Comparison Epson EB-695Wi vs Epson EB-685Wi

When working in economy mode, the brightness of the backlight is noticeably reduced, on average by 30-50%. With a decrease in brightness, heat dissipation also decreases, which saves the working life of the illuminator, thereby increasing the lamp life. Thus, the ECO mode allows you to extend the lamp life by an average of 30%. If the typical projector lamp life is 4000 hours, regular use of the ECO mode will extend the backlight life to approximately 5500 hours.

The actual maximum frame resolution that the projector is capable of processing and displaying.

Many models allow project images at a higher resolution than the actual resolution of the projector matrix (see above). For example, a 1920x1080 video can be displayed on a device with a frame size of 1024x768. However, the quality of such an image will be noticeably lower than on a projector, which initially has a resolution of 1920x1080.

The maximum resolution is closely related to both the overall picture quality and the size of the projection screen. The higher the resolution, the sharper the image details become. Of course, the screen size itself should be taken into account. The fact is that on a 40-50″ projection surface there will not be much difference between the Quad HD and 4K formats. A high-resolution picture will be able to show itself on a truly large screen.

The magnification range of digital zoom provided by the projector.

It is impossible to increase the diagonal digitally, so in this case we are usually talking about enlarging the image within the existing diagonal. Thus, for example, you can “stretch” a photo or diagram to fill the screen, removing the frames around the edges, enlarge a separate fragment of the image for a more detailed examination, etc. And in some models, digital zoom means, in fact, a reduction, when instead of the entire sensor only part of it is used. This can be useful if the original size of the image does not fit the screen.

It is worth noting that in both cases, the operation of the “zoom” is associated with a decrease in resolution and some deterioration in the overall quality of the picture.

— Light sensor. A sensor that detects the level of ambient light. Most commonly used to automatically adjust the brightness of the projector to suit current conditions. So, in a darkened room, high brightness is not needed, but in daylight, on the contrary, you cannot do without it. You can also adjust the operating mode manually, but it is more convenient when the projector does it automatically.

— DLNA support. DLNA technology is designed to connect home electronics into a single network and exchange content in real time. One of its advantages is that DLNA devices are guaranteed to be compatible with each other regardless of model and manufacturer. In a projector, this feature can be used, for example, to view a movie on a large screen from a computer hard drive, or to display an Internet broadcast on this screen that was originally opened on a tablet. DLNA works on the basis of a standard local network, with a connection via LAN (see "Management ports") or Wi-Fi (see below).

— MHL support. The projector has HDMI inputs that support the MHL standard. This standard is used to transfer video and audio from mobile gadgets (via microUSB) to external devices. Accordingly, this feature is useful for those who plan to connect smartphones and other portable equipment to the projector. At the same time, an MHL gadget connected t...o a compatible HDMI port can also be charged in the process. Note that you can also output the MHL signal to a regular HDMI port, but this will require an adapter, and the charging function will not be available.

— Picture-in-picture. Ability to play two channels simultaneously on one screen: main and additional (in a separate small window). The sound is played only for the main channel. This mode allows, for example, to skip a break in a football match and not be late for the second half. Note that for this function to work, images must come from different sources — for example, from two different tuners, or from a tuner and an external device (DVD player, media centre, etc.).

— PJ-Link protocol. The projector supports the PJ-Link protocol. This is a service standard designed to control projectors over local networks (usually LAN or HDBaseT, see "Management port"). All PJ-Link-enabled equipment (projectors, controllers) is fully interoperable regardless of brand and manufacturer, making it much easier to build networks of multiple projectors and replace individual components in such networks.

— 3D support. Support for 3D implies the ability to reproduce three-dimensional stereoscopic images. A 3D image can be based on various technologies. Traditionally, active (see the relevant paragraph), passive (see the relevant paragraph) and hybrid 3D technologies are distinguished. Special glasses are required to view the three-dimensional image. In the case of active 3D, special shutters are built into the glasses, which operate from an independent power source. For passive and hybrid 3D, regular 3D glasses without battery power are sufficient.

— Active 3D. Active 3D technology is based on the principle of alternating flickering of the image. The flickering of the image on the screen is synchronized with the flickering of the lenses in the glasses, as a result, each eye receives a separate image, which makes the picture three-dimensional. The main advantage of active 3D is the ability to view images without reducing the original picture quality. You can look at the screen from any angle and from any position, while the image will still be three-dimensional. Among the shortcomings, there is the presence of some discomfort for the eyes, which occurs due to the regular flickering of lenses in glasses. Also, active 3D glasses may darken the original brightness of the image somewhat. Additionally, glasses of this type are very expensive.

— Passive 3D. Passive 3D provides the display of a double image. Passive 3D glasses use special lenses that cut off the duplicate image in such a way that each eye sees only the image intended for it, which creates the illusion of a three-dimensional image. The main advantage of passive 3D is that it does not tyre the eyes, which is typical for active flickering 3D. Passive 3D glasses are inexpensive.

— Interactive pen. The projector supports interactive pen technology. This technology allows you to actually turn the projected image into an interactive whiteboard: with a pen, you can draw, write and make notes directly on the projected image, which is especially useful during presentations and educational events. It is worth taking into account that the pens themselves and additional equipment for their work may not be included in the set.

— Multimedia (air mouse remote). Air mouse remote are devices that have a gyroscope, which allows you not only to switch menu items with the “↑”, “↓” buttons, but to use the remote control as a mouse. By directing it to the screen, a cursor will appear that moves in the direction of the remote control. This makes management easier and faster.

— Voice control. The projector's support for voice control allows you to dictate certain commands through the remote control. However, voice control does not cover all functions and recognition accuracy may require re-entering the command. If you need a more extensive range of functions, then pay attention to the voice assistant.

— Voice assistant. For a long time now, device control has been shifting to voice commands. For this, certain interfaces and systems are used. The most popular are Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. For "apple" devices, this is Apple Siri, but this technique is not presented in projectors. At the same time, unlike the voice control function, the voice assistant does not just turn on this or that function, mode, makes it louder, quieter, but allows you to perform certain operations in applications, whether it is to launch the desired clip on Youtube or display the weather in the browser.

Wi-Fi standard supported by the projector.

Wi-Fi is known mainly as a method of wirelessly connecting to the Internet and local networks. In addition, more recently, this technology has also been used for direct connections between wireless devices. Accordingly, the methods of using Wi-Fi in projectors may also be different. Thus, some models are capable of connecting to local networks to work with content via DLNA (see above); in others, such a connection is used for control from a computer or other network device; in others, a “remote control” like a smartphone or tablet can connect directly via Wi-Fi.

As for Wi-Fi versions, the most popular options in modern technology - Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n) and Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) - are quite compatible with each other, and the difference between them in this case is not critical. Therefore, you don’t need to pay much attention to these details when choosing.

There are also Wi-Fi ready projectors, which do not have Wi-Fi out of the box, but when connecting the appropriate adapter (purchased separately) are capable of a wireless connection.

The number of USB 2.0 ports provided by the projector.

Do not confuse these connectors with USB slave (see "Management ports") — in this case we are talking about USB ports for various peripherals. Most often, these ports are used for direct playback of content from flash drives and other storages (for example, external HDDs). At the same time, we note that video viewing is not available in some projectors (only photos), in others a very limited set of formats may be supported. However, a direct connection is often more convenient than viewing through a computer or other device. The USB ports can also be used for other purposes, such as updating firmware, transferring files between a flash drive and the projector's built-in storage, or even for keyboards/mouses (in Android devices, see above).

The USB 2.0 standard itself is considered obsolete, but it is quite enough for projectors, and newer peripherals are fully compatible with such connectors. At the same time, you rarely have to connect more than one external device to the projector at a time, so there are few models with more than one USB 2.0.

— RCA (audio). Analogue audio interface using RCA jacks. Depending on the model of the projector, it can serve as both an input (for example, in addition to the component video input) and an output for connecting external audio devices. We only note that in this case only one channel of sound is transmitted through one RCA connector, and a pair of “tulips” (for the left and right channel) is considered an input or output.

— 3.5 mm input (mini-Jack). This connector is more compact than RCA, in addition, it allows to work with two stereo channels through one jack. On the other hand, a 3.5 mm connection is less reliable and more prone to interference. Therefore, such an input is designed mainly for simple tasks — such as transmitting sound from the audio output of a PC or laptop.

— 3.5 mm output (mini-Jack). This in any case is an analogue output, however, its specific purpose may be different. So, in some projectors it plays the role of a linear interface and is used to output an audio signal to active sound system or an external amplifier. In other devices, the mini-Jack works as a headphone output. There are models where these functions are combined in one connector.

— Optical output. An output for transmission of a digital audio signal by a fibre optic cable; allows the transmission of multi-channel audio. Not...able for its complete insensitivity to electromagnetic interference. On the other hand, fibre optic cable is quite fragile, it must be protected from bending and strong pressure.

— Microphone input. Input for connecting an external microphone to the projector. Using it, you can stream sound from a microphone using the projector's own amplifier — for example, comment on a presentation through the same speakers through which the main sound goes.

The maximum noise level generated by the projector.

In most models, the main source of noise is the cooling system — it often uses fans to efficiently remove the heat generated by the lamp. Of course, the lower the noise level, the more convenient the projector is to use, the less inconvenience it causes, and the better the sound accompaniment of the “picture” is heard (if it is provided at all). On the other hand, as the size and power increase, the noise level also inevitably increases, and measures to reduce it significantly affect the cost of the projector.

Portable models are the quietest (see "Main purpose") — most of them do not have active cooling and practically do not make noise, except for control keys clicking and other similar sounds. Therefore, this indicator for such projectors may not be indicated at all. The most "loud" are professional projectors — in them the noise level can reach 50 dB (human speech level at medium volume).

The power consumed by the projector during normal operation. Both the high consumption of the device and the requirements for power supply providing depend on this indicator: for example, heavy professional projectors of 3500 W and above cannot be plugged into standard sockets, they require a special connection format.

Keep in mind that when using traditional mercury or gas discharge lamps, high brightness inevitably requires high power. Energy efficient LED projectors do not have this disadvantage, but they are still relatively uncommon, and LED is not always a suitable type of lamp.