Epson PowerLite 96W Multimedia Projector

The Epson PowerLite 96W Multimedia Projector ($899 direct) is a classroom projector loaded with bells and whistles, providing a wealth of connectivity choices. Teachers can hook it to a LAN (it has an Ethernet port and supports an optional Wi-Fi module), run presentations off a USB thumb drive, control it and other networked projectors via a Web browser, and more. The 96W?s image quality, for both data and video, was so-so in our testing, but its versatility should make it a welcome addition to many classrooms.

The PowerLite 96W?s light source, based on the 3LCD technology developed by Epson, is rated at 2,700 lumens. The projector provides WXGA (800 by 600 pixel) native resolution, at a 16:10 aspect ratio. It has a similar feature set to the Editors? Choice NEC NP-M260W ($850 street, 4 stars), a WXGA projector rated at 2,600 lumens.

The two-tone (white and gray) PowerLite 96W measures 4.2 by 13.6 by 10.3 inches (HWD), including feet, and weighs 7.2 pounds. It?s large enough that you won?t want to carry it around much, and it lacks a carrying case. It?s best used on a table or cart, or mounted on a ceiling (it has holes to fit a ceiling mount), which Epson sells separately. The projector has manual focus and zoom wheels accessible through an indentation above the lens; I was able to bring the projector to a reasonably sharp focus.

The PowerLite 96W has an abundant selection of ports: two VGA-in (with audio jacks to match) for connecting to computers, a monitor-out VGA port (with an audio-out jack); HDMI-in; 3 RCA plugs for composite video and audio; S-video; a type B USB port for connecting with a PC (USB Plug'n'Play provides easy connectivity with both Macs and Windows PCs); a type A port that fits a USB thumb drive; RS-232; an Ethernet port for LAN connectivity; and a microphone jack.

Still and Video Image Testing

From a distance of about 8 feet away, the PowerLite 96W filled our test screen with an image about 64 inches on a diagonal. The image was bright in a darkened room, and held its own even with a considerable amount of ambient light. The projector should be fine for small to mid-sized classrooms.

In our DisplayMate testing, the PowerLite 96W?s data image quality was adequate for typical classroom presentations, though not without flaws. There was occasional tinting; some bright white areas had a slight yellowish tinge, and grays sometimes looked a bit greenish. White-on-black text appeared slightly fuzzy and red tinted at the two smallest sizes.

Video quality is good enough for showing short clips, but I wouldn?t recommend it for longer clips, let alone for screening movies. I saw some loss of detail in bright areas in our test clips, as well as posterization?abrupt changes in color where they should be gradual. Skin tones sometimes looked a bit pasty, and occasionally I?d see artifacts in the form of a mild hatching, particularly in scenes portraying motion.

The PowerLite 96W?s single 16-watt built-in speaker easily gets the job done, providing sound of reasonably good audio quality loud enough to fill a mid-sized classroom.

A Projector for the Teacher

The Epson PowerLite 96W Multimedia Projector has a wealth of connectivity features befitting a classroom: wired or (optional) WiFi connectivity; an abundance of input choices including an HDMI port; the ability to accept input from more than one PC; a port to run presentations off of a USB thumb drive, and more. The Editors? Choice NEC NP-M260 is similar in price, brightness, and features but is slightly lighter, comes with a soft carrying case, and has better image quality for both data and video. The Editors? Choice Optoma TW675UTi-3D ($1,800 street, 4 stars) or the Epson Brightlink 450wi ($2,200, 4 stars) are pricier, but they?re geared to letting you create interactive presentations. As is, the 96W is a versatile and solid choice as a projector useful in a variety of classroom situations.

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