REASONS TO BUY
Good price for an entertainment projector
Has smart features
REASONS TO AVOID
Runs hot
Limited input/out ports
Cumbersome dongle for smart features
Epson EpiqVision Flex CO-FH02 Review
This is a solid entry-level projector for home cinema and entertainment
Credit: Matt Lighthart
By Sentry Kelly ⋅ Senior Review Analyst ⋅ March 22, 2024
Contributions From: Adam Stout
RELATED: The Best Projectors of 2025
Our Verdict
The Epson EpiqVision Flex CO-FH02 makes a great entry-level home cinema-style projector at a fraction of the cost of more advanced models. It features smart features and one of the best contrast ratios we tested, but it has a few drawbacks as well. These include limited input/output options, high input lag for gaming, and a fan that pushes a lot of heat into your room. See how this unit stacks up with the rest of the test group in our review of top performing projectors.
Our Analysis and Test Results
If you're looking for an entry into home cinema-style projectors without draining your bank account, the Epson EpiqVision Flex CO-FH02 is a viable option. It brings smart features and a great contrast ratio at a reasonable price.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Entertainment
After spending some time with it, we feel that the Epson EpiqVision Flex CO-FH02 is aimed at the entry-level home cinema use case. So, it positioned itself pretty well in our testing for entertainment, but it didn't knock it out of the park compared to the premium cinema projectors.
We found its colors to be generally good if not a little washed out compared to the top performers. It has a very good contrast ratio and decent clarity. We appreciated the built-in smart features, like native streaming apps, Android TV, and Chromecast. However, we found it kind of strange that we needed to hook up an included dongle and take up one of the few ports to access those smart features.
The Epson EpiqVision Flex CO-FH02 has good picture quality, especially considering its price vs more expensive home theater options.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Business
Thanks to its portable size and decent brightness, the Epson EpiqVision Flex CO-FH02 also holds its own in the Business metric. There are certainly more business-optimized projectors around, but this one isn't too shabby. It has good edge-to-edge clarity and decent color accuracy on spreadsheets and presentations. We just wish it had more port selection and controls positioned on top of the actual unit instead of just having them on the remote control, which can be lost or left behind ahead of an important presentation. Port selection is limited to 1x HDMI, 1x USB-B, and 1x USB-A.
The lack of onboard controls could be a costly oversight, lest the remote control get lost or left behind.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Contrast Ratio
When it comes to contrast ratio the Epson EpiqVision Flex CO-FH02 scored very well. Although Epson didn't provide a contrast ratio claim, we measured it at 619:20 in our ANSI Contrast Ratio testing, giving the CO-FHO2 one of the highest overall contrast ratio scores of the bunch. Subjective tests back this up. We noted dark blacks and white whites on screen.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Brightness
Epson claims 3,000 lumens for the Epson EpiqVision Flex CO-FH02, and our light meter clocked it at 2,003 lumens in our ANSI Lumens test. We found this projector suitably bright for home cinema and business environments.
We conduct ANSI luminance and ANSI contrast tests with a light meter, and the CO-FH02 does pretty well in both tests.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Setup & Use
Projectors that excel in this area offer handy features such as adjustable legs for uneven surfaces, backlit remotes for easy button finding in the dark, voice command recognition, and decent built-in speakers. We also award points for advanced keystone and focus options, zoom capability, and compatibility with ceiling and tripod mounts.
The Epson EpiqVision Flex CO-FH02 ticks a few boxes here, with auto and manual keystoning, manual focus, screen zoom, an adjustable front post, and a 5-watt speaker. It's missing a lot of the nice-to-haves, like rear leveling legs, a backlit remote, voice commands, and autofocus.
Front leveling leg only for the Epson EpiqVision Flex CO-FH02; there are no rear leg adjustment or mounting options to be had on this simple projector.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Input Lag
There's probably not much concern about input lag on a projector unless you intend to use it for competitive gaming. If you fall into that category, skip the Epson EpiqVision Flex CO-FH02. We measured an average 80 millisecond response time with our video input lag testing device. That probably won't be fast enough to stay competitive online, and there are far faster projectors in our review class.
We appreciate the Epson EpiqVision Flex CO-FH02 for its minimalistic design aesthetic.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Should You Buy the Epson EpiqVision Flex CO-FH02?
If you're looking for an entry-level home cinema projector for entertainment, the Epson EpiqVision Flex CO-FH02 could be the way to go. It has a good picture and a few smart feature options and comes in at a fraction of the cost of some premium units.
Like many projectors that have smart features, the CO-FH02 comes with one remote control for the projector settings and another for the app controls.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
What Other Projector Should You Consider?
If you're willing to spend around double the money on top-notch picture quality outside the entry-level units, look at our Editor's Choice Epson Home Cinema 2350. It far surpasses the Epson EpiqVision Flex CO-FH02 in most areas and still comes in at half the price of the most premium units.
Side-by-Side Comparison
Compare Epson EpiqVision Flex CO-FH02 versus top competing products:
—Sentry Kelly and Adam Stout
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