Epson - EpiqVision Mini EF12

Turn off all lights for a better viewing experience. You say you don’t want to ball out on an expensive projector since you’re a college student? Super understandable. Unfortunately, I have bad news for you. The least expensive thing you can get for an upgrade from what you’re currently using would be at least worth $300. In your case, I say stick with what you already have. In the future if you’re still interested, I say invest in a $400 refurbished Epson EF11 (or $500 EF12, this one comes with better speakers than EF11) *directly* from their website. It comes with 2 year warranty. Their refurbished systems comes at a nicely reduced price and since it’s directly from their site with warranty, it can be trusted.

The MX550 is a decent XGA business class model for cheap use in a classroom and shouldn't be on your list under any circumstances. You should be looking at a 1920x1080 (1080p) native resolution projector at the very least. Make sure you know how to look up specs at Projector Central, and check for used or refurbished models which may be a good deal. The EF12 is similar to the EF22, as reviewed in this video... [https://youtu.be/ClIboELoz74?si=iK8cbMVobveJdzmy](https://youtu.be/ClIboELoz74?si=iK8cbMVobveJdzmy) It's also been reviewed at Projector Central... [https://www.projectorcentral.com/Epson-EpiqVision-Mini-EF12-Projector-Review.htm](https://www.projectorcentral.com/Epson-EpiqVision-Mini-EF12-Projector-Review.htm) That YouTube channel and Projector Central are websites you should become quite familiar with if you want to make an informed purchase decision. The Epson is a lot less bright than a full sized projector, and won't compete with ambient light very well at all. The main thing you want to focus on is light control in the room.

Just get the Epson EpiqVision Mini EF12 renewed model it's one of the best on the market https://preview.redd.it/5n5t9dj62tze1.jpeg?width=1812&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=76c555e5aa829ac392675fe763deabe93a70ad91

Recently upgraded my upgrade of my upgrade.. In the past year and a half I’ve gone from a Dr.J $50 projector to a Wimius P64 “Which kicked started my actual joy for projectors” But it seemed to never properly auto focus or focus. Fast forward a year I bought a renew Epson EF12 “Which I still have” and it blew me away I thought ehh this will do for a long while.. Well then I got a nice Amazon gift card from work and.. Enter Hisense C1 after watching a million reviews naturally. Pros: Image quality Internal speakers/dolby atmos Autofocus/image adjustments The system interface is a pro and a con.. Cons: From time to time you’ll blink and get the ribbon or I assume ppl calll it the rainbow effect? VIDAA is good for Netflix and Disney plus but it’s limited on apps and seems more UK focused. Otherwise I’m thrilled with the projector! Hopefully I can stay away from wanting the C2 ultra when it drops.. 😂

Hey I got you! Check out offer up and Facebook marketplace for an Epson E12, that projector is popular enough that you can find good deals on it (admittedly more like 400) but yeah it's totally what you are asking for Same goes for the xgimi elfin which you can find for 300 more easily but doesn't have as good speakers

thanks! ive been using projector over tv for many years and am alwasy looking for the best bang for your buck. this model has been amazing the last 2 years its the epson epiqvision ef12. built in speakers are amazing [https://www.bestbuy.com/site/epson-epiqvision-mini-ef12-smart-streaming-laser-projector-refurbished-black/6594703.p?skuId=6594703](https://www.bestbuy.com/site/epson-epiqvision-mini-ef12-smart-streaming-laser-projector-refurbished-black/6594703.p?skuId=6594703)

Not for your budget. Any at that price will be janky and disposable within a couple of years. Invest in a decent unit. Also, prepare to need some sort of additional device to get every service you mentioned. Even my budget goto recommendation the Epson EF12 doesn't have Netflix support. I say find the best feature (picture tech wise) projector you can afford, and then get a Firestick/Roku/Apple TV to run it.

Save up a bit more and grab an Epson EF12 from Amazon. They are great for Apartments, and won't tip off the entire complex that you just bought a brand new TV. [www.amazon.com/Epson-EpiqVision-EF12-Streaming-Brightness/dp/B08GL4QSFH](http://www.amazon.com/Epson-EpiqVision-EF12-Streaming-Brightness/dp/B08GL4QSFH)

I’m no pro but I’ve been here on the forums for a little when I was researching and I would say consensus here would probably say yes it’s worth getting a screen if you’re considering upgrading to a decent setup. This is all relative and dependent though. If you were going to spend $1000-$3000 on a good 4k projector that you can game well on, I’d say you should probably support your investment and bring it to its potential. If you’re spending $1000 or less and you are likely using a lot of keystone and just don’t want a screen, then I’d say just do what works for you, your needs, and budget. If you use a lot of keystone and aren’t setup to reduce it or not use it at all then you’re going to lose image quality and add input lag. That’s not a huge deal if you understand that and buy into an upgrade with those expectations. With lighter play on the switch the input lag added will probably be mostly acceptable. It really depends on what you want and what you need and then how much you’re willing to spend. You could spend $3k on a projector to use on a multicolor and textured wall at a big angle using a lot of keystone and you know, that’s fine and up to you if the budget is not a big deal. If you want the best experience possible on a $1500 budget then you’ll get the best results with a dedicated screen or painted wall area and a setup that removes use of keystone. I don’t know what you’re budget is and again I have limited experience here but I have used the Nebula 4K SE and would say for the price it’s pretty good for 4k and adequate for noncompetitive gaming. I started with the epson ef12 which was perfect for a small bedroom projector and limited space. I then got the Nebula for the living room and some gaming and it’s been pretty good. My latest was recently getting the Hisense C2 Ultra for everything and while the black levels will bother some for the price, it’s been an impressive projector for me. In the end it’s about what you want, what you need, what you can sacrifice, and having your expectations in check for what you’re getting and can afford.

I had a 1080p Epson before it that was really good but this one is super crisp, and there are some calibration settings online that take it to another level. Not sure what you mean by image rendering but the keystone adjustments worked really well when I had to use them. I upgraded to a $2500 JVC 4K projector because it was slightly brighter for my golf simulator but to be honest it’s better but not $1500 better so the Viewsonic holds its own pretty well. I told some guy on here to buy one because he was looking for a cheap 4k projector and he ended up doing it and was blown away by the quality.

with cheap 100" 4k LED's available (walmart has a 98" Samsung for 1997 right now, costco has 98" TCL for 1599), maybe look at those before spending over $2k for a projector. Unless your screen is bigger than that, then a projector still the way to go since budget TV's max out at 100" right now (another couple years and you'll probably see 120" for $2k). Redoing my basement this is my dilemma - will stick with my 1080p Epson until the price comes down for 120"

Check marketplace. I got some decent 1080p epsons for like $200 and lamp life has been ok, i use it almost daily as my TV.

Probably something second hand? I recently picked up quite nice Epson 1080p projector for 160€. Not really portable, but does it's job. You could try to look for units retired or being replaced from business use areas to find cheap projector that has high light output. It won't be too terrific for movies as those projectors are designed for maximum clarity in lit room, but it should still be decent.