LIVEdigitally - EHX Fall 2004: Epson

I'll be writing a lot in the coming weeks on digital camera and printing solutions, as I am still searching for the best answer to the question of "What's the right way to print digital photos?" (if you want to share your suggestions, email us at printphotos@livedigitally.com).

In the meanwhile, I liked seeing Epson's approach. If you haven't followed them much recently, it might surprise you to know the company has introduced some very impressive TVs and projectors, all complementing the company's traditional printing business. Well, at EHX, they showed off how those two worlds collide with their Livingstation technology.

Livingstation basically embeds a good quality photo printer into a set-top box or a high-definition TV set. The system includes all standard printer components, including replaceable ink and paper, and uses the TV set for the graphical user interface. Also included are card readers for many popular formats, specifically including SD, CompactFlash, and Memory Stick (the other formats really don't matter - or won't in the future at least).

Basically, you put in your memory card, and the TV screen gives you a simple photo album interface from which you can view, copy, edit, and delete your photos. The interface is good enough, better than you might expect from a traditional company like Epson, and I was easily able to browse through photos. In an attempt to really put the system to a test, I pulled out my own SD card with photos from the show floor - worked fine. Next I tried copying some photos from my laptop onto a Memory Stick to view at the TV, and found the only minor flaw in the system - if you don't put the photos in the right directory, the Livingstation does not recognize them. Then again, since this is the same logic all digital cameras use, I can't really fault them too much, although it would be nice to see a simple file folder browser in addition to their intuitive album interface.

We ran into just one minor error, when the unit we tried to use ran out of ink AND paper in two consecutive tries, but the system handled the situation quite well, and informed us right away about the problem. Once reloaded, I selected one of my own photos, in this case a very high resolution image a professional photographer took (from my wedding no less), despite the warnings from Epson that the system was really designed to print photos between 2 and 5 megapixel (mine went to 11). The photo quality is incredible, and is now framed and in my home.

Well done, Epson!

I don't know if this is the right paradigm for everyone, but if you are in the market for a new HDTV set, you should check the Livingstation model out. If the TV quality is in the range of what you are looking for (and it will be), I would not hesitate before bringing a unit like this into my home. Check back later for the LIVEdigitally rundown on the economics of digital photo printing, and we'll see how well the system meets our needs from a financial perspective.

Pictures of the products (click on the image for a full-screen view):
Livingstation set-top box:

Livingstation TV:

Oops!

High-quality official image:

NEXT... Pelham Sloane (all-in-one PC/LCDs)