Epson To Roll Out Interactive Projectors with Built-In Annotation Capability

• By Kanoe Namahoe
• 02/13/12

Epson expanded its line of BrightLink education projectors last week with the launch of six new short throw and ultra-short throw interactive projectors. The new units, which come with interactive projector and pen combination, were introduced at the TCEA Annual Convention and Exposition in Austin, TX.

The Epson BrightLink short throw projectors--the 425Wi, 430i, and 435Wi--come with wall mount and two interactive pens. The 425Wi and 435Wi are widescreen projectors with 1280 x 800 resolution, brightness levels of 2,500 and 3,000 lumens, respectively, and have an interactive area of up to 113 inches (diagonal). The 430i has a native resolution of 1024 x 768, a brightness of 3,000 lumens, and can project images to an area up to 106 inches (diagonal).

Like the short throw projectors, Epson's BrightLink ultra-short throw projectors--the 475Wi, 480i, and 485Wi--include two pens, but also feature dual pen interactivity and built-in annotation technology. Users can interact with projected images, over wired or wireless LAN, from a number of devices including PCs, tablets, Blu-ray players, VCRs, and document cameras. Users can also interact PC-free with the units' built-in annotation tools. The projectors include automatic calibration.

The 480i has a resolution of 1024 x 768, a brightness of 3,000 lumens and an interactive area of up to 93 inches (diagonal). The 475Wi and 485Wi feature 1280 x 800 resolution, can project images up to 100 inches (diagonal), and have brightness levels of 2,600 and 3,100 lumens, respectively. According to the company, the projectors can be mounted as close as 2.8-inches from the wall.

All projectors in Epson's BrightLink series feature 3LCD technology and come with a 16W speaker as well as inputs for microphone, HDMI, and USB. They include 1.6x manual zoom. The units can project audio and visual materials via wired or wireless connection onto whiteboards, walls, or other light-colored surfaces.

Additional features of the BrightLink units include:

• iProjection app which enables users to present from iOS-based devices running iOS 4.2 or later;
• Epson Easy Management software that supports network monitoring, maintenance scheduling, and enables the projector to run maintenance functions without having to be connected to the network; and,
• Instant On and Instant Off functionality, A/V Mute Slide to turn off sound and images, and customizable Sleep Mode

The projectors are expected to ship this spring through select dealers on a state-by-state basis. The BrightLink 425Wi and 430i will sell for $1,299 and the 435Wi for $1,399. The BrightLink ultra-short throw projectors will start at $1,599 for the 475Wi and 480i and go up to $1,699 for the 485Wi. The projectors come with a 2-year limited warranty. Additional information on Epson's new projectors can be found at the BrightLink Web site.