Epson PowerLite 1775W

The Epson PowerLite 1775W ($1199 MSRP) is an impressive package, combining great features, portability, and a bright output. We can easily recommend this as the projector you want under your arm as you dash to a presentation or a movie night. It sets up easily, including auto focus and auto keystoning, and has most of the popular ports and plugs for computers and AV devices. The 1.2x zoom increases your flexibility.

Brightness shouldn’t be an issue, as the 1775W matches up with best projectors we’ve reviewed to date. For daytime use, there are certain modes that accentuate brightness at the cost of color accuracy. If you’re serious about video quality, be sure to pull the shades down and use the more accurate “Theater” mode. Though the colors didn’t quite match up to a cinematographer’s standards, the color response was smooth.

Of course, it wasn’t a perfect projector. There was a noticeable lack of detail in the shadows, as seen in our greyscale gamma tests. The red channel is significantly darker than than blue and green. While 720p video looked great, we had difficultly seeing fine detail like text in 1080p video. Also, we could not get the wireless streaming connection to work, though the idea of it sounds great.

Overall, the Epson PowerLite 1775W is clearly a strong model and should definitely have a place on your top picks list when it comes to buying a mid-priced projector.