Epson MovieMate 60 Sharpness

Posted on October 11, 2010 by Art Feierman

I'm spoiled. I spend almost all my time watching 1080p projectors. OK, there's also an occasional (these days) 720p projector. This MovieMate, though has resolution a bit below even 720p. As a result, the MovieMate 60 will definitely look a bit soft compared to dedicated 1080p projectors and even 720p models.

On the other hand, the projector is inherently higher resolution than traditional DVDs or standard TV (SD-TV) signals. Let's face it, it's an under $700 all in one projector, not a dedicated $1000, or $4000 1080p projector. Still, sitting about 14 feet back from a 100" diagonal image, it may be a bit soft, but it is certainly very watchable. Closer than about 14 feet, and the pixel structure is definitely visible to some degree. After a while, though we tend to stop noticing the pixels unless something to read comes up on the screen. The pixel structure is definitely a factor in the perceived softer image, than found on higher res projectors.

Light Leakage

The Epson MovieMate 60 is very clean in terms of light leakage. There is no significant (read "noticeable") amount coming through the lens. There is very little side light escaping through fan vents, but it is minor and should not be an issue.

MovieMate 60 Image Noise

Considering the type of product we're dealing with, image noise is not a factor. True a hard core enthusiast might pick an issue here or there, but, hey, enthusiasts don't buy a product like this, and if they do, it's usually for the kids.

MovieMate 60 Audible Noise

The MovieMate 60 is a fairly noisy home theater projector, overall. With the lamp at full power it's about as noisy as several of the noiser DLP 1080p projectors. Tolerable, but then the viewing environment isn't likely to be as quiet demanding as a dedicated theater. In the economy mode, the projector is rated 28db and it's reasonably quiet, about as quiet as the average projector at full power (and it's still probably brighter than those other projectors). Considering the usage, audible noise should not be an issue for most.