Epson PowerLite 675W Ultra Short Throw Classroom Projector Review – Performance

Posted on March 23, 2018 by Nikki Zelinger

Epson PowerLite 675W Ultra Short Throw Classroom Projector Review – Performance: Brightness, Contrast, Audible Noise

Brightness

Color Mode	Lumens
Dynamic	4726
Presentation	3687
Cinema	2709
sRGB	2507
Blackboard	2146

No surprise here – the PowerLite 675W measured well over Epson’s 3,200 lumen claim at 4,726 in Dynamic mode. Dynamic is the projector’s brightest mode, and in dire situations, it’ll break through even the worst ambient light. Presentation mode, the second brightest mode, as I mentioned on the last page, has much better color than Dynamic and as such, may be more desirable to use in the face of ambient light. That mode measured closer to the projector’s claim, though still a considerable amount over, at 3,687 lumens. That’s plenty for most cases where ambient light is present, and is likely the one you’ll use in such a situation.

Before I continue, I should mention that we still don’t have a completely accurate way of measuring the lumens of ultra short throw projectors. The angle at which the light is projected is so steep that our usual way of measuring lumens cannot be fully used. As such, we may be off by a few lumens or so, but not enough to make a real difference.

When thinking back to normal throw projectors I have reviewed with a similar lumen output, I would have to say that my measurements here are at least close to accurate – the point is, this projector has plenty of power to project your business or education content through some considerable ambient light.

The rest of the modes hover around the same range as each other, which each having just a few hundred lumens less than the next. Cinema mode, one of the projector’s “best modes” in terms of color, has a healthy 2,709 lumens. That is still plenty to cut through some moderate ambient light, such a what is seen in classrooms when the lights are dimmed but there is still some light present.

sRGB is the other best mode, and clocks in at only 202 lumens less – 2,507 lumens, to be exact. Finally, we arrive at Blackboard mode, which is a kind of “throw away mode” in that it is only useful to a small percentage of people – those who still have the archaic blackboard in their classrooms. That mode has 2,146 lumens.

Contrast

The Epson PowerLite 675W has a manufacturer-rated contrast ratio of 14,000:1. This is a typical number – I’ve seen similar projectors around this claim. Though, manufacturer claims for contrast are all over the place, and sometimes they’re not accurate at all, so we don’t pay too much attention to these. I personally just use them as a frame of reference for how good the black levels should look based on that number.

What we care about is not the number the manufacturer comes out with, but rather, how the projector performs in terms of black levels. Business and education projectors such as the PowerLite 675W and its siblings are not expected to perform well in these areas, nor does it matter - black levels tend to be something we care about in home theater and home entertainment projectors, as business/education projectors do not need the blackest of blacks.

I would rate the PowerLite 675W as having mediocre black levels, but acceptable for the applications it is intended for. What does that mean? Blacks will not be black, but rather, a more medium-dark grey. No matter – it still looks pretty decent, and will do a good job on your presentations and educational content, such as this scene from Journey to Space. If your applications require better blacks, such as graphic design, engineering renderings, etc., you may want to go up a few dollars in price point.

Epson PowerLite 675W Journey to Space Bigelow Rendering

Audible Noise

The rated audible noise level of the Epson PowerLite 675W is 35 db at full power, 28 in ECO mode. When measuring the lumens of the projector, there is pure silence in my testing area, save for the occasional meow of one of my cats and the fan of the projector. This is when I listen for audible noise. At full power, the fan is no more noticeable than air conditioning in a classroom or conference room – perhaps even less so.

In fact, I didn’t even notice the fan much until I kicked the projector into ECO mode, when the fan slows considerably to an almost-inaudible hum. It is not likely that you will notice the fan at full power, but if you’re hyper-sensitive, ECO will be the way to go. When playing video or audio tracks on the projector, I dare you to hear the fan at all.

Heading over to the last page of our review of the Epson PowerLite 675W, you’ll find a summary of what we’ve discussed at length, some mention of the competition, plus some pros and cons relating the 675W projector. See you on the Summary Page!

Epson PowerLite 675W Ultra Short Throw Classroom Projector Review – Performance: Brightness, Contrast, Audible Noise

Brightness

Color Mode	Lumens
Dynamic	4726
Presentation	3687
Cinema	2709
sRGB	2507
Blackboard	2146

No surprise here – the PowerLite 675W measured well over Epson’s 3,200 lumen claim at 4,726 in Dynamic mode. Dynamic is the projector’s brightest mode, and in dire situations, it’ll break through even the worst ambient light. Presentation mode, the second brightest mode, as I mentioned on the last page, has much better color than Dynamic and as such, may be more desirable to use in the face of ambient light. That mode measured closer to the projector’s claim, though still a considerable amount over, at 3,687 lumens. That’s plenty for most cases where ambient light is present, and is likely the one you’ll use in such a situation.

Before I continue, I should mention that we still don’t have a completely accurate way of measuring the lumens of ultra short throw projectors. The angle at which the light is projected is so steep that our usual way of measuring lumens cannot be fully used. As such, we may be off by a few lumens or so, but not enough to make a real difference.

When thinking back to normal throw projectors I have reviewed with a similar lumen output, I would have to say that my measurements here are at least close to accurate – the point is, this projector has plenty of power to project your business or education content through some considerable ambient light.

The rest of the modes hover around the same range as each other, which each having just a few hundred lumens less than the next. Cinema mode, one of the projector’s “best modes” in terms of color, has a healthy 2,709 lumens. That is still plenty to cut through some moderate ambient light, such a what is seen in classrooms when the lights are dimmed but there is still some light present.

sRGB is the other best mode, and clocks in at only 202 lumens less – 2,507 lumens, to be exact. Finally, we arrive at Blackboard mode, which is a kind of “throw away mode” in that it is only useful to a small percentage of people – those who still have the archaic blackboard in their classrooms. That mode has 2,146 lumens.

Contrast

The Epson PowerLite 675W has a manufacturer-rated contrast ratio of 14,000:1. This is a typical number – I’ve seen similar projectors around this claim. Though, manufacturer claims for contrast are all over the place, and sometimes they’re not accurate at all, so we don’t pay too much attention to these. I personally just use them as a frame of reference for how good the black levels should look based on that number.

What we care about is not the number the manufacturer comes out with, but rather, how the projector performs in terms of black levels. Business and education projectors such as the PowerLite 675W and its siblings are not expected to perform well in these areas, nor does it matter - black levels tend to be something we care about in home theater and home entertainment projectors, as business/education projectors do not need the blackest of blacks.

I would rate the PowerLite 675W as having mediocre black levels, but acceptable for the applications it is intended for. What does that mean? Blacks will not be black, but rather, a more medium-dark grey. No matter – it still looks pretty decent, and will do a good job on your presentations and educational content, such as this scene from Journey to Space. If your applications require better blacks, such as graphic design, engineering renderings, etc., you may want to go up a few dollars in price point.

Audible Noise

The rated audible noise level of the Epson PowerLite 675W is 35 db at full power, 28 in ECO mode. When measuring the lumens of the projector, there is pure silence in my testing area, save for the occasional meow of one of my cats and the fan of the projector. This is when I listen for audible noise. At full power, the fan is no more noticeable than air conditioning in a classroom or conference room – perhaps even less so.

In fact, I didn’t even notice the fan much until I kicked the projector into ECO mode, when the fan slows considerably to an almost-inaudible hum. It is not likely that you will notice the fan at full power, but if you’re hyper-sensitive, ECO will be the way to go. When playing video or audio tracks on the projector, I dare you to hear the fan at all.

Heading over to the last page of our review of the Epson PowerLite 675W, you’ll find a summary of what we’ve discussed at length, some mention of the competition, plus some pros and cons relating the 675W projector. See you on the Summary Page!