Top 7 Best Epson Projectors of 2024 – [Reviews & Buying Guide]

Epson is the largest projector manufacturer in the World. They provide jam-packed features in a compact body with fantastic picture quality at an affordable price tag. Models like 5050UB, 6050UB, 3800, and 4010 are some of the best Epson projectors that we are going to review in detail in this article.

In this article, all the Epson home cinema projectors offer fantastic black levels, sharpness, brightness, and overall picture quality at a budget-friendly price tag. Compare Epson projectors after reading the reviews.

Epson manufactures all types of projectors. From business unit with high lumen output so that it can display presentation in a room where ambient light is dominant, classroom projectors with similar features, to more complex home cinema projectors where black levels, color, and contrast is taken into consideration

The ultra-quality high-end home theater projector market is dominated by the SONY and JVC projectors, but as far as affordable units are concerned, Epson projectors should be the primary choice for every home cinema lover.

Before diving into the review, check out our top picks.

Best Epson Projectors of 2023

We have listed the following top 7 as the best Epson projectors for home cinema, gaming, business, and classroom purpose. Each model is unique in its own way.

1. Epson Pro Cinema 6050UB
2. Epson Home Cinema 5050UB
3. Epson Epiqvision Ultra LS500 Ultra-Short
4. Epson Home Cinema 3800
5. Epson VS355 WXGA
6. Epson Home Cinema 4010
7. Epson Home cinema 3200

Comparison Table

IMAGE	PRODUCT	DETAILS
EDITOR’S CHOICE	Epson Pro Cinema 6050UB	Best 4K performance Excellent brightness Accurate colors Stunning cinematic experience	CHECK PRICE
BEST FOR GAMING	Epson Home Cinema 5050UB	Excellent for gaming HDR content is top-notch HDR10 and HLG 120 Hz lag less display.	CHECK PRICE
BEST UST	Epson Epiqvision Ultra LS500	Extremely compact Smooth motion for sports Best UST projector gaming 0.2m-0.6m Throw distance	CHECK PRICE
BEST UNDER $2K	Epson Home Cinema 3800 4K	4 preset color modes Affordable Very good HDR content Works in ambient light too.	CHECK PRICE
BEST FOR BUSINESS	Epson VS355 WXGA?Ǭ	3300-lumen output Best for business presentations Easy installation Accurate vivid colors	CHECK PRICE
BEST HDR	Epson Home Cinema 4010	20db-30db in eco mode Stunning resolution digital image processing No rainbow effect	CHECK PRICE
BEST MID-RANGE	Epson Home Cinema 3200?Ǭ	4K after pixel-shifting Full 10-bit HDR and HLG support Digital video processing 3D supported	CHECK PRICE

 1.  Epson Pro Cinema 6050UB 4K PR-UHD Projector Review

 

The successor to Epson 6040, Epson Pro Cinema 6050UB is the flagship of the Epson 6000 lineup. It is dedicated home theater friendly as it comes in a black casing.

These Epson projector models use a 3-chip projector design with advanced 3LCD technology that displays a 100% of RGB color signal for every signal.

An outstanding color gamut has been achieved while maintaining the brightness without any rainbow effect.

Overall, it eliminates the rainbow effect while maintaining excellent brightness.

It is a native 1080p projector but with the help of pixel shifting, it achieves a 4K display.

In a bat cave environment, the black housing will visually disappear compared to the white housing which reflects the light on the screen.

With a rated brightness of 2600 lumens, experts are claiming that 6050UB is the best bulb-based projector in the Epson series.

Most expensive home projectors like Sony projectors offer 1500-1600 lumens and they get expensive once the lumens get higher. Let’s be honest, you can never achieve a true home theater.

There is so much involvement of ambient light and understandably so because it is our home.

So a brighter projector is needed for the home theater setting. 2600 lumens from 6050UB is a gold mine considering the price tag.

 Why choose Epson Pro Cinema 6050UB 

 Design of Epson Pro Cinema 6050UB 

It comes in a beautiful black housing that is home theater friendly because absorbs light. The finishing is smooth. It is not that difficult to carry.

There is a centrally mounted 15-element precision glass lens with a motorized lens shift. The air vents are at the left and right sides of the front panel.

Right under the removable vent cover, there are removable filters. Moving over to the side, there is a door containing manual buttons and navigation beside the power and source buttons.

I like that little door in Epson models. It keeps the dust away which can be a pain in the ass to clean from the crevices.

There are multiple mounting points at the bottom and adjustable feet if you are placing them on a flat surface.

 Connection and connectivity 

 Performance of Epson Pro Cinema 6050UB 

After engaging auto-iris, it didn’t introduce as many pumping artifacts as we have seen on the Epson LS500 home projector, but it didn’t deepen the blacks in most scenes either, so leaving it off is a better choice.

The color accuracy is very good, but wasn’t better than JVC or Sony projectors, and understandably so considering the huge price difference.

Few yellow base colors exceeded the humanly perceptible threshold or delta error 3, but in real-world content, a normal user will never spot the color inaccuracies.

24HZ 3D video signal was achieved without judder, so slow panning shots in 3D Blu-ray would still look smooth.

For gaming, 27-28 milliseconds of input lag was measured regardless of whether image processing was set to fine or fast as long as all image and motion enhancements were OFF.

When interlacing set to film auto, the Epson Pro Cinema 6050UB correctly detected and processed 3-2 cadences in 480i and 1080i, but failed to do so for 2:2 cadence for 576i. It means if you are living in the UK and other European countries, always send a progressive video signal to the projector which should be by default.

 Final Verdict 

Sony and JVC are only launching expensive native 4K projectors these days, Epson is dominating the budget-friendly projector market.

Epson Pro Cinema 6050UB delivers inkier blacks than similarly expensive DLP projectors, bright lumen output, punchy contrast, native 24p playback, full HD 3D, motorized lens control and memory, and low input lag at an affordable price.

Its overall picture quality is excellent. Epson Pro Cinema 6050UB is highly recommendedfor a home theater lover.

6050UB is the best Epson home theater projector. While we are talking about the best, read our blog post on the top-rated home theater projectors.

 2.  Epson Home Cinema 5050UB Review

 

Epson Home Cinema 5050UB is a 1080p projector that uses pixel-shifting technology to enhance the resolution up to 4K. Trust me, you won’t even notice if it is native 4K or not.

5050UB is the latest model of Epson’s 12-year-old UB (ultra-black) series with some significant improvements in many areas.

Around that same time, Epson launched 5050Ube which is a couple of hundred expensive than Epson Home Cinema 5050UB.

Both are identical, but 5050Ube comes with a built-in wireless HDMI and HDMI transmitter that handles three HDMI inputs on the back.

After some time, Epson launched another variant of the 5050UB known as Epson Home Cinema 6050UB which is an updated version of its predecessor.

Epson Home Cinema 6050UB is round about $1000 more, for which you get a slight increase in the performance. Epson projector comparison is normal for users when it comes to 6050 and 5050.

But,

Epson 5050UB home theater projector is on the list because it can do everything at an affordable price tag. Both are these Epson projector models are excellent by the way.

It is a 2600-lumen projector which is great because it boosts 3D performance and it can perform well in the presence of ambient.

HDR performance is the main selling point of this piece. In a dedicated bat cave environment, the HDR content is truly appreciable considering the HDR performance of 5040UB which tends to get a bit muddy at times.

 Why choose the Epson 5050UB home projector 

 Design Epson 5050UB cinema projector 

Epson 5050UB follows the same traditional design with a centrally mounted lens and IR sensors. Air vents are at the front plate.

The finishing is extremely smooth and beautiful. The motorized lens cover keeps the dust out of the sensitive parts. Quite a feature for a budget-friendly projector.

The basic manual buttons like power, menu, and navigation are at the right side of the projector behind a small door which keeps the dust out of the buttons.

The weight and dimensions of Epson 5050UB are identical to 5040UB.

 Connections and connectivity 

Although the remote is not backlit, the navigation is awesome. It is beautifully designed with a lot of helpful features.

 Performance of Epson 5050UB projector 

Epson 5050UB uses pixel-shifting technology to produce 4K images just like any other DLP projector, but it uses 4 million pixels while other DLP machines use 8.3 million pixels.

Epson 5050UB is a very sharp machine, but the latest DLP machines are sharper.

HDR content is appreciable for the price tag. It is crisper and brighter. There are many options that you can play with the way HDR looks.

This machine is brightness and color accurate. Even in the ambient light, the brightness is way better than in other expensive models.

Color bands tend to separate when the image gets big, the 12-bit video processing technology used in Epson 5050UB prevents that from happening. The final product is smooth and crispier.

Epson 5050UB has one of the best implementations of HDMI-CEC.

Overall, the performance of the Epson 5050UB home cinema projector exceeds its price tag.

 Final Verdict 

One of the best home theater projectors under $3k. Epson 5050UB projector is color and brightness accurate with stunning black levels.

Although the sharpness is not good as DLP projectors, the skin tones and are natural and realistic.

Epson 5050UB provides one of the best HDR performances considering the price tag.

Brightness and color levels are excellent due to the 3LCD Technology. It significantly improves the cinematic experience.

An excellent choice for 4K gaming. The low input is the reason hardcore gamers prefer this model over other expensive projectors.

9/10 from me.

 3.  Epson Epiqvision Ultra LS500 Ultra-Short Throw Laser Projector Review

 

Epson Epiqvision Ultra LS500 is an excellent replacement for large living room TV.

It is a laser-powered projector having whopping 4000 lumens which is great for most home theaters because the penetration of ambient light is always there.

It is an advanced 3-chip 3LCD technology so won’t be seeing any rainbow effect, and it comes with either a 100 or 120 inch screen.

It is a native 1080p projector, but it can accept and display 4K resolution using pixel shiting. It is being called 4K PRO-UD.

The screen that comes with Epson Epiqvision Ultra LS500 is a special ambient light projection screen that can only be used for ultra-short-throw projectors.

It means it will completely visible even in a well-lit living room. Ultrashort throw Epson projector models are known for their unreal brightness.

The projector closest to the screen needs to be 15-16 inches away for a 100″screen size, and 22-23 inches away for a 120-inch screen.

Epson Epiqvision Ultra LS500 offers 4000 lumens in dynamic mode, 2500 lumens in cinema mode, and a regular cinema mode which is dimmer than bright cinema but ideal for dedicated home theater.

Overall, this model is one of the brightest home cinema projectors out there.

 Why choose Epson Epiqvision Ultra LS500 

 Desing of Epson Epiqvision Ultra LS500 

Comparing to other USTs in its class, Epson Epiqvision Ultra LS500 has a unique design with a raised hood housing the circular periscope lens.

It comes in two colors, white and black and the overall finishing of the projector is smooth and beautiful.

Most of the connections can be found at the rear end. Beneath the detachable magnetic front cover, manual navigation, powered USB port, and a 3^rd HDMI input is revealed.

Although, LS500 comes with a dual integrated 10-watt speaker, hooking this up to an external sound source is recommended by us.

 Connections and connectivity 

 Perforamacne of Epson Epiqvision Ultra LS500 

Due to its huge lumen output, LS500 delivered the brightest HDR representation we have seen from a consumer projector with bright scenes that looked convincingly impactful as HDR gets on a projector.

Such a high light output will degrade the picture quality and it does especially in 3LCD technology.

The dark scenes appeared bluish and greyish with compressed shadow details.

The fan noise will increase as light output increases. Using dynamic contrast blacks become deeper.

Epson Epiqvision Ultra LS500 doesn’t feature any dynamic tone mapping, it doesn’t even adapt its tone curve to static HDR10 metadata.

The unique optical layering technology is used to produce deep blacks, vivid colors, and realistic skin tones for a bright, colorful, and sharp picture. Certainly a brighter picture than other UST projectors in its class.

Overall, Epson Epiqvision Ultra LS500’s performance is excellent and it provides great value for the money.

 Final Verdict 

What I like about Epson Epiqvision Ultra LS500 is 24p playback without judder, low input lag for flawless gaming, huge light output, cinema, and bright cinema mode for dedicated home theater, and incredible HDR content.

I would highly recommend getting this product for your home theater, it is good for a normal living room with ambient light too considering the 4000 lumens it can shoot.

Checkout our guide about the best laser projctors

 4.  Epson Home Cinema 3800 4K PRO-UHD 3-CHIP Projector Review

 

Epson Home Cinema 3800 may be the best budget-friendly projector but it is utilizing the latest 3LCD display and 10-bit HDR processing to enhance the picture quality and color.

The 3-chip technology is providing 100% RGB color and brightness for every frame so that you would never experience the rainbow effect.

The 12-bit analog-to-digital video processing technology is for smooth tonal transitions; helps to eliminate the lagging if you are a gamer.

 Why choose Epson Home Cinema 3800 

 Design of Epson Home Cinema 3800 

The design is compact, slim, and smooth with an air vent at the front plate, a lens is mounted on the right side of the projector, and a couple of buttons and manual navigation at the top.

You can manipulate the zoom, focus, and axis through those buttons. It is both ceiling and table mountable.

Epson Home Cinema 3800 is a bit heavy but durable and compact unit. Overall, I am impressed by its design.

 Connections and connectivity 

 Performance of Epson Home Cinema 3800 

You need to understand one thing, almost no one can afford a true 4K projector, so no, it doesn’t look as sharp as a 4K projector, but the pixel-shifting technology does give you a pseudo 4K quality which is not bad at all.

Most of the movies on Netflix will look sharp on an 80-inch screen with extra details.

The dark and gloomy scenes will be clear with amazing black-level details.

Shadow detailing is not that great but with the dynamic iris ON, Epson Home Cinema 3800 gets it done.

In a bat cave environment, cinematic performance is brilliant out of the box, but if you are watching in daylight, you need to visit the bright cinema setting

Its performance in ambient light is also good considering it is offering a whopping 3000 lumens for a budget projector.

To eliminate judder out of the pan on TV, there is a motion interpolation system for a smooth motion while watching sports or fast-paced content.

The stereo speakers in Epson Home Cinema 3800 don’t have the greatest audio, but it isn’t bad too. If you can afford the luxury of a home stereo system, I would suggest that.

The four preset color modes (natural, bright cinema, cinema, and dynamic) are by default. Newbies can get lost in the setting while adjusting it, so presets are always appreciable.

Epson Home Cinema 3800 doesn’t offer a dedicated 3D mode.

This model comes with a 10-bit HDR that accepts 100% HDR to provide awesome HDR content. For a unit that is under $2000, I am blown away by the HDR performance.

 Final Verdict 

I will be honest, don’t expect a stunningly good picture quality from Epson Home Cinema 3800 as it is only a budget projector, but in the price range, you will get an excellent image quality with decent black levels and shadow details.

I am impressed. It does provide a lot of cool features with low input lag which is much needed for hardcore gamers like me.

 5.  Epson VS355 WXGA Home Theater Projector Review

 

Epson VS355 WXGA Home Theater Projector is a business class budget-friendly model that is mostly used for outdoor activities and office purposes.

Whether you need to present your latest presentation or want to have a fun time with your pals, Epson VS355 is a recommended, and popular choice.

Epson VS355 is one of the most affordable projector portable projectors which is part of the Epson’s VS series which is their value lineup.

It is a 2D-only widescreen projector, WXGA that is 1280 x 800 resolution which matches most of the laptops that are being used in the offices.

 Why choose Epson VS355 

 Design of Epson VS355 

I love its rectangular design with an offset lens. There are multiple vents on the front plate. Fans prevent the projector from overheating.

The specially designed lens prevents fingerprints and other smudges. The side door keeps the dust out.

Cleaning the dust particles from the crevices is a pain in the ass, and Epson projectors are good at providing small doors to keep the dust away from important parts.

The manual navigation is on the top. For optical zoom, focus, and keystone settings, there are rings on the top of the lens.

Overall, the design is compact, portable, smooth, and pretty. Nothing over the board, it’s all simple and easy to handle.

 Connections and connectivity 

Nowadays, 4K projectors either native or enhanced through pixel shifting are dominating the market, you might wonder WXGA (1280 x 800) resolution wouldn’t be enough even for a budget projector.

You are wrong

Comparing the image quality with a native 1080p projector, you wouldn’t be able to differentiate.

In a bright room where ambient light is dominant, the picture quality is ideal for business presentation.

It is not going to provide a fantastic cinematic experience in that environment though.

Epson VS355’s picture will less be washed out in a normally lit environment.

In a completely pitch-black room, the blacks were decent, and color accuracy was not that bad too.

I don’t think you will notice great changes in resolution and quality unless you are comparing it with a 4K projector side-by-side.

Overall, its performance is excellent for business purposes, but as a home theater projector, Epson VS355 delivers normal performance despite its whopping 3300-lumen output.

 Final Verdict 

Epson VS355 is a lightweight, compact, and portable outdoor projector that is commonly used for business presentations, and classrooms.

Its resolution is not that great, but considering the price tag, the picture quality is good with decent black levels, sharpness, and brightness.

Overall, it is a highly recommended business model which is also a budget-friendly price tag.

 6.  Epson Home Cinema 4010 4K PRO-UHD Projector Review

 

Epson Home Cinema 4010 is a 3LCD projector that uses pixel-shifting technology to enhance the resolution up to 4K. By doing so, it creates a sharper image and more vibrant color space.

Although this model will not give your native 4K, the Epson is properly using pixel-shifting technology to display a pseudo 4k display.

A normal user can never tell the difference and let’s be honest, even the most units out there on the market are not true 4K.

This version of the Epson is working on the latest algorithm for HDR10 tone-mapping, and full 10-bit color depth, 200,000: 1 contrast ratio, and the cutting-edge 3LCD technology to eliminate the rainbow effect.

The two major factors that separate Epson 4010 from its predecessor the Epson 4000 are the brightness, and improved contrast ratio.

The 2400 lumen output makes it a feasible option for a living room with abundant ambient light.

 Why choose Epson Home Cinema 4010 

 Design of Epson Home Cinema 4010 

Epson 4010 is massive in design. The curved round chassis is pretty much identical to its upper model (Epson 5050UB).

The look is softer and smoother with a centrally mounted lens, and air vents at the front panel.

Like most Epson projectors, there is a sliding door on the right that has manual control buttons underneath right beside the power and source.

The sliding doors and lens covers keep the dust and suspended particles out of the sensitive parts. I have mentioned many times that it is a bit of a hassle to clean the dust from the crevices, so these tiny details do count.

Overall, the design is eye-pleasing.

 Connections and connectivity 

 Performance of Epson Home Cinema 4010 

It has a dedicated homepage panel that provides very easy source and color modes to choose from.

The motion frame interpolation system is cool when you are watching fast-paced content like sports, but we notice a bit of flashing around which is minor. A normal user won’t detect it.

The middle (normal) setting is the only watchable setting out of three (low, normal, and high).

The low and high settings are not good at all, especially the high which is practically unwatchable.

In a bat cave environment, Epson 4010’s performance is very good considering the price tag.

The blacks were decent, sharpness and color accuracy were also good, and the picture was bright which is a big deal for a budget projector.

Epson 4010 is an extremely silent projector. 20db-30db in eco mode and 30db-44db in high brightness mode is the most it can generate. It won’t bother your ears.

The calibration results in SDR natural were pinpoint accurate. The skin tones were natural and realistic. Although the blacks were not that deep, it was fine.

The HDR content is also fantastic in a home theater condition. I will not go into the details and explain the science behind it, but Epson 4010 is worth every single penny as far as HDR performance is concerned.

 Final Verdict 

Epson 4010 does provide a very compelling 4K PRO-UHD resolution by applying pixel-shifting technology. Trust me, you wouldn’t be able to differentiate whether it is a true 4K or not.

Most people cannot afford a 4K projector and that is where Epson is dominating the market with their budget models by offering quality HDR content, DCI-PR wide color gamut, 4K resolution, HDR10, and much more.

My take is that Epson 4010 is a much have home theater projector if are can’t afford a unit beyond $2000.

 7.  Epson Home Cinema 3200 4K PRO-UHD Projector Review

 

The slightly less expensive than its sibling the Epson 3800, Epson 3200 is a 4K PRO-UDH projector that uses pixel shifting to enhance the image quality.

It is based on 3LCD display technology like most Epson projectors, it is 4K HDR-compatible, and offers a 2900 lumen output which is great for an affordable model.

Although Epson Home cinema 3200 doesn’t provide the high-end features that we find in most expensive models, it does offer 3D, Bluetooth, wireless networking, and 60 frames per second gaming.

Epson Home cinema 3200 might look like a compact projector but it is a beast in terms of weight.

 Why choose Epson Home cinema 3200 

 Design of Epson Home cinema 3200 

I have already mentioned that it is an absolute beast of a projector. It weighs about 14+ pounds which is huge. It is a long throw projector.

Epson precision glass lens is sitting at the right side of the front panel that can produce 2900 lumens in 4K ultra HD resolution. Air vents are on the left side of the front panel.

The frame is made of plastic and metal. It has not the greatest of the frames, but it is durable.

There are two dials on the top that adjust the vertical and horizontal lens shift. Just behind the dials, there is a whole panel of manual navigation including a D-panel selection array.

The remote control is huge and clean. All the buttons are well organized. It is pretty easy to navigate through the remote control.

 Connections and connectivity 

 Performance of The Epson Home cinema 3200 

Epson Home cinema 3200 is HDR10 and HLG compatible with full 10-bit color processing. The HDR content is really good, especially in a bat cave environment.

Home theater projectors can never deliver close to perfect HDR content like a TV, but these Epson models do squeeze out every drop of HDR content as much as they can.

Although it is not a native 4K projector, the pseudo 4K content was stunning with amazing black levels, sharpness, and shadow details.

When you watch 4k HDR content, you will notice a lot of dynamic colors and bright highlight details, but you will also notice a lack of native contrast during gloomy scenes and that is when blacks begin to turn a bit greyish.

Considering the price point and picture quality, it is nothing so don’t worry about it.

The frame interpolation technology is used to get rid of motion blur and judder. It works best during sports content.

Overall, the performance of Epson Home cinema 3200 is fantastic in a bat cave environment. With 2900 lumen output, it works well during daylight as well.

 Final Verdict 

Epson Home cinema 3200 is a well-rounded home theater projector with just a bit of everything installed in it.

It is a 4K HDR machine capable of providing an excellent cinema picture in a dark room as well as in a well-lit room.

Overall, the Epson Home cinema 3200 is a fine affordable unit that is also excellent for 60 fps gaming. Highly recommended under a $2000 budget.

Should I buy an Epson Projector?

Yes. If you are planning to purchase a projector with all the latest features like a ton of connectivity, 4K resolution, bright lumen output, and low input lag for gaming but at an affordable price, Epson projectors should be your primary choice.

The best Epson projectors use 3LCD technology. This technology produces 100% of RGB color signals for each frame to eliminate the rainbow effect.

The construction and design are highly sophisticated and durable. The built quality of Epson home projectors is excellent.

Almost all of the Epson projectors have full control over lens shift, zoom, and focus.

Best Epson Projectors For gaming:

I have already written these details in individual projector reviews, but for a reminder, Epson projectors are flawless when it comes to hardcore gaming.

My say

I have only reviewed some of the best Epson projectors that are currently popular in the market.

Each unit is unique in its way, but built quality, picture quality, HDR performance, black levels, brightness, and gaming performance is the same for all.

Whether 1080p or 4K, Epson home theater projectors have gained popularity due to their affordable units. I love Epson projectors. They last for a long time without ever malfunctioning.

If you are new to the home theater world, start your journey with Epson home cinema projectors instead of spending thousands of bucks on Sony or JVC.