Optoma EP761

If you were to assemble the ideal business projector you'd want a few key strengths, and a powerful and bright lamp would certainly be one of them. Optoma's EP761 meets that criterion, with a 220W lamp producing an impressive 3,200-lumen image that will be visible in even the most inconvenient lighting conditions.

Its DLP chip and six-segment colour wheel produced the most accurate colours of all this month, with greens and reds reproduced with none of the NEC's dirtiness or the over-saturation of the TFT models. White screens were bright and even, while the black level was among the best of the group, and the level of detail in our test images and video clips was generally excellent.

The only weaknesses we could find were the lack of auto-keystone correction, which isn't helped by the confusing button layout on the remote, and the slightly disappointing 51in image size at 2m - this isn't the best projector for small meeting rooms.

Design-wise, the EP761 is a glossy black and stylish, if slightly boxy, affair with an attractive circular control panel. At 2.9kg, it's lighter than all but the three portable models in the group, and has an internal 2W speaker that's quite loud but lacks a little bass.

So it's decent without really standing out for features, but far better is the Optoma's ongoing cost to run. You'll pay a little more at the checkout for the brightness, as with the BenQ, but the difference after that is notable: lamps last 3,000hrs and cost just £119 to replace, which makes the EP761 one of the cheapest in the long-run.

Add in a few more strengths, such as the nine-second power-down time, the six-month lamp warranty (the minimum we'd expect), and an operating noise level that's audible but not overly so, and you have a fine all-round business projector. Others may outdo it for connections and extras, but with its strong image quality and low long-term running cost, it deservedly takes home the Labs Winner award this month.

Author: David Bayon