Verdict
The Epson EH-LS650 is a super-bright ultra short-throw projector that delivers punchy big screen pictures no matter how much ambient light is in the room. As a result this capable laser-powered HDR allrounder is a viable alternative to a large screen TV and considerably cheaper.
Pros
- Excellent SDR and HDR picture quality
- Incredibly bright image
- Great pricing
Cons
- Elevated black floor
- Limited HDMI inputs
- No built-in tuner
-
3LCD TechnologyUses three 1080p LCD panels -
4K PRO-UHD4K enhancement uses pixel-shifting to project native 4K content -
Laser light sourceLaser with claimed brightness of 3,600 lumens and a lifespan of 20,000 hours -
High Dynamic RangeSupport for HDR10 and HLG -
Built-in sound systemYamaha sound system with 2 x 10W speakers -
Ultra short-throwA throw ratio of 0.25 – 0.62 can project from 60 to 120 inches at a distance of 0.4m -
Android TVBuilt-in smart operating system
Introduction
The Epson EH-LS650 is a laser-powered ultra short-throw projector, and the cheapest model in the brand’s current home cinema range.
As with all Epson beamers it uses a three-chip LCD design, and while not native 4K its pixel-shifting approach does mean it can accept and display 4K content at a higher perceived resolution.
The LS650 has a claimed brightness of 3,600 lumens, which means it not only delivers punchy HDR images but also should be able to handle rooms with white walls or ambient light. It also has a built-in Android smart system and a Yamaha sound system, allowing it to offer an effective and significantly cheaper alternative to a large screen TV.
Availability
The Epson EH-LS650 is available now in a choice of black or white, and can be picked up for £1,749 in the UK, $2,299 in the US, €2699 in Europe, and AU$3,999 in Australia. All these prices are very reasonable for a 4K HDR projector with an extensive feature package, especially in the UK.
If you’re looking for alternatives you could consider the Hisense PL1, which is isn’t as bright as the LS650 and is slightly more expensive, but offers support for HDR10+ and Dolby Vision. It can be purchased for £1,999 in the UK, $2,499 in the US, €1,599 in Europe, and AU$2,999 in Australia.
Design
- Choice of black or white finishes
- 2 x HDMI 2.0 (one with eARC)
- Remote control
The Epson EH-LS650 doesn’t deviate from the standard ultra short-throw projector design with its rectangular box chassis and a wide recessed area on top for projecting up on to the wall. It’s fairly large and heavy, in part thanks to a decent level of build quality but also due to the 20W-rated Yamaha sound system hiding behind a mesh grille across the front of the chassis. There’s a choice of black or white finishes, and the latter may prove more lifestyle-friendly in your living room or lounge.
At the rear, which is the part of the projector that faces the wall or screen, you’ll find the connections. There are only two HDMI 2.0 inputs, one of which supports eARC, and to compete with a TV a couple more would be nice. There are also three USB 2.0 ports and an optical digital output. The wireless connectivity offers dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
The included remote control is small, simple and comfortable to hold. It offers all the main buttons to setup and operate the LS650, along with controlling the Android TV smart system. My only complaint would be the lack of a backlight for use in the dark, and the reliance on icons rather than words to identify what all the buttons actually do.
Features
- Flexible installation
- Yamaha sound system
- Android TV
The Epson EH-LS650 is an ultra short-throw projector with a throw ratio of just 0.25 – 0.62:1, which means that from a limited distance it can produce screen sizes ranging from 60-120 inches. You physically move the LS650 to centre the image with your wall or screen, adjust the feet to level it, and then move it backwards or forwards to change the size of the projected image. There is a lever behind a removable cover on the right-hand-side, which allows you to focus the picture, and there are manual geometric controls in the menu to adjust for any distortions to the image.
The laser light source has the benefit of long life of up to 20,000 hours, which is important for any projector looking to compete with a TV, and it’s also incredibly bright with Epson claiming the LS650 can hit up to 3,600 lumens. This makes it ideal for rooms with white walls or ambient light, which is also a benefit for a projector aiming to compete with a large panel TV. This beamer will certainly have no problems projecting an image of 120-inches, but for best results I’d recommend investing in a proper fixed screen rather than just using a white wall.
The Epson LS650 is based around Epson’s three-chip LCD display technology, which means no need for a colour wheel and thus none of the rainbow effects often seen on DLP projectors. However, the LCD panels don’t use a sealed light path and thus can occasionally suffer from dust blobs. They also only have a 1080p resolution but thanks to pixel-shifting 4K enhancements this beamer can accept and display a native 4K image at a higher perceived resolution. The LS650 also supports HDR10 and HLG, but not HDR10+ or Dolby Vision.
This projector boasts a built-in Yamaha sound system based around a pair of symmetrically positioned drivers with 10W of amplification for each channel. The beamer doesn’t support Dolby Atmos, or any other form of psychoacoustic processing, so the sound quality is fairly basic but should benefit from the larger chassis.
Finally the LS650 includes the Android TV operating system. which is simple but effective thanks to an interface that presents content in an intuitive fashion, along with the option of voice control. The system is easy to navigate and customisable, offering a decent choice of video streamers, but some of the UK catch-up services are missing, and not all the apps are optimised for 4K and HDR.
This projector does make a viable alternative to a TV, with the exception of not having a built-in tuner. You can use the TV catch-up apps to a degree, but if you really want all the live TV channels you’ll need a set-top box of some kind. You can also project onto a white wall, but as mentioned for best results you should invest in a fixed screen, which means additional expense.
Performance
- Big and bright HDR images
- Excellent colour accuracy
- Good HDR tone mapping
The Epson EH-LS650 is bright, really bright, and is this great news for anyone thinking of buying this ultra short-throw projector as an alternative to a large screen TV. At 3,600 lumens in its brightest mode this beamer can hold its own against white walls and ambient light, meaning you don’t have to make the room very dark to enjoy big cinematic images. The only downsides are that at this brightness the lifespan of the laser goes from 20,000 hours in the Eco mode down to 10,000 hours, and there is a bit more noise due to the fans needed for cooling.
The LS650 delivers excellent picture quality with both SDR and HDR content, but while the use of three LCD panels eliminates the need for a colour wheel, it also means the alignment isn’t as precise as a single-chip DLP projector, and thus the images aren’t quite as sharp. However the uniformity is good, and the level of detail is impressive considering this isn’t a native 4K beamer.
The LS650 is generally an impressive performer with SDR, producing detailed images with good dynamic range, and very accurate colour reproduction. The HDR picture is an obvious step-up, with the increased brightness bursting off the screen with vibrantly lush and cinematic images. The Eco mode is better suited to SDR content and darker environments, delivering sufficient brightness while also reducing the fan noise and extending the life of the laser light source.
When watching Mad Max: Fury Road in HDR10 the bright desert vistas really pop, and the colours are wonderfully saturated. There’s no denying the added horsepower in the laser light engine really makes a difference with HDR, and images often jump off the screen. The HDR tone mapping is also excellent, ensuring details aren’t lost in the dark shadows or bright highlights.
The downside to all this brightness is that it tends to elevate the black floor, and as a result dark scenes lack contrast. The blacks tend to look grey and washed out, which robs the image of some of its impact. However, I tested the LS650 in a blacked out home cinema where the limited black levels are more obvious, in a room with reflected or ambient light these issues won’t be as obvious.
The motion handling was generally good, although this isn’t a strong point of LCD, especially when compared to DLP. There was a bit of judder, especially on film content at 24p, but if you engage the Epson’s motion processing you can smooth things out without adding the dreaded ‘soap opera effect’ that makes blockbuster films look like cheap video.
The LS650 isn’t the best choice for gaming because its HDMI 2.0 inputs preclude support for 4K/120Hz and VRR, but at 4K/60Hz the experience remains enjoyable. The picture is certainly detailed enough, the tone mapping is good, and the motion is acceptable. The latency is also good with a lag of only 27ms, which makes for a pleasingly responsive experience.
The built-in Yamaha sound system is good enough for watching the news or a game show, but anything more challenging and the limitations of two small speakers with a total of 20W of amplification becomes apparent with limited volume and no discernible bass. That’s not to say it’s bad, with a balanced delivery that’s crisp, detailed, and retains clear vocals. The soundstage is also surprisingly wide, but if you’re planning on a 120-inch screen you owe it to yourself to at least invest in a good soundbar with a separate subwoofer.
Latest deals
Should you buy it?
You have a room with white walls or a lot of ambient light
The LS650 is one of the brightest ultra short-throw projectors around, making it ideal if there’s a lot of reflected or ambient light in the room. As a result this beamer can be used during the day without having to black out the room.
You want full support for high dynamic range
The LS650 includes HDR10 and HLG, but lacks support for the HDR10+ and Dolby Vision dynamic metadata formats. This is a shame because the added information these two formats provide would allow you to get more out of this beamer.
Final Thoughts
The Epson EH-LS650 delivers cinematic big screen pictures with impressive accuracy and very punchy HDR thanks to an incredibly bright laser light engine. A built-in Android TV smart system and Yamaha sound system complete an excellent allrounder.
It would be nice if there were more HDMI inputs, but aside from the lack of a tuner the LS650 makes for a great alternative to a large screen TV, and at this price it’s also considerably cheaper.
How we test
We test every projector we review thoroughly over an extended period of time.
We use Portrait Displays Calman colour calibration software and industry standards to compare features properly. We’ll always tell you what we find. We never, ever, accept money to review a product.
Find out more about how we test in our ethics policy.
Tested with real world use
FAQs
There is only support for HDR10 and HLG.
Verdict
The Epson EH-LS650 is a super-bright ultra short-throw projector that delivers punchy big screen pictures no matter how much ambient light is in the room. As a result this capable laser-powered HDR allrounder is a viable alternative to a large screen TV and considerably cheaper.
Pros
- Excellent SDR and HDR picture quality
- Incredibly bright image
- Great pricing
Cons
- Elevated black floor
- Limited HDMI inputs
- No built-in tuner
-
3LCD TechnologyUses three 1080p LCD panels -
4K PRO-UHD4K enhancement uses pixel-shifting to project native 4K content -
Laser light sourceLaser with claimed brightness of 3,600 lumens and a lifespan of 20,000 hours -
High Dynamic RangeSupport for HDR10 and HLG -
Built-in sound systemYamaha sound system with 2 x 10W speakers -
Ultra short-throwA throw ratio of 0.25 – 0.62 can project from 60 to 120 inches at a distance of 0.4m -
Android TVBuilt-in smart operating system
Introduction
The Epson EH-LS650 is a laser-powered ultra short-throw projector, and the cheapest model in the brand’s current home cinema range.
As with all Epson beamers it uses a three-chip LCD design, and while not native 4K its pixel-shifting approach does mean it can accept and display 4K content at a higher perceived resolution.
The LS650 has a claimed brightness of 3,600 lumens, which means it not only delivers punchy HDR images but also should be able to handle rooms with white walls or ambient light. It also has a built-in Android smart system and a Yamaha sound system, allowing it to offer an effective and significantly cheaper alternative to a large screen TV.
Availability
The Epson EH-LS650 is available now in a choice of black or white, and can be picked up for £1,749 in the UK, $2,299 in the US, €2699 in Europe, and AU$3,999 in Australia. All these prices are very reasonable for a 4K HDR projector with an extensive feature package, especially in the UK.
If you’re looking for alternatives you could consider the Hisense PL1, which is isn’t as bright as the LS650 and is slightly more expensive, but offers support for HDR10+ and Dolby Vision. It can be purchased for £1,999 in the UK, $2,499 in the US, €1,599 in Europe, and AU$2,999 in Australia.
Design
- Choice of black or white finishes
- 2 x HDMI 2.0 (one with eARC)
- Remote control
The Epson EH-LS650 doesn’t deviate from the standard ultra short-throw projector design with its rectangular box chassis and a wide recessed area on top for projecting up on to the wall. It’s fairly large and heavy, in part thanks to a decent level of build quality but also due to the 20W-rated Yamaha sound system hiding behind a mesh grille across the front of the chassis. There’s a choice of black or white finishes, and the latter may prove more lifestyle-friendly in your living room or lounge.
At the rear, which is the part of the projector that faces the wall or screen, you’ll find the connections. There are only two HDMI 2.0 inputs, one of which supports eARC, and to compete with a TV a couple more would be nice. There are also three USB 2.0 ports and an optical digital output. The wireless connectivity offers dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
The included remote control is small, simple and comfortable to hold. It offers all the main buttons to setup and operate the LS650, along with controlling the Android TV smart system. My only complaint would be the lack of a backlight for use in the dark, and the reliance on icons rather than words to identify what all the buttons actually do.
Features
- Flexible installation
- Yamaha sound system
- Android TV
The Epson EH-LS650 is an ultra short-throw projector with a throw ratio of just 0.25 – 0.62:1, which means that from a limited distance it can produce screen sizes ranging from 60-120 inches. You physically move the LS650 to centre the image with your wall or screen, adjust the feet to level it, and then move it backwards or forwards to change the size of the projected image. There is a lever behind a removable cover on the right-hand-side, which allows you to focus the picture, and there are manual geometric controls in the menu to adjust for any distortions to the image.
The laser light source has the benefit of long life of up to 20,000 hours, which is important for any projector looking to compete with a TV, and it’s also incredibly bright with Epson claiming the LS650 can hit up to 3,600 lumens. This makes it ideal for rooms with white walls or ambient light, which is also a benefit for a projector aiming to compete with a large panel TV. This beamer will certainly have no problems projecting an image of 120-inches, but for best results I’d recommend investing in a proper fixed screen rather than just using a white wall.
The Epson LS650 is based around Epson’s three-chip LCD display technology, which means no need for a colour wheel and thus none of the rainbow effects often seen on DLP projectors. However, the LCD panels don’t use a sealed light path and thus can occasionally suffer from dust blobs. They also only have a 1080p resolution but thanks to pixel-shifting 4K enhancements this beamer can accept and display a native 4K image at a higher perceived resolution. The LS650 also supports HDR10 and HLG, but not HDR10+ or Dolby Vision.
This projector boasts a built-in Yamaha sound system based around a pair of symmetrically positioned drivers with 10W of amplification for each channel. The beamer doesn’t support Dolby Atmos, or any other form of psychoacoustic processing, so the sound quality is fairly basic but should benefit from the larger chassis.
Finally the LS650 includes the Android TV operating system. which is simple but effective thanks to an interface that presents content in an intuitive fashion, along with the option of voice control. The system is easy to navigate and customisable, offering a decent choice of video streamers, but some of the UK catch-up services are missing, and not all the apps are optimised for 4K and HDR.
This projector does make a viable alternative to a TV, with the exception of not having a built-in tuner. You can use the TV catch-up apps to a degree, but if you really want all the live TV channels you’ll need a set-top box of some kind. You can also project onto a white wall, but as mentioned for best results you should invest in a fixed screen, which means additional expense.
Performance
- Big and bright HDR images
- Excellent colour accuracy
- Good HDR tone mapping
The Epson EH-LS650 is bright, really bright, and is this great news for anyone thinking of buying this ultra short-throw projector as an alternative to a large screen TV. At 3,600 lumens in its brightest mode this beamer can hold its own against white walls and ambient light, meaning you don’t have to make the room very dark to enjoy big cinematic images. The only downsides are that at this brightness the lifespan of the laser goes from 20,000 hours in the Eco mode down to 10,000 hours, and there is a bit more noise due to the fans needed for cooling.
The LS650 delivers excellent picture quality with both SDR and HDR content, but while the use of three LCD panels eliminates the need for a colour wheel, it also means the alignment isn’t as precise as a single-chip DLP projector, and thus the images aren’t quite as sharp. However the uniformity is good, and the level of detail is impressive considering this isn’t a native 4K beamer.
The LS650 is generally an impressive performer with SDR, producing detailed images with good dynamic range, and very accurate colour reproduction. The HDR picture is an obvious step-up, with the increased brightness bursting off the screen with vibrantly lush and cinematic images. The Eco mode is better suited to SDR content and darker environments, delivering sufficient brightness while also reducing the fan noise and extending the life of the laser light source.
When watching Mad Max: Fury Road in HDR10 the bright desert vistas really pop, and the colours are wonderfully saturated. There’s no denying the added horsepower in the laser light engine really makes a difference with HDR, and images often jump off the screen. The HDR tone mapping is also excellent, ensuring details aren’t lost in the dark shadows or bright highlights.
The downside to all this brightness is that it tends to elevate the black floor, and as a result dark scenes lack contrast. The blacks tend to look grey and washed out, which robs the image of some of its impact. However, I tested the LS650 in a blacked out home cinema where the limited black levels are more obvious, in a room with reflected or ambient light these issues won’t be as obvious.
The motion handling was generally good, although this isn’t a strong point of LCD, especially when compared to DLP. There was a bit of judder, especially on film content at 24p, but if you engage the Epson’s motion processing you can smooth things out without adding the dreaded ‘soap opera effect’ that makes blockbuster films look like cheap video.
The LS650 isn’t the best choice for gaming because its HDMI 2.0 inputs preclude support for 4K/120Hz and VRR, but at 4K/60Hz the experience remains enjoyable. The picture is certainly detailed enough, the tone mapping is good, and the motion is acceptable. The latency is also good with a lag of only 27ms, which makes for a pleasingly responsive experience.
The built-in Yamaha sound system is good enough for watching the news or a game show, but anything more challenging and the limitations of two small speakers with a total of 20W of amplification becomes apparent with limited volume and no discernible bass. That’s not to say it’s bad, with a balanced delivery that’s crisp, detailed, and retains clear vocals. The soundstage is also surprisingly wide, but if you’re planning on a 120-inch screen you owe it to yourself to at least invest in a good soundbar with a separate subwoofer.
Latest deals
Should you buy it?
You have a room with white walls or a lot of ambient light
The LS650 is one of the brightest ultra short-throw projectors around, making it ideal if there’s a lot of reflected or ambient light in the room. As a result this beamer can be used during the day without having to black out the room.
You want full support for high dynamic range
The LS650 includes HDR10 and HLG, but lacks support for the HDR10+ and Dolby Vision dynamic metadata formats. This is a shame because the added information these two formats provide would allow you to get more out of this beamer.
Final Thoughts
The Epson EH-LS650 delivers cinematic big screen pictures with impressive accuracy and very punchy HDR thanks to an incredibly bright laser light engine. A built-in Android TV smart system and Yamaha sound system complete an excellent allrounder.
It would be nice if there were more HDMI inputs, but aside from the lack of a tuner the LS650 makes for a great alternative to a large screen TV, and at this price it’s also considerably cheaper.
How we test
We test every projector we review thoroughly over an extended period of time.
We use Portrait Displays Calman colour calibration software and industry standards to compare features properly. We’ll always tell you what we find. We never, ever, accept money to review a product.
Find out more about how we test in our ethics policy.
Tested with real world use
FAQs
There is only support for HDR10 and HLG.
