The first thing that greets you upon opening the Epson EMP-400W Projector’s bag is a lens cover that looks disproportionately large – it looks as if it can serve comfortably as a dinner plate. No wonder, as this lens cover protects one of the biggest (and most unique-looking) lenses to grace a projector – a fish-eye type, bulbous bowl of glass that seems all curves.

                                            Hiding behind dinner plate number one is....

The reason the extreme size and curvature of this lens is because this Epson EMP-400W is an ultra short-throw projector designed to huddle up to a wall or projector screen without any degradation in picture quality. Epson does this by the use of some creative optics application, of which the prominent fish-bowl attached to the EMP-400W is but a part.

                                             ... a huge glass sauce-bowl! Or it would be if it was not a piece of highly sophisticated optics attached to a projector.

                                             The lens arrangement seems disproportionately large compared to the main projector body - it needs to be to be able to resolve pictures at close range.

We’ll go into the short throw aspect of this projector in just a while – for now allow me to lay down the groundwork for this suave-looking piece of imaging equipment in the form of its specifications. The EMP-400W has a 1,800 lumens brightness lamp suitable for small to medium-sized rooms which can be darkened when required. This brightness rating is not very high considering the number of 2000 to 5000 lumens projectors available, although one must consider where the projector is to be used – which is a perfect example of a complete consideration of the projector’s design by Epson – short-throw projectors should fit perfectly in small rooms that won’t require much more than the EMP-400W’s 1800 lumens capability.

                                             The required space for the projected screen fits comfortably behind my desk, with space to spare.

                                             Aspect ratio and other adjustments can easily be accessed through the on-screen display.

A native resolution of 1280 x 800 is a pleasant surprise in this non-entertainment focused projector, as is the support for widescreen aspect ratio (16:10 or 16:9). Standard aspect 4:3 is also available with a couple of button presses, making for a flexible display device. 720p video should be a perfect fit for this projector, although there is no dedicated HDMI or even DVI connector included. In tests, this projector could go up to 1600 x 1200. Contrast ratio is a nominal 500:1, enough clarity for text and very good for photographs and videos.

                                             LAN connectivity and other functions related to network functions can also be accessed on-screen. Drilling deeper into the menu reveals DHCP, IP address, MAC ID and others that facilitate the EMP-400W's integration into a network.

                                             It's a shame there is no HDMI connector, although it's an understandable omission considering this projector's target market.

Connectivity is nothing to get excited about, although some unique additions make this Epson a hard-to-ignore option for a business’ acquisitions department.  Two RGB D-Sub 15pin (VGA) connectors for multiple computer connectivity, with matching two stereo mini jacks for audio input, one composite RCA video input (yellow) coupled with left and right connectors (red and white), a single S-video connector, one RS-232C connector for output to terminal, and a LAN RJ-45 connector make up the input side of this projector, while a single D-sub 15-pin output plus a single mini-jack output completes the picture.

                                             An easily-replaced filter marks the air intake of the EMP-400W.

                                             Make sure to keep this exhaust free from obstruction - it gets very hot during operation!

While I miss the easy connectivity (for home cinema) of the HDMI connector, the EMP-400W isn’t really designed to make waves as a multimedia projector – it excels in displaying excellent images in a very small space. Besides, the LAN connector makes up for it by serving as an easy connectivity option for the PC-bound employee or technical representative who wants to change settings on the EMP-400W without using the remote or actually reaching for the projector controls. The LAN connector is also the preferred method for troubleshooting in the oft chance of a breakdown, through the use of the EasyMP monitor suite that is capable of pre-emptive email alerts to the users in addition to changing of settings and status monitoring.

                                             All you need to know is in the OSD - here we are showing the information screen. This menu can also be controlled through the included remote.

                                            The remote is seemingly designed for portability - it's quite tiny. Additional buttons not found on the front panel include the Freeze and the A/V Mute button.

On-screen menus are logically arranged and easily controlled from the control panel on top of the projector, or through the included (tiny) remote control. As always with most new projectors, keystone correction, color adjustments, brightness controls and a whole slew of profiles designed for easy application in different settings. While the end result may look the same to my untrained eye, there’s a whole lot of Epson technologies at work in the background that ensure that the projector works efficiently and economically, as well as display the best picture as possible. Examples of these technologies include Epson’s 3-LCD technology (as opposed to the single-chip DLPs used by the competition), and the E-TORL (Epson Twin Optimised Reflecting Lamp) – a technology that makes the most of the lamp power available to produce the same quality of images at the best efficiency.

                                             At roughly 13" away from the partition, the EMP-400W projects a 28" screen.

                                             As if measuring a prize catch, we proceed to increase the throw distance and measure the resulting screen size.

The short-throw feature of the EMP-400W is what makes this projector an exciting prospect for business and commercial purposes. Now, “exciting” isn’t always the word of choice when describing a business tool, but in this case it is totally justified, as it changes the inconvenience of using a long-range projector into a pleasurable experience for the user, as it makes the job of displaying images and standing near the projected image a hundred times easier. This is due to the lack of a light source behind the presenter to cast shadows onto your presentation, due to the short distance between projector and display – no extra space is required for the projector, and there’s no need for maintaining a wary look behind you as you give your presentation.

                                             At roughly the recommended distance of 28" (2 feet++), the 400W projects a 58" screen. Note that the projection distance is still within the length of my desk.

                                             Fifty-eight inches of screen real-estate - all within the confines of my office cubicle!

Also important, the small distance from projector to screen required means this projector is perfect for any place that has a limited area but could still use a large display, such as a club meeting or for a small boardroom. Classrooms are also perfect candidates, as well as small bedrooms (for anyone who wants to use the EMP-400W for entertainment purposes) and even medium-sized conference rooms. The space saved with this projector can be utilized for more members, a cleaner look, or a larger screen.

                                             Here's the projected screen again in relation to my desk space. Signal is coming from the Wind sitting to the left.

                                             The EMP-400W also works flawlessly in extended desktop mode as a second "monitor" - only possible with a projector with such compact throw distances.

From a distance of around 28 inches or two feet+, the EMP-400W can project a screen size of nearly 60” – already larger than most LCDs sold today. During testing, we used the projector at a distance of around 1 foot and got a screen 28” as measured diagonally – not bad for a setup involving a space not much bigger than my desk length. At that less-than-recommended distance, the focus adjustment could not fully resolve the upper areas of the picture, but no problems were encountered at the recommended 65cm. A maximum screen size of 110” at a distance of 4 feet makes for a very flexible display device that’s perfect for anyone working with limited space. At anything farther than 4 feet the picture gets somewhat blurry and the 1800 lumen lamp struggles to provide enough illumination, although it still produces a usable picture, especially if the room is darkened beforehand.

                                             From the side, the lens really does look like a glass bowl of some kind, or a small aquarium.

                                              Quick focus adjustment can be found just behind the lens.

If the massively impressive lens arrangement didn’t do it for you, then the LAN connectivity, the extremely short throw distance, adequate brightness and contrast ratio, smooth looks and relative portability should be a long-enough list of positives for both the business buyer and the casual home-cinema buyer who has a small room for his multimedia requirements. The Epson EMP-400W is the projector to beat in short range, helped along by its “normal” orientation (as opposed to throw-from behind short-throw projectors) and competent all-around capability. More pictures to follow.

                                            On-board controls are intuitively designed.

                                             Bundled cables may not be the final package in retail units - we received a demo unit that may not have its full complement of items.

                                              Parting Shot.