Expert’s Rating

Pros

Cons

Our Verdict

The Epson MovieMate 72 is a high - definition , all - in - one projector that have a work up - in DVD instrumentalist as well as four incorporate 5 - W speakers . And though you could use the MovieMate to project Keynote or PowerPoint presentation from your Mac , as the name connote , movies are this projector ’s forte .

The MovieMate 72 is a dim box , quantify about 13 column inch all-encompassing , ten column inch cryptic , and seven inches tall . It weighs just over 15 Syrian pound . Although the MovieMate does n’t have a DVI port for connecting to your Mac digitally , it does have VGA inputs , as well as HDMI , constituent , composite , and S - Video capabilities , and a USB interface for viewing photos or listening to MP3 files stored on thumb drives .

The loge is split horizontally into two surgical incision , with all of the embrasure and the incorporate Speaker turn up in the bottom segment ; the projection portion is located in the big , upper one-half . The two sections can line up seamlessly , if preferred , but the top department can also swivel 180 degrees from left to right . For situations when you ca n’t line the projector up instantly in front of the covert , the MovieMate allow you to shift the crystalline lens to the rightfulness or leave , as well as up and down by about 25 degrees , making the projector versatile in terms of placement . The MovieMate also admit a small plastic riser that jibe under the front of the projector to angle the blind up even further , if necessary .

Unlike some projector , the MovieMate does not let in automobile - stress or automatic keystone rectification . Though these are dainty features to have , the ascendency that are provided worked well for me . The MovieMate has a native resolution of 1,280 by 720 picture element , in a 16 - by-9 widescreen aspect proportion . The projected image size can range from as fiddling as 30 inch diagonally when the projector is placed 2.5 foot away from the screen , to as freehanded as 150 slanting inch when commit at a distance of 18 feet away .

The unit has an integrated DVD player that can play commercial-grade or burned videodisk , as well as atomic number 48 and even MP3 certificate of deposit . And though the DVD player does n’t take on either Blu - Ray or HD DVD magnetic disk , it does up - commute standard definition DVDs to the 720p in high spirits - definition formatting during playback . The MovieMate has a scab brightness of 1,200 ANSI lumen , which is distinctive for dwelling - theater of operations projector , but lower than most conference - elbow room models .

The MovieMate ’s four 5 - W stereophonic system speakers support Dolby Virtual Speaker mood for fake environs auditory sensation . There is a larboard for connect a torpedo - woofer to the organization for booming bass sounds . The projector also has an visual audio out porthole for connect to external audio recording amplifier and environs - audio systems . The MovieMate even has a earpiece jack for individual listening .

I watched several DVDs on the MovieMate , and I was impressed with the quality and brightness of the picture . The reasoned lineament , whether playing DVD audio or MP3s from a thumb drive , was also quite impressive , with much more mass than necessary to fill a group discussion room . I hooked up the projector to my MacBook Pro , and despite the analog connection , I found text to be very legible when consider web pages , e - mail , Word document , Excel spreadsheet , and PowerPoint presentation , though a little more luminance would be squeamish for view these type of documents .

Jury Tests

shell = Superior , Very Good , Good , Fair , Poor

How we tested : We connect the show to a 2.66GHz Mac Pro with 1 GB of RAM and an Nvidia 7300GT graphics card , running Mac OS hug drug 10.4.10 . A panel ofMacworldeditors viewed a phone number of on - screen test double , documents , and moving-picture show , and snitch the projector as Superior , Very secure , Good , Fair , or Poor on its people of colour faithfulness and text discernability liken to a sampling of similar projectors.—Testing by Jim Galbraith .

Specifications

Macworld’s buying advice

The Epson MovieMate 72 is a coolheaded , all - in - one , home - theater projector that features mellow - definition 720p settlement , mellow - timber integrated speakers , and a built - in up - commute DVD player . It can display just about anything from your Mac ’s desktop , USB thumb drives , gaming cabinet , TV receivers , and more . It can do much more than a TV or league - room projector . The lamp could stand to be a little bright , and some auto - focus and automatic keystone readjustment would be welcome additions , but even without these features , I require one .

[ James Galbraith is Macworld ’s science laboratory director . ]