Epson CO-FH02 Smart Full HD review

Full review

The CO-FH02 is a different kind of projector from the compact LED models around it. It uses a conventional lamp and three LCD panels, delivering 3,000 lumens in both colour and white as measured to the ISO 21118 standard. That equal colour output is the key strength: images stay colourful in a room with the lights on, where white-only brightness claims can mislead.

It is Full HD, with a throw ratio of roughly 1.2 to 1.6:1, so a 60 inch picture needs about 1.6 metres. Zoom is digital rather than optical, which costs a little sharpness when you shrink the image, and lens shift is limited to vertical offset. Automatic vertical keystone and manual horizontal correction are provided.

Smart features come from an included Android TV dongle that plugs into the single HDMI port, so you will need an HDMI switch if you also want a console or player. Epson does not publish HDR support or an input-lag figure on the page we checked, so this is not the pick for gaming or HDR films.

The lamp is rated for 6,000 hours, or 12,000 in Eco mode, which suits occasional use but means a future replacement cost. The built-in 5 W speaker is thin. At 2.6 kg it is portable only in the sense of moving between rooms.