Epson CO-FH02 : Big screen streaming on a budget

Connectivity is limited and sound is weak, but this is an elegant way to get your favourite streaming services up there on a bigger screen.

Vibrant, bright images; Easy to set up and use; Streaming stick that’s actually worth using;

Sound lacks power; Limited features and connectivity;

Epson EpiqVision Flex CO-FH02 Full HD 1080p Smart Portable Projector Review

The Epson EpiqVision Flex CO-FH02 Full HD 1080p Smart Portable Projector is a 1080p cousin of the WXGA (1,280-by-800-pixel) EpiqVision Flex CO-W01 we recently reviewed. The "Flex" in both names is Epson's way of saying that these are crossover models, designed to be equally suitable for home, office, or education use. In addition to its higher resolution and somewhat better speaker—and a $200 higher list price, at $629.99—the CO-FH02 adds smart TV features, courtesy of an Epson Android TV 10 dongle. What's so smart is that it has only one HDMI port, which means that if you plug in the dongle and its power cable, you can't switch to another HDMI video source without removing the dongle first. This flaw holds back this otherwise-capable crossover projector.Skipping the 'Smart' Part May Be Smarter The CO-FH02 is built around three LCD chips—one for each primary color—paired with a traditional lamp. Three chips guarantee that you won't see the rainbow artifacts that any single-chip D...

The Epson CO-FH02 DLP projector is suitable for schools, homes, or offices, but a limited port selection with awkward access hampers its smart TV features.

Bright enough for a midsize room with ambient light; Good color accuracy; Native 1080p resolution; Three-LCD-chip design guarantees no rainbow artifacts; Includes Android TV dongle for streaming

Only one HDMI port, which the Android TV dongle occupies; No optical zoom; No 3D support; No support for 4K or HDR input; No audio output port