So, I’ve been a standard and HDTV user for a while, but as I happen to live in a space with a big living room and a blank wall space of about 11 feet or so that’s unused (see above), I’ve recently been considering upgrading to a projector of some sort for gaming and movie watching purposes. I tend to take my time on these tech upgrades because I’m not a millionaire (hey, I’m working on that!) and I like to make one decision and stick with it as opposed to buy something new and cool only to replace it a season or two later for an incremental upgrade. I’ve been looking around at a few models on and off for about a year, so getting an invite out of the blue to check out three offerings from Epson was one of those serendipitous moments where everything clicks into place…

The company’s new lineup features high definition projectors at price points ranging from $649 to around $3000, all are 3D ready out of the box and are also great for gaming (provided you’re not going old school with classic light gun console shooting games that use a pistol that needs to read an analog TV’s scan lines). The $649 PowerLite® Home Cinema 730HD is a great entry level projector that that’s only 5.1 pounds and will play 2D or 3D movies and games in high-definition 720p widescreen at 1280 x 800 with a more than decent 7,000:1 contrast ratrio, an Energy efficient E-TORL® lamp that will last up to 5,000 hours. It’s got a built in speaker in case you’re in a smaller space without a home theater setup, but you can definitely plug in your own gear and keep the neighbors awake if that’s your thing. The 730HD supports USB Type A and B, Component Video and S-Video connections, has a USB slot so you can show off those embarrassing vacation or other photos you’d forgotten about.

Moving up the scale, the 6.4 pound PowerLite® Home Cinema 2030, which retails for $999 features 2D and 3D video support and a contrast ratio of up to 15,000:1 with full HD 1080p using Epson’s Bright Drive Technology, the same 5,000 hour solid E-TORL® lamp, two HMDI audio/video connections and for you Roku or other streaming service users, an MHL-enabled HDMI port to connect and charge supported devices. You also get a pair of rechargeable full HD RF 3D glasses (which allow up to 40 hours viewing time or up to 3 hours with a quick charge). The 2030 has a pair of speakers and yes, you can run your own through it to rattle the windows and get the family pet scooting under the furniture. Be nice to that family pet, as it can alert you before the cops pull up and tell you to turn it down a wee bit, I say.

Image quality on both models is excellent whether you’re watching a standard or 3D movie or playing a video game. In both the movies and game I saw (Epson had Gran Turismo 5 running in another room on a huge screen) there were no washed out or muted blacks, colors were vibrant and while I’m not a huge fan of 3D movies, I definitely enjoyed what I was seeing when I popped those glasses on. On a side note, since I refuse to pay $26.50 to see Gravity in IMAX 3D, I have the feeling that I’ll be watching it at home on a big wall here a few times in a more comfortable setting than a crowded and probably noisy movie theater with questionable stains on the seating.

For those who want a top of the line home theater experience or perhaps want something for that den, game room or other prime location in the home where you’ve carved out an entire space as your future man (or woman)-cave, the PowerLite® Home Cinema 5030UB (18.4 pounds) and 5030UBe (18.9 pounds) will run around $3,000 and pack in some really cool functionality that makes it worth the price. Full HD 1080p resolution with an amazing up to 600,000:1 contrast ratio (!), Bright 3D Drive Technology, Super Resolution and FineFrame™ Technology (which boost the image quality in 2D Mode), two pair of full HD RF 3D glasses, and a whopping SEVEN ports (two HDMI, component video, composite video, VGA, RCA audio, and USB) allow for a multitude of media viewing opportunities that should appeal to movie enthusiasts or hardcore gamers who want their action larger than life without needing to shell out for an oversize HDTV.

Anyway, the 5030UBe adds wireless transmitter functionality to the projector, with 5 HDMI inputs, HDMI out, preview for confirming input source, picture in picture capabilities, and an optical out port. That transmitter can also streams a full HD signal wirelessly for up to five devices, meaning you’ll probably never run out of options when it comes to your viewing habits.

My own habits happen to revolve around gaming and watching movies to review, so it’s time for the gray matter to do some heavy thinking and my wallet to start poking me in the ribs telling me to save up for a half-ton of emergency supplies for some calamity the news will drop on my pointy little head one of these days. But I prefer to throw that caution to the wind and live it up a little (or a lot) whenever possible, so perhaps I’ll be watching something cinematic instead of worrying about the specter of Slim Pickens dropping in on me while riding an aged nuclear bomb. Hey, better to go out doing what you like than staring at the walls and slowly going nuts because you wish you were a lot more entertained, I always say…

– Greg Wilcox