Description

Epson EH-TW9400 Projector Review

 

The Epson EH-TW9400 projector (in the USA branded as the Epson Home Cinema 5050UB 4K PRO-UHD Projector) uses pixel shifting to increase its resolution from 1080p to stunning 4K UHD, four times as much as standard HD. And with support for a wider range of color gamut and High Dynamic Range (HDR), the projector can deliver images with great brightness a well as vibrant and accurate colors.

Epson pushes the envelope with brightness levels in order to reach HDR standards, which is about 10,000 nits. All of Epson’s new range of projectors, including this model, the EH-TW9400, manage a more than capable 2,600 lumens in order to achieve maximum brightness. And as for color, you will be pleased to know that it covers 100% of DCI-P3 color space compared to the 90% that is required for an Ultra-HD Premium. With some much “power” under the bonnet, you know for sure that it will display more colors than a standard RGB device.

Overview

As the company’s latest flagship projector, the Epson EH-TW9400 projector boasts home-cinema features unlike any other. This lamp-based HDR projector has a motorized lens control, motorized covers, and lens memory and all work together to display stunning and clear images due to automatic focus correction.

Though the projector may not be native 4K, by using 3 Full HD LCD panels, it can produce resolutions from full HD 1080P all the way up to 4K Ultra HD. Rest assured that the content projected through the EH-TW9400 is nothing but stunning. We were taken aback at how rich and bright the images are. If you compare it to previous Epson models, you will notice right away that the Epson EH-TW9400 projector is much brighter, as previously mentioned at 2,600 lumens, and with a whopping contrast ratio of 1,2000,000:1. Another additional feature that stood out in our test is the Mobile High-Definition Link (MHL) connection which send signals to any smartphones and Wireless HD device without the need of HDMI cables. Imagine how much easier it is now to display videos, pictures, and music without the need of cables although limited to HD,  not 4K. Worth bearing this in mind.

 

Key Specifications

• 3LCD Technology with RGB liquid crystal shutter
• 0.74-inch with MLA (D9) LCD panel
• 2,600 lumens brightness
• 4K PRO-UHD resolution
• 4K enhancement high-definition
• 16:9 aspect ratio
• 1,200,000:1 contrast ratio
• 250 watts lamp
• 3,500 – 5000 hours lamp life
• ± 30°C manual vertical keystone correction
• Up to 1.07 billion colors reproduction
• 50 – 300 inches screen size
• 355-watt power consumption
• 100 – 240 supply voltage
• 20.5 x 17.1 x 7.6 inches dimensions
• 11.2 kg of weight
• 20 – 31 dB noise level
• HDMI inputs, USB 2.0 Type A and B, VGA input, RS-232C, and Wireless Network with Trigger Out

 

 

Design

In line with most Digital Light Processing (DLP) projectors, the Epson EH-TW9400 projector is rather big and heavy at 20.5 x 17.1 x 7.6 inches and 24 pounds (11 kg). Luckily, you can position the projector by either placing over a table or mount into the ceiling with a specially designed bracket from Epson. But what makes this projector so special is its adjustable lens with motorized zoom and focus that moves the images horizontally or vertically to ensure the correct display. This is really amazing tech. It provides a 2.1x optical zoom lens and a throw ratio of 1.35:1 to 2.84:1 to produce a distance range between 50 to 300 inches, 300inches! With such a big display range, the dream of having your very own home-theater is now a tangible possibility.

Setup

Even though the Epson EH-TW9400 projector is a rather large device, mounting it to the ceiling is actually not much of a problem. Epson provided their very own-designed bracket to carry and secure the projector in place. The EH-TW9400 is also a quite flexible device, offering a 47% horizontal lens shift and a 96% vertical lens shift and could fill a 100-inch screen with accurate center positioning and focusing automatically. That is quite a remarkable feat and one that many will find super helpful. Its three-chip LCD panel design allows for accurate alignment control for either whole-grid or individual corners or intersection. It goes without saying that all of this alignment results in sharper and richer images. 

 

Features

 

3LCD Technology

The images you get are stunning and natural because of the projector’s 3LCD technology and high color light output. Each scene looks realistic and adapts well to whatever ambient light or surrounding lighting conditions. Combining the support for HDR and PRO-UHD along with a more than generous 2600 lumens results in brighter images. No more darkroom or dark curtain just to see detail and depth in your projected images, believe it or not, you get to see perfectly fine in normal lighting conditions. In a dark or darkish room or environment, the quality increases exponentially. This also applies to TV sets anyway so we are not breaking new ground. In addition to all of this, the Epson EH-TW9400 projector’s contrast ratio is 6 times better than standard projectors which means, straight out of the box you get outstanding depth and detail in the blacks, which renders even nicer images.

PRO-UHD 4K Enhancement 

Enhancing the native 1080p using the PRO-UHD 4K allows the Epson EH-TW9400 projector to double its frame. This results in a clearer, denser, and detailed images than the Full HD version. And with its HDCP 2.2 HDMI, UHD 4K streaming is possible through digital service providers such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus, and more. Furthermore, incorporating HDR10 support to movies and games creates brighter, colorful, and realistic images. HDR (High Dynamic Range as it pertains to TVs) allows for video and still images with much greater brightness, contrast, and better color accuracy than what was possible in the past. This is ideal for movies, video games and tv shows. HDR10 allows for an image that is over twice as bright, with a corresponding increase in contrast (the difference between the blackest blacks and the whitest whites), and a color palette that has one billion shades, as opposed to the approximately 16 million of SDR. Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG) is the ideal format for sports and documentaries. 

Fully Motorized Optics

Since the Epson EH-TW9400 projector has a motorized lens shift, installing or setting it up is very easy. You no longer need to spend long time trying to find the sweet spot because the projector is able to move the lens up and down to adjust to the right size and shape. Zooming and focusing the images is now quicker and stress-free. And because of its ISF certification, it is compatible with a wide range of calibration tools for picture controls and settings. You can store 10 pre-set aspect ratios based on your personal preferences for fast selection with just a touch of a button.

 

 

Performance

The Epson EH-TW9400 projector manages to provide a wide color range without affecting the average brightness and picture quality. This is a generic and rather usual problem for mid-range projectors that only Epson can tackle successfully. It is fair to say that the black levels are pretty good, some gray colors shine due to the increase of brightness. Though the 4K purists might argue the details are not as good as other 4k projectors, for most people will be stunning and far, far better than ordinary Full HD. 

Moreover, switching to Digital Cinema Mode from the Standard Mode makes the colors look stunning with the help, of course, of the projector’s filter. But if power saving is your priority, then we suggest using the Economy Mode to minimize fan noise and prolong the lamp life. However, you must be aware that changing the mode results in an up to 40% brightness drop which Epson has admitted. Viewing in 3D displays excellent images because the adjust brightness for HDR adds up to the quality. And the usual projector problems like flickering and crosstalk are reduced exponentially so that pictures look natural and details are protected and displayed crisp and sharp. 

Moving on to the sound quality, we would advise matching this projector with a high-quality speaker system or a soundbar. Although the sound out of the projector is fine, it will never match the quality that you get from an audio dedicated system. This is especially noticeable when watching action movies or listening to music as the sound from a high-quality speaker system or a soundbar will envelop you in a way the sound from a projector will never do. Projectors are image devices, they are designed to project images so do not expect them to give you a mind-blowing audio experience, they just won’t. Not now, not tomorrow, not ever.

 

Conclusion

Overall, the Epson EH-TW9400 projector is rather exceptional. It is has a great design, amazing features, and all within an affordable price tag. Installing and setting it up is quick and easy. Not to mention, the user interface along with the remote control are pretty smart and easy to use. In terms of connectivity, it consists of two HDMI and VGA inputs, USB ports, RS-232C, and Wireless Network with Trigger Out. Although it is not a native 4K projector, the EH-TW9400 upscales the HD signal in a very clever way, still delivering sharp and brightly detailed images that could match any native 4K projector with higher resolutions. Aside from minor crosstalk, flicker, and fan noise, the projector performs fantastically and most people won’t even notice them. The Epson EH-TW9400 is a great projector that is really impressive in terms of wider color gamut and dynamic range. Another great job for Epson!

Buy it now in USA – Amazon

Buy it now in USA – Ebay

Buy it now in USA – ABT

Buy it – Rest of the world