Why You Can Trust CNET Epson Projectors Feature 4K, Extreme Brightness Starting at $430
The company released four new PJs including two brighter budget models and a pair of more expensive projectors with 4K resolution.
The Epson Home Cinema 2350 has 4K resolution and costs $1,300.
We've liked several Epson home theater projectors in the last few years, most notably the 2250, 5050, and LS11000. If you're in the market for a new projector, it's worth seeing what Epson has up its sleeve this year. The updated 2022-2023 lineup includes four new projectors, ranging in price from $429 to $3,499.
The two least-expensive new Epsons offer improved brightness and are cost-comparable to many "portable" projectors. The third and most intriguing replaces the 2250 and offers 4K resolution at a good price. The fourth, and most expensive, is a new ultra short throw projector that promises extreme brightness and even closer placement to the wall.
Here are all the details.
Budget brightness twins
The small and inexpensive EpiqVision Flex CO-W01.
At the affordable end of the scale are the EpiqVision Flex CO-W01 and CO-FH02. Both are portable, in the sense that they're small and light, but neither have built-in batteries. Both have a claimed 3,000 lumens of brightness. For comparison, the $550 Anker Mars II Pro portable projector that we like has around 500 lumens. The two Epsons are positioned as projectors you can use for a weekend movie night, but also in the office. Both have small built-in speakers.
The biggest difference is the resolution. The CO-W01 has 1,280x800-pixel resolution while the CO-FH02 has 1080p resolution. In addition, the FH02 has Android TV built in, which should make streaming easier.
I was somewhat unimpressed with one of the predecessors of these projectors. The Home Cinema 880 was bright but it had one of the worst contrast ratios I've measured, so the picture looked washed out. In some situations that might be OK, but for a little more money there were better overall options. Hopefully these two will have better image quality.
Ultra-ultra short throw
At the other end of the price scale is the LS800 4K ultra short throw projector. It improves upon Epson's previous UST projectors, the LS300 and LS500, and replaces the latter. UST projectors are designed to be placed close to the wall, as opposed to standard projectors, which need a longer throw distance. They're often bright and expensive.
The new Epson EpiqVision Ultra LS800W ultra short throw projector.
The LS800 is no exception. It includes a new design, most notably lacking the pilothouse design of the LS500. Additionally, you can place the LS800 even closer to the wall or screen. Epson claims you can get a 100-inch image with the projector just 3.9 inches away. This is down from 10.5 with the LS300 and even farther with the 500.
Epson claims the LS800 is capable of putting out 4,000 lumens, which should make for some impressively bright images.
The 4,000-lumen LS800 also comes in black.
They've also spent effort improving the sound, enlisting Yamaha to help out. Inside is a 2.1 speaker layout, with a Yamaha DSP. The cabinet is still fairly small, so a good soundbar with subwoofer is still likely the best option if you have the space and budget.
We're not huge fans of UST projectors in general, not least for their high price, but also their compromises on performance. The LS800 is cheaper than the 4K LS500 it replaces, but still quite expensive. And while it's almost certainly bright, that's just one aspect of picture quality.
Affordable(-ish) 4K
Saving the (likely) best for last, the new Home Cinema 2350 ($1,300) is a relatively inexpensive 4K projector and a step up from the HC 2250 we liked from last year. As the model number implies, this actually replaces that model. Epson says it can put out 2,800 lumens, so it's bound to be bright, though that's not surprising. Epson projectors are almost always plenty bright. There's also vertical lens shift and Android TV built in.
The new 4K Epson new Home Cinema 2350.
The design is also a step in the right direction. Looks are subjective, of course, but there's a higher-end aesthetic to the HC 2350 compared to the 2250. But then, it is higher end. The 2250 was a bit overpriced at $1,000, and the 2350 is $300 more than that. In fairness, it is 4K and possibly a little brighter. So assuming it performs as well as the 2250 overall, plus has better detail since it's 4K not 1080p, the price is reasonable.
The 2350 is definitely the one I'm most interested in testing, which is why we'll be reviewing it soon. It's available for preorder now and shipping soon.