Epson's MegaPlex MG-850HD projector is part of the company's line of Advanced Projectors. The company has it filed in its series of projectors for small businesses, but other types of consumers may find it useful, especially since it has an iPod/iPhone/iPad dock. It's a step up from Epson's MegaPlex MG-50 (see the overview for that one), and at $799, an extra $100, you get native 720p resolution and a handy USB port, among other things.
Dimensions
The MegaPlex MG-850HD, a 3LCD projector, measures 13.4 inches wide by 11.5 inches in diameter by 5.1 inches high when the feet are taken into consideration. Lowering the feet drops the height down to 4.5 inches, so it has the same exact dimensions as the MG-50. It weighs 8.6 pounds (also the same). Although Epson might call this a portable projector, it's not as lightweight as some of its other models, such as the PowerLite 1775. It does, however, still weigh less than the company's PowerLite Presenter.
The PowerLite Presenter, however, packed in a DVD player, which this model does not have.If portability is truly a crucial detail for you over anything else, take a look at pico projectors.
Display Specs
It has a native 16:10 widescreen aspect ratio, with a native WXGA (1280 x 800) resolution. This is where that extra $100 comes into play over the MG-50 projector. Whether or not it's worth it to you will depend on what you plan to use the projector for.
The ratio can be adjusted to 16:9 or 4:3.
The MegaPlex MG-850HD has a throw ratio range of 1.36 - 1.56; this is slightly different than the MG-50, which was 1.36 - 1.83. It can project a picture of size of 32 to 320 inches, which is also slightly less than then the MG-50. Again, only you will know if those 30 extra inches will truly matter to you.
Light output is listed at 2,800 lumens for both color and white light, which is a full 600 extra lumens over the MG-50. The MG-850HD also has a 200-watt UHE E-TORL lamp (Epson's own lamp technology). The company says it lasts up to 5,000 hours, which is important because lamp replacement can be expensive. A glimpse at several online shopping sites showed that the replacement lamp can cost anywhere from around $150 to $250.
It's important to note that the 5,000 figure can depend on what type of mode you use. The company also says that the lamp's brightness will decrease over time.
Audio Specs
The MegaPlex MG-850HD boasts the same two built-in 10-watt stereo speakers as the MG-50, so an external audio source isn't required. These speakers are significantly larger when they're compared with the PowerLite 1775, which is one contributing factor for the increased weight. That speaker power means that the fan noise (listed at 29 dB to 35 dB) shouldn't be a concern.
Inputs
This projector comes with a variety of inputs: one RCA composite, three RCA component, one RCA stereo, one VGA D-sub 15-pin, one HDMI, one 3.5mm mini jack, and the 30-pin iPod/iPhone/iPad retractable dock. It also adds a USB port, which is something that the MG-50 lacked. It does not have any SD card slots.
Like the MG-50, the MG-850HD charges the iPad, iPod or iPhone while it's being used, so you won't have to worry about that device running out of power in the middle of a presentation.
Unfortunately, it can't be used with every single Apple device every created (not unusual). These are the following devices that are supported:
- iPad/iPad 2: OS 4.3.3 and later
- iPhone 3G/3GS/4G: OS 3.1.3 and later
- iPod Touch 2G/3G/4G: OS 3.1.3 and lateriPod Nano 3G/4G/5G: OS 3G 1.1.3 and later; OS 4G 1.04 and later; and OS 5G 1.02 and later
Power
The power consumption for the MG-850HD is listed at 319W in the Normal mode and 267W in the ECO mode. This is slightly higher than the MG-50.
Lens
The lens for the MG-850HD is slightly different than the MG-50. While they both have manual focus, this model also has a manual optical zoom (the MG-50 had a digital zoom). See here for an explanation of the difference between optical and digital zooms.
The zoom ratio for the MG-850HD is listed at 1.0 - 1.35.
Color Modes
You get some extra color modes with this model. The modes are broken into two categories. For Home, there are the Auto, Dynamic, Cinema, Game and Living Room modes. For Business, there are the Auto, Dynamic, Presentation and Blackboard Cinema modes.
These can be extremely helpful depending on the type of room lighting you'll be using the projector in, and it's something you'll want to practice before giving a presentation.
What You Get
Included in the box with the MegaPlex MG-850HD projector is the same thing as the MG-50: power cord, an iPad docking bracket, a remote control with AA batteries, and the user's guide on a CD. This remote can also be used at a distance of up to 19.5 feet, according to Epson. Again, it's a feature that can be important depending on where you'll be using this.
Takeaway
The extra $100 you spend on the MG-850HD gets you 720p native resolution, a USB port and several additional display modes. That really doesn't seem like a bad deal, considering that you're staying well below the $1,000 mark for a full-size projector.
Robert Silva over at the Home Theater page has an extremely in-depth review of this model. Check it out.
