When Epson announced the Brightlink 1485Fi series collaborative projector last year, like most of us, they never expected the outbreak of the worldwide pandemic we still find ourselves living with. To quote Epson, the Brightlink 1485Fi was designed to “create engaging and collaborative learning environments...,” and though Epson could not have predicted this “new normal,” they built a product that is flexible enough to be of significant value to business and educators in a Covid-19 world.

The Epson Brightlink 1485Fi provides a native 1080p (1920 x 1080) resolution. The projector is powered by a 3LCD interactive laser display that provides 5,000 lumens of color and white brightness along with a virtually maintenance-free 20,000-hour laser light source. There are no lamps on this projector. The 1485Fi is designed to be a reliable, bright, interactive display that supports easy reading, instruction and communication. The 1485Fi projects up to a 100-inch, 16:9 image or up to a 120-inch super-wide, 16:6 image. In case you are wondering why Epson chose to offer a 16:6 aspect ratio, go and measure a standard width classroom blackboard or whiteboard, and your question will be answered. The 1485Fi offers up to 95 percent more interactive space than a 75" flat panel.

Epson designed the 1485Fi for collaboration, so it supports PC free whiteboarding, printing, emailing and more. Plus, it easily hosts other network-connected Brightlink projectors, allowing up to eight users to work on a single interactive canvas from multiple locations. See what I mean about flexible? The 1485fi is incredibly useful in our Covid-19 world. The 1485Fi offers automatic image adjustment and simplified calibration, so you don’t have to be an expert to configure it once it’s installed. I highly recommend getting an expert to install this projector. The 1485 offers a single cable to connect the projector to an outboard source-box, as well as an HDBaseT control pad. Epson says, and I quote: “Installation has never been easier.” I think this is true… if you are a professional installer. I can tell you that I think setup, once the projector is installed, is incredibly easy to do. So, that’s good!

This review covers more than our typical review of a business/education projector. First, I’ll go over all the basics that we normally cover in this class of projector and take you through the special features, hardware and performance capabilities of the 1485Fi. Then, I’m also going to spend some time talking about the ecosystem of optional products built to be used with this projector. I’m going to talk about how this projector is even more valuable in our “new” normal and how valuable it can be in the hands of the “right” people, even if they are working from home.

The Epson Brightlink 1485Fi is an interactive projector designed for collaboration. This 5000 (Epsons Listed Specification) Lumen 3LCD interactive projector supports both pen touch and touch interactivity. The 1485Fi is really bright. Epson claims 5000 Lumen so, if that turns out to be true in my testing, it would be extremely bright and very useful in environments where ambient light is not fully controlled like meeting rooms and classrooms. Since the 1485Fi uses a laser light source that means there's never any lamps to replace and means the projector is virtually maintenance-free.

One of the interesting things about this product is the super wide display that can be projected in a 16:6 aspect ratio. As I hinted at in my opening, in addition to being able to fill an ultra-wide whiteboard with an image, Epson also provides users the full 16:6 aspect ratio allowing for the splitting the screen: showing the print from a PC image on one side with an interactive whiteboard on the other side. Another benefit to 16:6 is that everyone in the audience can see the content of the projector. The Epson Brightlink 1485Fi also has a PC free Mode. This means any time you go into a meeting space and start your whiteboard session, you can save your content to the network drive, print directly from the projector or email your content directly from the projector as you go. According to Epson, the 1485fi offers a unique, streamlined, touch module which is on the board and enables finger touch functionality. According to Epson, it’s no longer like their old solution, where you had to dial knobs in order to adjust a manual calibration for touch. The 1485Fi is completely automatic, takes up very little space on the interactive board and allows users to maximize the touch area on the whiteboard, while leaving little space in which touch will not work.

You can attach your computer or compatible mobile devices via Miracast, and still have the ability to interact with your PC content wirelessly, allowing you to physically move more freely around the meeting room or classroom. Miracast is a very mature and reliable technology that is easy to connect to, as long as you have a compatible device.

Brightlink is an excellent video conferencing display. You can connect from a variety of conferencing applications such as Zoom or Skype. The 1485Fi can even act as a display for your video conference. You can split your screen to display PC content on one side and whiteboard on the other, enabling everyone to collaborate at the same time, both remotely and in person.

You can choose Split Screen to display content from up to four connected devices simultaneously, including PCs, Macs document cameras, blu-ray players or even from wireless devices via a Miracast connection or using AI projection. Epson also has a free wireless display app. You can even connect and share content simultaneously from up to 50 connected devices using Epson’s iProjection application, getting the whole classroom involved in the daily lesson plans from any connected location. iProjection allows users to use their fingertips to control a PC and annotate displayed content. Users can use show photos, documents, web content and even switch to a live camera to show live content. These images can then be frozen and marked up with the two included pens in conjunction with the built-in pen tools and the Epson iProjection software.

The LG GRU510N is an HDR-compatible DLP home theater laser projector that retails for $3999. It utilizes a single DLP (0.47” DMD) chip to reproduce 4K UHD resolution (3,840 x 2,160). The unit's laser phosphor light engine can deliver 5,000 ANSI lumens of light output and has a rated life of 20,000 hours in Standard (high power) mode.

The GRU510N is part of LG's ProBeam series of projectors, which were initially developed for professional applications. The GRU510N is nearly identical to the LG BU50NST business projector we reviewed earlier this year. The only difference between the two units is the model number, and the BU50NST has a longer 3-year warranty.

These models' high brightness, 4K resolution, and good color reproduction are a viable option for an office or a home.

The LG ProBeam GRU510N is a compact, 5,000-lumen projector designed to provide a vivid 4K image in any environment, even in a room with high ambient light. The projector's laser light source is rated for up 20,000 hours allowing years of near maintenance-free operation.

The GRU510N is compatible with HDR10 content, and it is also one of a limited number of projectors capable of Dynamic HDR Tone Mapping. This feature automatically adjusts dark/bright levels to optimize the unit's HDR performance.

The GRU510N offers a 1.6x zoom lens with horizontal and vertical lens shift, which is rare on DLP projectors at this price point. Combined with the 12-point warping function, these features reduce image distortion and allow precise alignment with the screen.

While LG ProBeam models do not have all the smart features found in their Cinebeam products, the GRU510N does have several notable features that enhance connectivity. The GRU510N is powered by LG's WebOS, including wireless mirroring (Miracast®) and Bluetooth pairing. Wi-Fi makes it easy to connect to the internet or access content available on your home network.

Good picture and low maintenance make the GRU510N a compelling alternative to a large flat panel TV, especially in a room where space is at a premium.

The LG ProBeam BU50NST is a compact projector designed for various ProAV applications, including enterprise, education, hospitals, and museums. It provides UHD (3840 x 2160) resolution and is rated to deliver 5,000 ANSI lumens of light output. The unit’s laser phosphor light engine has a rated life of 20,000 hours in Standard (high power) mode.

The LG ProBeam BU50NST is a compact, 5,000-lumen projector designed for various ProAV applications. The projector’s powerful laser light source is rated for up 20,000 hours allowing years of near maintenance-free operation.

With 5,000 lumens of output, it is bright enough to be utilized in many enterprise, hospital, museum, and education environments.

The BU50NST offers 1.6x lens zoom along with horizontal and vertical lens shift, which is rare on DLP projectors at this price point. Combined with the 12-point warping function, these features reduce image distortion and allow precise alignment with the screen.

The 4K resolution delivers the highly detailed images often required in corporate and healthcare environments. It even includes a DICOM picture mode. In addition to a USB input, HDBaseT™ compatibility allows a single CAT6 cable to carry 4K signals long-distances to the BU50NST.

The ProBeam BU50NST is powered by LG’s WebOS with smart features designed for business and education purposes like (Miracast®) wireless screen mirroring, Wi-Fi, and a web browser.

Laser-illuminated projectors are fast becoming standard equipment for boardrooms and classrooms alike. The cost of this technology is quickly falling, and it offers several distinct advantages over lamp-illuminated projectors.

Among the many such projectors in the business and education markets is BenQ's new LH930. Part of a new lineup of budget-friendly, low-maintenance laser projectors, the LH930 is packed with useful features without unpacking your entire budget.

The LH930 measures 6.5" x 16.4" x 13.8" (HxWxD) and weighs in at 13.9 pounds, which is reasonably small and lightweight for a laser projector. The 1.6:1 manual-zoom lens allows throw distances from as close as 4.8' to as far as 29.7' for image sizes from 30" to 300" diagonally.

With a native resolution of 1920x1080, this projector, which lists for $2999, can display Blu-ray movies and large computer desktops with ease. It can also scale all video resolutions from VGA (640x480) to WUXGA (1920x1200). If you need WUXGA resolution in the projected image, you can get it for $200 more in the LU930.

The LH930 is based on DLP (Digital Light Processing) imaging technology with laser/phosphor illumination. In this type of system, which BenQ calls BlueCore, some of the light from an array of blue lasers excites a yellow phosphor wheel, whose yellow light combines with the rest of the blue lasers' light to produce white light.

The white light then passes through a color-filter wheel with segments of different colors. This is the same mechanism as lamp-based, single-chip DLP projectors. Each color is directed to the DLP imaging chip in turn, which forms the image for that color and reflects it through the main lens and onto the screen. The images for each color alternate so quickly that the human eye blends them into a full-color image. BenQ claims it covers over 90% of the BT.709 color gamut, the standard for HD video.

Thanks to its laser/phosphor light engine, the LH930 achieves a peak brightness of 5000 lumens, which is plenty bright enough to stand up to boardroom and classroom lights. If the room has less ambient light, the LH930 can automatically reduce its light output thanks to its built-in light sensor.

BenQ claims a staggering dynamic contrast ratio of 3,000,000:1, which is achieved by dynamically modulating the laser power. I strongly suspect that the actual measured contrast ratio is far less than 3,000,000:1, but dynamically modulating the laser—which creates a very high contrast-ratio spec—should exhibit good black-level performance for a business projector. Still, it probably can't match a good home-theater projector designed to work in the dark.

The laser/phosphor light engine is sealed to prevent dust and moisture from interfering with the lesson; in fact, it achieves a dust-resistant rating of IP5X. Also, it's rated to last up to 20,000 hours, so there's no need to change lamps every year or so. All in all, the LH930 is virtually maintenance-free.

I'm happy to report that the LH930 offers both horizontal and vertical lens shift, which makes placement much more flexible than many other DLP competitors. It also provides horizontal and vertical keystone correction to square up the image on the screen if the projector can't be placed where lens shift can do the job. This is handy if needed, but engaging keystone correction also degrades the detail in the image, so I don't recommend using it unless absolutely necessary.

BenQ offers several wireless-presentation options to help presenters make their points without hassle. You can plug the Qcast Mirror Wi-Fi dongle ($59, a bargain for Wi-Fi) into one of the projector's HDMI inputs (with a separate connection to the USB port for power) and wirelessly cast the screen of almost any device to display from the projector without requiring any special apps or drivers. It supports resolutions up to 1920x1080 at 24 or 30 fps and 1280x720 at 60 fps.

Another option is BenQ's InstaShow system, which lets up to 32 presenters take turns. You simply plug a small, one-button device into the HDMI output of a laptop (with a separate connection to USB for power) or install the InstaShow app on a smartphone or tablet, and switching between devices is completely seamless. You can even split the screen between two devices. This is a powerful feature that's especially useful in the classroom as well as for corporate training sessions.

For classrooms without a separate sound system, the LH930 includes two built-in speakers, each powered by a 10W amp. That's pretty hefty for onboard speakers, which should be plenty audible to all the students in a typical primary or secondary classroom, but it's likely not enough to fill a university lecture hall without help. Larger lecture halls typically have their own sound-reinforcement systems to amplify the audio throughout the room.

If the projector is mounted on the ceiling, it's probably not easy to reach. Fortunately, the LH930 is compatible with AMX, Crestron, Extron, and PJ Link control systems, making it easy to control remotely over your local network. Even better, you can manage an entire fleet of networked projectors from a single location. That includes maintenance alerts if any problems crop up.

The LH930 offers plenty of connections. Video inputs include two HDMI 1.4a, one component-video, one composite-video, and one VGA. It also provides one 3.5mm stereo-audio input and a 3.5mm audio output as well as a VGA monitor output. A USB 2.0 Type A port provides power (5V/1.5A) for a streaming stick or Qcast Mirror Wi-Fi dongle connected to one of the HDMI ports as well as firmware updates and other service needs. In addition, an Ethernet port lets you connect it to your local network. Finally, an RS232 port provides another means of control, and a 3.5mm 12V trigger output can automatically close the shades or perform other automated tasks.

With its super-bright laser/phosphor light source that lasts up to 20,000 hours, high contrast ratio, low-maintenance design, and network-management capability, the LH930 seems ideally suited to an business or educational environment. Even better, with the optional Qcast and InstaShow presentation systems, making your point has never been easier.

The LH930 is one of four new value-priced laser projectors from BenQ, all with at least 1080p resolution. Colors should be especially good for a single-chip DLP, since that's long been a specialty of the company. Take this BenQ very seriously!

The Optoma ZU506T-W is a laser-powered Installation projector that will cover most of your projection needs. The ZU506T-W at 5000 ANSI lumens and WUXGA resolution. WUXGA is 1920 x 1200 a full 120 lines of more vertical resolution than 1080. The ZU506T-W has a specified contrast ratio of 300,000:1 when extreme black is enabled. You will also find a great range of connectivity on the ZU506T-W. There are 2 HDMI inputs, Composite video, HDBaseT, and a couple of VGA ports.

The ZU506T-W is a great projector for so many different applications. Laser powered and 5000 lumens this will be a great upgrade for the dim projector sitting in your conference room from a few years ago. Having a vertical lens shift and 4 corners geometric correction, the ZU506T-W will be a great upgrade path for many products that have become dim and outdated over the years.

If you have a current installation in your classroom or conference room and you want to refresh it with a bright powerful image. This could be the option for you. The ZU506T-W has the brightness to fill a range of images as well as perform in ambient light conditions. It is equipped with a 1.6x zoom which will allow you to project from 3.28’ to 32.8’ feet. You can replace that dim image you see every Sunday at church. Revamp that conference room projector that is hard to read. No more shutting off the lights, so you can see what is on the screen. The ZU506T-W has a full range of installation features to allow you to have a great image.

4K Into the Spiderverse from ZU506T

In this review, we’ll start off with a brief overview. I will go through some of the highlights of the ZU506T-W as well as cover its wide range of special features.  I will go through the in’s and outs of its hardware, we will tour the remote and the control panel. We will also discuss picture quality and performance. Offering up example images to point out its performance and best for viewing settings.  In the end, we will sum it all up for you on the last page. Delivering all the pros and cons you need to make a well-informed decision and know if the Optoma ZU506T-W is the right projector for your business or education application.

We wish to thank Epson America for sponsoring this year’s Best Classroom Projectors Report. 

The Optoma ZU506T-W is a full-featured projector. Which is why you see it billed as a professional installation projector. Delivering a brightness of 5000 lumens, it offers up enough performance to deliver a large vibrant image. A great feature is the laser light source. This allows the ZU506T-W to deliver a great image for up to 30,000 hours. That is a really long time for a 5000-lumen projector. Just to think, products like this used to only have 1,000-hour lamps, not too long ago. That is years of presentations and classroom discussions. That’s 10 years of use if you use it 8 hours a day. As we know most conference rooms get used for 4 to 5 hours a day. This could last you 20 years! Talk about a great return on investment.

The Optoma ZU506T-W is available from multiple resellers for around $3000 dollars. A quick search and you can find prices from $2799 to $2999. Which is a great bargain as this could be the last projector you ever purchase. The Optoma is also backed by a 3-year warranty. 3 years or 20,000 hours. Not to mention 3 years of Optoma Express advanced exchange. Optoma is really putting together some great warranty offerings.

There are many installation class features on the Optoma. Its native resolution is WUXGA (1920x1200) however it will support a 4K signal on its HDMI 2.0 input. There are also connections to support integration into your AV control system. You have RS232 for serial control as well as an RJ45 network port. This allows you to be fully integrated with Crestron, AMX and many others. Whether its telnet or web control. The ZU506T-W has you covered.

For audio, there are even 2 10W stereo speakers. Which is very generous. Most projectors in this class may have 1 8W mono speaker. The Optoma ZU506T-W has a lot of advanced functionality as well, with 4 corners geometric correction and even a DICOM simulation mode to view Xrays for medical training.

The Optoma ZU506T-W Professional Installation Laser projector is packed full of functionality. Driven by a laser phosphor light source and a high WUXGA resolution, this could be a fantastic product to replace that aging XGA projector in the conference room.

The Panasonic PT-VMZ50 is a business class 3LCD laser projector with WUXGA (1920 x 1200), resolution and rated brightness of 5,000 lumens. It offers a lot of performance and features for its current street price of $2499.

The PT-VMZ50 is the smallest and lightest 3LCD laser projector rated for 5000 lumens. Lifting the PT-VMZ50 to mount it on the ceiling would easy since it weighs less than 16 pounds. Anyone that spends their days manhandling projectors will appreciate the compact size and light weight of the PT-VMZ50.

In addition to being bright and compact, the PT-VMZ50’s picture quality is very good. It also includes several features that make it a great solution for many meeting and classrooms.

The PT-VMZ50 uses a laser/phosphor wheel light engine rated at 20,000 hours of maintenance-free operation. The PT-VMZ50 utilizes a 3LCD imager instead of the single DLP chip found in many smaller laser projectors so it reproduces bright rich colors.

The PT-VMZ50 has all the features you would expect from a business class projector at its price point. These features include horizontal and vertical lens shift plus a decent amount of image zoom, lots of inputs along with wireless control and connectivity. While this is a business class projector, it is also suitable for use in a classroom.

We wish to thank Epson America for sponsoring this year’s Best Classroom Projectors Report. 

The Panasonic PT-VMZ50U is a small footprint 5,000 lumen WUXGA business projector with a laser/phosphor light engine which is rated for 20,000 hours of maintenance-free operation.

The PT-VMZ50U fits right in the middle of Panasonic’s lineup of WUXGA portable laser projectors which range from the 4500 lumens PT-VMZ40U all the way up to 6000 lumens PT-VMZ60U. All three models utilize the same compact chassis (16”W x 5”H x 14”D) and they each weigh just under 16 pounds.

In addition to the three PT-VMZ60 series WUXGA projectors, Panasonic also offers two WXGA resolution projectors which utilize the same chassis and laser light engine. These projectors are the 5000 lumens PT-VMW50U and the 6000 lumens PT-VMW60U.

Panasonic claims that the PT-VMZ50U is the world's smallest and lightest 3LCD projector rated for 5000 lumens. I have yet to find a lighter and more compact ultra-bright 3LCD Laser projector. The PT-VMZ50U’s compact size and lightweight makes it easy to haul from location to location.

The PT-VMZ50U utilizes a 3LCD imager instead of the single DLP chip found in many business projectors for improved color reproduction. Also by precisely modulating the PT-VMZ50U laser light output, Panasonic claims the PT-VMZ50U can deliver a dynamic contrast ratio of 3,000,000;1.

The PT-VMZ50U has manual horizontal and vertical lens shift, 1.6x zoom lens, dual HDMI inputs as well as a DIGITAL LINK/LAN (HDBaseT) input. While the PT-VMZ50U is a WUXGA projector, it can accept 4K@30P content via its HDMI inputs or DIGITAL LINK terminals (HDBaseT) for increased clarity and detail.

It has a USB input which makes it easy to display photos stored on a USB memory stick. You can also plug the optional AJ-WM50P Wireless module into this USB port which would allow you to wirelessly project images from a laptop or mobile device.

The NEC P525UL is a laser light engine installation class 3LCD projector having WUXGA, 1920 x 1200, resolution and a bright 5,000 lumens rated light output. It offers many features for its current list price of $3,099. This is a commercial/installation class projector that falls toward the lower end, in terms of size, weight, and price, of the installation class of projectors rated at or near 5,000 lumens, especially those using a laser light source.

The P525UL uses a laser/phosphor wheel light engine rated at 20,000 hours of life, which is unusual to find in an installation projector at this price point. The P525UL utilizes a 3LCD imager instead of the single DLP chip found in the previous P502WL series which improves its color reproduction.
While this is an installation class projector, it is also suitable for use in a conference room or classroom. For education use it would probably be of most interest to colleges/universities looking for a low maintenance projector with networking capabilities and perhaps the ability to simultaneously display content from multiple sources, including mobile devices.

While the P525UL is missing some features found on more expensive installation class projectors, including interchangeable motorized lenses, edge blending and projection mapping, at a retail price of just $3,099, the NEC P525UL is still a great value. The P525UL received our Higher Education Best in Classroom: Performance - Runner-up award for being a versatile projector capable of being a very good larger venue ‘entry-level” installation projector as well as suitable for use in certain conference room and classroom applications.

We wish to thank Epson America for sponsoring this year’s Best Classroom Projectors report.  

A couple of years ago we gave the NEC P502WL a Special Interest award for being a very good large venue installation laser projector for someone looking at entry level units suitable for large conference room and classroom applications. The NEC 525UL offers several enhancements over the P502WL to make it even better.

The NEC 525UL is a small footprint 5,000 lumen installation WUXGA projector with a laser/phosphor light source which is rated slightly brighter than the P502WL. Like the older P502WL, the P525UL uses a laser/phosphor wheel light engine rated for 20,000 hours of maintenance-free operation. There is also a Constant Brightness mode to ensure that the P525UL delivers consistent looking imagery over the life of the projector.

The P525UL utilizes a 3LCD imager instead of the single DLP chip found in the P502WL series which improves color reproduction. To ensure consistent color, the P525UL has Self-Color Correction that automatically compensates based on usage hours for the natural color shift that occurs as a projector ages. I’m sure switching from DLP to LCD is also a factor in the projector’s increased contrast ratio. The P525UL is rated at 500,000:1 (with Light Adjust) compared to the P502UL 20,000;1 (with dynamic contrast)

While the P525UL is a WUXGA projector, it can accept 4K@30P content via HDMI or HDBaseT for increased clarity and detail. Like other NEC P Series projectors, the P525UL has manual horizontal and vertical lens shift, 1.6x zoom lens, dual HDMI inputs and a HDBaseT input. It also features USB 2.0A support to power third-party devices and a LAN port for network control and asset management. Combining the optional Wireless Module (NP05LM1) with the MultiPresenter software lets you display for up to 16 simultaneous connections.

What really makes this NEC projector unique is how incredibility quiet it is for such a bright installation projector. The NEC P525UL produces only 22db in ECO Mode and 27db at full power! The P525UL was so quiet in ECO mode that I could barely heard it from 3 feet away.