Epson Ensemble HD 720 2

Posted on October 23, 2013 by Art Feierman

Epson Ensemble HD 720 System: Pros

Rich dynamic looking image with good (not exceptional) skin tone reproduction
All-in-one system - remember the old adage? "Keep it simple" Epson has
LivingRoom mode provides very good color accuracy for a brighter mode, great for HDTV, Sports, and for movies with modest ambient light
Dynamic mode is brighter than all but a very few projectors can produce
Good shadow detail performance
Black level performance is a little better than average among the 720p projectors
Sharp image, sharper than the average 720p projector, but definitely not the sharpest
With the heart of the Ensemble HD 720 being a 720p 3LCD projector, pixel structure is slightly visible at normal seating distances
Very good menus
The only under $5000 complete solution available today, without having to research and shop for a lot of different components
Designed to be installed in 5 hours or less, thanks to overall design, and provided powder coated wiring channels (no need to cut holes in walls/ceiling to run wires
Epson might have put it this way (to quote an old song): "We will, we will Rock You!"

Epson Ensemble HD 720 System: Cons

Very average lamp life from the Home Cinema 720 projector - with less than half the lamp life rating (at full power) of the projectors in the more expensive Ensemble HD systems (1700 hour rating at full power, compared to 4000 hours on the projectors in the other Ensemble packages)
Only one size screen (100 inch diagonal) configuration. Your room will need to be approximately 14 feet deep to acommodate the Ensemble HD
Epson should have fully programmed the projector controls into the provided universal remote control. The fact that they provide a separate remote for the projector is dandy, but, why not do the obvious, so that people won't need the other remote?
Only 720p true resolution, although anyone could decide later to drop in one of the higher end Epson projectors (or even possibly a competitor) to move up to 1080p native resolution

The Bottom Line: That's easy! Finally, a large screen, projector based home theater system, that requires no more hassle to buy and install (actually less) than an LCDTV with separate sound system. And it's a system that you can ultimately upgrade down the road, with an even better - and higher resolution projector.

The whole package works as promised, and you should definitely be pleased. The Ensemble HD 720 is a well balanced combination of impressive video and rich, powerful sound. I can best desribe the sound system by saying it rocks, be it for action movies, or if you just want to do some excellent music!

If you've been contemplating a projector based home theater system for a while, and have been intimidated by the complexity of buying and having it installed, here's what you have been waiting for!