Epson, best known for its high-end home theatre projectors, is looking to compete in the growing market for so-called “portable” projector space, with a couple of new models that can easily be taken anywhere.
The Epson EF-22 and Epson EF-21 are priced at $999 and $899 in the U.S., respectively (U.K. prices have not yet been announced), and they’re designed to be easy to set up and move from place-to-place. Despite their portability, they can still beam an impressive 150-inch picture onto any surface. They’ll go on sale later this month, the company added.
One standout feature of these models is that they can deliver much greater brightness than is typically found on portable projectors, with both of the gadgets rated at 1,000 lumens of white and colour brightness. The images are Full HD, or 1080p resolution, and they also support HDR10 for high dynamic range.
Epson has also integrated its EpiqSense technology into the projectors, which helps to automatically size, focus and align the picture once the device has been set down into position. The more premium EF-22 comes with a 360-degree swivel stand that can also tilt to beam its images at any angle, including on the ceiling.
They run the Google TV platform, and in terms of sound, the models are equipped with two 5-watt Dolby Audio speakers, with a 3.5mm audio jack for those who’d like to wear headphones while watching, plus a HDMI socket for connecting to a computer or Blu-ray player.
Buyers will be able to choose from a range of colours, including Diamond White, Opal Green and Quartz Rose, with additional Stone Blue and Onyx Black options available for the EF-22. They can also purchase an optional EpiqVision Mini Custom Travel Case for the projectors, which is sold separately for $49.
With the launch of the EF-22 and EF-21, it shows that Epson is getting serious about expanding into the market for portable projectors, where it has only ever had a very limited presence. The company is better known for its high-powered and very expensive home theatre systems, such as the Epson Pro Cinema LS12000, which delivers 4K resolution images at extremely high brightness, making it perfect for big-screen daytime viewing.
The portable projector market is saturated these days, with the likes of Samsung’s The Freestyle and LG’s CineBeam Q competing against an array of models from companies like XGIMI, Anker, JMGO, Dangbei and others.
It remains to be seen how well Epson can compete in this segment of the market, but it certainly has the pedigree to do well. One thing that’s going for it is the trust in its brand. Epson uses the ISO 21118 standard to register its brightness specifications, so the 1,000 lumens figure is likely to be accurate. That’s in contrast to many other smaller projector makers, who have made misleading claims about the true brightness of their portable devices.
