Epson comes out with lighter, slimmer 3LCD projectors

MANILA, Philippines—Slim, lightweight devices that can be easily tucked inside a bag and carried anywhere are what customers seek out when shopping for a high-lumens projector.

Epson has come to satisfy that demand by launching what it claims to be the world’s slimmest and lightest 3LCD projectors.

Almost the size of an A4 sheet of paper, the new Epson EB-1700 Series projectors weigh only about 1.7kg and feature a slim chassis.

The projector, tailored to suit the needs of businessmen and educators, is about 44 mm tall—the height of a 2AA battery. It can easily fit inside a laptop bag, leaving room for more.

The devices feature Epson’s proprietary 3LCD technology, which allows the projectors to deliver brightness of up to 3,000 lumens White and Color Light Output (CLO).

The technology also allows it to project bright images and vibrant colors even in brightly lit rooms.

The compact Epson projectors are also short throw projectors. This means that they can project stunning 60-inch images from a distance of just over a meter.

According to Epson Philippines officials, the new projectors are the company’s response to the growing demand for portable devices to fit the lifestyle of people who are always on the go.

In addition to being light and portable, the Epson EB-1700 Series projectors are also Wi-Fi capable. The devices also have other key features such as quick startup and instant shut down, automatic keystone correction, and one-button screen fit.

One good feature is the USB plug-and-play. With it, users can attach a USB data dongle to a projector and present the files saved on a USB flash drive even without the use of a PC.

Another ease-of-use feature is the “3-in-1 USB Display.” It is a long USB cable that comes with a projector. It can carry all kinds of signals—image, sound and mouse control data (for mouse cursor and Page Up/Down).

This feature, combined with the remote control, allows users to easily present a slideshow from a distance.

Epson exerted quite an effort to slim down its line of projectors—and the devices don’t come cheap. The suggested retail price of an Epson EB-1750 is P57,000, the Epson EB-1760W, may go for P61,000, while the Epson EB-1770W is priced at P68,000. The upcoming Epson EB-1775W will cost P74,000.

Epson Philippines Corp. commanded an 18-percent market share on projectors in the country for the period of April to December 2010.

Globally, Epson is the leading 3LCD projector manufacturer in 2010 with a market share of 22.6 percent. It earned for it the distinction of being the Top Projector Maker of the Decade (2001-2010).