Epson EX3260 SVGA 3LCD Projector Review - Review 2022

Best of the year 2022 logo small Given that information technology's an nether-$500 model, the Epson EX3260 SVGA 3LCD Projector ($449.99) has much to recommend it: authentic color rendition, a solid assortment of ports, easy portability, and—above all—good quality for both data images and video. The EX3260'south relatively low resolution limits its effective utilize to relatively small screens, and to presentations without very fine detail or small-scale type. Within those constraints, the EX3260 stands out, and is an easy pick to supervene upon the now-discontinued Epson EX3240 as our Editors' Choice SVGA data projector.

SVGA'southward Still Got Some Kicking

The EX3260's native SVGA resolution (800 by 600 pixels) is in the 4:3 attribute ratio that's commonly used in traditional data presentations. This allows for considerably more than epitome top than you'd get with a widescreen projector. (Well-nigh widescreen models are geared to entertainment and have sixteen:9 attribute ratios.)

A decade ago, SVGA-resolution data projectors were commonplace. Although today's data projectors are generally college-resolution models—XGA (1,024 by 768), WXGA (1,280 by 800), and fifty-fifty 1080p—the relatively low cost of SVGA models keeps them in demand for upkeep-witting schools and businesses that tin can go by without showing minute item in presentations.

Epson EX3260 SVGA 3LCD Projector

At iii,300 lumens, the EX3260's light source—based on the 3LCD engineering developed by Epson—is most the low stop of the brightness calibration for current full-size data projectors. That said, it should be bright plenty to use in a pocket-size-to-midsize room, depending on lighting conditions.

Epson EX3260 SVGA 3LCD Projector

The EX3260 has a two-tone chassis (white with black trim) that measures 3.six past 11.9 by nine.8 inches (HWD), including feet. Information technology weighs v.five pounds, so it is easily portable, and it comes with a soft conveying case. Backside the lens is the focus ring, as well as a slider for manual horizontal keystone correction. Like the EX3240, information technology lacks an optical zoom.

Epson EX3260 SVGA 3LCD Projector

The EX3260 has a solid, if basic, set of ports. The core display connections are a VGA port (which doubles equally component video), an HDMI input, and three RCA plugs for composite video/audio. Also on the body are a USB Type-B port for connecting with a PC and mirroring its screen, and a USB Blazon-A port that fits a thumb drive or an optional Wi-Fi adapter. (The latter costs $99.)

Data Paradigm Testing

From a distance of near 6.5 feet away, the EX3260 ($369.00 at Amazon) filled our test screen with an paradigm about seventy inches in size, measured diagonally. The image showed no sign of deposition even when I introduced a fair amount of ambient light.

In data-image testing using the DisplayMate suite, the EX3260's image quality was suitable for typical business and classroom presentations. Text quality was good; both white text on blackness, and black text on white, were easily readable downwards to 7.5 points. (The white text looked regal at sizes smaller than that.)

Colors were brilliant and well saturated, which is typical of LCD projectors, whose color brightness matches their white brightness. DLP projectors have lower color brightness than white brightness and tend to have duller-looking colors, which was the case, for example, with the ViewSonic LightStream PJD5155.

See How We Test Projectors

Colour remainder was slightly off with the EX3260, with some white and light-gray backgrounds showing a trace of light-green. This should only impact grayscale images. Every bit an LCD projector, the EX3260 is costless of potentially distracting cerise/green/blue flashes—the so-called "rainbow effect"—that appear in the images of many DLP projectors.

Solid for Video, and Audio is AOK

Video quality with the EX3260 is above par for a data projector, good enough for showing long clips as part of a presentation, or fifty-fifty feature-length films. With the video source I used, the output was once more free of rainbow artifacts.

Color residuum and contrast were both adept. I saw a trace of a horizontal design resembling hatching in some backgrounds, only I may well take missed it had it not been my business to look for such artifacts. The projector's single 2-watt built-in speaker provides reasonably loud audio—expert enough for a small-to-midsize room—of decent quality.

Like the Epson EX3240 and most other LCD projectors, the EX3260 lacks 3D capability. For that, you would want to go a DLP projector such as the ViewSonic PJD5155 ( at Amazon) , which has skillful data-epitome quality and decent video quality for a DLP projector, even if you might accept to tolerate the occasional rainbow artifact.

A Winner for Data Presentations (and Movies!)

The Epson EX3260 SVGA 3LCD Projector provides a good fix of features for a low-cost, portable data projector. Information technology lacks an optical zoom and the ability to project 3D content, both features you lot will notice on the ViewSonic PJD5155. But the PJD5155'due south zoom ratio is a very pocket-size one.1x, and the EX3260 has ameliorate image quality for both data and video. As a result, when you're non using it for work, you lot tin utilise it for entertainment. The EX3260 replaces the discontinued Epson EX3240 every bit our Editors' Choice SVGA data projector.