The Epson EF-100 is a special sort of projector. It’s not precisely at dwelling in a standard theater setup, mounted to the ceiling and projecting on a everlasting display — though you possibly can if you’d like. Instead, Epson sees this projector as one thing you match wherever there is a energy outlet, everytime you need big-screen leisure. A yard, as an example, or shining on the ceiling while you’re in mattress. It’s small and designed to work in any place, together with on its facet or again. But that is just the start.
LikeLaser mild engine means no bulbs to interchange.Bright picture in a compact dimension.Included Android TV streaming stick.
Don’t LikePoor distinction and black stage.Only 720p decision (technically 1,280×800).No zoom.
My favourite half: lasers! Instead of a standard projector lamp the EF-100 makes use of a laser mild supply, one of many solely out there at this worth. The foremost profit, other than candy, candy bragging rights, isn’t having to interchange the projector lamp. Another cool characteristic is the included Android TV-powered streaming stick, kind of like a Roku or Fire TV Stick, which helps you to wirelessly stream any content material you need and tucks away invisibly inside a comfy little compartment.In my comparisons with extra conventional projectors just like the BenQ HT2050A and Epson’s personal Home Cinema 2150, the EF-100 turned in image high quality that is a little bit of a combined bag. It was shiny however lacked the punchy distinction or excessive decision dwelling theater aficionados crave. The worth is a bit steep however not outrageously so at $900 (about £725 or AU$1,700). The finish end result is not the very best image for the cash, however as an alternative a fantastically designed little projector with some distinctive qualities you possibly can’t discover wherever else.
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Basic specsNative decision: 720p (1,280×800)HDR-compatible: No4K-compatible: No3D-compatible: NoLumens spec: 2,000Zoom: NoLens shift: NoLight supply life (Normal mode): 12,000 hoursThe EF-100 is available in your selection of white, which I reviewed, or black with gold accents, and the design is a notch or three above different projectors with a lovely, compact form and textured end. It measures 8.3 by 9.1 by 3.6 inches (WxDxH) and weighs simply six kilos. It’s straightforward to tote round, however sadly, Epson would not supply a battery-powered choice.Many of the EF-100’s {hardware} specs fall in need of different projectors in its worth vary. Forget about HDR or 4K, it is not even 1080p. Resolution is simply barely increased than 720p at 1,280×800. With bigger picture sizes, or shut seating distances, you are way more more likely to see pixels than with a 1080p projector. Not solely is there no lens shift, there is no zoom both. Epson would not count on you will completely mount the EF-100, so if you’d like a much bigger or smaller picture, you possibly can simply transfer it farther or nearer (respectively) to the display, wall or ceiling.
Epson claims 2,000 lumens of brightness. I measured roughly 1,482. It’s regular for a projector to measure lower than its claimed specs. This is near the sunshine output of different projectors in its worth vary. The Epson Home Cinema 2150 ($699 at Amazon) put out round 1,620 lumens once I measured it, as an example.
Unlike almost all projectors on this worth vary, the EF-100 doesn’t have a UHP (extremely excessive stress) lamp. Instead, it has what Epson calls a MicroLaser Array Projection Technology. It’s a scaled-down model of the laser mild engine the corporate makes use of within the high-end Pro L1100U and L1060U projectors at the moment, and which initially appeared within the LS10000 in 2015. In the YouTube video above, shot by CNET’s David Katzmaier throughout an Epson press occasion, an organization rep exhibits off the tech utilizing a particular demo EF-100 with a clear case.Far brighter than the LEDs utilized by many low-cost projectors today, the laser engine has one of many key advantages of LED: lengthy life. In Normal mode, Epson claims a lightweight supply lifetime of 12,000 hours. In Extended mode, that balloons as much as 20,000 hours. If you watch this projector for 4 hours a day, which means the sunshine supply ought to final for almost 14 years. By comparability Epson claims 4,500 to 7,500 hours for the HC2150 and alternative lamps for that projector value round $60.
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Connectivity and convenienceHDMI inputs: 1PC enter: NoUSB port: 1 (2 An influence)Audio enter and output: 3.5mm headphone jackDigital audio output: NoLAN port: No12v set off: NoRS-232 distant port: NoMHL: NoDistant: Not backlitThere’s just one HDMI enter on the EF-100, and it is usually occupied by the included media streamer stick. You can take away the stick to attach different units, however a second HDMI would have been good. The enter (and the streaming stick) might be coated by a rear panel for a slick, completed look.The projector’s major USB port provides sufficient energy for the included streaming stick or for a Roku or Amazon Fire Stick if you wish to use a kind of as an alternative. The different USB port is for service solely.
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Oddly, the projector comes with two remotes, a reality I did not understand at first. My confusion led to a not completely unembarrassing video name with Epson about why I could not get the distant to work. Turns out that one distant controls the streaming stick solely, whereas the primary distant controls the stick and the projector. They look very related and have related buttons. You will not want the stick-only distant in any respect until you wish to use the streaming stick to a special TV or projector.During setup you are requested to pair the primary distant, which is partially Bluetooth and partially IR (infrared). If the distant in your hand would not precisely match the picture proven on the on-screen setup, you have acquired the flawed one. Double-check the Russian doll boxes-within-boxes that package deal the projector and equipment. The distant I wanted, the primary one that really controls the projector, was hidden inside a field that held one thing else.
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Picture high quality comparisonsI in contrast the EF-100 to a different Epson, the Home Cinema 2150, and the DLP-based BenQ HT2050A. Each of those projectors is barely cheaper than the EF-100, fairly a bit bigger and designed extra for a standard dwelling theater setup. I related every part through a Monoprice 1×4 distribution amplifier and in contrast the three on a 102-inch, 1.0-gain display.
Light output is kind of related, regardless of the EF-100’s a lot smaller dimension. The BenQ and Epson 2150 each measured round 1,600 lumens, whereas the EF-100 measured just below 1,500. That’s not a distinction I may actually see on-screen. The largest distinction I may see was black stage (how darkish “black” is) and by extension, the distinction ratio. The BenQ had the bottom black stage, and due to this fact the best distinction ratio, by far. It’s about 40% higher than the 2150. The EF-100’s black stage is method worse than both one, making a measured distinction ratio of round 315:1. Video high quality nerds: that is not a typo. The black stage may be very excessive, so the distinction ratio is that low. In apply which means the EF-100’s picture would not have almost as a lot obvious depth as even the 2150, and far lower than the BenQ. The blacks and shadows are grayish, by no means actually “black.”
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A superb instance was the Battle of Scarif on the finish of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Neither Epson has a “good” black stage. The black bars on the display, in addition to the background of area through the battle scenes above the planet, are way more darkish grey than black. However, there’s an edge in the direction of the 2150, which does not appear fairly so flat. Both are proven up by the BenQ, which has noticeably darker blacks. Is this actually a giant concern? Well, usually I’d say sure. However, given how Epson expects you to make use of the EF-100 on advert hoc screens like partitions, ceilings, and many others, I feel that its brightness would be the foremost profit right here. The excessive black stage, whereas noticeable on a standard display, will probably be much less noticeable on a wall. Then there’s the colour. Looking on the EF-100’s picture, by itself on a display, it seems fairly colourful. It would not look very pure, but it surely would not look unhealthy. It by no means seems cartoony or synthetic both. Compared to the BenQ and 2150, nevertheless, each shade is much less correct on the EF-100. Using the identical scene from Rogue One, blue colours just like the water and sky on Scarif look just a little extra purple on the EF-100, whereas the palm bushes and different greenery look a bit extra yellow.
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Fan noise from the EF-100 is akin to different projectors. Though it makes use of a special mild creation system (lasers!), these nonetheless generate loads of warmth, and that warmth is expelled from the case through small followers, similar to different small projectors. If you flip down the sunshine output, the fan noise drops. So when you’re watching in a darkish, quiet room, you can also make the projector just a little quieter.I discovered the included media streamer just a little slower than, say, a Roku Streaming Stick Plus, but it surely usually works superb. However, one factor it did that I’ve by no means seen a Roku do is restart whereas I used to be watching one thing, simply to put in an Android replace. (Who made this factor, Microsoft?) At least it has entry to HBO Max, in contrast to Roku and Amazon.The low decision could or will not be a problem for you. As the picture will get bigger, the pixels get bigger, and relying on how far-off from the display you are sitting, and the way good your eyesight is, you could or could not see the faint grid of particular person pixels. Side-by-side on my 102-inch display, sitting about 10 toes away, I may see the pixels on the EF-100, whereas on the HC2150, which has actual 1080p decision, I couldn’t.If you possibly can’t see the area between the pixels, both you are far sufficient away or the picture is sufficiently small relative to how carefully you are sitting. The picture does look extra detailed than you’d count on primarily based on the numbers alone. That mentioned, it is disappointing that it is not increased decision.
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Conclusion: Who is that this factor actually for?I’m a bit torn in relation to the EF-100. I like the design, the picture it creates is shiny and colourful, and I’m a sucker for lasers of any sort. But I can not assist however really feel it is a bit costly for what it’s. Both the HC2150 and the HT2050A supply higher efficiency and related performance. You cannot as simply place both of them in bizarre random locations and angles to get a picture, in order that’s one factor within the EF-100’s favor. I simply cannot assist however really feel that in 2020, a $900 720p projector (OK, 800p) appears a little bit of a step again, regardless of its many different technical developments. So who is that this actually for? Well, when you’re on the lookout for a projector to often present some streaming content material, maybe to less-picky mini-humans who simply need limitless Paw Patrol and Spongebob on their ceiling, or for an ultrasimple film evening within the yard, the EF-100 will work nice, which in the long run, looks like what it was designed for within the first place.
Geek field
Test
Result
Score
Black luminance (0%)
0.521
Poor
Peak white luminance (100%)
164.6
Average
Derived lumens
1482
Average
Avg. grayscale error (10-100%)
5.005
Average
Dark grey error (20%)
3.099
Average
Bright grey error (70%)
6.249
Average
Avg. shade error
6.438
Average
Red error
8.734
Poor
Green error
9.447
Poor
Blue error
8.587
Poor
Cyan error
5.772
Average
Magenta error
0.849
Good
Yellow error
5.241
Average
Avg. saturations error
1.84
Good
Avg. shade checker error
2.5
Good
Input lag (Game mode)
39.8
Good
Measurement notesBefore calibration, the EF-100’s most correct image setting was Cinema and it was first rate, with a grayscale considerably cooler than D65 with darker photos, and far cooler with shiny photos. Gamma was round 2.1. You can alter the colour temperature to be pretty near D65, however the darkest, near-black photos lack crimson. Generally talking, the colour accuracy is not very correct, although colours aren’t to this point off they appear cartoonish. I used to be unable to regulate them to be extra correct, regardless of an in depth CMS. You can change the colours, however not enhance them very a lot. There isn’t any iris on the EF-100. The laser mild supply is adjustable from 50% brightness to 100%. This is definitely a reasonably correct description of the particular mild output, with 50% being roughly 52% dimmer than 100%. The common distinction ratio is a really low 315:1, the common on this worth vary being effectively over 1,000:1, and the very best at the least twice that. A Dynamic Contrast mode, which tracks the common image stage, retains the brightest mild output of the 100% mode and pairs it with the darkest blacks potential within the 50% mode relying on how shiny the picture is meant to be in what you are watching. However, this merely doubles the distinction ratio to round 690:1, and once more, solely does that throughout totally different scenes. A single picture nonetheless solely has a distinction ratio of round 315:1. Picture mode: CinemaProfessional settings:Brightness: 49Contrast: 52Sharpness: 5Gamma: 0Epson Super White: OffColor saturation: 52Tint (G/R): 50Shade temp.: 4Noise discount: 4MPEG noise discount: Low