Epson’s EH-TW9100 is a capable LCD projector, which can fill a large screen with bright, naturally coloured video. What’s more, this accurate video can be accomplished with comparative ease – at least in 2D. Pre-calibrated 2D performance in the “Natural” mode is free of the excessively wide gamut found on some other projectors (and indeed, the EH-TW9100′s own “Cinema” mode).
In terms of the competition, we’ve seen better (and worse) contrast performance and motion resolution. The Epson TW9100 doesn’t do any of these attributes badly, but none of them are market-leading either, and there are some better examples at this price point. Its pixel structure is also more prominent than on the 3LCD-based Panasonic’s PT-AT6000 (which is equipped with a clever optical trick which makes the “screen door effect” much less visible), as well as LCOS competitors from Sony and JVC. Coupled with the lower native motion resolution, this effect meant that watching films on this projector didn’t give us the same filmic feeling as top-tier competitors, but it did still present a bright, involving image. Where the EH-TW9100W version does excel is with its unique Wireless HD feature, which acts as a convenient way to connect multiple HDMI devices to a ceiling-mounted projector without the need for cable runs.
Additionally, the Epson EH-TW9100 has several strengths when it comes to the display of 3D content. The 3D display mode is full resolution (a good amount of display devices which can’t resolve full resolution are currently being missold as “Full HD 3D”), and it can natively display 24p 3D content without any added motion stutter. Additionally, it’s sufficiently bright. However, the European model we reviewed lacks the THX certification, and Epson’s lack of a “Natural” mode for 3D playback results in completely garish colour reproduction. Fortunately, this can be corrected with 3D calibration. Furthermore, Epson should look into adding a separate memory bank for the Greyscale tracking adjustments (the “RGB” menu) in 3D, so that 3D performance can be perfected.
Ultimately, the EH-TW9100 just misses a higher recommendation primarily due to motion resolution (which, for 24/25fps movie usage, is acceptable, but not excellent), and some panel convergence issues (although these are specific to each unit). Although the Epson TW9100 has controls which can compensate for misconvergence, these are performed via software scaling rather than 1-pixel shifts, so there’s an associated resolution loss, even if small. Also, spatial resolution and convergence took a slight hit when we used any of the Frame Interpolation modes (even the non-destructive and useful “Low” setting, which avoids the “soap opera effect”). However, these issues certainly take a back-seat to the extremely accurate colour performance, which is responsible for much of the image quality seen from the EH-TW9100. If you’re looking for a projector, the Epson EH-TW9100 deserves a look.
