4K and HDR projector Epson EH-TW7400 Review

The Epson EH-TW7400 offers outstanding box performance, with bright and contundables images that offer a lot of saturated colors. The standard images of the dynamic range (SDR) are detailed and well rendered, with an image that retains a nice level of accuracy. The colors are excellent, for example, with natural shades of skin, grass, skies and sunsets.

The LCD panels are correctly aligned and free of any aberrations, resulting in a clean and uniform image without problems of geometry. Motion management is exactly what you would expect from a projector that uses LCD panels, with a bit of blurring, but it’s not obvious judder. The frame interpolation feature can help you watch frantic sports, but it’s best to leave for movies and TV dramas.

The projector can be aimed at dedicated Home Theater installations, but it has enough shine to be used in less-than-ideal environments, for example in white-walled rooms. Unfortunately, the weak point EH-TW7400 is its ability to provide deep blacks; Instead, darker greys appear and there are also limited details in the shadows.

The image processing is very good and the projector can effectively lower the resolution of the content when needed. The Epson “4K PRO UHD” function also works well, allowing the projector to accept and display a 4K signal. The result is not as detailed as a native 4K projector, but it would cost at least three times as much, and from a distance it is difficult to distinguish the two.

The EH-TW7400 is pretty good at handling HDR content, but in reality all the projectors are struggling when it comes to increasing the dynamic range. On the plus side, the range of colors is wide enough to provide all the saturation inherent to the HDR content, and this comes with good precision. Since the black floor is already lifted, this aspect is not negatively affected by the higher brightness of the HDR.

Where the EH-TW7400 has problems is in terms of tonal mapping of the dynamic range, and this is especially true with the content 4000-NIT. The mapping of tones must squeeze brighter reflections into a screen that can only provide effectively about 200 nits. This may result in the loss of highlight details and the overall image appearing too dark.

The Epson EH-TW7400 is the perfect example of how economies of scale can offer a superior product at a competitive price. Epson has tapped its dominant position in data Grade projectors to offer a Home Theater model that not only includes features that are rarely seen at this end of the market, but a performance that doesn’t necessarily get from a projector twice the price.

Compatible with 4K and HDR, the EH-TW7400 offers an amazing level of accuracy. It includes a motorized lens cap, motorized lens controls and a lens memory, which you will not find in any other projector at this price point. It also has an automatic aperture, frame interpolation, 3D support and calibration controls, not to mention a very low input delay.

The result is a brilliant and colorful performance that is only embodied by slightly ruined blacks and shady details-something of a disappointment in a Home Theater projector. However, competition is no better in this respect, and while the Optoma UHD40 and BenQ W1700 offer excellent 4K images and decent HDR performance, nor does it offer the kind of functions that are found in the EH-TW7400.

Despite all these features, the Epson EH-TW7400 is relatively easy to configure, but since it is intended for dedicated rooms, this projector is more likely to be installed permanently with a projection screen (fixed or Motorized). You have the option to place it on a stand/shelf (there are adjustable feet to level the image), or mounting from the ceiling using a stand.

Once the projector has been installed, the motorized lens controls are very practical, allowing users to enlarge, move and quickly focus the image. For best results, always try to make sure that the lens of the projector is as close to the center of the screen as possible. Never use the Keystone control, because it will introduce scaling artifacts and steal the image from fine details.

The menu system is quite simple, and for more accurate images choose the natural color mode. The EH-TW7400 projector offers a lot of brightness, so it should be ideal for displaying content in a darkroom. However, if there is a lot of ambient light, then you might find the most useful Bright Cinema mode – and if you are looking at 3D, then go into 3D movie mode.

Epson EH-TW7400 Key Specifications:

4K Enhancement
HDR10 support
Dimensions: 52cm x 45cm x 19cm
Weight: 11.2kg
2 x HDMI, 1 x VGA, 2 x USB, 1 x Ethernet, 1 x RS232, 1 x trigger
3-chip LCD projector

Kensington lock, Wireless LAN security,3D depth adjustment, 4K enhancement, DCI colour gamut, Epson Cinema Filter, Epson Super White, Frame interpolation, Lens position memory, Super resolution, Wireless LAN capable,355 Watt, 271 Watt (economy), 0.2 Watt (standby), On mode power consumption as defined in JBMS-84 314 Watt,Contrast Ratio200,000 : 1,Colour Reproduction – upto 1.07 billion colours   – Photo:Epson

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