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Epson G5450WUNL Projector - Physical Tour

Posted on July 30, 2013 by Art Feierman

Epson G5450WUNL Appearance

As you’d probably expect, theG5450WUNL is nearly identical to last year’s G5350NL in size, appearance and layout.  There are no user controls on the top of the projector other than manual turning knobs for vertical and horizontal lens shift, which would only be used during setup.  Along the front top edge are four indicator lights for Power, Lamp, Temperature and Wireless LAN status.  There is also an IR receiving eye on the rear edge that is visible to both the top and rear panel

 

Facing the front panel of the projector, the lens is mounted in the center with an exhaust port to left of it.  There are tabbed rings around the lens for zoom and focus.  Height adjustment is obtained via a push button, adjustable foot in the center front of the G5450, and two screw feet in the rear corners.  There is an IR receiving eye on the bottom right side and easy access to the dust filter, which pulls straight out from the front right side.  It can then be cleaned by vacuuming or replaced.  The dust filter runs the full depth of the projector, sitting behind the intake vents that cover the entire right side of the G5450.  The dust filter can capture particles as small as 3 microns and has a 3000 hour maintenance interval.

The only thing on the left side of the projector is the cover for access to the lamp, which is at the rear of the projector.  As is the case with the dust filter, the placement of the lamp cover allows for easy access when the projector is ceiling mounted, without having to unmount it.

Moving to the rear panel, we are faced with the same staggering assortment of connections and controls similar to those encountered on the G5350NL.  Facing the rear of the projector moving from left to right, we start with the removable cover for the optional wireless LAN module.  The cover is easily removed and the module plugs right in to a recessed USB jack.  To the right of that is a small control panel with a number of control buttons that provide some of the functions also found on the remote control.  There are buttons for Power, Source Search, Up, Down, Left, Right, Escape, Menu and Help.  Continuing to the right, we find quite an array of connections.  Starting from the top and working our way across, there are outputs for a VGA monitor and 1/8” audio, followed by a DVI-D input with three 1/8” audio inputs below to match up with various video inputs.  Then we have video inputs for HDMI, composite video, S-video and stereo audio RCA input jacks.  Next, there is a wired remote jack, followed by a LAN port and a standard Type A USB connector for presentation from a USB thumb drive.  Below these connectors is a Kensington lock port and to the right, the 7-watt built-in speaker.

Moving down the rear panel, the input connection list continues with five BNC jacks for a VGA to BNC connection.  Three of these jacks can also be used with the proper adapters for a component video connection.  Above the BNC jacks is an RS-232C jack for serial control, a VGA computer input and a single BNC composite video jack.  To the right of all that is the connection for the power cable.

As was the case with the G5350NL, the G5450WUNL comes with a set of connection labels that can be used if the projector is ceiling mounted.  The labels on the projector are upside down when ceiling mounted, so the additional labels (which are reversed and have the text flipped) allow installer to easily read the connector labels.  It’s a minor touch, but a thoughtful one.  The G5450WUNL also comes with a cable cover that can be placed over the rear panel to enhance the appearance of the projector, as well as preventing accidental loosening of connections.

Epson G5450WUNL Setup

Thanks to its three adjustable feet and horizontal and vertical lens shift, the G5450WUNL is easy to setup up in either table or ceiling mounting installations.  Although not specifically designed as a portable projector, its light weight and adjustment flexibility make it a great candidate for a movable cart.  The multiple adjustment capability of the G5450WUNL will usually make keystone correction unnecessary, but if you’re in a hurry, the Epson’s Quick Corner feature (a more refined version of keystone correction we’ve noted on past Epson models) allows you to electronically correct a misaligned image.  Ideally, you would not want to use this feature (or any keystoning at all), as it can have a detrimental effect on the image quality.  However, if you are pressed for time, then using the Quick Corner feature will give you a properly proportioned image with minimal reduction in picture quality (as compared to normal keystone correction).

Menus

The G5450WUNL fires up quickly and has four test patterns that can aid in initial setup (using the picture geometry and crosshatch patterns), as well as more advanced picture adjustment (using the grayscale and color bars).  The menu will be familiar to anyone who has previously used an Epson projector and is simple to use.  Simply choose one of the available color modes, fine tune it with the usual Brightness, Contrast and Sharpness adjustments and you’re ready to go.  For the advanced user, Epson has also added full color management, allowing adjustment of hue, saturation and brightness of both the primary (Red, Green, Blue) and secondary (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow) colors.  This allows for the greatest color accuracy when presentation needs demand it.

Menus Slideshow

Color Adjustment Menu

Color Mode Menu

Image Menu

Epson G5450WUNL Remote Control

The G5450 has a basic, but well thought out remote.  Power and input buttons are on top, right above a thumbpad which offers 360 degree response, making it very usable as either a wireless or wired mouse (with an optional mouse adapter or cable).  The “trackball-like” action of the thumbpad also comes in handy when using the G5450’s built-in pointer.  The pointer display button, as well as buttons to control the electronic zoom and presentation pages, is right below the thumbpad.  Also in an easily accessible location at the bottom of the remote are the Help and speaker volume.  If external speakers are connected to the audio out, the remote’s Volume control will control them as well.  The buttons are not backlit, but that is typical for presentation projectors.  In general, I found the buttons to be well laid out and spaced sufficiently to avoid hitting the wrong one, even in the dark.

Another feature allows you to control more than one G5450 at a time independently from a single remote.  By turning on the “ID” slide switch on the side of the remote, you can switch the remote between different projector IDs (a total of nine selectable in the projector menu) and have completely independent, full control of each projector.

As the G5450 may be mounted some distance from the screen (the recommended maximum screen size of 300” diagonal can be projected from as far back as 49’), the remote has powerful IR emitters that are rated to work at an equivalent distance.  I was able to control the G5450 from a distance of 50’ (as far as could get from it), so it easily met its rating.  There was also no problem with a signal bounced off the screen at fifteen to twenty feet.

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