Epson EH-TW650 projector review: Enjoy your favorite flicks on a budget

Specifications

Projection System: 3LCD Technology, RGB liquid crystal shutter
LCD Panel: 0.61 inch with MLA (D10)
Colour Light Output: 3,100 Lumen- 1,925 Lumen (economy) in accordance with IDMS15.4
White Light Output: 3,100 Lumen - 1,925 Lumen (economy) in accordance with ISO 21118:2012
Resolution: Full HD 1080p, 1920 x 1080, 16:9
High Definition: Full HD
Aspect Ratio: 16:9
Contrast Ratio: 15,000:1
Light source: Lamp, UHE, 210 W, 4,500 h durability, 7,500 h durability (economy mode)
Keystone Correction: Auto vertical: ± 30 °, Manual horizontal ± 30 °
Color Processing: 10 Bits
2D Vertical Refresh Rate: 192 Hz - 240 Hz
Color Reproduction: Up to 1.07 billion colors
Projection Ratio: 1.02 - 1.23:1
Zoom: Manual, Factor: 1.2
Lens: Optical
Image Size: 30 inches - 300 inches
Projection Distance Wide/Tele: 1.35 m - 1.64 m ( 60 inch screen)
Projection Lens F Number: 1.58 - 1.7
Focal Distance: 18.2 mm - 29.2 mm
Focus: Manual
Offset: 13.9 : 1
USB Display Function: 2 in 1: Image / Mouse
Interfaces: USB 2.0 Type A, USB 2.0 Type B, Wireless LAN IEEE 802.11b/g/n (WiFi 4), VGA in, HDMI in (2x), Composite in, MHL, Cinch audio in
Epson iProjection App: Ad-Hoc / Infrastructure
Energy Use: 298 Watt, 219 Watt (economy), 0.2 Watt (standby), On mode power consumption as defined in JBMS-84 264 Watt
Supply Voltage: AC 100 V - 240 V, 50 Hz - 60 Hz
Product dimensions: 302‎ x 252 x 92 mm (Width x Depth x Height)
Product weight: 2.7 kg

Design

The Epson EH-TW650 is a white-colored projector with a curved design. The front of this projector has the lens with a shutter at its top, which can be slid on either side to open or close the lens. At the top, the projector has ample physical controls and these are plastic keys. These controls include the power, source search, keystone adjustment, volume adjustment, and menu buttons. The section under the lens also comes with height adjustment. Besides these controls, there are LED lights to indicate the temperature, lamp status, and network connection.

At its rear, this Epson EH-TW650 projector houses a slew of ports and connectivity options making it quite functional. There are two HDMI ports, a VGA port, RCA port, a USB A port and a USB B port. This projector also comes with a 2-watt speaker but it does miss out on an audio out port and you cannot connect a speaker to the projector to enjoy impressive audio output as you watch your favorite film. Talking about its internals, there is a fan, which is pretty fast ensuring that the lamp and the whole projector is kept cool.

Set up

The Epson EH-TW650 is simple to connect and set up. It takes very little time to set up the projector. We were able to do the initial set up in a jiffy as we just had to connect the HDMI cable to projector so that it can connect to a laptop. And, that's it! It is possible to enjoy the content on the big screens ranging from 30-inch to 300-inch.

Performance

This Epson projector has FHD 1080p capability and can range up to a whopping 300 inches. With this ability, it can give the users an immersive experience. On top of this, there is a 3LCD technology which enables the projector to display content that is bright enough. The 15000:1 contrast ratio helps this projector display clear blacks, especially while watching dark or night scenes. It has a 3100 lumens lamp that is touted to last for up to 1 years of entertainment. During our review, we were impressed with the performance of this projector both with and without turning off the lights. And, the colors it produced were impressive in both instances. We like the keystone adjustment that works smoothly and the adjustment to control the screen orientation.

It has a lot of controls and ports as mentioned earlier. While projectors with speakers were something that wasn't a reality a few years back, this one comes with a 2-watt speaker, which can be improved.

Given that the visual performance of this projector is impressive, its audio capabilities do not live up to its level. The audio performance would have been better if there was a dedicated 3.5mm audio port making it simple to connect external speakers to the projector. Still it is possible to connect speakers with the help of HDMI audio splitter jack though this process is a little complicated for the common users. 

With in-built Wi-Fi and the Epson iProjection app, this projector enables users to project content wirelessly as well.

Verdict

Epson EH-TW650 offers impressive performance and reproduces great colors. It is a better option for those who are fine with a FHD projector and doesn't want a 4K projection, which would have added a bit more to its current cost. It should suffice home theater setups. So, if you aren't looking for any exceptional performance, then this one can be a good buy.