Epson PowerLite 108 Projector Review - Picture and Sound Quality

Epson BrightLink Interactive Projector Review – Picture and Sound Quality: Color Modes, Video Image Quality, Text and Presentation Quality, Audio Quality

The Epson PowerLite 108 performed way better than I expected for the cost of this projector.  Given that it’s about $400 less than the Epson PowerLite 990U that I just reviewed, the colors performed just about as well as the higher range 990U and the differences were pretty negligible to my eye but there were some differences nonetheless, perhaps speaking to the difference in quality of the more expensive model.

In general, on the brightest mode, Dynamic, with the brightest lamp setting in Normal, the colors performed well, reds were still visible, yellows and greens probably were a bit too much but they were decent and not a detriment.  In presentation mode, where there is about a 23% reduction in brightness from dynamic mode, the colors become more accurate, especially your blues and reds become even better.  Finally when you get to cinema mode, a 33% reduction from dynamic mode, you get your truest color representations, and cinema mode really shines with some of the movie images you’ll see below.

While the picture is pretty decent on this projector and the colors and resolution provide good looking images, I would not plan to replace your home theater projector with this as while you can project in 16:10, you may not be able to achieve the screen size you are looking for at home.  I did take a few shots of our spreadsheet with text, colors, and the woman’s face, in a 16:10 ratio so you could see how the image looks in when the PowerLite 108 is not in its native 4:3 mode.  Also of course, some pictures are provided from both low light and bright scenes to show the performance at both ends of the spectrum

With Text and Presentation Quality, the Epson 108 performed well.  With 1024 x 780 XGA resolution and a 4:3 aspect ratio, 8 point text was pretty difficult to read but that is no big deal.  10 point text was surprisingly clear, a little soft around the edges but certainly readable. 12 point text is even easier to read though still a little smooth, and the 16 point text is where the projector appears sharpest, staying sharp even as you move further outward.

Epson seems to have put together an impressive bunch of projectors that are delivering on image quality, sharpness, brightness, and color accuracy, making for a formidable projector, especially this 108 priced at $600.  The ability for the projector to maintain high quality pictures and color, even at peak brightness, make this projector a great solution for any classroom or any environment that requires some performance in daylight where you need brightness to power through the ambient light and still provide your audience with a clear and colorful picture.