightness, 3200 White Brightness. 3LCD Projector. Did it measure up to previous offerings by Epson? Or did it fall short of expectations? Find out here.
PROS
- 15,000-1 Contrast Ratio
- Nice Design
- Fast Set-Up
- 3200 Lumens
- Reasonably Portable
- Instant On/Off
- 3LCD
CONS
- 1024×768 Native Resolution
- Medium Lamp Life
Size/Design
The measurements are 14 inches by 13.6 inches by 6.2 inches, so we’re talking about a pretty solid build. It’s chunky. I like a bit of chunkiness though because it usually means a less flimsy product that’ll last longer. So as long as Projectors aren’t huge, (and this isn’t) I’m happy. The weight is 5.4 pounds out of the box, so again we’re talking mid-range. It’s not so large and so heavy that it would be a burden to carry around, but it’s not super-portable either. The connections are positioned at the back and you get one HDMI socket, 2 USB connections, a Computer port, and S Video. So you can connect Laptops, Computers, Phones. Tablets and Games Consoles without any problems. I’d have liked 2 HDMI sockets but other than that, this was a good design.
Performance
Set-Up
There’s an Instant-On switch so you don’t need to power this up. And, once you’ve turned it on, it’s not the 5-minute job Epson suggested, but it is fast. You can use the Keystone because 3-Chip DLP Projectors aren’t prone to distortions and there’s both vertical and horizontal correction. Go slow and find the right image. Once you’ve done that you’ll be fine.
Lumens
You get 3200 Lumens here and that means you’ll be able to view in the evening time outside without complete darkness. It’s a major advantage for people who like watching movies on the big screen in the backyard. You’ll also be able to view indoors with the curtains closed while there’s some light left in the room. On some dull afternoons, you won’t even need to draw the curtains. In other words, Lumens just make things a little easier. You don’t have to think about light conditions as much as with some of the other Projectors
Screen Size
Lumens help with screen size. The brighter your Projector is, the larger you’ll be able to roll out the screen before seeing major distortions. There’s a simple reason for this and it’s that images need to be lit to be seen. So if you have lots of brightness, you can light up large images. With the 5240 you’ll get 250 inches outside in semi-darkness and the picture will be perfect. Going to the max of 300 inches you’ll need pitch-black conditions. Viewing indoors you’ll get a screen size of 150 inches with no problems.
Native Resolution
Epson has described the XGA resolution here as 1.5x more resolution than SVGA. This has got to be the most optimistic way of describing 1024×768, that I’ve ever seen. They could have said it’s about 50% less than Full HD, but that wouldn’t please the sales department now would it? It’s odd that they chose to go this way with the marketing because the pictures are actually amazing. This is because of the color technology. You get over 1 billion colors and a 3-chip LCD inside. 3LCD produces smoother images because of the use of crystals instead of mirrors. The images are also more realistic and the accuracy because of the wide color gamut is a beautiful site.
Contrast Ratio
Further helping the picture rise above that which its Native Resolution might suggest is the 15,000-1 Contrast Ratio. It’s not massive and I’d have liked to see what they could have achieved with something over 20,000. But, it’s big enough to produce bold blacks and whites which is why this Projector can be used for presentations as well as movies and games.
Lamp
The Lamp lasts 10,000 which makes it by no means the long-lasting Lamp on the market. It’s not even close. so there will be running costs associated with this. Especially if you’re using it regularly. Lamps can be replaced easily and it’s a good job because you’ll be replacing them within a few years.
Final Thoughts
So it wasn’t the 5-minute set-up job Epson suggested. Nor is the Lamp breaking any longevity records. But all in all, this is well worth the money. The design is nice, and although the resolution isn’t full HD, it does have excellent 3LCD color technology and a wonderfully wide gamut of colors. The Contrast Ratio further helps the picture along and what you get in the end is something not far away from 1080p. There’s enough Lumens to roll the screen out to well above 200 inches and enough to watch movies or give presentations without waiting until all the light is gone. If you purchased it, you wouldn’t regret the decision. Thank you for reading.
