This is a relabeled W6 multimedia / Home Cinema 700 projector with a useless USB port added. It does a 1:1 720p and has an auto iris to make a decent and very bright home theater projector. It's pretty economical with a $148 replacemement lamp good for up to 4000 hours. I've been very happy with it after about a year in a non-light-controlled room for movies, high def TV, and XBox.
So, is this a decent choice for a budget home theater projector? Other projectors I have seen deals on in the price range are the Optima HD65 for $615 and the InFocus X9 for mid-$500's (neither of which may be available now, just trying to compare).
After doing a good bit of reading, it seems that this is a pretty good projector for the price, but the black levels are really poor, and it suffers from screendoor effect really bad on SD material (not that I plan on watching anything in SD on it). I'm not quite ready to buy my projector, I'm just keeping my eyes open for a deal. This one is tempting, still...
ToHellWithUGA said: After doing a good bit of reading, it seems that this is a pretty good projector for the price, but the black levels are really poor, and it suffers from screendoor effect really bad on SD material (not that I plan on watching anything in SD on it). I'm not quite ready to buy my projector, I'm just keeping my eyes open for a deal. This one is tempting, still...
I use it with a Comcast digital box and a component video connection to a 7' diagonal screen. I don't see an objectionable amount of screen door effect. On the other hand, any 2000 Lumens 720p HDMI projector wants a big screen and a digital high def source or you're kind of missing the point.
Thanks for the response. There are actually 2 available at a local Staples, which is why I'm thinking about it.
But, my use will be a dedicated HT with no ambient light (current plan at least), so I should probably pass on this projector. Thanks for posting the deal, though. I had no idea that Staples carried a projector that was anywhere close to being good enough for a HT.
ToHellWithUGA said: After doing a good bit of reading, it seems that this is a pretty good projector for the price, but the black levels are really poor, and it suffers from screendoor effect really bad on SD material (not that I plan on watching anything in SD on it). I'm not quite ready to buy my projector, I'm just keeping my eyes open for a deal. This one is tempting, still...
If it only happens on SD material, it's not the "screendoor" effect - you can pretty much ignore those reviews. Screendoor is the name for the dead space between the LCD pixels. If you get close to the screen, there will be a square of light surrounded by a darker area - like looking through a screened door (duh). It occurs at the native resolution - it has to as it is a function of the physical construction of the LCD matrix. Now, that means it occurs on _all_ material - regardless of the input resolution. It happens on SD identically to HD native (720p) as well as downscaled HD (1080i/p). If there is a significant problem with SD, it's either a problem with the source (most likely) or a problem with the projector's scaler. I avoid the problem by running everything through an HTPC, which outputs a native 720p to the projector via HDMI.
I don't know if this projector has the option to choose a lower light setting, but I can say that the "theater" mode on my Epson (Home Cinema something-or-other) is noticeably quieter, but requires full light control; at brighter settings, I can turn the house lights up a little - which is nicer for watching football.
Overzeetop said: I don't know if this projector has the option to choose a lower light setting, but I can say that the "theater" mode on my Epson (Home Cinema something-or-other) is noticeably quieter, but requires full light control; at brighter settings, I can turn the house lights up a little - which is nicer for watching football. Thx Overzeetop. This projector is basically the same as the Powerlite Home Cinema 700, reviewed here:
I guess it does have "theater" mode, b/c in that review, they state:
Review said: At home, many people will opt for Theater mode, which decreases lumen output to 1243 but makes color appear more accurate. Others will want to use Eco-mode, which drops brightness by 21 %. Still others will want to use both at once, which resulted in a brightness level of 982 Lumens on our test unit. For home video use, this is a great mode of operation - 982 Lumens is more than most home theater projectors deliver, while low lamp mode maximizes lamp life.
The EX70's pic quality is very good. You can never have too much light. You can dial down the brightness, but adding Lumens to a light-challenged projector is impossible.
I'd rate this 5/5 if it weren't for the short throw and lack of lens shift. Due to my room length, the projected image is too large for my 108" screen. No lens shift means I have to put shims in to get the image to line up (if it would fit the screen to begin with). I could buy a ceiling mount and rewire it, but I'm going to stick with the Panasonic AX100 for now. The AX100 is a great projector, especially now after I replaced the stock iris which was causing issues.
As a business tabletop / travel projector, this has to be one of the best out there. The short throw would be beneficial in those situations. The SD card reader and built-in USB DisplayPort controller are perfect for presentations.
BTW - I noticed that Staples has removed the EX70 and is now selling the EX71.
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