Like Epson's bigger and heavier pixel-shifting, 4K-capable models, the Epson Home Cinema 3800 delivers a gorgeous image for 1080p SDR and 4K UHD content along with conveniences like a much larger horizontal and vertical lens shift than typical for the price.

I think it’s pretty obvious that Epson’s Home Cinema 3800 impressed me. In particular, the balance this projector strikes between contrast, light output, on-screen resolution, and color performance give it a substantial leg up on most of its competitors. I'm actually a little jealous of the people looking to get into the home theater hobby this year. It's the kind of projector I wish were available 15 years ago when I first got into this hobby. If the HC3800 fits into your budget, place it on your short list of projectors to consider. I think you'll be impressed with what you see.

I have enjoyed every Epson projector I’ve reviewed and that has been a lot over the past eight years. The Home Cinema 3800 continues that company’s tradition of image accuracy and quality along with cutting edge technology and a bright picture, all at a great price. For just $1699, the 3800 delivers quality optics, more than enough light for any theater or media room and excellent contrast. Its Natural mode promises accurate color with no real need for calibration. And the menu system offers something for enthusiasts to sink their teeth into.

When you judge a projector you have to relate everything to the price it is being sold. With 4K pixel shifting projectors nowadays competition is very fierce as there are so many models in the sub-$2,000 category that manage to offer very respectable performance that is becoming increasingly difficult to set apart which is better and which is not. Epson’s offerings including the Home Cinema 3800 we reviewed here today along with the cheaper Home Cinema 3200 have some very nice specs to be honest and the 3800 did manage to impress us in certain areas.

Epson's latest 3LCD projector goes easy on the wallet while delivering performance and features typically found in more expensive models.

If you're looking for a projector with more advanced color performance, then you should consider Epson's more expensive Home Cinema 4010 projector. This model currently sells for $1,999.99, and it includes wide color capabilities which should provide more of an improvement when watching HDR videos. The Home Cinema 4010 isn't as bright as the Home Cinema 3800, however, and it doesn't include integrated speakers or 60Hz support for HDR playback.

Native 4K it isn’t, but with bright, contrasty and colorful images – as well as built-in speakers and Bluetooth streaming audio – the Epson Home Cinema 3800 / EH-TW7100 will suit most living rooms.

Designed to serve as the company's new entry-level 4K HDR capable projector model, the Epson Home Cinema 3800 utilizes 3LCD technology with up to 3,000 lumens of brightness, full 10-bit HDR processing, Active 3D 1080p support, and integrated speakers. But while the device can get impressively bright for a model in this price range, the unit does not include support for the P3 wide color gamut, limiting some of the benefits derived from HDR content. Based on our demo time, the projector offers solid performance for its class, but some users might prefer to sacrifice a few lumens and pay just a bit more for the Home Cinema 4010 model with wide color.