What? No Epson Moviemates??

I did the site search, and looked through all nine pages of this sub-$3K forum, and can barely find any mention of the Epson Moviemates. Just a few, and none concerning the two new models introduced last month, the 62 and 85HD.

I'm interested in the 62 'cause I have only standard-definition DVDs to playback and this would be my first projector ever. It's available for just $550 with 6-12 day shipping direct from Epson, so it sounds like a good deal!

(But why is Epson selling it at such a discount so soon -- when everyone else is offering it at or near MSRP??? And, for that matter, should I wait 'til Black Friday, perhaps, if it's already so cheap now??)

I started off being interested in Panasonic's latest and greatest, the $2K unit that everyone's raving about, but then realized that it'd be like getting a BMW to go grocery shopping on the weekends, so I eventually found my way to the Epson Moviemate line.

I read great stuff about the MM72, but then found out about the 85HD which was even brighter, at 2500 lumens ISO compared to the 72's 1200 ANSI (I do hope to catch a flick in the early afternoons every so often). But the MM62 at 2000 lumens seems just fine, especially for only $550!

However, I'm concerned about the MM62 offering "only" a native resolution of 540p. I couldn't find much about it on the web; it seems like an odd resolution. Should I be concerned?

Again, I only have standard DVDs anyway and don't plan on any Blu-ray whatever any time soon. But the 72 and 85HD do 720p, and they have a player that upconverts/upscales. Does the 62 have one, too?

Epson lists it as having an "enhanced DVD module chip." And an online retailer claims that it has a progressive scan DVD player (what does that mean, if anything, vis-a-vis its native 540p resolution?).

So, really (thanks for staying with me all this time!), I guess what I want to know is 1) if the MM62 will be "good enough" for viewing standard DVDs; 2) whether it upconverts/upscales standard DVDs to look better somehow; 3) if Blu-ray dics, through a Blu-ray player hooked up to it, would look good with the MM62's native resolution of 540p; 4) and just what the heck is 540p and why Eppy went with it instead of the 720p it's been doing on its most recent Moviemates!

Thanks in advance for all advice!

BTW, what're Costco postings and why are they banned??

What, an 85HD for $749?? You sure it's not $849?? That's the cheapest I can find it online. Where do you see it for $749, please??

Thanks for sharing your personal experience. I'm going to get the 85HD after all!

Hmm, ideally I'd like nothing less than 100 inches -- diagonally -- but the Epson ES3000 screen seems like a good portable screen (yes, I need it portable, for the living, bedroom, dining room, friends' places, et cetera!), yet it's only 80 inches....

Could you recommend a good portable screen, please? I'm hoping to watch in both near-total darkness, at night, and somewhat low ambient light conditions, like early afternoon with the shades drawn but a fair amount of light seepage....

Thanks!

Hi, Joel,

I was going to go for the MM72 originally, but its maximum of 1200 lumens has me really worried. In the two rooms I plan on using a projector in, the living room and the bedroom, I can expect a fair amount of ambient light unless it's nighttime, and on the occasions when I take in an afternoon movie (especially with afternoon sunlight through the bedroom windows, even with [regular, not black-out] curtains) I'm just afraid of getting a sub-par picture.

But I know what you mean about the TOSlink. It's what I have, too, though coax cable should yield the same quality, right? I also have S-Video, though I can go component, too, if I get the 85HD.

Basically, the only reason I'm not jumping on the MM72 is that its brightness may not be adequate (don't really know how bright 1200 lumens is, though) and, much less a factor, maybe the 85HD has a new DVD module chip or something (like how the MM62 that debuted with it is claimed to possess).

Hi, Kilinski,

Thanks for the info; I was also looking at the eZCinema and eZCinema Plus (not sure what the big difference is between the two, really), as well as, I think, a Da-Lite Theater and Theater Plus model.

I'll forgo the Epson screen, then; many owners have noted how the top rolls up. What an odd defect!

Hi, Dysfunction, Nomad;

What do y'all think of a 72 vs. 85HD shoot-out?

Say, the 72 for $730 versus the 85HD for $750 (I'm sure that price will reappear for Thanksgiving).

I'm concerned about the 72 having only 1200 lumens of output, max, though not sure how bright that is. Just seems to be on the low end of things.

I'm also concerned about how the 85HD might have the "new DVD module chip for enhanced picture quality" that Epson claims is in the 62, which debuted with the 85HD back in September.

Thanks again!

Now that's some conspiratorial mind, uvodee! =)

It makes perfect sense, though it'll probably be another year before a Blu-ray Moviemate debuts. I'd just get a MM72 now but not sure about the lumens, and the possibility that the MM85HD's DVD player may have some kind of enhancement....

Jason: Of course, you're right, though maybe in another *two* years Blu-ray will be "standard!"

Joel: Sorry if I set you on a wild goose chase; I was only wondering whether the 85HD had an "enhanced DVD module chip" because that's what Epson claims for the 62, which debuted alongside the 85HD in September. No real reason for wondering, though; just wondering!

I'm actually worried about the lack of a lens shift on the 85HD -- funny you brought that up -- but am hoping for the best since it's got the improved contrast and much more lumens (as dubious a rating as that often is) to make up for what seems to be an inconvenience more than a deal-breaker (though the point of an all-in-one is convenience, of course).

Say, as a 72 owner, are you able to play .mpeg files off a USB thumb drive? I was poring over the manual, and it doesn't seem to offer that ability, whereas the 85HD does. I "inherited" some movies from a used netbook I'd bought and I realized that it'd be cool to screen 'em off a USB thumb drive instead of hooking up the netbook!

Little things like these two issues are what's making it so hard for me to choose between the 72 and 85HD...though if the 85HD becomes $750 again while the 72 remains at $730, my hand would be forced!