Projector or LED TV? We Review EPSON EX7200
Last Updated on March 4, 2024 12:02 pm by Jeffrey Powers
You are looking for a new way to watch TV, play games or present materials. TV’s and projectors are two good ways to watch, but which one should you get?
In the Geekazine Review, Jeffrey Powers looks at the EPSON EX 7200 unit *. He goes over the specifications and helps you answer if you should get that projector, or buy a LED TV.
Advantages of the Projector:
The biggest would have to be portability. Even though LED TV‘s are light-weight, a projector can be put in a case and slung over the shoulder. When you are ready to present, set it up and connect to the source.
You can scale the screen from small to extra- large. The screen we shot in the basement was 65″ in a diagonal pattern.
You can flip a projector and put it on the ceiling. Some LED TV’s have a 90 degree rotation option, but there is usually no need to hang them upside-down.
The EPSON EX7200 has a USB monitor feature. Therefore, if you want to connect this projector up as a second or even third monitor, just plug the USB-B cable into the USB of your computer.
Disadvantages of the Projector:
Even though you have a smaller unit to carry around, you have to find a wall to project on. Screens use what is called “Blackout cloth“, so the picture can be it’s sharpest. We projected on a green wall, which didn’t help in the color. I placed a white background on part of the wall to show color difference in the video.
If I was to set this up in a home theater situation, I would definitely plan to build a proper screen for it. You can buy screens, but check out this cool way to make the screen
The projector is not as green – The 2600 Lumen light will definitely give you a great picture, but the unit will take more energy and give out more heat. When you use the projector, make sure it is in a well-ventilated area.
A little about the EPSON EX7200 (a review)
The EPSON EX7200 has a resolution of 1280×800 – only allowing video in 16:10 mode or movies and games in 720p. If you connect a larger resolution, the EX7200 will project a part of the screen – you can move the mouse around to scroll the hidden parts of the screen.
The EPSON EX7200 has only one HDMI1 port. If I wanted to connect this to multiple HDMI1 units, you would have to get a repeater. The EX7200 does have VGA, S-Video and the aforementioned USB ports for connection as another external monitor.
The first computer (an older Pentium 4 I use for multimedia – XP loaded) had difficulty recognizing the USB-VGA cable. When I connected to a newer machine with Windows7, the projector installed and connected without issue.
If you use this for home theater, then make sure you have a decent sound system. The speaker from this projector is meant for minimal use – or simple sound effects from a presentation.
I liked the ease of use and easy setup of the projector. I also liked the compactness of this device. One thing noted in the video was when I went to CES, I took this projector with me. Hotels that have flat screens will break out or glue the buttons so you cannot connect other devices and watch video. I connected my Roku to the projector and was able to get the content we were creating at CES.
So Should I buy the EPSON EX700?
If you don’t care about screen size and want sunlight in the room, then the LED TV is the way to go (especially since it has a TV tuner in it). If you are looking for that theater experience and want a screen bigger than 52 inches, then a projector will be the best value (at about $700).
As for the EPSON EX7200, it is a decent 720p projector. It’s definitely something you can take with you and connect up to a PC easily. The USB monitor can come in handy in some situations.
*Disclosure: Geekazine provides impartial reviews of all products. http://cmp.ly/1/chrhzz
