Epson expanded home theater projector lineup with cheaper 4K models

Epson Expands Home Theater Projector Line

Epson has expanded its home theater projector lineup with new, cheaper 4K laser-lit models while keeping the LS11000, which debuted in 2022, at a higher $4,500 price.

The LS5000 is the most affordable new model at $2,000, and Epson says it can produce 2,500 lumens of brightness. It will have two HDMI inputs and a throw ratio of 1.32 to 2.15, about 11.5 feet for a 120-inch screen.

For a bit more money, the $2,200 LS6000 bumps the claimed brightness to 3,400 lumens, higher than the LS11000, though Epson rates it with lower contrast ratios.

The LS7500 is a short-throw variant with a slightly higher brightness rating of 3,500 lumens and a throw ratio of 1.0-1.3, requiring 8.8 feet for a 120-inch image.

Like other models, the LS5000 also lets you connect Bluetooth headphones for movie nights without disturbing others in the house. It has manual lens shift, while only the flagship LS11000 offers motorized lens shift for the most convenient and precise installation.

Epson Launches Lifestudio Grand Plus in Malaysia

Epson has introduced the Lifestudio Grand Plus EH-LS970B in Malaysia, a new all-in-one home entertainment projector designed for large-screen viewing. It delivers a large-screen experience without requiring the installation space of a typical conventional projector or a large home TV.

The EH-LS970B uses an ultra-short-throw design that projects images from 80 to 150 inches while sitting just inches from the wall with a throw ratio of 0.16.

Under the hood, the projector uses Epson's 3LCD laser projection system, delivering 4,000 lumens of both color and white brightness. It produces an on-screen 4K image with 8.3 million pixels and an impressive dynamic contrast ratio exceeding 5,000,000 to 1.

As a 2026 product, it includes a new AI TV chip that analyzes content in real time and automatically adjusts the picture based on the scene.

The projector comes with Google TV, a 20W 2.1-channel Sound by Bose system, and a laser rated for up to approximately 20,000 hours of maintenance-free operation.

Reviewer Assesses Lifestudio Grand Plus Performance

CNET reviewer Geoffrey Morrison says Epson's Lifestudio Grand Plus UST projector is an early, if exceedingly expensive, standout, overall being extremely bright and vivid in color.

However, overall its detail and contrast are not quite as good as direct competitors like the Xgimi Aura 2, according to the CNET reviewer Geoffrey Morrison.

Epson claims 4,000 lumens, but in its most accurate mode, the CNET reviewer Morrison measured only 2,136 lumens of brightness. Running full bore, he measured 3,688 lumens, and only one brighter projector existed, which he had ever measured, costing $5,000.

The overall contrast was quite respectable at 1,430:1, while its dynamic contrast was a most impressive 409,600:1 achieved by dimming the image during the darker scenes.

In side-by-side testing, the Epson outperformed the Xgimi Aura 2 and AWOL Vision Aetherion Pro most notably in overall brightness. At $3,800, Morrison still says that all UST projectors are overpriced for their overall performance, despite the Epson's clear win.