Can a Projector Really Replace Your TV? The Epson EH-LS800B Might Just Convince You.

For the longest time, I couldn’t quite picture a projector taking over as my main TV. I’ve always been a bit of a display enthusiast – especially when it comes to OLEDs. That incredible contrast, those truly deep blacks… it’s a high bar. Projectors, at least in my mind, always seemed to come with a list of “ifs” and “buts”: they needed a super dark room, plenty of space to throw the image, and even then, only the really high-end, expensive ones came close to matching the vibrant punch of a good TV.

But that whole perspective shifted pretty dramatically after a visit to Epson’s HQ. I got an up-close look at the Epson EpiqVision Ultra EH-LS800B – which they proudly bill as the World’s Shortest Throw Projector. And honestly? It made me rethink what’s possible in a living room setup.

 

First Impressions: Is That a TV, or…?

Stepping into their demo room, I was expecting the usual projector scene: dim lighting, maybe a unit humming away on the ceiling. Instead, I was greeted by a surprisingly crisp and bright image on a screen, and the room itself was comfortably lit – not dark at all. Right beneath the screen sat what looked like a sleek, premium soundbar. No bulky projector in the middle of the room, no long throw distance needed. When the Epson representative pointed out that this was, in fact, the EH-LS800B projector, I had a genuine “Wait, seriously?” moment. If they hadn’t said a word, I would have bet money I was looking at a new, very slim TV.

That TV-like illusion is certainly enhanced when it’s paired with an Ambient Light Rejecting (ALR) screen, especially one with a very thin frame. With such a screen, the whole setup can genuinely look and feel like an ultra-slim TV with super-thin bezels. While you can definitely still project onto a plain white wall or a standard projector screen, an ALR screen is specifically engineered to combat other light sources in your room and really focus the projector’s light towards you. This is what helps achieve that much more vibrant, TV-like picture, even in everyday living room lighting.

 

Setup & Design: The Ultra-Short-Throw Advantage

The EH-LS800B doesn’t just have clever tech inside; it looks the part too. Its clean, minimalist design, available in black or white, fits nicely into most modern home aesthetics. But the real showstopper here is its ultra-short-throw capability. This projector can throw a massive 120-inch image from just 17.3cm away from the screen. Even if you place it almost flush with the screen, you’ll still get an impressive 85-inch display.

This is a huge plus for anyone in tighter living spaces – think condos, apartments, or just anyone who doesn’t want the fuss of ceiling mounts or running cables across the room. You can simply place it on your existing TV console, and you’re pretty much good to go.

Sure, at 12.3kg, it’s not featherlight, but it’s still remarkably manageable. You could quite easily move it to a different room, or even pack it up for a family getaway, a glamping trip, or a villa stayover – imagine football nights, big-screen gaming, or outdoor movies with that kind of flexibility. When you compare that to the sheer hassle of trying to move, let alone install, a 100-inch TV (good luck with narrow hallways or condo lifts!), the EH-LS800B is a far more practical solution for a giant screen.

Ultra-sharp 4K detail from the EH-LS800B—crisp even with the lights on.

Picture Quality: Bright, Bold, and Impressively Smooth

Under the hood, the EH-LS800B combines Epson’s 3LCD technology with a laser light source. This pairing pumps out a very bright 4,000 lumens of both color and white brightness. This translates to the projector holding its own remarkably well even in daylight or under normal room lighting, delivering consistently vibrant and detailed visuals.

It uses three 1080p LCD chips and some clever pixel-shifting wizardry to achieve its 4K PRO-UHD resolution – effectively putting a full 3840×2160 image on your screen. The result is a picture with impressive clarity and colors that really pop. A key benefit of the 3LCD engine is that it completely eliminates the “rainbow effect” – those distracting color flashes that can sometimes be visible on projectors using single-chip DLP technology. This makes for a more comfortable and natural viewing experience for everyone.

Plus, that laser light source is built to last – a rated 20,000 hours, to be precise. If you were to watch it for 5 hours every single day, that’s more than 10 years of movie nights, game days, and binge-watching before you’d even need to think about the light source dimming. If you average 3 hours a day, you’re looking at closer to 20 years! That’s a lot of entertainment without worrying about bulb replacements. Lasers also enable a very high dynamic contrast ratio, which Epson states is over 2,500,000:1. In real-world viewing, this means the EH-LS800B can produce impressively deep blacks and bright highlights. While perhaps not reaching the absolute black levels of a high-end OLED in a perfectly dark room, the contrast is certainly deeper than conventional LCD panels and even better than many QLED TVs, especially when the room is dimmer. The visuals truly have a satisfying depth.

Getting the image just right is also designed to be quite user-friendly. It’s easy to set up using the Epson Setting Assistant app on your smartphone; you can use your phone’s camera to help the projector automatically detect the screen and correct for any geometric distortion. For more hands-on control, you can also manually fine-tune the image geometry using an 8-point screen adjustment feature. This gives you precise control at multiple points around the image to get a perfectly rectangular picture, which is often much more intuitive and effective than wrestling with traditional horizontal and vertical keystone controls that can sometimes degrade image quality.

With the 8-point screen adjustment, getting your image perfectly aligned is incredibly easy. It’s so satisfying to see those lines align perfectly straight to the ALR screen frame, especially for someone who is OCD! Lol..

 

Sound and Gaming: A Surprisingly Capable All-Rounder

Audio on the EH-LS800B isn’t just an afterthought. It features a Yamaha-tuned 2.1 channel sound system that delivers 20W of sound. Dialogue comes through clearly, and there’s a decent amount of punch in the bass. For casual viewing, it’s often more than enough. However, if you’re aiming for that true cinematic boom and a more immersive audio experience, you can still easily plug in your dedicated surround sound system via HDMI ARC.

Gaming is where the EH-LS800B really shines. It supports 120Hz refresh rates and boasts what is often considered best-in-class input lag for a projector – typically hovering around 11-20 milliseconds. This makes for an incredibly smooth, sharp, and responsive big-screen gaming experience, especially with modern consoles like the PS5 or Xbox Series X. Imagine your favorite fast-paced games unfolding on a massive 100-inch or larger screen with virtually no perceptible delay – it’s a truly immersive and winning combination for next-gen console players and even PC gamers looking for a huge display. The sheer scale and responsiveness can make your gaming sessions feel incredibly dynamic.

And since it runs Android TV™, the EH-LS800B functions much like a smart TV. You’ve got a familiar, user-friendly interface with built-in access to a wide array of your usual streaming apps directly from the Google Play Store – think YouTube, Disney+, Prime Video, and many others. This means for most of your entertainment needs, you won’t need to plug in an external streaming stick, keeping your setup clean and simple. Plus, with Google Assistant voice control and Chromecast functionality baked right in, finding content or casting from your phone or tablet is super convenient and intuitive.

Everyday Use: More Than Just Your Movie Night Projector

This isn’t just a gadget for a dedicated home theater. The EH-LS800B is designed to adapt to real-life use cases quite beautifully:

• Sports Gatherings: Imagine watching the big game with friends on a massive, vibrant screen. No need to turn your living room into a cave; the brightness handles ambient light well.
• Family Fun: Whether it’s cartoons for the kids in the afternoon, streaming a series during dinner, or a full-blown family movie marathon, it fits the bill perfectly.
• Enhanced Eye Comfort: A subtle but significant benefit of projector light is that it’s reflected off the screen, rather than emitted directly at your eyes like a TV. Many find this softer, indirect light less fatiguing, especially during longer viewing sessions.
• A Bit More “Kid-Proof”: Let’s be practical – in a home with active children, a projector and screen combo is generally less prone to accidental damage (think flying toys or sticky fingers) than a massive, expensive flat-panel display.
• Office, Events, or Even Restaurants: Its bright image, easy setup, and large projection size mean the EH-LS800B could also be a great fit for certain business applications. Think impactful presentations in an office, engaging displays at events, creating a unique ambiance in a restaurant or café, or even for educational purposes in a modern classroom setting.

It also tends to run cooler, thanks to that laser engine, and includes a thoughtful safety motion sensor that will shut off or dim the beam if someone gets too close to the lens. Fan noise, while noticeable in the very brightest mode, tends to fade into the background quickly once your movie or game audio is playing.

The Epson EH-LS800B features a safety sensor that automatically turns off the projection when someone is too close. This is a very good safety feature, especially if you have kids at home.

 

So, Is It Worth the Investment?

With a retail price around RM 16,699 in Malaysia (for the projector unit itself), the EH-LS800B is certainly an investment. But it’s important to put that price into context. A 100-inch TV will easily set you back at least RM 15,000 for a more basic model, and significantly more for a premium one. If you add the cost of a good ALR screen to the EH-LS800B, your total investment might still come in less than an equivalently sized high-end TV – and you get far more flexibility in terms of setup and screen size.

So, who should seriously consider the Epson EH-LS800B? I’d say it’s for anyone whose current 55- or 65-inch TV just isn’t cutting it anymore, and who is craving a much bigger, more immersive, and more dynamic viewing experience. If you want practicality for everyday use coupled with that wow-factor for movies and games, this projector deserves a very close look.

Projectors have come an incredibly long way, and the EH-LS800B is a prime example that they’re no longer just for dark, dedicated home theater caves. This is a projector built for the modern living room – it’s smart, it’s exceptionally bright, and it’s designed for everyday life.

Key Specs Summary:

• Display Technology: 3LCD (3-chip) with 4K PRO-UHD pixel-shift (uses 3 native 1080p panels to create a 4K-like image)
• Light Source: Laser diode + phosphor, with a rated lifespan of 20,000 hours
• Brightness: 4,000 lumens (Color & White, ISO)
• Dynamic Contrast: Up to 2,500,000:1 (with dynamic dimming)
• Throw Ratio / Image: Approximately 0.16–0.17:1 (can project a 100-inch image from about 0.3 meters away, or a 120-inch image from about 0.5 meters away; maximum image size up to 150 inches diagonal)
• Audio: 2.1 channel Yamaha speakers (2x5W + 10W subwoofer, 20W total audio output), with Dolby Audio support; features Bluetooth output and ARC/eARC support on HDMI
• Dimensions: Approximately 341 x 695 x 145 mm
• Weight: Approximately 12.3 kg (27.1 lbs)