Back in August 2004 we tested eight budget projectors, and came across some gems.
That was something of a surprise – at the time, any projector below £2000 was considered bargain-basement. Cheaper projectors were generally considered suitable only for business use.
Home cinema demands more – natural colours, smooth motion, finesse. In 2004 those were qualities both the BenQ PB7220 and Epson EMP-TW200 had enough of to earn solid four-star reviews - at both at the unheard-of price of just £1800 (or slightly less, in fact).
Back then an HDMI input was thought to be cutting-edge, and the BenQ’s 1024 x 768 resolution was a highlight of that test. Today the likes of Epson’s EH-TW5350 and BenQ W1090 are light-years ahead (no pun intended).
They have Full HD 1920 x 1080 images, a choice of HDMI inputs and way stronger contrast ratios. They even have built-in speakers that make a semi-decent fist of a film’s soundtrack.
In terms of picture they’re terrific, delivering an image of far greater insight and finesse than their forebears could imagine. All for just £600. That kind of value makes us happy.
