Epson PowerLite 85+ XGA LCD Multimedia Projector Review

Posted on May 9, 2010 by Art Feierman

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Epson PowerLite 85+ Specs
Price	899
Technology	3LCD
Native Resolution	XGA 1024x768
Brightness (Manufacturer Claim)	2600
Contrast	2,000:1
Zoom Lens Ratio	1.60:1
Lens Shift	No
Lamp Life	6000 Hours in ECO Mode
Weight	7
Warranty	2-Years limited parts and labor.

Epson PowerLite 85+ Projector Highlights

2600 lumen color output and 2600 white light output
2000:1 Constrast ratio
Optional wireless presenting
Networkable for presentations over an IP network
6000 hours lamp life in ECO Mode
Instant shut-off. No waiting for the lamp to cool before unplugging.
Closed captioning
Moderately short throw lens
Security bar to provide even more protection against theft
Microphone input
Presenting via USB cable

Epson PowerLite 85+ Projector Overview

Epson has designed yet another great projector for both conference rooms and classrooms. The Epson PowerLite 85+ is in the moderately bright category with a specified light output of 2600 lumens. What is uncommon is Epson's claim that not only does it project white light at 2600 lumens, but it also projects colored light at 2600 lumens. In our section called Image Quality we will test and explore the claims to see how close to accurate they are. Most projectors do not put out the specified light shown in the specs so it will be interesting to see how this unit performs.

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Maintenance is a breeze with the Epson PowerLite 85+. Epson, realizing schools with potentially large numbers of projectors would need a very cost effective way to maintain their AV equipment, designed the projector to be easy to maintain. The lamp is easily cleaned without the use of any tools. Simply pull the filter out, vacuum or replace and you are done. Basically, anyone near the projector could handle it. The lamp is replaceable from the top of the projector. So if ceiling mounted. A screwdriver is all it will take to open the hatch and place in a new lamp. And with its long life lamp, replacement won't be necessary for quite a long time.

The projectors native resolution of XGA (1024x768) makes it more than capable in your typical K-12 or University environment. It will work equally well in a vocational environment, but depending on what you are teaching, if you need a machine to do higher resolutions for many hours each day, I would recommend looking at a projector that has a higher native resolution. Classroom environments that teach CAD or other engineering software that usually requires a lot of screen real estate might find XGA to not provide the space for all the buttons and interface elements.