Epson Powerlite Pro G5350NL Wired Networking 3LCD Projector Review
A detailed review of this Epson lightweight wireless portable projector. Proofing and some more material will be added shortly. Additional commentary to Mike's review, provided by Art
March 2009 - Mike Rollett
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Epson Powerlite Pro G5350NL Wired Networking 3LCD Projector Overview
The Epson PowerLite Pro G5350NL is a high brightness (5000 lumen rating), XGA (1024 X 768) LCD projector that is intended for permanent installation in an auditorium, boardroom or conference room. However, it is light (15 lbs.) and flexible enough to be used on a cart for more portable presentation needs. The G5350NL has a great number of connection possibilities for a PC (or Mac) via the traditional VGA cable (or DVI to VGA for Mac users), USB, component video (including 5 BNC and HD15), HDMI or wired or wireless networking. Its specified output of 5000 lumens can easily fill large screens in large rooms or auditoriums.
For flexibility in presentations and monitoring, Epson has included full networking capabilities in the G5350, both wired and wireless (requires optional module). Epson’s implementation of networking capabilities includes the ability to allow others on the network to display images and video from their computers, as well as allowing for monitoring the projector’s status, scheduled maintenance and problem notification remotely.
The G5350 does not come with a lens, instead giving the customer the option of choosing between five different lenses, which are explained in more detail later.
For those who don’t require the 5000 lumen output of the G5350, Epson also offers the G5150NL, which has all the features of the G5350, but uses a different lamp rated at 4000 lumens. There is also a widescreen WXGA (1280x800) model available, the G5200WNL, which is rated at 4200 lumens. The G5200WNL does not have the wired network display capability of the G5350 or 5150, nor does it have any wireless networking capability.
Epson Powerlite Pro G5350NL Projector Highlights
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Very High Brightness – 5000 lumen rating
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Closed captioning capability with built-in decoder
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Wired or wireless networking capability
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Flexibility - Windows Vista® Network Projector compatible
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Single off-axis installation — 30-degree tilt operation
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Flexibility of installation – Vertical and horizontal lens shift, plus choice of five optional lenses
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Advanced connectivity – two computer RGB inputs, three component video, SD card slot and an HDMI input
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Rapid Power up and nearly instant shut off
Specs for the Epson Powerlite Pro G5350NL
Street price: around $6000
Technology: 3LCD
Native Resolution: XGA (1024x768)
Brightness: 5000 lumens
Contrast: 1000:1
Zoom Lens ratio: 1.8:1 (standard lens)
Lens shift: Horizontal and Vertical
Lamp life: 2000 hours (high brightness), 3000 hours (low brightness) Dimensions: Including feet and standard lens: 18.5" x 13.26" x 5.94"
Weight: 15.0 lb
Warranty: 3 years Parts and Labor on projector, 90 days on lamp
Epson Powerlite Pro G5350NL Special Features
EasyMP
Short for Epson Administrative System for Meeting and Presentation, EasyMP allows for flexibility in presentations with such features as follows:
SlideMaker 2 (which allows you to combine PowerPoint, image and movie files into a single presentation, by extracting the necessary parts of files, and arranging them in order without editing the original files)
Multi-Screen Display (which allows connection to multiple projectors for a wide spreadsheet or flowchart). This mode also allows for the display of a PowerPoint slide, while the presenter’s monitor is also displaying the PowerPoint tools.
Movie Sending Mode (which allows for smooth playback of video files)
Presentation Mode (which allows for display of PowerPoint or Keynote slide shows)
Distribution Function (which allows for display from a remote computer on the network)
Switching Function (which allows for other computers on the network to take turns projecting their own images)
Email Notification - When using the networking ability of the 1735W, either wired or wireless, it can be set to notify the owner of the projector status, reminders or any problems via email.
PCFree – This feature enables you to display photos, videos, PowerPoint presentations and other files stored on a USB storage device or SD card, without the use of a PC. Presentations created with SlideMaker (above), can also be used with PCFree.
Closed Caption Capabilities
Not many projectors are equipped to do closed captions. While not a widely needed feature, there are applications, such as organizations that work with or employ hearing impaired individuals. In any event, if you need closed captioning, the G5350 has it.
Interchangeable Lenses
For the ultimate customizability of installation, the G5350NL (the NL stands for “No Lens”) does not come with a lens. Epson offers a choice of five bayonet-style lenses to choose from, depending on your installation needs. The standard lens (which was used for this review) has a throw ratio that ranges from 1.3 to 2.4 (this means the projector can be placed at a distance from the screen that equals 1.3 to 2.4 times the screen width). By contrast, the long throw zoom lens has a throw ratio ranging from 5.3 to 7.2. There are two middle throw lenses whose throw ratios fit in between the standard and long throw lens at 2.4 to 3.6 and 3.5 to 5.4. What does this all mean? It means that by choosing the appropriate lens, the projector can display a 100” wide (125” diagonal) image at distances ranging from as little as 10’-10” (130”) or a far as 60’ (720”), though the recommended maximum distance is 47.8’.
There is also a wide lens (fixed at F number 2.03) available for rear projection applications. List prices on these lenses are $1399 for the standard lens and $1899 for the other lenses.
Quick Corner Keystone Correction
In addition to the usual horizontal and vertical keystone correction, the G5350 also features an option to adjust each corner of the projected image called Quick Corner. This can come in handy if the projector is tilted up (as much as 30 degrees) or placed at an angle. As with any digital manipulation of the image, the sharpness and precision of the image will suffer with the use of quick corner, but it can be useful for making minor corrections, especially in non-permanent installations. However, this feature should be of less importance for permanent installations. If the projector is to be mounted, it’s better to get it placed properly to provide a square image without the use of keystoning or Quick Corner.
NEXT: Take a physical tour of the Epson Powerlite Pro G5350NL