Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 700 3LCD Video Projector - Product Review and Rating

At an MSRP of $799, the Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 700 3LCD Video Projector is a very good value. With a compact design, this projector can be placed just about anywhere. The native 1280x800 native pixel resolution and 2,000 lumen output, combined with a 2,000:1 contrast ratio, provide very good image quality from high definition sources. The Home Cinema 700 also has a very quick turn-on/shut-off time. For more about the Epson Home Cinema 700 after reading this short review, also check out my Photo Gallery, and Video Performance Tests

The features and specifications of the Despond PowerLite Home Cinema 700 include the following:

1. 3LCD Video Projector with 2,000 Lumens of light output and 1280x800 (approx.720p) Native Pixel Resolution.

2. Image size range: 27 to 270 inches - adds flexibility for both small and large screen sizes and room environments. Can project 80-inch 16x9 image from 8.5 ft or a 120-inch widescreen image from 13 ft.

3. Native 16x10 Screen Aspect Ratio. The Epson Home Cinema 700 can accommodate standard 16x9 or 4x3 aspect ratio sources.

4. 2000:1 Contrast Ratio. 140 Watt Lamp and 4000 Hour Lamp Life (Low Light Output), 3000 Hour Lamp Life (High Light Output).

5. HDMI, VGA, HD-Component (via provided Component-to-VGA adapter cable), S-Video, and Composite Video inputs. Any standard video source, except RF sources, can be connected.

6. Compatible with input resolutions up to 1080p (including both 1080p/24 and 1080p/60). NTSC/PAL Compatible. All sources scaled to 720p for screen display.

7. Manual Zoom and Focus controls located on lens assembly. On-screen menu system for other functions. Compact wireless remote control provided.

8. Instant On and Instant Off. SD Card and 2 USB Inputs. (Type A) USB port for access to external USB media devices, the other (Type B) USB port for direct connection to a PC or Laptop. Built-in analog audio inputs and Mono speaker system.

9. Automatic video input Detection - Manual video input selection also available via remote control or buttons on projector.

10. Kensington®-style lock provision, padlock and security cable hole provided.

11. Dimensions: 12.9 Wide x 9.6 Deep x 4.0 inches High - Weight: 6.2 lbs - AC Power: 100-240V, 50/60Hz

12. Suggested Price: $799.

Setup and Installation

The Home Cinema 700 is easy to set up and use.

After setting up a screen (size of your choosing), position the unit on a table, rack, or mount on the ceiling at the optimal distance from the screen or white wall(your choosing).

Starting up the projector is easy. First, plug in your source (such as a DVD, Blu-ray, or HD-DVD player) to the proper video input on the back of the projector. Then, plug in the power cord and turn on the power using the button on the top of the projector or the remote. It takes about 10 seconds or so until you see the Epson logo projected on your screen, at which time you are set to go.

At this point, you can raise or lower the front of the projector using the adjustable foot, and you can also adjust the image angle on the projection screen, or white wall, using the Keystone correction function via the onscreen menu navigation buttons on the the top of the projector, or on the remote control. You can also use the manual zoom control to get the image to fill the screen properly. After this, you can use the manual focus control to sharpen your image.

The Home Cinema 700 will search for the input of the source that is active. You can also access the source inputs manually via the controls on the projector, or via the wireless remote control.

Additional components used in the review of the included:

1. Outlaw Audio Model 950 Preamp/Surround Processor paired with a Butler Audio 5150 5-channel power amplifier. Crown 2-channel amplifier used for Surround Back Channels.

2. Source Components: Sony BDP-S350 Blu-ray Disc Player, LG BH100 Blu-ray/HD-DVD Combo player, and OPPO Digital DV-983H and DV-980H Upscaling DVD players.

3. Loudspeakers used: Left, Center, and Main speakers were custom made with Electrovoice drivers, and two KLH powered subwoofers installed under the stage area of the projection room (see photo). Four wall mounted Klipsch S-2 Dipole Surrounds.

4. Connections between components were made with Accell, Cobalt, and AR Interconnect cables.

Software Used

The software used in this review included the following titles:

Blu-ray Discs used included scenes from from the following: Chronicles of Narnia - Prince Caspian, Hairspray, I am Legend, Iron Man, Quarantine, Shakira - Oral Fixation Tour, Sunshine, The Dark Knight, Transporter 3, Wall-E and Watchmen: The Motion Comic.

HD-DVDs used included Scenes from the following: 300, Batman Begins, Beowulf, Bourne Ultimatum, Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas, Serenity, and Transformers.

Standard DVDs used included scenes from the following: The Cave, House of the Flying Daggers, Kill Bill - Vol 1/2, Kingdom of Heaven (Director's Cut), Lord of Rings Trilogy, Master and Commander, Moulin Rouge, and V For Vendetta.

With 2,000 maximum lumens output output capability, the Home Cinema 700 projects an image of exceptional brightness. Also, the contrast level was good, but not exceptional.

The Color consistency was very good throughout, which was evident on standard DVD clips from Moulin Rouge, The Cave, and Kill Bill Vol1/2 as well as Blu-ray (Iron Man) and HD-DVD (Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas) sources.

Video Performance - Deinterlacing and Upscaling of Standard Definition Material

In a further evaluation, with regards to its scaling capabilities, tests were conducted using Silicon Optix HQV Benchmark DVD. In order to conduct an accurate projector upscaling test, I set the OPPO DV-980H to 480i output and, using the Composite, and, alternately, the Component video connection, between the player and the projector. By doing this, all of the upscaling was done by the projector from the lowest possible resolution input.

The test results showed that the Home Cinema 700 did a below average job with regards to deinterlacing and scaling of 480i input signals.

On rotating and bouncing diagonal lines, as well as a waving flag, the Home Cinema 700 exhibited noticeable jaggedness. Also, moire pattern elimination and complex film cadence detection could definitely use some improvement. On the other hand, the Home Cinema 700 did very well with color bars and horizontal and vertical video title overlays with film content, producing stable results in both cases.

For more details, check out my Epson Home Cinema 700 Video Performance Test Results.

Proceed to Page 2: Pros, Cons, and Final Take