| HCC Review Epson EMP-TW600 [EMP-TW20 review here]
September 2006 Update 
EPSON EMP-TW600 Home Cinema Projector  HCC EDITORS' CHOICE
The Epson EMP-TW600 Home Cinema projector gets our Editor's Choice "For installations with higher ambient light conditions"
First impressions It's not the smallest 1280 x 720 pixel Home Cinema Projector around but the white lines are smooth and clean. Having room for air flow is a good way to maximise lamp life. Thank God the geek designer of the Epson EMP-TWD1 didn't have a hand in the case design. This is one impressive looking projector unless you like the box look. The bad old days where you had to invest in a dedicated home cinema room because of the limitations of the projectors light output are gone thanks to projectors that have grunt like the EMP-TW600. If you already have a Home Cinema room the TW600 would be at home in yours however it would only be working as hard as a Porsche 911 turbo in a school crossing zone at with a visible speed camera. 
TW600 vs. AE900? If you're looking at the TW600 you are probably being pressured into the Pana 900 too. There are not many shops you can see them side-by-side with the Sanyo Z3/Z4 at the same time. You have to take the salesman's word for a much of what is hearsay, so let's get to the key advantage the TW600 has over the Panasonic PT-AE900 and most else. The TW600 had a clear victory in brightness, the punch you need for life outside a cinema room. Although at first look the AE900 would seem to be close in output, it would look over exposed and have the colour gamut crushed in comparison to the EMP-TW600. The AE900 was turning peoples faces into cartoons in terms of colour which isn't necessarily bad if your looking at Powerpoint or Word documents. This colour overdrive was of course only when using settings that push it's 1100 lumens to the max, however that was the only way to get the Panasonic close in the brightness stakes. We've not heard of lamp problems from TW600 users, the same can't be said for the AE900. Skin and Grass, the basis of sports viewing Once you tone things down to cinema levels is was a lot harder to pick the difference between the Top Guns. The most comments from the panel were in regard to the natural colours of grass in HD sporting clips offered by the Epson EMP-TW600, it won. The realism and dark blacks of the EMP-TW600 has to be seen to be appreciated. 5000:1 contrast ratio is near as good as it gets especially if bundled with 1600 ANSI lumens. It's way easier to get a higher CR with a lower output projector as there is less light you need to cut from the dark scenes. Sharp or Smooth? This wow factor doesn't take anything away from the Panasonic PT-AE900 when it's used in a dark room, especially one where you're sitting fairly close to the screen as this is where you'll appreciate Panasonic's Smooth Screen Technology (albeit at slight expense to sharpness). The Epson EMP-TW600 is easily as sharp as the Sanyo PLV-Z3 and PLV-Z4 both were already sharper that the Panasonic PT-AE900 for the reason above. Fiddler on the roof mount Out of the box you didn't need to fiddle to get a first class image, we have not seen better standard settings from a 3-LCD model. There is every possible input you could want on the rear panel. 
If you like to make adjustments you will be impressed with the numerous settings you simply don't get in the other 720P LCD models. Epson kept a few things for their models that were not taken up (or made available?) to the other players using Epson's 3-LCD technology. Epson didn't even mention they have a RGB setting available as a default. The sharpness setting has Vertical and Horizontal and well as highlight and midtone settings. Playing with (I mean adjusting) the sharpness settings makes you believe your watching the sharpest picture you've ever seen. This is adjustment heaven! Don't let it scare you though, most people will never even go to the advanced menu because they will be happy with the projected image right out of the box.
Quite simply the most brilliant Epson Home Cinema projector to date.
 The TW600 will take over where the Infocus ScreenPlay 5000 left off. Infocus made their first LCD model for good reasons, the EPSON EMP TW600 takes the true home cinema to a new level of brightness and 10 bit processing.
The Epson EMP-TW600 allows people to watch movies in family room conditions rather than having to have a dark, dedicated home cinema room because it's at least 50% brighter than other 3-LCD projectors that offer true 16:9 - 1280 x 720 HD.
The EMP TW600 puts many more expensive models to shame in a dedicated home theatre room because you can always switch to low lamp mode and 5000:1 contrast ratio is 5 X as much as most people really need.
Note all of the current 720P LCD models use Epson made LCD panels. You could argue because Epson make the LCD engine the may know how to get the most from out of them.
EMP-TW600 with HD ready, 10 bit colour processing, 5000:1 contrast, 1600 lm and new ETORL Lamp for low cost ownership will transform any room into your very own VIP cinema. |
Every little bit counts 10 bit processing allows the Epson EMP-TW600 to reproduce colours that we simply don't see on many other projectors. This allows 64 times more colours than many 8 bit DLP projectors. The remote control is easy to use and backlit but not universal like the Panasonic PT-AE900's. Touch and go You should have no problems getting your movie underway. To set up your screen you can choose from 2 test patterns built into the projectors firmware. The connections should be easily mastered if you've ever connected a stereo or VCR or have mastered washing whites separate to colours. If you're spending this much on a projector don't be tight, get a fixed projection screen, you'll forget the price when it doesn't ripple after a year or two. No smoke without fire Or Light without heat, projector fans without noise!
More lumens = more heat and you have to cool the lamp with more air flow. If you want a projector capable of operating in higher ambient light conditions (than most 720P home cinema projectors can cope with) you need to be aware there is an increase in fan noise to cool the lamp when you ramp up the brightness. The noise level is fine on Theatre modes or natural, once you pump up the light output you can hear the fan speed up a little more than you would with say a Sanyo PLV-Z4. If you've got your sound system on movie levels it's a non issue. If you live in QLD or further north keep in mind projectors don't like operating in hot rooms, most will state a maximum allowable room temperature of around 40 degrees. Consider this The Epson EMP-TW600 should be considered at the top of your list if you'd neet to project in the lounge/family room as well as or instead of a dedicated home cinema room. If you want a projector just for the cinema room you won't be disappointed either, it's the old trade-off with 50% more lumens than most others in the True HD Wide Screen range there are small trade-offs that we'll cover below. We tested the EMP-TW600 head to head with the Infocus ScreenPlay 5000 (which uses the same 3- LCD panels) to be certain it's the brightest 720P 3-LCD model in this price range. 
Click for a larger digital TV screen shot from the EMP-TW600
As a rule LCD is 30% brighter than a DLP model with the same lumens because you're not chopping white up with a colour wheel but pushing out RGB at the same time. Most Infocus models are DLP the SP5000 is their only LCD model I guess seeing as everyone else was doing it? The EMP-TW600 didn't beat the underrated SP-5000's brightness & punch which just goes to show you can't always believe the brochure. The TW600 did however come first with amasing colour finesse, even when operating flat out. The EMP-TW600 produced more natural skin tones and much darker black scenes. "..If you already have a Home Cinema room the TW600 would be at home in yours however it would only be working as hard as a Porsche 911 turbo in a school crossing zone at with a visible speed camera.."
HCC will conduct a full on comparison in a later review.
We've read a review that claims the PLV-Z3 is better than the newer PLV-Z4. The main point raised was pixel alignment,the reviewer made no mention of the advanced alignment menu which allows you to align the internal test patterns. (which also eliminates banding) We can only assume they didn't know about this (slightly hidden) feature and we disagree with their findings. |
Epson Left - Infocus on the Right
No Vampire If you can use the higher light output and like ability to adjust everything but the case size the EMP-TW600 stands alone. No projector can operate in sunlight but may are useless in candle light. The example below is showing just how much grunt the TW600 has because the image is 50% larger than a normal 100" screen and it's projected onto a wall (Painted with "Screen Goo") when we/you use a more reasonable size screen the brightness goes up another 50%. Turn the lights off and you'll think you've got the biggest plasma screen in the world! Lights on - Lights off..
This animated file is using 3M screen shots from the EMP-TW600. The Epson EMP-TW600 is in our opinion at least equal to the current state of perfection (in this price range) for a 720P 3-LCD projector that isn't afraid of the light. 
Click for a larger screen shot (9 HD loop)
We are selective at HCC with our Editors Choice. We don't believe one projector is right for everyone so please note the key condition we always give with our editors choice. If you purchased based only on specifications often you wouldn't be getting the right projector. When we test models we do so in our cinema room and often at a staff members home. At the end of the day it's what looks best to you that's important, that's why we also invite non technical people to look at several images and pick between them without knowing what projector model they are viewing. Technical Stack up In the following table you'll see the main contenders. Our take is:- You can't go wrong with the Pana AE900, like the old days when everyone with bucks purchased IBM (PCs) because nobody ever got fired for doing so. Sanyo PLV-Z4's the gear with the quiet, dark side and class. TW600 is the choice if there is light in the room, the colours are as good as you'll see. In a dedicated home cinema room it's 1600 ANSI will be idling (better for lamp life) the blacks that are 10 times better than what a few years ago would cost you 10K. The EMP-TW600 produces better images than any "real" cinema especially if you're projecting say 2-3M wide (or around 100-140 inch diagonal screen). Be sure to check out our screen size calculator 
Click for 200K PDF file
sRGB Colour Space graph..
[Learn more] 
Please me, baby It's pleasing when you get such a unanimous"that one is better" as we did with the Epson EMP-TW600 it wasn't totally unexpected as Epson make the 3-LCD engine. HCC EDITORS' CHOICE
The Epson EMP-TW600 Home Cinema projector gets our Editor's Choice "For installations with higher ambient light conditions" Note TW600 comes with a free spare lamp during September 06
--Not available from all retailers.. HCC - September 2006 Update.  PDF Brochure - Epson Web Page
PDF of this projector review Buy $ [EMP-TW20 review here]
 Epson EMP-TW600 Projector Review
Smarthouse Review Epson EMP-TW600
March 2006 
Click for prices and special bundles..
".. The TW600 can deliver arguably the best pictures we've seen this side of $3,000.."
REVIEWS Tone Review Epson EMP-TW600
March 2006  EPSON EMP-TW600
The battle lines have now been drawn. Joining the luscious Panasonic PTAE900 (reviewed in December's Tone) in the war against the DLP invaders is the latest LCD hot rod from Epson, the EMPTW600. The family resemblance to Epson's other home theatre projectors is obvious: this fashionable beast is clad in a designer coat of silver and white ABS plastic, so in terms of looks the EMP-TW600 is the Miss Universe of the projector world. But that's not all, however, as the Epson has been created to match or exceed the performance gauntlet laid down by other highly rated projectors. So let's talk about the technology involved. Another projector to use a very handy lens-shift function, the EMP-TW600 also uses an Auto-Iris system where both gamma and light are adjusted automatically to ensure the best picture at all times. Analogue Device's Noise Shaped Video chipset has been employed to increase the S/N ratio and linearity of the video signal, while Epson has introduced the ETORL lamp to vastly improve light output efficiency. A new generation 1280 x 720 widescreen panel is employed to make your movies, sports and music videos that much more enjoyable and realistic. Connections provided on the EMP-TW600 are comprehensive, with composite/s-video and component, and the now important HDMI connector for digital signal transmission. Last of all is Epson's 10bit-drive Dream5 LCD system, capable of reproducing 1.07 billion colours for rich expression and smooth gradation. All this means a stunning contrast ratio of 5000:1, with not too shabby a light output of 1600 lumen. Not bad at all. Luckily for me I had the services of Pioneer's stunning new DV-989AVI DVD player for a top class signal, and this fed flawless imagery via the HDMI output into the EMPTW- 600. And what a picture! Outputting at 720p, the images were rich and detailed, with real 3-dimensionality and an excellent colour palette. Blacks were well de? ned and had a genuine depth to them (black resolution is an area LCD projectors generally struggle with), while motion was seamless and realistic. The Fifth Element (Superbit) astounded with vibrant colours and lack of digital artifacts, and I seemed 'locked' to the screen, such were the brilliant images on display. Equally impressive was the lack of the dreaded 'screen door' effect, so often a hallmark of projectors of lesser pedigree. Later on, i slapped on the 'slacker' comedy The Wedding Crashers, which was stunningly reproduced through the EMP-TW600 with fabulous detail and vibrancy. And remember, this is no $10,000 device - rather an entry level (but upmarket) projector offering film magic for the masses. It's an excellent effort from Epson, and most definitely a rival for anything else out there. Review
HCC Review Epson EMP-TW20
April 2006 HCC EDITORS' CHOICE The TW20 is 16:9 which is the Aspect ratio you want for Home Cinema now that Digital TV is here (It's all 16:9) It's got great lines, it's sexy and it projects fantastic images. Projector Class: Home Cinema WVGA
Size Category: Portable
Resolution: 854 x 480
Lumens: 1200 ANSI Lumens
Projection Type: LCD Technology
Size: 373mm(W) x 295mm(D) x 127mm(H)
Weight: 3.5kg
. Pixel number 854 x 480 pixels
. Native resolution WVGA
. Aspect ratio 16:9
. LAMP Type 135 W UHE E-TORL Lamp
. SCREEN SIZE (PROJECTED DISTANCE) 30 o 300 inch (0.88 to 9.16m) (Wide) 30 to 300 inch (1.33 to 13.65m) (Tele) First impressions We put the TW20 against the Panasonic PT-LM2 and the first thing we didn't notice was the noise, it's quiet. The second thing was the lens shift, which some expensive projectors lack and better still the projected image was better than the Panasonic. Big from up close You can have a whopping 100 inch image from 3M away. (See our screensize calculator) The Epson EMP-TW20 has features that are sometimes missing from more expensive projectors like LENS SHIFT and a good range of presets to choose such as: Theatre Black 1, Theatre Black 2, Theater, Dynamic and Natural, so there is no excuse to have settings that don't match your situation. In terms of Picture Quality, Low noise (We were very impressed with the almost silent operation) and style this projector wipes the floor with the Panasonic PT-LM2 for home cinema because the LM2 is more a business projector, where noise and looks aren't as important. To put it against entry level DLP models would be a joke they don't come close. But wait there's more Another bonus is Component Input. Using this input you'll get the best possible picture. While more expensive projectors have digital inputs we dare say you wouldn't be able to tell the difference between digital and true component. Component has the advantage of being able to cope with longer distances too. If you want to mount your projector on the back wall of a 6M room this is not the model for you. The TW20 has a short throw lens so it's better suited to a coffee table or have it ceiling mounted 2-4M from the screen (See our screen size calculator). Hang up a fixed projection screen whilst showing a good quality DVD or Digital TV and you could fool most people that you've paid $4K or more for your home theatre setup, it's that good for the money. If you come across a small, cheap pull down screen keep it for the kids room, you'll soon get sick of the distortions. Trickster On many well lit scenes you can't pick much between the TW20 and a top of the range Sanyo Z4, Epson TW600 or Panasonic AE900, of course the TW20 is not as good but it's way better than 1/2 as good. Used in a very well lit room the Epson EMP-TW600 with 1600 ANSI lumens would be worth the extra cash. Thinking about what most people will be watching the TW20 is subjectively 90% as good as current perfection at twice or more dollars. Episodes of Seinfeld look the same! Unlike many low cost DLP models this 3-LCD projector won't give you DLP headaches or have you seeing rainbows [See forum] because it's LCD. Not DLP Don't under estimate how important this could be if you or someone in your family is sensitive to DLP technology which tricks the brain into seeing colours by quickly flashing the primary colours one after the other (The DLP chip switches white on and off so a spinning colour wheel must be between it and the lens) we've found the lower cost DLP models are often DLP "Rainbow" kings. Epson have shown they know how to get the most out of LCD, even on a budget priced TW20. Plasma ain 't Cinema If you'd rather pay more for a plasma TV in the hope of having some sort of home cinema you're kidding! Buy a big CRT TV and with the change get this, you won't look back. We are selective at HCC with our Editors Choice. We don't believe one projector is right for everyone so please note the key condition for our editors choice. *The Epson EMP TW20 is our "Budget Buyers" Editor's Choice. HCC Buy $ Epson PDF Brochure - Epson Web Page PDF of this projector review
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