New Epson 2030 and 730HD Projectors

We’ve reviewed a bunch of Epson projectors over the past year or so. The 5020, for example, was an excellent projector. Lots of light output, decent contrast ratio.

The 750HD, on the other hand, offered ridiculous light output (and a not-so-great contrast ratio).

Two new models, just announced, aim to fill some gaps in the sub-$1,000 price range.

First up is the Home Cinema 2030. It’s $999, but it’s 1080p, 3D, and with a claimed 2,000 lumens. Epson rarely fibs with their lumen numbers, so I’d expect this to be about as bright as they say.

Size-wise, it’s quite small, roughly the same size as the BenQ W1070. This is certainly not accidental. One DLP-like feature for this 3LCD projector is a fixed lens (1.2x zoom, but no horizontal or vertical shift). Not great, but perhaps a concession for price or size (or both).

One cool feature is an MHL input, meaning you can use a Roku Streaming Stick. There’s even a small built-in speaker, making the 2030 quite potentially portable.

On the 3D side of things, the glasses are RF, and you can use any glasses from any other member of the Full HD 3D glasses consortium.

The lamp life is interesting as well, a claimed 5000 hours in normal mode, and 6000 in Eco.

The other new projector, slotting in below the 750HD, is the $649 Home Cinema 730HD.

This replaces the 710 in their line. It doesn’t have the 750’s 3D capability, but Epson claims it has a better contrast ratio. With a claimed 3,000 lumens, it’s sure to be bright, too. For $649, it’s bound to be very interesting.

Both projectors are expected to ship in September.

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