As part of my 2013 bucket list, decorating our new house has consumed our free-time and weekends. We want to create a space that is unique while still being practical and modern. It can be overwhelming at times but it’s an amazing opportunity for Darren, Athena, and I to make it our own. The loft, where we spend a substantial amount of our time, is one of the most important rooms in the house. We enjoy watching movies together, eating popcorn, and playing games. The versatile 3LCD Home Cinema 500 was at the top of our list to make the room complete. Hosting a neighborhood movie night, gearing up for the big game, and playing videos games are all a treat with our home cinema. For once, quality doesn’t come with a high price tag. The Home Cinema 500 is affordable, user-friendly, and convenient. If I’m not traveling, you can find me enjoying my new home theater system.  

I wanted to have the Home Cinema 500 set up as a surprise when Darren got home from work, but I’m extremely technology challenged. I once couldn’t watch tv for an entire weekend because Darren was away on business and I couldn’t figure out how to turn it on.

I pulled the Home Cinema 500 out of the box and started plugging in cables. I was pleasantly surprised to see that batteries came with the remote; that was the first crisis diverted since I have no idea where to find batteries in our house. Once I plugged in the power cord, I realized I needed a HDMI cable. Luckily, I knew that we had one in Darren’s office that wasn’t being used. There was only one spot for each cable so it wasn’t confusing.

With a room full of blank walls, it wasn’t difficult to find a spot to setup the Home Cinema 500. Thankfully, I didn’t need to prep the room first. With bright and colorful display with up to 2,600 lumens of color brightness and 2,600 lumens of white brightness, the cinema works in both light and dark rooms. The Home Cinema 500 uses 3LCD, 3-chip technology for brilliant images with true-to-life color. I didn’t need to have a screen or pre-paint the wall to start using the system and mounting it to the ceiling wasn’t a necessity.

Positioning it squarely in front of the center of the wall wasn’t easy, though, because I didn’t have an appropriate table to put it on and I didn’t want to run cables across the floor. I placed a sofa table behind the sofa and ran the cable along the wall, placing it under the carpet. The only problem with that location is that if too many people are sitting on the sofa, the projection is blocked. It’s a temporary fix, but a more permanent situation is required.

The built-in image adjustment tools were greatly appreciated and it was simple to adjust the picture on the wall. When I first turned it on, the image was on the ceiling but I just adjusted the legs and was easily able to center it on the wall.

The only thing I wasn’t sure how to do was to adjust the shape of the image. When I first displayed it on the wall, it appeared distorted. I had to consult the user’s manual and adjusting the keystone was the fix.

The built-in speaker delivers sound without connecting additional speakers, although that’s an option as well. I’ll eventually get a full speaker system, but it’s wonderful that we don’t need it immediately. One step at a time.

Now, I can watch movies, games, and television shows on the home cinema and if I want to move it to a different location once I get more settled, it won’t be a hassle.

When Darren got home, he was totally impressed with my thoughtful gesture and equally impressed with the quality of the 3LCD Home Cinema 500. We don’t see a reason to ever buy another television. Projectors are the way to go.

*I received the Home Cinema 500 from Epson; however, as you probably know by now, all opinions & thoughts are my own.*