Epson 3800 review

Epson 3800: 4K PRO-UHD Projection Technology

The Epson 3800 is a top-of-the-line 4K projector used by businesses and individuals for conferences, meetings, and other similar activities. This projector produces sharper images than standard ones, ensuring texts are legible, images are colorful, and slideshows engaging enough for viewers. This article will analyze this device’s strengths based on its setup, features, and design to determine if the product is as good as projected.

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Setup

Contrary to what many think, setting up the Epson 3800 is easy. Without prior knowledge of how to set projectors, you could unbox the projector, and ten minutes later, you’d be done.

The 3800 may be set up in several configurations. You may arrange it in the front, the back, the ceiling, or the back. The two Gbps HDMI 2.0 ports allow 4K HDR playback at about 60 Hertz. Hence, hooking up the projector to an auxiliary media player, like a gaming console, is a breeze.

I couldn’t easily find a suitable ceiling mount for my living room. Hence, I set the projector on a bookshelf in the window area of my room. In this situation, I leveraged the projector's keystone correction function and modified the projection to compensate for my device's unsuitable arrangement.

Features

The Home Cinema 3800 has three LCD imaging panels, each with 1080p full HD resolution. The projector can receive and display 4K/UHD video from Ultra HD Blu-ray discs and streaming services that provide it, thanks to its 4K Enhancement feature. Its 4K Enhancement technology effectively doubles the number of visible pixels on the screen.

Epson’s 3800 projector also offers horizontal and vertical lens shifts, a rare feature. Therefore, you can mount the projector almost anywhere and still have the picture adequately centered on the screen. The 3800 Epson, like most other projectors, has keystone correction to compensate for unideal positioning. However, this feature lowers the visual quality, nullifying the 4K Enhancement's advantage.

The projector supports HLG and HDR10 formats' high dynamic range. Furthermore, its built-in speakers are powered by a 10W amplifier — preferable to most projectors' single speakers and valuable if you frequently relocate the projector to other rooms.

The Epson HC 3800 has both an analog and a digital audio output. With Bluetooth, you can send audio to an external speaker through the high-quality aptX codec and A2DP profile. Therefore, you can move the projector and speaker around more freely without tangling cables.

Design

The Epson 3800 projector uses Epson's 3LCD light engine, consisting of three 0.61" TFT chips illuminated by a 250-watt UHE lamp. With a 60% vertical and 24% horizontal shift, a multi-element lens allows for great flexibility in the installation. You can place the projector on a table or mount it, thanks to its 1.32 to 2.15 throw ratio. There's enough lighting for every situation with three bulb power settings and four photo modes.

The HDR10 and HLG standards provide support for HDR. Dolby Vision is not available, which may be a deal-breaker for some. There are no compatibility issues since 4K Blu-rays and streaming material already comes in HDR10. The Epson Home Cinema 3800 projector's adjustable HDR level control allows you to optimize the image quality regardless of the source material.

The lens has two knobs for shifting and a ring for adjusting the focus and zoom. Using a ratio of 60% vertical to 24% horizontal, determining the correct geometry and sizing will not be an issue. The existing settings are pretty accurate; however, there is no motorized focus — it would have made things simpler. The top panel has the typical on/off and menu navigation buttons.

Conclusion

Determining if the Epson HC3800 4K PRO-UHD suits you depends on your specific requirements and budget. This projector will meet your visual demands if you hope for a cinematic experience. If you need a home theater system that can double as a business projector, the Epson Home Cinema 3800 is worth considering. Its high brightness is excellent for presentations, often in well-lit settings.