Epson is making its laser projectors to-go with the launch of two portables to add to its EpiqVision laser projector range.
The Epson EF-11 and EF-12 are a mini projectors with flexibility in mind. They can project a 1080p image of up to 150in at a brightness level of 1000 lumens, and they can do so with a 360-degree projection angle, meaning that you can place them almost anywhere.
These are Epson's smallest ever 3LCD laser projectors and the company claims that their laser light sources will last up to 10 years in Eco mode before they need replacing.
The Epson EF-12 is the the more fully-featured of the pair. Epson has partnered with Yamaha for the first time to create a built-in 2 x 5W 'Sound by Yamaha' speaker system for this device. The other significant agreement is with Google for the provision of Chromecast, Google Assistant, the Android TV OS and its jam packed app access.
The EF-11 is short on both these treat, however. Instead it has a non-Yamaha 1.5W mono speaker and you'll have to add a media streamer to its single HDMI port if you want video streaming apps, or use its Miracast feature.
The third EpiqVision laser projector launched today is not a portable. The Epson EH-LS300 is a lower spec version of last year's Epson EH-LS500 home cinema projector. The LS300 has a 'Sound by Yamaha' speaker system in the form of a 2 x 5W stereo pair plus a 10W woofer to back them up. It also comes with the full Google support, the same as the EF-12.
The Epson EH-LS300 can produce a 1080p picture of up to 120in at an impressive sounding brightness of 3600 lumens which should be enough to enjoy viewing in well-lit rooms. With its ultra-short throw set-up, the aim for is for this package to offer an alternative to a living room TV.
What doesn't quite add up, though, is the price. The new 1080p Epson EH-LS300 has an RRP of £2500. The older, but 4K-capable, Epson EH-LS500 is only £100 more expensive.
Certainly, the LS300 has the Yamaha sound and all the streaming options over the older model but, on paper, it still feels like an easy choice. Of course, specs aren't everything and we'll have to make the real judgement by picture performance once review.
The Epson EF-11 (£1000) , EF-12 (£1250) and EH-LS300 (£2500) will all be available from January 2021.
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