Since I moved into my charming little “Hobbit-style” cottage, I’ve struggled with a simple question: where on earth do I put a TV? But lately, that question has shifted to something bigger: do I even want a TV anymore? It might sound crazy to some, but after living without one for the past few months, I’ve realized this: at least when it comes to interior design, I don’t want a huge, black glass rectangle taking over any of my cozy, irregularly shaped rooms. Sure, even the nicest Frame TVs claim to blend in, but let’s be real—they still don’t feel like they belong in a space with old-world charm.
Then Epson came along with what might just be the solution. I’ve been curious about projectors for a while, but the bulky sizes and sky-high prices of most models always made them a non-option. Portable projectors, meanwhile, are cheaper—but let’s not kid ourselves, their picture quality is usually fuzzy, and they’re way too dim. That all changed, though, when I tested Epson’s new LifeStudio Plus projector (which is out now). After a few weeks with it, I’ve basically become a projector evangelist.
This sleek portable device comes with built-in Google TV and Google Assistant, so you get every streaming service you could want right out of the box—no extra gear needed. The sound is another standout: Epson partnered with Bose to include Dolby Audio, and it shows. Whether I’m watching a movie or a show, the audio feels rich and immersive, not tinny like some portable tech.
I can’t talk about the LifeStudio Plus without gushing about its design. I’m a total fan of tech that doesn’t look like tech, and this projector nails that. It’s a cube-shaped device with a wooden exterior, making it way more stylish than any projector has a right to be. When I set it up in my cottage, it fit right in—no small feat for a piece of 21st-century gear in a space that feels like it’s from a different era. The swivel-and-tilt stand is super sturdy, too, so I can put it on just about any surface: a table, a shelf, even the floor.
I’d blocked off time to set the projector up, fully expecting a headache—between my uneven walls and half-finished paint jobs, I thought I’d be fighting with positioning and image size all afternoon. So I was shocked when I tried the auto-alignment and auto-focus features. Every time I moved the projector, it adjusted the image to fit my wall almost instantly. No fumbling with settings, no squinting to get it right—it just worked.
As for the picture itself? Most of the time, it blew me away. With 1,000 lumens of brightness and 4K resolution, the image feels totally cinematic. I rewatched a few James Bond movies—ones I know so well, I could quote them line for line—and kept noticing little details I’d never seen before. Like, did you catch that extra’s mustache in the background? It’s the kind of detail that makes you feel like you’re watching the movie for the first time.
That said, if I’m being honest, it’s not a perfect TV replacement. Since it’s a portable projector, the LifeStudio Plus struggles with brightness during the day. Even with the curtains drawn, darker scenes look washed out—you’ll want to save your movie nights for evening. It’s also super sensitive to movement: every time my wife walked through the room, or my cat wandered by, I’d get an “objects detected” message that paused whatever I was watching. Annoying? Yeah, a little. But for the quality it offers the rest of the time? I’m willing to overlook it.
