EH-LS800B

The LS800B is Epson's premium UST laser projector and the unit they built when they realised USTs needed more brightness, not just more pixels. 4,000 lumens, 4K UHD via 3LCD pixel-shift, sub-25cm throw distance for a 100" image, and a colour engine tuned closer to TV-reference than projector-reference.

The brightness is the headline. Most USTs run at 2,000-2,500 lumens and visibly compromise black level when ambient light is present. The LS800B's 4,000 lumens means you can use it in a normal living room with curtains open during the day and still get a watchable image — closer to a 100" TV experience than a traditional projector experience.

Image quality is excellent for a UST. Pixel-shift 4K is sharp at normal viewing distances; HDR handling via Epson's HDR10+ implementation is restrained and accurate; colour accuracy out of the box is calibrator-quality. The built-in Yamaha 2.1 audio system is genuinely usable — not a substitute for a proper Atmos setup, but better than the speakers on most TVs.

Trade-offs: USTs are still USTs. Black level when the room is fully dark isn't competitive with a long-throw Sony XW5000ES at the same price. And UST geometry demands a perfectly flat screen surface — wall projection looks compromised.

For a 100-inch 'TV replacement' in a living room, this is the most credible buy at £6.5k.