Epson added an ultra-short-throw laser projector to its new Lifestudio range of streaming models last year, which promised “impressive brightness and a vivid, true-to-life picture day or night.” Now the veteran company is adding a more powerful flavor.
“[The] EH-LS970 raises the bar for shared cinematic experiences at home,” said Kiran Sanghera of Epson Europe. “You get real 4K detail, 4,000 lumens brightness and Bose-engineered sound in a system that’s easy to live with, all with Google TV built in, intelligent setup and whisper-quiet operation.”
To expand a little on that brief overview, as with the LS670, Epson is building the new ultra-short-thrower around a 3LCD laser light source but bumps the output to 4,000 lumens and promises zero rainbow effect (bothersome RGB flashes). Where the older Lifestudio unit employs pixel-shifting to achieve 4K-resolution visuals, the LS970 promises “Real 4K UHD” at 8.3-million pixels for the 3,840 x 2,160 UHD imagery.
Viewers won’t have to worry about folks casting shadows as they walk in front of the business end, as the projector will fire up visuals stretching 150 inches across the diagonal axis while seated mere inches away from the vertical viewing surface. That’s thanks to an impressive throw ratio of 0.16 – 0.4:1. And dynamic contrast comes in at 5-million:1 for engaging viewing.
Epson
Epson is baking “AI-powered image optimization” into the new Laser TV, which will likely mean a combination of smart autofocus, keystone correction, resizing for object avoidance and fit-to-screen capabilities – though no specifics have been revealed at this time. The system will also be able to auto adjust to different ambient lighting needs, ensuring optimum picture quality for daytime or after-dark spaces. A companion app will be on hand for guided setup using a smartphone’s camera.
We know that this latest Lifestudio Grand model will run the latest Google TV platform for seamless access to popular streaming service and apps, including official Netflix. Gamers can look forward to expansive scenes with a dedicated ALLM gaming mode for less than 20 milliseconds of input lag over HDMI. And the onboard sound system will again tap Bose for its audio expertise, which will include support for Dolby Audio.
That’s about all we know for the moment, apart from whisper-quite operation down to 18 dB in quiet mode. The Lifestudio Grand EH-970 UST projector will go on sale in Europe from April – though we’ll have to wait for pricing.
As with the LS670 before it, this model will likely make it to the US where we’d expect folks to have to shell out more than US$3k but probably under $4k. A product page has yet to appear, so keep a weather eye on Epson’s streaming collection for more information when it lands.
Source: Epson
