Optoma W460 Business and Education Projector Review – Special Features

Posted on April 11, 2018 by Nikki Zelinger

Optoma W460 Business and Education Projector Review – Special Features: PC-Free Presenting, 3D Capable, Advanced Networking, Warranty

PC-Free Presenting

PC-Free Presenting is a must-have feature for business and education projectors, in my opinion. When a sub-$600 pocket projector has its own on-board media player (AAXA M6 and M5), it makes no sense to me why more expensive and capable projectors lack this feature. Luckily, in the case of the Optoma W460, this is a moot point. Using a USB device, presenters can plug-and-play, showing their images, PDFs, and documents with ease.

Most students will be making their presentations using PowerPoint or Keynote, neither of which can be projected using this function. Fret not – each program has the option to export the presentation as ordered JPEGs, so the student or presenter need only perform this function, save it to their USB drive, then plug it into the projector to seamlessly present their content.

3D Capable

The Optoma W460 is 3D capable! That means the projector can handle 3D content, which is viewable using DLP Link 3D glasses. These are sold separately, and while it’s a nice thought that you can project 3D content, I find it highly unlikely that this feature will ever be used in a classroom setting. These range in price from the inexpensive to pricey, especially when you consider you’re not buying 2-4 for home use – you’d be looking at 20 to 30 for the classroom. Yikes. Still, some may find this a handy feature, perhaps in a more intimate setting.

Advanced Networking

The wired LAN allows up to 4 connected computers, while the included wireless module, HDCast Pro, screen mirrors iOS and Android devices, allowing students to project from their smart phones or tablets – this is something we are seeing more of, as many schools have employed the BYOD method (bring your own device), to make things easier on both the teacher and students in terms of presenting.

With Crestron RoomView, you can control the projector remotely from a web browser. In fact, with RoomView, up to 250 projectors can be controlled at the same time from any computer. This allows the projectors to be scheduled to be turned on and off (the off function is particularly handy when maximizing lamp life, as it is possible that a tired teacher may forget to turn the projector off on a Friday afternoon).

RoomView also has emergency text broadcast capabilities for urgent or important announcements. I could see that being highly useful in emergency situations where discretion is of the utmost importance, or for a silent, bell-less drill. I’m sure there are many more uses for a feature like that – those are just what came to mind.

Warranty

The Optoma W460 has one of the best warranties around. Three years parts and labor with three years of Optoma Express Service, plus a full year on the lamp. Incredible! Most warranties I see have 90 days on the lamp – Optoma beats out the competition by a full 9 months. The Optoma Express Service being included for the full warranty is a major plus. This service aims to keep the down time between projector replacement to a minimum, in the event of a necessary repair.

It works like any other replacement program. Call, provide serial number and proof of purchase, Optoma will ship you a refurbished projector, then you ship the defective projector back within 15 days. Note that the projector must arrive within 15 days otherwise the credit card on file will be charged for the full amount, so a good rule of thumb is to ship it back as soon as Optoma says they’re sending the refurbished unit. That’s for the first year of warranty.

If you should need to use the service during year two or three of the warranty, same process, different scenario. Optoma will ship out a loaner unit which you may use while repairs are being made on your unit. Once they’re done, Optoma will return your original projector and the loaner must be shipped back. Same deal on returning it – it must happen within 15 days of your original unit being shipped back to you.

Optoma W460 Business and Education Projector Review – Special Features: PC-Free Presenting, 3D Capable, Advanced Networking, Warranty

PC-Free Presenting

PC-Free Presenting is a must-have feature for business and education projectors, in my opinion. When a sub-$600 pocket projector has its own on-board media player (AAXA M6 and M5), it makes no sense to me why more expensive and capable projectors lack this feature. Luckily, in the case of the Optoma W460, this is a moot point. Using a USB device, presenters can plug-and-play, showing their images, PDFs, and documents with ease.

Most students will be making their presentations using PowerPoint or Keynote, neither of which can be projected using this function. Fret not – each program has the option to export the presentation as ordered JPEGs, so the student or presenter need only perform this function, save it to their USB drive, then plug it into the projector to seamlessly present their content.

3D Capable

The Optoma W460 is 3D capable! That means the projector can handle 3D content, which is viewable using DLP Link 3D glasses. These are sold separately, and while it’s a nice thought that you can project 3D content, I find it highly unlikely that this feature will ever be used in a classroom setting. These range in price from the inexpensive to pricey, especially when you consider you’re not buying 2-4 for home use – you’d be looking at 20 to 30 for the classroom. Yikes. Still, some may find this a handy feature, perhaps in a more intimate setting.

Advanced Networking

The wired LAN allows up to 4 connected computers, while the included wireless module, HDCast Pro, screen mirrors iOS and Android devices, allowing students to project from their smart phones or tablets – this is something we are seeing more of, as many schools have employed the BYOD method (bring your own device), to make things easier on both the teacher and students in terms of presenting.

With Crestron RoomView, you can control the projector remotely from a web browser. In fact, with RoomView, up to 250 projectors can be controlled at the same time from any computer. This allows the projectors to be scheduled to be turned on and off (the off function is particularly handy when maximizing lamp life, as it is possible that a tired teacher may forget to turn the projector off on a Friday afternoon).

RoomView also has emergency text broadcast capabilities for urgent or important announcements. I could see that being highly useful in emergency situations where discretion is of the utmost importance, or for a silent, bell-less drill. I’m sure there are many more uses for a feature like that – those are just what came to mind.

Warranty

The Optoma W460 has one of the best warranties around. Three years parts and labor with three years of Optoma Express Service, plus a full year on the lamp. Incredible! Most warranties I see have 90 days on the lamp – Optoma beats out the competition by a full 9 months. The Optoma Express Service being included for the full warranty is a major plus. This service aims to keep the down time between projector replacement to a minimum, in the event of a necessary repair.

It works like any other replacement program. Call, provide serial number and proof of purchase, Optoma will ship you a refurbished projector, then you ship the defective projector back within 15 days. Note that the projector must arrive within 15 days otherwise the credit card on file will be charged for the full amount, so a good rule of thumb is to ship it back as soon as Optoma says they’re sending the refurbished unit. That’s for the first year of warranty.

If you should need to use the service during year two or three of the warranty, same process, different scenario. Optoma will ship out a loaner unit which you may use while repairs are being made on your unit. Once they’re done, Optoma will return your original projector and the loaner must be shipped back. Same deal on returning it – it must happen within 15 days of your original unit being shipped back to you.