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The Epson EX5240 XGA 3LCD Projector ($549.99) is a portable model with solid data-image quality and good video for a data projector. With average brightness and a 2-watt sound system, it’s a good fit for a small room. If you don’t expect to send content to the projector over a Wi-Fi connection, you can save some money by choosing the EX5240($791.99 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window) over the similar Epson EX5250 Pro Wireless XGA 3LCD Projector.
Design and Features
The EX5240 is nearly identical in design and features to the Epson EX5250 Pro, differing primarily in brightness (the EX5240 is rated at 3,200 lumens, the Epson EX5250 Pro at 3,600), color (the EX5240 is glossy white, while the Epson EX5250 Pro is glossy black), and the EX5250 Pro’s inclusion of a Wi-Fi adapter (it’s a $99 option with the EX5240). For detailed information on features, you can read our review of the Epson EX5250 Pro($696.05 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window), but I’ll touch on some highlights below.
An LCD-based data projector, the EX5240 has XGA (1,024-by-768) native resolution and a rated brightness of 3,200 lumens. It’s a tad brighter than the Epson PowerLite 98 XGA 3LCD Projector , our Editors’ Choice XGA data projector for a small room. The projector is reasonably small and light at 3.2 by 11.7 by 9.2 inches (HWD) and 5.3 pounds, and includes a soft carrying case. It has a modest (1.2x) optical zoom, and a slider for horizontal keystone correction. Input ports include a VGA port (which doubles as component video), an HDMI port, an S-Video port, composite audio/video ports, a USB Type B port to mirror your computer screen, and a USB Type A port to fit either a USB thumb drive or an optional ($99) Wi-Fi adapter. Long lamp life (up to 10,000 hours in ECO mode) and a low price for replacement lamps ($79) keep running costs down. As an LCD model, the EX5240 lacks the ability to project 3D content.
Data-Image Testing
The EX5240 projected a 55-inch image (measured diagonally) from about 5 feet away from the screen, which stood up well to the addition of ambient light.
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In our DisplayMate(Opens in a new window) testing, the EX5240’s data-image quality proved average for an XGA data projector, suitable for typical business and classroom presentations. Text quality on our tests was fairly good, with both white type on black, and black type on white easily readable at sizes down to 9 points. Colors were bright; that’s typical of LCD projectors, which have the same color brightness as white brightness. I did notice a color balance issue across multiple color modes during testing, in which gray tones often had a mild green or red tinge. It persisted even when I lowered the brightness by switching into ECO (power-conservation) mode. I also saw some mild pixel jitter in images that tend to bring it out, but I was able to eliminate it by adjusting the Sync setting with the remote control.
See How We Test ProjectorsVideo and Audio Quality
Video quality in my testing was good for a data projector, making it suitable for showing mid-length clips as part of a presentation. Since it’s an LCD projector, the EX5240’s video is free of potentially annoying rainbow artifacts, which we often encounter when testing DLP units. However, colors were a little off at times, with some test scenes looking overly red. Sound from the two-watt speaker was on the soft side, adequate for a small room.
Conclusion
As an XGA data projector for a small classroom or conference room, the Epson EX5240 provides a basic set of ports, solid data-image quality, and better video quality than DLP-based alternatives, such as the BenQ MX723 ($835.43 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window) . The Epson PowerLite 98, our Editors’ Choice XGA data projector for a small room, has slightly better data-image quality and a louder sound system than the EX5240, and adds a LAN port. The Epson EX5250 Pro, one rung up Epson’s ladder from the EX5240, is brighter and includes a Wi-Fi adapter as standard. Still, the EX5240 is a reasonable pick, particularly if you don’t need Wi-Fi.
3.5
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The Epson EX5240 XGA 3LCD Projector provides solid data-image quality and better-than-average video quality for use in a small room.
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Source link : https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/epson-ex5240-xga-3lcd-projector