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Epson PowerLite W29 Projector Review

Posted on May 25, 2016 by Art Feierman

Specs Preview

Epson W29 Specs
Price $599
Technology 3LCD
Native Resolution 1280x800
Brightness (Manufacturer Claim) 3000
Contrast 10000:1
Zoom Lens Ratio 1.20:1
Lens Shift No
Lamp Life 5000 hours
Weight 5.8
Warranty 2 years overnight replacement

Epson PowerLite W29 Projector Review

Of Epson’s extensive line of business and classroom projectors, the $599 PowerLite W29 is right in the middle of the $900 955WH above it and the $450 VS345 below. But, schools can get it through Epson’s Brighter Futures program for $479 with an extra year of warranty coverage, making it one of the best values for classrooms around.

Overall, the PowerLite W29 packs a lot of projector into a small package that can be carried from classroom to classroom during the day. It uses a trio of LCD panels to create a native resolution of 1,280 by 800 (WXGA) and 16:10 aspect ratio. The projector creates a bright image with acceptable color balance and has the bonus of using the company’s inexpensive ELPLP88 lamp that costs $79 and is rated to run for 5,000 hours. This reduces its operating expenses, making it one of the cheapest projectors to use.

It may lack WiFi wireless networking but the projector has built-in wired Ethernet networking. This can be used to display presentations and lessons stored on a school’s servers, let students or teachers project items directly from their tablets or phones and even take control of the projector.

The basic XGA PowerLite 97H and the WXGA resolution Powerlite 99W received Hot Product awards. An evolutionary update, the W29 carries on with an excellent mix of value and performance.

Rated at delivering 3,000 lumens, the PowerLite W29 projector is surprisingly small and light and can travel during the school day from room to room. At 5.8-pounds, it won’t be confused with a pico-projector, so an AV cart might be a good idea. It has 3 mounting points underneath for a permanent ceiling set up as well as three adjustable feet for use on a shelf or table.

At $599, it is a good value, but Epson’s Brighter Futures program allows schools to get the projector for an economical $479. It’s cheap to keep because it uses Epson’s ELPLP lamp, which is rated 5,000 hours of use and costs just $79, rather than $200 or $300, to replace. This makes it one of the cheapest classroom projectors to operate.

Its 1,280 by 800 its resolution can’t touch the detail delivered by full HD units, but it should be more than adequate for most teaching tasks and its color accuracy was quite good for a business projector. The standout was its excellent uniformity of focus, which provided a super-sharp image from corner to corner.

We wish to thank Epson America for sponsoring this year's Best Classroom Projectors report, in which this projector is considered.

Highlights

  • Very sharp image
  • Delivers bright 3,000 lumen image in Dynamic mode
  • Excellent text readability for presentations
  • Good color balance in some projection modes for projecting video and images
  • Can run split screen with several sources
  • Can work with networked items
  • Included software lets IT administrator control the projector from afar
  • Horizontal and vertical keystone correction provide mounting flexibility along with 1.2:1 optical zoom lens.
  • Slide open and close lens cover also blanks video

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