Header banner
Revain logoHome Page
Dino Burks photo
1 Level
781 Review
40 Karma

Review on πŸŽ₯ Epson Home Cinema 2250 3LCD Full HD 1080p Projector with Android TV and Streaming Capabilities, Home Theater Projector with 10W Speaker, Image Enhancement, Frame Interpolation, 70,000:1 Contrast Ratio, HDMI Connectivity by Dino Burks

Revainrating 3 out of 5

Updated: Good compact projector with UNUSED smarts

###Updated after a few weeks of using the projector: -- Finally returned for the following reasons: 1) **Bluetooth connection doesn't work.** There are two Options for outputting sound via Bluetooth: one is to connect an external speaker via Epson's own overlay menu, and the other is to connect via the Android operating system, which powers the flash drive that comes with the projector provided. Both options result in consistently significant latency, regardless of the application used, regardless of which speaker is used for the output. Unused Bluetooth means you'll either be happy to live with the built-in speaker (if you can hear it over the noisy fan), or you'll need to connect an external audio jack to your speakers, or you'll need to use an external Roku/Fire or Apple TV flash Drive. The problem is that all of these options defeat the purpose of a smart projector. You have to remove the (pretty nice) back cover and you're left with cables/sticks sticking out - which isn't great if you want the projector itself to be permanently mounted in a visible spot. For us, the difference between this projector and one of BenQ's proven 1080p offerings was that with this projector we had a cable and a decent setup, or so we thought. Which brings me to issue #2.2) In general, **Android TV's built-in flash drive sucks, and that's the limitation of this projector**. I hate Android even at the best of times. But I think even Google apologists would have a hard time applauding the special flash drive that comes with this projector. The selection in the App Store is poor. Most apps crash regularly. And a flash drive (assuming it's a flash drive) can't work properly even with a bluetooth connection. If Epson can't invest in its own smart platform, which I understand, it would be better off working with an experienced stick maker like Roku. But I think Android was the cheaper option. And you get what you pay for. Epson's OWN GOAL is that the bottom of the projector will only fit on the provided Android stick. They would literally have a more successful product if they shipped it with a hole for your own smart stick (Fire or Roku) - assuming of course the compartment was big enough for those alternatives.3) **Volume**. The thing is loud. Yes, it gets better with the Cinema setting. But it's no disguise that it's loud. And frankly, if you can't create 100% darkness, the "bright" setting is a must. I could live with a sub-par Android platform and a noisy fan if problem #1 wasn't such a problem. Unfortunately, my search for an *actually smart* projector continues. All I need is a projector that can reliably access apps from the major film and television providers (including Apple TV) without additional cables and output the sound synchronously via Bluetooth or Airplay. You'd think it wouldn't be that hard in 2020, especially since I'd happily fork out a thousand dollars for it. Unfortunately, I haven't seen a company that handles this yet. First review below - note that I'm clearly talking about Bluetooth connectivity too soon. ---- This is a first impression review - I may update in a few weeks. use. 2250 is a good projector. I recommend it. Image quality is generally the same as the BenQ HT2150A (although the BenQ arguably wins in terms of deep blacks). Zoom and vertical lens shift. I find that BenQ projectors always want to sit on the couch. This one wants to sit behind your head instead. It's not as handy as a short throw if you want to move it on a daily basis. But for a semi-permanent install like mine, it's great. Lens shift is also very useful. 2) it is compact. It actually fits in an IKEA Kallax cube with enough room for ventilation.3) It has USEFUL smart gadgets. It comes with a built-in Android TV stick. Unfortunately, you can't replace the joystick with Roku as space is limited and reserved for that particular joystick. Android TV isn't great, but that's ok. Of course, using Google is a privacy issue and should be avoided if possible, but at least unlike some other supposedly smart "Aptoide" projectors, this one actually works (mostly) and there are plenty of English-language apps out there. There's no AppleTV+ app, at least not yet. Other applications often freeze. But Sling, Netflix, Prime - everything works, WiFi works reliably and Bluetooth too. All in all, this allows you to achieve so-called "portable" functionality with a single cable. Just plug it into the power cord and you're done. I give it 4 starts instead of 5 due to some annoyances: 1) Android TV Stick dependency. It would be much better to make the slot big enough for a Roku or Fire Stick. We don't want to give all of our personal information to Google to sell for profit. 2) it is relatively noisy. It comes out of the box in "bright" mode, which turns on fan overload. But the fan also works happily in "Movie" mode, you can hear both whistling and chirping. 3) Appearance. While it's compact, it's not as sleek as the "E" series like the EF11. Verdict: A great 1080p projector that's actually smart enough to work on its own without external sticks or boxes, and connects to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. and it's small enough not to bother your living room.

Pros
  • Handy thing
Cons
  • Some flaws

Comments (1)

Please, sign in to write a comment
April 25, 2023
Not an Android TV home theater solution