Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 705HD

Value

Both projectors are available for about $700, so the question of value is more about what you prize most: the portability and brightness of the Epson, or the color performance and extra connectivity of the Viewsonic.

	Comparison Specifications
	Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 705HD	ViewSonic PJD6531w
Price
Resolution	WVGA 800 x 480 (5:3)	WXGA 1280 x 800 (16:10)
HD	Yes	Yes
3D Support	Yes	Yes

Blacks & Whites

Both projectors can crank out a lot of light, producing upwards of 2700 lumens in their brightest modes.

Color

The PJD6531w was the top scorer in our color performance tests, doing a better job of rendering fine color changes when properly calibrated than the Epson. You can see this in the color gradients below: the Viewsonic looks smooth, while the Epson has serious banding.

Motion

Both projectors did a decent job of rendering smooth motion, but we found that the Viewsonic motion looked a little smoother and more natural. The Viewsonic does share the same rainbow effect issue that most DLP projectors have, where a color fringe can be seen on some fast moving objects.

Viewing Effects

Both projectors provide a good amount of flexibility in where they can be placed, and both have the power to fill a good sized screen in a dark or dimly lit room. Neither has the power to cut through a lot of ambient light, though, so they would not work in a well-lit room or would not work adequately on a large screen.

Connectivity

Both projectors have the basic connections that are required for everyday use, with HDMI, VGA and analog video inputs. The Viewsonic has the advantage of offering multiple VGA inputs, which could be useful if you are looking to connect multiple devices to a single projector. Both only have one HDMI port, though, so you will need to add a HDMI switch if you want to connect more than one device to either.