The projector is designed in a black matte chassis that looks chic and nice. The inclusion of a slider lens cover that automatically turns off the lamp as well as audio circuitry is a plus point to its design. There are plenty of vents at the front, sides and back that prevent the projector from getting too hot.
On the connectivity front, the TW550 is pretty well sorted with one HDMI input, in addition to VGA, S-Video and Composite analogue ports. There are also two USB inputs—a USB B input for fetching pictures / video directly from laptops and another standard USB port to stream content from mass storage devices, which is a pretty nifty feature.
The EH-TW550 comes with integrated 2 Watt speakers, however the sound was found to bit soft with minimal bass, it is recommended to connect with a pair of surround sound speakers for watching films and playing games to enjoy stereo effects.
With a brightness of 3000 ANSI lumens, this projector can handle a decent amount of ambient light and the greyscale gradient was surprisingly clean. After testing all four preset colour modes for 2D (Dynamic, Living Room, Cinema and Game) and two for 3D content (3D Dynamic and 3D Cinema), my favourite mode would be the Living Room mode for 2D. Under the settings of Living Room, the quality of the colours appeared to be very vibrant with the deepest blacks – makes the scene looks very much alive!
There are four preset colour modes for 2D (Dynamic, Living Room, Cinema and Game) and two for 3D content (3D Dynamic and 3D Cinema). After testing the various modes, I love the Living Room mode best as the colors are most vibrant with the deepest blacks, however, a fair bit of details are lost in darker night scenes. The colors in Dynamic are simply oversaturated on its default settings. The good news is that, we can use its in-depth menu settings to custom to the individual’s preference.
The performance of this projector beats my expectations – with its highly affordable price, it delivers quality entertainment and gratifying gaming experience and all this happening at the comfort of your living room! It would be cool, though, if the 3D glasses; the complementary item to this projector, is included and not sold separately. Still, if you are looking for a holistic cinematic experience and large screen gaming without breaking your bank, the TW550 is definitely worth considering.
For more information on Epson EH-TW550 projector, please visit Epson Singapore’s Official Site
