I love the thing. I've been a fan of projector all-in-ones for a while now, and I think Epson is onto something with the 720p, because it makes both high-def input stuff and upconverted DVDs look better than the 480p alternative. The color is great, and the sound is okay, though I happily connected the optical line out to an old Sony 5.1 receiver I had for the full surround effect.

I had a few small problems when I connected the PS3 to watch a Blu-ray movie. When I sent it in via HDMI then out of the projector to the receiver, all I could get was stereo PCM. But that was easily remedied by bypassing the projector altogether and running the sound directly into the receiver. No lag problems or anything. The other issue was an occasional video hiccup, during a camera pan, it looks like only half of the screen could refresh at one time. I only noticed this issue during Blu-ray, and even then only in certain situations. It's a bit annoying, but not a dealbreaker.

The only other concern would be its size. Epson's first gen was really big, but it's new 480p version, the MovieMate 50, is much more portable (and $400 cheaper). You can't stick the 72 in a tote bag and that's a shame since all-in-one projectors are nothing if not social devices for gaming and movie watching. I know it's a tall order, Epson, and you're doing well so far, but can you make a nice upscaling HD all-in-one that's portable? And while your at it, plays both Blu-ray and HD DVD movies internally? [Epson]

If you haven't already guessed it, the 72 refers to 720p. It's not a full 1080p, but a big step in the right direction, and at $1,199, hard to pass up. When you're projecting an image 100 inches across, it's all too easy to see the screen-door effect of the pixels from a 480p-resolution chip. The jump to 720p triples the number of pixels. With the requisite internal DVD upscaling, the image remains a lot smoother when you project it big. Also, since there's an HDMI input, you'd be able to play games and watch Blu-ray or HD DVD movies at a much improved resolution too.

Usually Charlie is Gizmodo's main man for projector reviews, but this is one that I'm going to have to commandeer for myself when it's up for a test drive.

From the fact sheet:

EPSON MovieMate 50 - On-the-Go Instant Home Cinema
Smallest footprint of all-in-one projectors on the market, 63% smaller than previous generation
Innovative, sleek black design
Portable - convenient built-in handle
Great home cinema sound (5.1 Dolby Digital and DTS)
Cushioned soft case included
$799 (estimated street price)

EPSON MovieMate 72 - Instant High Definition Home Cinema
World's first high-definition combo projector
True HD 720p resolution with HDMI connector
Unique swivel base for more flexible placement; also has wider lens shift and wider zoom
Powerful audio - four 5W speakers
$1,199 (estimated street price)