Opinions about Epson 2245u?

Phaneendra

Phaneendra

Enthusiast
I was looking for a projector for photography sales sessions and also to be able to use for watching movies.
Epson 2245U fits into my budget and seems like it had enough features to be used in sales sessions.

How would it be for home theater use? Any experience? Thoughts on specs?

Thanks in advance.
 
TheWarrior

TheWarrior

Audioholic Ninja
4200 lumens are definitely intended for day time use, so I'd say you're thinking correctly. Just be clear on your throw distance vs screen size so that you achieve as high of black levels as you can despite the well-lit conditions.
 
Phaneendra

Phaneendra

Enthusiast
4200 lumens are definitely intended for day time use, so I'd say you're thinking correctly. Just be clear on your throw distance vs screen size so that you achieve as high of black levels as you can despite the well-lit conditions.
Thank you!
 
BMXTRIX

BMXTRIX

Audioholic Warlord
That Epson has very weak black levels. It is not a crossover projector, but it is designed for use in rooms with a fair bit of ambient light, where black levels and shadow details aren't that important. This is the normal tradeoff with lumens vs. contrast.

In a normally lit room, you typically are looking for about a 12:1 contrast ratio under normal florescent lighting. For that, you need about 80 advertised lumens per square foot of screen space.

There is nothing spectacular about this model for business and for home theater I wouldn't be all that interested. The throw distance is good, but there is no lens shift, so placement would need to be critical in relation to height and the screen for best results.

Check throw distance here: http://www.projectorcentral.com/Epson-PowerLite_2245U.htm

It is a 1920x1200 projector (16:10 aspect) and will work for all HDTV viewing, but the big hit will be the greyish blacks for home theater use. In a boardroom with lights on, it won't matter. In a best case scenario, this projector may achieve about a 1,000:1 contrast ratio.

Projector Central did a review of the 1440 which is a 'sister' projector from what I've heard to this model: http://www.projectorcentral.com/epson-home-cinema-1440-projector-review.htm
 
Phaneendra

Phaneendra

Enthusiast
That Epson has very weak black levels. It is not a crossover projector, but it is designed for use in rooms with a fair bit of ambient light, where black levels and shadow details aren't that important. This is the normal tradeoff with lumens vs. contrast.

In a normally lit room, you typically are looking for about a 12:1 contrast ratio under normal florescent lighting. For that, you need about 80 advertised lumens per square foot of screen space.

There is nothing spectacular about this model for business and for home theater I wouldn't be all that interested. The throw distance is good, but there is no lens shift, so placement would need to be critical in relation to height and the screen for best results.

Check throw distance here: http://www.projectorcentral.com/Epson-PowerLite_2245U.htm

It is a 1920x1200 projector (16:10 aspect) and will work for all HDTV viewing, but the big hit will be the greyish blacks for home theater use. In a boardroom with lights on, it won't matter. In a best case scenario, this projector may achieve about a 1,000:1 contrast ratio.

Projector Central did a review of the 1440 which is a 'sister' projector from what I've heard to this model: http://www.projectorcentral.com/epson-home-cinema-1440-projector-review.htm
Thank you for your inputs BMXTRIX!
Are there any other projectors in the price range that have decent black levels with enough Lumens?
My knowledge is very limited. :)
 
BMXTRIX

BMXTRIX

Audioholic Warlord
Home theater projectors are really designed for dark rooms. The better projectors sacrifice light output (lumens) in favor of better black levels and contrast. Some of the best come from JVC and are $3,000+ models. But, there are some worthwhile models in your range.

I think one of the most likely candidates would be the Epson 3700. It has good brightness and can meet or exceed the claimed lumen rating with acceptable color balance, while still delivering better contrast than most.

It is available from the Epson refurbished website, with a 1-year warranty, for $1,200.
https://epson.com/Clearance-Center/Home-Entertainment/Home-Cinema-3700-Full-HD-1080p-3LCD-Projector---Refurbished/p/V11H799020-N?ref=sem_us-brand-pla-all-products_all-products&wm_ctID=475&wm_kwID=61926134&wm_mtID=1&wm_kw=all+products&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=all+products&utm_campaign=us+-+brand+-+pla+-+all+products&wm_ctID=475&wm_kwID=&wm_content=0&wm_g_crID=55920917952&wm_g_kw=&wm_g_pcmt=&wm_g_cnt=0&wm_g_device=c&wm_g_phyloc=9007577&wm_g_intloc=&wm_g_productid=V11H799020-N&wm_g_targetid=aud-373447269912:pla-296813239115&u1=V11H799020-N&u2=V11H799020-N&gclid=Cj0KEQjwldzHBRCfg_aImKrf7N4BEiQABJTPKHAL0rz99SLFbnoPtVpxF9JAGBI3RD6MEr7XYOThYf8aAtj48P8HAQ&gclsrc=aw.ds&wm_sd=1

You may need to limit the screens size on sales calls to more like an 80" diagonal.

An additional issue for you may be the size of the projector. It's a simple fact that larger projectors allow for larger fans and greater airflow and cooling. This makes home theater models quieter. It also allows for a larger lens and better optics. Smaller, bright, projectors are often noisy (whiny), and often aren't as bright as claimed because of inferior optics.
 
Phaneendra

Phaneendra

Enthusiast
Home theater projectors are really designed for dark rooms. The better projectors sacrifice light output (lumens) in favor of better black levels and contrast. Some of the best come from JVC and are $3,000+ models. But, there are some worthwhile models in your range.

I think one of the most likely candidates would be the Epson 3700. It has good brightness and can meet or exceed the claimed lumen rating with acceptable color balance, while still delivering better contrast than most.

It is available from the Epson refurbished website, with a 1-year warranty, for $1,200.
https://epson.com/Clearance-Center/Home-Entertainment/Home-Cinema-3700-Full-HD-1080p-3LCD-Projector---Refurbished/p/V11H799020-N?ref=sem_us-brand-pla-all-products_all-products&wm_ctID=475&wm_kwID=61926134&wm_mtID=1&wm_kw=all+products&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=all+products&utm_campaign=us+-+brand+-+pla+-+all+products&wm_ctID=475&wm_kwID=&wm_content=0&wm_g_crID=55920917952&wm_g_kw=&wm_g_pcmt=&wm_g_cnt=0&wm_g_device=c&wm_g_phyloc=9007577&wm_g_intloc=&wm_g_productid=V11H799020-N&wm_g_targetid=aud-373447269912:pla-296813239115&u1=V11H799020-N&u2=V11H799020-N&gclid=Cj0KEQjwldzHBRCfg_aImKrf7N4BEiQABJTPKHAL0rz99SLFbnoPtVpxF9JAGBI3RD6MEr7XYOThYf8aAtj48P8HAQ&gclsrc=aw.ds&wm_sd=1

You may need to limit the screens size on sales calls to more like an 80" diagonal.

An additional issue for you may be the size of the projector. It's a simple fact that larger projectors allow for larger fans and greater airflow and cooling. This makes home theater models quieter. It also allows for a larger lens and better optics. Smaller, bright, projectors are often noisy (whiny), and often aren't as bright as claimed because of inferior optics.
If I can increase my budget to 2000ish, are there any better options?

I am a photographer and teach photography as well. So little bit bigger size (about 100") might be helpful, especially for teaching.
 
BMXTRIX

BMXTRIX

Audioholic Warlord
The 5030, or the Sony HW45ES are both very high contrast model projectors. Both have similar brightness.

It should be noted, and is of extreme importance to understand, which I'm sure you get if you do photography... A projector is designed for use in dark spaces. You can't achieve a black level any better than what the surface you are projecting onto appears like without the projector on. Then, the projector adds a bit of light on top of that. (blacks aren't quite black) The typical goal, under normal florescent lighting is a 12:1 contrast ratio. That's far below anything advertised, and has nothing to do with the projector, and everything to do with how much ambient light is in the room.

You raise the black level and you need more light to compensate. You get more light with a brighter projector and while that projector gives up black level, it doesn't matter if the room is bad.

That's why business projectors and home theater projectors are extremely different from each other.

That said: In a classroom you can typically turn out the lights, or most of the lights. You aren't going to be in a 'typical' office environment. That means you can easily go to 100" or larger with pretty much anything. The Epson 5030 or the Sony HW45ES (my preferred model) can do it quite nicely. They have better blacks, which you won't notice until you are in a better room. I might still stick with the Epson 3700 which is brighter and despite the lower contrast in a GOOD room, it will have better contrast in a weak room due to the increased brightness. It may achieve about 50:1 contrast, which is very good in a somewhat lit environment.

Please take a look at this: http://www.avintegrated.com/lighting.html

That's about 300-400 lumens on a 106" diagonal grey screen, .8 gain.

For a home theater, the Epson 5030 and Sony HW45ES really need a proper space to do their best. Dark walls, dark ceiling, dark carpet. Zero ambient light.
 
Phaneendra

Phaneendra

Enthusiast
The 5030, or the Sony HW45ES are both very high contrast model projectors. Both have similar brightness.

It should be noted, and is of extreme importance to understand, which I'm sure you get if you do photography... A projector is designed for use in dark spaces. You can't achieve a black level any better than what the surface you are projecting onto appears like without the projector on. Then, the projector adds a bit of light on top of that. (blacks aren't quite black) The typical goal, under normal florescent lighting is a 12:1 contrast ratio. That's far below anything advertised, and has nothing to do with the projector, and everything to do with how much ambient light is in the room.

You raise the black level and you need more light to compensate. You get more light with a brighter projector and while that projector gives up black level, it doesn't matter if the room is bad.

That's why business projectors and home theater projectors are extremely different from each other.

That said: In a classroom you can typically turn out the lights, or most of the lights. You aren't going to be in a 'typical' office environment. That means you can easily go to 100" or larger with pretty much anything. The Epson 5030 or the Sony HW45ES (my preferred model) can do it quite nicely. They have better blacks, which you won't notice until you are in a better room. I might still stick with the Epson 3700 which is brighter and despite the lower contrast in a GOOD room, it will have better contrast in a weak room due to the increased brightness. It may achieve about 50:1 contrast, which is very good in a somewhat lit environment.

Please take a look at this: http://www.avintegrated.com/lighting.html

That's about 300-400 lumens on a 106" diagonal grey screen, .8 gain.

For a home theater, the Epson 5030 and Sony HW45ES really need a proper space to do their best. Dark walls, dark ceiling, dark carpet. Zero ambient light.
Really appreciate your insight and sharing your knowledge.
For my needs, looks like Epson 3700 might be a better fit.

https://www.amazon.com/Epson-PowerLite-Cinema-Projector-1920x1080/dp/B01LZZ7O1M

Thank you once again!
 
Phaneendra

Phaneendra

Enthusiast
The 5030, or the Sony HW45ES are both very high contrast model projectors. Both have similar brightness.

It should be noted, and is of extreme importance to understand, which I'm sure you get if you do photography... A projector is designed for use in dark spaces. You can't achieve a black level any better than what the surface you are projecting onto appears like without the projector on. Then, the projector adds a bit of light on top of that. (blacks aren't quite black) The typical goal, under normal florescent lighting is a 12:1 contrast ratio. That's far below anything advertised, and has nothing to do with the projector, and everything to do with how much ambient light is in the room.

You raise the black level and you need more light to compensate. You get more light with a brighter projector and while that projector gives up black level, it doesn't matter if the room is bad.

That's why business projectors and home theater projectors are extremely different from each other.

That said: In a classroom you can typically turn out the lights, or most of the lights. You aren't going to be in a 'typical' office environment. That means you can easily go to 100" or larger with pretty much anything. The Epson 5030 or the Sony HW45ES (my preferred model) can do it quite nicely. They have better blacks, which you won't notice until you are in a better room. I might still stick with the Epson 3700 which is brighter and despite the lower contrast in a GOOD room, it will have better contrast in a weak room due to the increased brightness. It may achieve about 50:1 contrast, which is very good in a somewhat lit environment.

Please take a look at this: http://www.avintegrated.com/lighting.html

That's about 300-400 lumens on a 106" diagonal grey screen, .8 gain.

For a home theater, the Epson 5030 and Sony HW45ES really need a proper space to do their best. Dark walls, dark ceiling, dark carpet. Zero ambient light.
Got the projector today. OMG, there is a big difference in quality. Was able to watch most of the detail in a fairly lit room. THANK YOU and others who provided inputs.

Couldn't have asked for better assistance.
 
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