SINGAPORE — While almost every major blockbuster in cinemas have come with a 3D version, replicating the immersion at home isn’t quite possible, especially on a budget.

Large screens capable of 3D can get quite pricey, which is why most turn to projectors to enjoy the large-screen experience without burning a hole in their pockets. With Epson’s new EH-TW5200, you now can have all that, for just slightly less than S$1,500.

The EH-TW5200 is a full-HD (1080P) 3D projector that comes with the same technology in Epson’s top-of-the-line models, such as the 480 hertz 3D drive, which claims to offer brighter 3D images compared to other technologies. This does show when you’re using the projector. Images are bright and lively, though they do lack fine detail compared to the higher-end models. All this technology is fit into a body that’s much smaller than most of the top models.

Setting up the EH-TW5200 is convenient — just find a place to put it (or mount it), turn it on, and then start adjusting the image. The projector has a Horizontal Keystone Adjuster that allows you to easily adjust the image, especially when you have to place the projector slanted or at an angle. The keystone helps negate most of the effects of projecting an image that isn’t directly straight, but do note that the adjusted image will have some light-spill outside it. In a dark room, there will be frame of dark grey around the image which might be distracting to some. There’s also no way to adjust the black levels, leaving blacks to appear more like a dark grey.

The EH-TW5200 also comes with inbuilt speakers. However, if you already have a proper surround setup you should avoid using them. The speakers do get rather loud — surprising for the projector’s size — but at high volumes the bass starts to distort, but otherwise vocal clarity is surprisingly good.

The EH-TW5200 also has optional wifi functionality that allows you to stream video from Andriod or iOS devices directly to it, however, the wifi dongle was not provided for the review, so it’s unclear how well this works. Active 3D glasses are used with this projector, so you do have to charge them before you use them.

The Epson EH-TW5200 definitely isn’t a high-end projector, but for a fraction of the price and the size of other 3D projectors, coupled with what is still a pretty solid image. The great price, small size, and lovely image more than make up for some niggles with the system.

Price: S$1,499