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The Epson PowerLite 580 XGA 3LCD Projector ($1,299) combines XGA (1,024-by-768) resolution, a 3,200-lumen rating, and an ultra-short throw. That should pique your interest if you need a projector that can sit just a few inches from the screen and still give you an image that’s both large enough for a small to midsize room and bright enough to stand up to ambient light. Factor in the excellent quality for data images on my tests and watchable video, and it delivers enough to make it our new Editors’ Choice XGA, ultra-short-throw projector.
The PowerLite 580 ($1,434.69 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window) is a close cousin to the Epson PowerLite 585W WXGA 3LCD Projector, our preferred pick for WXGA (1,280-by-800), ultra-short-throw models. The two differ in brightness and resolution, but both are built on the same platform, which means they share the same size, weight, and set of image inputs, among other essentials. They also both come with wall mounts. For details on these features, as well as setup, take a look at our review of the Epson PowerLite 585W ($1,431.99 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window) .
Both the PowerLite 580 and the Epson 585W share one key design feature with the Hitachi CP-AX2503 ($1,299.99 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window) , another top pick for XGA, ultra-short throw projector. All three are built around three LCD chips, which guarantees that they won’t show the rainbow artifacts that are always a concern with single-chip DLP projectors.
The three-chip design also means that each model offers the same white brightness as color brightness, so you don’t have to worry about differences between the two affecting color quality or the brightness of color images. (For more on color brightness, see Color Brightness: What It Is, Why It Matters.) As with most LCD data projectors, none of them offer 3D support. For the vast majority of data-projection needs, this won’t be an issue. But if you’re one of the few who needs to show 3D images, you’ll have to look elsewhere.
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Throw Distance and Brightness
For my tests, I set up the PowerLite 580 with a 98-inch image (measured diagonally) using the native resolution with its 4:3 aspect ratio. I measured the front of the projector at 13 inches from the screen. According to Epson, if you use the wall mount, the full range for the image size is limited to a slightly smaller maximum, at 56 to 93 inches, with the front of the projector 2.4 to 12.2 inches from the screen.
The PowerLite 580 is easily bright enough to stand up to ambient light with an image size suitable for a midsize room. As a point of reference, based on the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) recommendations, 3,200 lumens is suitable for a 208- to 282-inch image in theater-dark lighting with a 1.0-gain screen. For moderate ambient light, it’s bright enough for a 138-inch image. For smaller screen sizes, you can switch to Eco mode, one of the lower brightness preset modes, or both.
Image and Audio Quality
Image quality for data on our tests was near excellent overall. In Presentation mode, I saw a notably low contrast ratio, which showed as an unusually obvious glow in images with black backgrounds. However, I didn’t see this problem in my tests with any of the other predefined modes. The projector did an excellent job with our standard set of DisplayMate(Opens in a new window) images in most other ways. In particular, colors were saturated, vibrant, and bright, and detail held nicely, with white text on black crisp and readable at 9 points and black text on white easily readable at 6.8 points.
See How We Test Projectors
Video quality is necessarily limited by the low native resolution, but within that context, the quality in my tests was better than most data projectors can manage. Color quality varied between good to excellent, depending on the clip. I didn’t see any posterization (shading changing suddenly where it should change gradually), and the projector did a good job with shadow detail (details based on shading in dark areas). The PowerLite 580 isn’t in the running as a home-theater projector, but the video quality on our tests, at least, was watchable for long sessions.
The audio system is also a welcome plus. The 16-watt mono speaker delivered good enough sound quality in our tests to be truly useful, along with enough volume to fill a mid- to large-size room. For still better audio, you can plug an external system into the stereo audio output.
Conclusion
For an ultra-short-throw projector that supports 3D, consider a DLP model like the Dell S510n Projector ($595.55 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window) . If WXGA is a better resolution for the images you need to show, the Epson 585W is your best bet. However, the Epson PowerLite 580 XGA 3LCD Projector, along with the Hitachi CP-AX2503, are excellent choices if you have 2D images that work best with XGA resolution, with the Powerlite 580 offering a higher brightness at a lower price.
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The Epson PowerLite 580 XGA 3LCD Projector offers a 1,024-by-768 native resolution and an ultra-short throw that delivers a bright, high-quality, big image from only inches away from the screen.
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Source link : https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/epson-powerlite-580-xga-3lcd-projector