If you’re making presentations on the road and want the impact of a big screen, schlepping a bulky, heavy projector is no longer required.
Epson sent me their EX71 Multimedia Projector recently to use for a video presentation at a museum. Not only did it project a bright, colorful, bigger-than-life picture, the setup was quick and easy. It helped make the show a big hit.
The rehearsal for the presentation took a lot less time than I expected because the setup was so easy. The height, focus and zoom are simple to adjust and the “Instant Off/On” feature means there’s no waiting for the bulb to warm up or cool down.
For show time, the video was sharp and bright. Epson uses a triple LCD, three-chip technology and the projector is rated at 2500 lumens. The bulb should last a long time—up to 5,000 hours.
Travelers will appreciate the size of the EX71. It’s just under 12″ long, 9″ inches wide and 3″ tall. It weighs in at just over five pounds and comes with a soft carrying case. It will easily fit under the seat or in an overhead bin on an airplane with room to spare.
The native WXGA resolution is 1280 x 800 for sharp pictures and the projector does a good job of handling all the different aspect ratios out there now, such as 16:10 or 16:9 widescreen and traditional 4:3. An HDMI cable allows one-cable hookup to a high-definition source.
There’s a USB port that will hook directly to a laptop for the ultimate in easy setup. Some other projectors offer only control and do not transfer the picture over a USB cable. But with the EX71, what you see on your computer monitor is exactly what is projected.
The throw distance means you won’t need a huge auditorium for a big picture. For a picture larger than 26 feet, the projector only needs about 35 feet of distance from the screen. A distance of three feet makes a 33″ picture.
The projector can also be used to play a slideshow directly from a USB thumb drive. In an ideal world, the one additional feature I’d like to see is the ability to also play videos from a thumb drive or portable hard drive.
The list price for the Epson EX71 Multimedia Projector is $749.99. It’s available direct from Epson or at Best Buy and other retailers, but is currently on back order at Amazon.
Check Epson Ex71 prices across the web for other retailers.
Projectors come in all sizes these days—some will fit in your pocket or attach to a cell phone. The Epson EX71, while not the smallest in the pack, boasts a full set of features and does an excellent job balancing picture quality and portability.
