Epson EH-TW9400 3LCD 4K Enhancement Projector

The EH-TW9400 was Epson’s flagship lamp-based home cinema projector, positioned above the EH-TW9300 it replaced and representing the performance ceiling of Epson’s home cinema lamp range before the company’s transition to the laser-powered EH-LS series. It was awarded 5 stars by What Hi-Fi? Built around three 0.74-inch Full HD 3LCD panels incorporating Micro Lens Array (MLA) technology from Epson’s D9 panel generation, it pairs 4K PRO-UHD Enhancement processing with a fully motorised optical system and HDCP 2.2-capable HDMI inputs. A white finish variant, the EH-TW9400W, is also available.

4K PRO-UHD Enhancement and 3LCD

Rather than using native 4K imaging chips, the EH-TW9400 produces its 4K-class image through Epson’s 4K Enhancement pixel-shifting process. During each refresh cycle, the projected image is shifted diagonally to effectively double the resolved pixel density on screen, yielding a 3,840 × 2,160 output from the Full HD LCD panels. The three-chip 3LCD architecture assigns a dedicated LCD panel to each primary colour. Ten-bit colour video processing supports up to 1.07 billion colours, and the engine covers the DCI colour gamut with Epson’s Cinema Filter and Super White processing included.

ISF (Imaging Science Foundation) certification is included for professional calibration to reference standards. Five picture modes are available for 2D content: Dynamic, Natural, Cinema, Digital Cinema, and Bright Cinema.

Optics and Lens

The motorised lens covers a 2.1× zoom range with a throw ratio of 1.35–2.84:1, a focal length of 22.5–46.7mm, and an aperture of F/2–3. Zoom, focus, and lens shift are all motorised, allowing precise remote-controlled positioning after the projector is installed. Ten lens position presets can be stored and recalled — useful for switching between different aspect ratio configurations or screens. Lens shift extends to ±96.3% vertically and ±47.1% horizontally. A 100-inch screen requires a throw distance of 3.0–6.3m; the supported screen size range is 50 to 300 inches. Manual vertical keystone correction of ±30° is also available.

HDR, Contrast, and Processing

HDR10 and HLG (Hybrid Log Gamma) signals are accepted natively. The dynamic contrast ratio is rated at 1,200,000:1. Frame interpolation is supported, and the 2D vertical refresh rate runs from 192 to 240Hz; in 3D mode this extends to 400–480Hz. Active 3D is supported in side-by-side and top-and-bottom formats, with 3D depth adjustment available.

Compared with the preceding EH-TW9300, the TW9400 raises colour and white brightness from 2,500 to 2,600 lumens and increases the dynamic contrast specification from 1,000,000:1 to 1,200,000:1.

Connectivity

Two full-size HDMI inputs both carry HDCP 2.2 content protection, supporting 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray and 4K streaming sources. The rear panel also includes a dedicated powered HDMI port (Opt. HDMI, 300mA) that supplies power directly to an active optical HDMI cable without requiring a separate power adaptor. Additional connections include a VGA input, a USB 2.0 Type-A port, a USB 2.0 Type-B service port, a 100 Base-TX / 10 Base-T Ethernet interface, an RS-232C serial port, and a trigger output. Optional wireless LAN is available via an add-on adapter, enabling Epson iProjection in Ad-Hoc and Infrastructure modes.

The EH-TW9400 is compatible with AMX, Crestron, and Control4 control systems.

Lamp, Noise, and Running Costs

A 250W UHE lamp provides the light source, rated for 3,500 hours in normal mode and up to 5,000 hours in economy mode. The lamp carries its own 36-month or 3,000-hour warranty. Normal operating noise is 31 dB(A), dropping to 20 dB(A) in economy mode. Power consumption is 314W in normal operation, 355W at peak, and 271W in economy mode, with a 0.35W energy-saving standby draw. The successor model in Epson’s home cinema range is the laser-powered EH-LS9000B.