Epson Brightlink 1485Fi Business/Education Projector Review-Special Features

Epson Brightlink 1485Fi Business/Education Projector Review - Special Features: Built for Collaboration, Epson iProjection software, Touch and Pen Enabled, Miracast , Digital Whiteboard, Solid State Laser Diode

The Epson 1485Fi is built to be a platform for collaboration. As Epson has introduced new offerings in this class of products, they have expanded on the interactive capabilities of their projectors. For example, older Epson projectors in this category were only capable of supporting a couple of points of touch at the same time. Only having two touch points made collaborative use more difficult in bigger groups. The Epson 1485Fi interactive projector provides a superior collaborative experience with up to eight points of touch. This means a higher number of students and teachers can annotate together, making group work easier. With up to eight active users on screen at the same time, working together to create and expand ideas is even better. This is a result of both the 1485Fi’s powerful hardware and the projector’s ability to create a large image that supports collaboration.

Using compatible devices, a maximum of 50 local and remote users can connect with Epson iProjection software. This software allows the meeting moderator to manage and display content from users that are both local and remote. The moderator can also assign presenter designation to any of the meeting attendees with compatible devices, regardless of where they are. If presenter status is assigned to a different attendee, the new presenter can choose to display content from up to 4 devices at one time, or freeze displayed content for comment or annotation. This content can then be shared with all attendees. A presenter has the option of saving, printing or sharing content via the 1485Fi PC free operating system. This incredibly powerful software allows meeting presenters, including remote presenters, to emphasize or clarify any part of a projected image, document, or web page using the built-in Annotation button on the iProjection app. The Annotation button enables the presenter to use a pen, highlighter, or eraser, with color and opacity options to highlight and write notes over the projected content.

Unlike some previous generations of Epson interactive whiteboard projectors, students and teachers have the option of using their fingers as well as Epson pens to create and mark up content on the Brightlink 1485Fi series of projectors. The 1485Fi allows finger touch, letting users interact with the screen using just a finger. Interacting with the display image through finger touch is more natural, and, I think, more intuitive since we’ve been interacting with tablets and phones this way for over a decade. Combining this with the 1485Fi’s multi-touch capabilities, allows teachers and students or business presenters and attendees to use the interactive whiteboards in the same familiar and easy way they’ve become used to with many mobile devices.

The 1485Fi's built-in Miracast functionality allows for content to be displayed between Miracast devices such as phones and tablets. Miracast allows users to display their multimedia content wirelessly, including high-resolution pictures and high-definition (HD) video content, even if a Wi-Fi network is not available. This enables local attendees to share content from a compatible screen with a conference room projector in real time. Miracast also supports premium content such as Blu-ray feature films, live television shows and sports, as well as other copy-protected premium content, allowing you to watch what you want, where you want.

Miracast is an industry-wide solution, allowing technology to work across many types of devices regardless of brand. Connections are pretty easy to set up and use since most Miracast devices choose the appropriate settings automatically. Two Miracast devices can also connect to the 1485 Fi at the same time using the local area network. Or, you can connect with Wi-Fi Direct, if LAN is unavailable.

Only devices marked “Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Miracast” have been certified by Wi-Fi Alliance to work well with other Wi-Fi CERTIFIED devices.

Interactive whiteboards create the possibility of hands-on participation for students or meeting attendees, if they choose to use them. Interacting with content in real-time allows users to reach the audience with new levels of engagement. Users can become active participants in the process, physically engaging and moving around any digital resources on the board. Teachers or presenters can mark up materials as they go, allowing them to respond to questions from the audience or to clarify specific aspects of the lesson or presentation. Like an incredibly empowered whiteboard, presenters can emphasize points by underlining, circling, or annotating in digital ink. Changes can be saved for future reference as well, without the need for a PC.. The result is a more customized, dynamic, and engaging learning experience.

In Whiteboard Mode the 1485Fi allows for the use of, one or both, interactive pens as well as fingers for up to eight users at the same time, allowing users to write on the projected "whiteboard". You can also split the screen and interact with the whiteboard and another projected source. Additionally, you can insert images from a USB drive or scanner and save, print, or email your whiteboard pages without connecting to a computer. The built-in Annotation Mode allows for annotation over content projected from a computer, tablet, document camera, or other source. Annotated pages can be easily captured in order to save or print them.