5. The Epson Moviemate 50

By Don Woligroski

A friend of mine (who, like myself, happens to be a dad as well) was recently telling me what a great deal he got on his recent purchase of a flat screen 60" television, after only spending a few thousand dollars on his setup. Later, when he saw the great image thrown by my projection system on a 100" screen, he was clearly impressed. When I told him the whole setup cost about $1000, screen included, the look on his face was unmistakable: “I could have had one of those!?”

Let’s face it: when it comes to watching movies and playing videogames, male hubris dictates that bigger is better. When it comes to screen size, it just doesn’t get any bigger than a digital projector, and it’s hard not to be impressed after watching a movie on the big screen right in your living room. The funny part is that people assume big-screen digital projectors are expensive, when in reality they are often much cheaper than a plasma or LCD television.

Of course, some folks are intimidated by the perceived complexity associated with a projector system. For these folks, Epson has made the Moviemate series of projectors. Just plug them into an electrical outlet, point them at a white wall and you’re good to go. There are no cables to hook up as the Moviemate includes an integrated DVD home theater system, complete with a progressive scan DVD/CD player and dual Dolby 5.1 digital DTS 8W stereo speakers.

On the downside, Epson’s Moviemate 50 has a relatively low resolution of 480p, and projectors will give the best performance in a dark room. Of course, the buyer can always opt for the more expensive Moviemate 72 with a high-definition 720p resolution, and it’s not all that difficult to control the light in your theater room if you’re serious about watching a super huge display.

What does it cost to have a projector capable of playing a 120-inch image, including DVD player and sound system? Epson’s Moviemate 50 has an affordable MSRP of $700! For a fraction of the price of a 42" LCD or plasma screen, dads and grads can watch movies and play games in style.