About the size of a small cake box that looks sleek and modern, the Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus EF-72 is a projector that feels right at home in a modern living room.
A neat square shape, a silver metal stand, a wood finished top, and soft LED lighting that gives it a premium feel. It is the sort of device that can blend into a calm, stylish room just as easily as a busy media corner.
This projector uses RGB LED lighting and delivers 1,000 lumens of brightness. That may sound very bright, but in real use, it works best in dim to moderately lit rooms. In other words, it is made for evening movie sessions, not a sun flooded living room at noon.
This Epson projector should not be too far from the wall or screen, or the colours may start to look washed out. The image can grow as large as 150 inches, which is roughly twice the size of a typical 70-inch TV, making it an appealing choice when friends come over for football, movies, or game night.
Although the Epson EF-72 has a native 1080p panel, it uses pixel shifting to create a sharper looking 4K-style image. This means the projector moves the picture very quickly in tiny steps either diagonally or to the sides so that your eyes see more details than a normal 1080p projector can show.
To be sure, this is not the same as true 4K, but it still looks noticeably better than a basic 1080p model. I don’t find any streaking or other issues when watching action-packed movies.
Colour performance is one of the Epson projector’s strongest points. The EF-72 produces rich and pleasing colours, and it also includes a colour correction feature that helps it adjust to the wall or screen you are using. For users who care about natural looking pictures, that is handy.
Setup is simple and fast. Once you switch it on, the projector can focus itself and correct the image shape automatically even if you point it at an angle to the wall. Connect it to Wi-Fi, sign in to your streaming accounts, and you can start watching through Google TV almost immediately.
The only weak point is that mirror casting your phone’s screen is not as seamless as it should be. Some users may need a third-party app or a buy a HDMI-to-Type C cable for easier sharing.
One useful bonus is that the Epson EF-72 can also be powered by a 100W or stronger powerbank with 24,000mAh capacity, which allows it to run for about 70 minutes. That gives you extra flexibility when there is no wall socket nearby, making it handy for short presentations, outdoor use, or quick movie sessions in different parts of your home.
It also helps that the EF-72 has clear and loud sound from its built-in Bose-engineered speakers. For casual watching or presentations, that is more than enough. If you want a more cinema-like experience, a soundbar or multi-speaker surround sound system will still give better results.
The Epson EF-72 is a well designed mobile projector with a strong mix of style, convenience, accurate colours and decent picture quality. However, at S$1,589, it is not cheap, and the lack of Miracast support that lets you easily mirror your phone screen is a letdown at this price.
Buy the Epson EF-72 if you want an easy-to-use projector that looks good, is easy to set up, sounds decent, and fits well in a living room. Avoid if you want a cheaper option or a true (and costlier) home cinema projector that can be hung from the ceiling.
