Epson's new  HD home projector offers a trickle-down of many  hi-end features
Bangalore, February 22, 2016: For hardcore  home movie watchers, there is a delicate  crossover point  between a large TV, and  a projection system. Beyond 50 -60 inches, the cost of LED television sets  shoots up so sharply, they are no longer  affordable or practical for the home.  If you want to replicate the theatre experience, it makes sense to consider a projection system that allows you to iew movies on screens of 100 -110 inch width. 
But with  TV screens  becoming  sharper, smarter,  projectors  have had to scale up too. Epson, the market leader in projectors has recently brought to India , a home theatre model   which offers  full HD and 3D -- as well as  a trickle-down of some  key features, hitherto only available in the top-end, semi professional range.  Inspite of packing in a lot of technology, the EH-TW5300 projector   brings a refreshing dummies approach to its controls. Key controls on the remote are replicated  on the body of the projector  and  the menu comes  on the screen -- you don't need to  grope in the dark to  change settings.  At home it is always a challenge to  adjust the projector so that  the image is a perfect rectangle -- one needs a carpenter's spirit level to really do the job. But with this Epson model, it is child's play because they have put in  an additional  slider  to make horizontal corrections, in additional to the vertical adjustments.
This is both a full HD ( 1080p)  as well as a 3-D projector  ( they are throwing in a pair of 3-D active glasses).But considering the  paucity of  3-D  videos, they have also included controls so that you can upconvert  your 2-D movies into 3-D.   One should not overstate this feature, because it is nowhere close to the original 3-D  experience, but kids might enjoy it.
For these times when so much of our video content reaches  via our mobile phones, the  projector has an interface for MHL, the standard that lets you download full HD from a phone or tablet -- very useful when you want to project something  grabbed from YouTube.
One feature not usually to be found in  sub-Rs 1 lakh  projectors  is what is called frame interpolation -- a software trick that smooths any blurring or jerks in high speed action sequences.  Shooter games fans will appreciate.  Multiple USB, HDMI and AV ports ensure the projector can be latched on to DVD  players, PCs, phones.  There is  a  built-in speaker system -- adequate for  most drawing rooms -- but you can always attach external speakers.
The asking price is Rs 76,279 ( a bit less at online e-comm sites). Think of it this way:  An average  family outing to a multiplex will set you back at least Rs 2500  ( Rs 3000,  if you throw in popcorn and cola).   If you do such trips even once a month, the EH-TW5300  will have paid for itself in  about two years. After that it's free viewing at home and you can pop your own corn.