When it comes to home theater projectors that perform well and offer great value, Epson is at the top of the list. The Epson Home Cinema 640 is no different.
Both the white and color brightness of this model are 3200 lumens, which provides a bright and vibrant image (up to 3x that of competitors!).
This means that you can enjoy watching movies or videos during the day as well as evening.
Unless you are going super-cheap (ie the iDG-787 for $100), I think that this is a great feature to have.
This is because it doesn’t limit you as to when you can watch football games, live-stream videos and other time-sensitive videos.
More information on why you should care about color brightness:
What About the Epson 640 Lamp Life?
A minor downside to having higher lumens with a projector is that you may need to replace your bulbs more often. Projector bulbs can get expensive.
However, the Epson Home Cinema 640 offers an ECO mode, which lets you extend your lamp life from 5,000 hours to 6,000 hours. That’s a significant difference (and savings!).
I like to think about it this way. You can watch a 2-hour video everyday for 6 years and still not have to replace the bulb.
How is the Sound from this Projector?
The Epson 640 does come with a built-in speaker. You can also use your own sound system to create a more enhanced home theater experience.
Do this by connecting speakers to your video equipment (TV, computer, iPad, etc..) rather than the projector itself. More info here.
What Do I Think About the Projector Image Size?
The image size is amazing with this device. You can project images up to 300″ (or 25 feet). If you plan on having movie night outside during the summer against the side of your home, this would be perfect. Alternatively, you can use an entire wall in your home rather than a screen.
If you plan on using your projector in a smaller room but still want the big screen experience, you can do that too. For example, you can project a screen size of 76″ from 8 feet away or 113″ from 12 feet away.
A Note About the Resolution:
Several people have indicated that the resolution (800 x 600) of the Epson Home Cinema 640 is pixelated close-up. Some say they would opt for a full HD resolution on their next purchase and pay the extra few hundred dollars.
This video gives a demonstration of what the visual output looks like on Epson’s previous model (the 3LCD 600) with similar specs:
Is it Easy to Set-Up?
A great advantage that Epson products have is that they are easy to set up. When you take it out of the box, there is minimal work required before you can watch your first movie.
Are you thinking about using your projector in different rooms of your house, in the backyard or even at a friend’s house? This 9 lb device is easy to carry and very portable.
Epson Home Cinema 640 Specs:
- White Brightness: 3200 Lumens; Color Brightness: 3200 Lumens
- Contrast Ratio: 10,000:1
- Images Up to 300″ (25 feet)
- Lamp Life: Up to 6,000 hours (ECO mode) and up to 5000 hours (Normal mode)
- Keystone Correction: Yes
- Lens Shift: No
- Game Mode: Yes
- Built-in Speaker
- 2 Year Limited Warranty
- All-Digital HDMI Connectivity: Connect your cable/satellite box, Blu-ray Disc player, gaming console or streaming device
- Computer/component video: D-sub 15 pin x 1
- S-video: Mini DIN x 1
- Composite video: RCA (Yellow) x 1
- Audio in: RCA x 1 (White/Red)
- USB connector Type A x 1: PC-free USB and other
- USB connector Type B x 1: USB Plug ‘n Play
- See additional details on product brochure
