Epson BrightLink 485Wi LCD Projector – Review Summary

Epson BrightLink 485Wi Projector: Bottom Line

The Epson BrightLink 485Wi is a native 1280×800 resolution, ultra short throw projector, that has really turned out to be a really impressive. Of course, don’t let me forget its most important feature, interactivity. If you have read this review in its entirety, you have gathered by now that this projector is capable, and is especially easy to use. The fact that Epson has taken the time to ask educators and presenter of all types what was truly important to them, and then incorporate that into the projector to produce an affordable solution, says a lot about Epson as a whole.

Picture quality, and color reproduction were excellent, and with a contrast ratio of 3000:1, video was impressive as well. The projector was also bright, coming in at 2644 lumens in its default bright mode. Not bad, considering most projectors fall short of the manufacturers specified brightness. The level of brightness across all the color modes, and the different brightness modes like ECO, and Normal mode, produced enough lumen output to make the image dynamic, and vibrant, in just about any environment.

Interactivity was simple and painless to learn and use. The projector comes with everything you need to get up and running. Two pens are included so you can share the board easily with another presenter, or student. The ability to annotate over other sources was a real standout feature of the BrightLink 485Wi. The projector has built-in software for annotation, you can annotate over an HDMI signal, or any other signal you desire. This does take some setup in the menu system, but it’s very easy to do.

Overall, Epson has produced a ultra short throw interactive projector that is easy to use, easy to set up, and is priced right. Street prices put this projector at $2199. If you’re a university, or K-12, you will want to ask your dealer about the Epson Brighter Futures program. Discounts on pricing and lamps are available for the education market. One final note, Epson has a fleet of interactive projectors in different resolutions and brightness levels. Also consider checking out the Epson 435W, which is not interactive right out of the box, but with an add-on module, can become interactive in the future.

Epson BrightLink 485Wi Projector: Pros

• 3100 rated lumens and produced 2644 in testing
• Comes with two interactive pens
• MAC and Windows compatible
• Interactivity is not restricted to just VGA input. Can be used with HDMI and other sources
• Interactive tools are built-in and also a software suite is included to provide even more functionality
• A full suite of inputs and outputs making it capable of just about anything
• Lens is complete enclosed in clear housing
• Excellent pricing on lamps for Epson Brighter Future customers
• Achieves a large image from such a short distance from the screen

Epson BrightLink 485Wi Projector: Cons