Review Epson Powerlite 1776W projector Part2

First impressions: What I Like

At this point, I want to mention the one feature I find most appealing :

The ability to Project Wirelessly.

This is the USB adapter you can pass around to others with laptops should you want them to present on the 1776W. It sure makes it easier than swapping VGA cables. The downside is every computer that you want to connect this way needs to be installed with a piece of software. I’ll have to run some real world tests to see how well this works

In simple terms, when you install the Wireless LAN module in its slot on the front, the projector uses WiFi frequency and technology to allow computers to send images for it to project.

This is the GUI of Epson’s software to enable connecting Wirelessly.

Connecting  wirelessly to the projector means my MacBook Pro can’t be connected to the internet via WiFi at the same time.

The workaround would be to run an ethernet cable to my MacBook Pro.

I don’t find this too inconvenient for now but I will know better with actual use.

For me, not having to tether my MacBookPro to the Powerlite 1776W means I can now leave the  projector  stationary and in front of the screen.

My MacBook Pro which is usually on a mobile cart  is already tethered via USB cable to my DSLRs during demonstrations,  so I will be free to move around, as long as I have good battery life on my laptop.

With the very portable Epson Duet 80″ screen which is quick to set up, I hope to save a lot of time setting up and putting everything away when I teach.

Epson apparently has an App called iProjection for allowing your mobile devices like your iPad or iPhone to connect to the Powerlite 1776W but from the feedback on their  iProjection App’s page, it appears to be a dud.

In the coming weeks I’ll have a chance to put this projector and screen combo through its paces when I teach at Riverside Art Museum, so I’ll update this review accordingly.

 Automatic Keystone Correction

Photographers as a group are generally unforgiving of something as basic as the shape of their canvass.

Automatic keystone correction greatly alleviates my stress level when I have a roomful of people, drumming their fingers waiting for me to fix the trapezoid projected into a nice right angled rectangle.

I don’t need to worry about crooked horizons and uneven legs on the projector.

Yet to try out is the feature Fit Screen.

Color Fidelity

Out of the box, without any tweaking, the colors seem true to what I see on my MacBook Pro screen.

So are all the other  important qualities: brightness, color saturation and blacks.

For comparison, I loaded a some pictures on a flashdrive and inserted it into the USB Type-A port and projected directly bypassing the computer, I got excellent results as well.

This is going to be a big time saver especially during critiques when I ask students to present their work.

Previously I had to first download everyone’s pictures  on to the hard drive.

I’m hoping by using my own projector screen, I’ll at least have more control  In most locations, the projector has to sit on a table and sometimes it can mean I have to raise the front of the projector upwards.

These features are very useful for the mobile presenter like me who doesn’t always schlep my own projection screen.

Fan Noise

The negative comments I read about the noise level didn’t dissuade me from making this purchase.

I will probably run it in ECO mode because most rooms will be dark enough.

If I come across a bright room, I will change it to the standard mode.

ECO mode uses less energy resulting in a slightly darker image  so the fan doesn’t have to work as hard to keep the projector cool.

Peter Phun Photography

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