Sony VPL-EW435 Business and Education Projector Review – Special Features

Posted on April 2, 2018 by Nikki Zelinger

Sony VPL-EW435 Business and Education Projector Review – Special Features: PC-Free Presenting, Remote Control App, Advanced Networking, Warranty

PC-Free Presenting

This is an awesome feature that I believe is necessary to business and education projectors these days. Using the on-board media player, students can load their presentations on to USB drives, then plug-and-play. This alleviates any technology frustration teachers and students might have when going from presenter to presenter.

Though we live in an age where kids are practically born with smart phones in their hands, that history teacher that’s been there since the dawn of time may not be as tech savvy as the young creative writing teacher down the hall. The ability to present without a PC makes things fast an easy, with little potential for hiccups when switching from user to user.

Now, this allows for the projection of images – not PowerPoint or Keynote files. This is a non-issue – presenters need only export their PowerPoint or Keynote presentations as ordered JPEG files to the thumb drive they intend to use. In some cases, this PC-free approach using images rather than a computer with a PowerPoint file open may reduce the chance of lag, allowing for a seamless presentation.

Remote Control App

Sony has an iOS and Android app for controlling their business and education projectors. It was an easy find in the App Store (iPhone 7 user here), called IP Remote for Professional Displays and Projectors, a real flashy name, I know. The app’s favicon is pictured to the left.

It takes a little bit of setup in that you need to enter the projector’s IP address for this to work. That information is located within the projector’s menus. From the app, users can turn the Sony VPL-EW435 on and off, access and navigate the menus, change the aspect ratio, adjust keystone correction, and project a test pattern for installing the projector. There are also “buttons” for Focus, Zoom, and Shift, but as the EW435 does not have powered zoom, focus, or lens shift, these options are null.

The app has two screens to control the projector with. The second screen allows the user to quickly change inputs, and has the Blank and Freeze buttons to cut out the video or freeze it on a still frame without pausing content. Also accessible from this screen are the volume controls – volume up, volume down, and mute. This is a convenient tool for teachers and team leaders who either do not wish to carry the remote around the room, or else are habitual remote-losers.

Advanced Networking

Sony VPL-EW435 Wireless LAN — The Sony VPL-EW435 has wireless capabilities via the optional Wireless LAN Module.

In addition to the regular wired LAN we all know and love, the Sony VPL-EW435 has wireless LAN capabilities via the optional wireless module (IFU-WLM3), which sells for $79.99 at online retailers like B&H Photo and Adorama.

Up to four users can project simultaneously, which eight total can be connected at one time. The included software, Projector Station for Network Presentation, is available for both PC and Mac – a major plus considering not all projectors these days are Mac compatible.

Projector status can be monitored and managed remotely using the Projector Station for Network Control software, also included, from any networked computer. In addition, the projector is endowed with IP control sync, which allows for system expansion.

Control signals such as on/off and input select can be distributed from a master projector to various “sub” projectors on a network. Some schools may not need all of these networking capabilities, but others may find the advanced features are just what they’re looking for.

Warranty

The Sony VPL-EW435 has a three-year parts and labor warranty, with 90 days on the lamp. Such a warranty is not unheard of in the projector world, though it is not a common commodity. Excellent warranties such as this really ups the projector’s value proposition, as that’s three years of worry-free use. Next up is our tour of the hardware, where we will discuss the projector’s layout, its inputs and connectors panel, lens, control panel, physical remote control, and the menu system.

Sony VPL-EW435 Business and Education Projector Review – Special Features: PC-Free Presenting, Remote Control App, Advanced Networking, Warranty

PC-Free Presenting

This is an awesome feature that I believe is necessary to business and education projectors these days. Using the on-board media player, students can load their presentations on to USB drives, then plug-and-play. This alleviates any technology frustration teachers and students might have when going from presenter to presenter.

Though we live in an age where kids are practically born with smart phones in their hands, that history teacher that’s been there since the dawn of time may not be as tech savvy as the young creative writing teacher down the hall. The ability to present without a PC makes things fast an easy, with little potential for hiccups when switching from user to user.

Now, this allows for the projection of images – not PowerPoint or Keynote files. This is a non-issue – presenters need only export their PowerPoint or Keynote presentations as ordered JPEG files to the thumb drive they intend to use. In some cases, this PC-free approach using images rather than a computer with a PowerPoint file open may reduce the chance of lag, allowing for a seamless presentation.

Remote Control App

Sony has an iOS and Android app for controlling their business and education projectors. It was an easy find in the App Store (iPhone 7 user here), called IP Remote for Professional Displays and Projectors, a real flashy name, I know. The app’s favicon is pictured to the left.

It takes a little bit of setup in that you need to enter the projector’s IP address for this to work. That information is located within the projector’s menus. From the app, users can turn the Sony VPL-EW435 on and off, access and navigate the menus, change the aspect ratio, adjust keystone correction, and project a test pattern for installing the projector. There are also “buttons” for Focus, Zoom, and Shift, but as the EW435 does not have powered zoom, focus, or lens shift, these options are null.

The app has two screens to control the projector with. The second screen allows the user to quickly change inputs, and has the Blank and Freeze buttons to cut out the video or freeze it on a still frame without pausing content. Also accessible from this screen are the volume controls – volume up, volume down, and mute. This is a convenient tool for teachers and team leaders who either do not wish to carry the remote around the room, or else are habitual remote-losers.

Advanced Networking

In addition to the regular wired LAN we all know and love, the Sony VPL-EW435 has wireless LAN capabilities via the optional wireless module (IFU-WLM3), which sells for $79.99 at online retailers like B&H Photo and Adorama.

Up to four users can project simultaneously, which eight total can be connected at one time. The included software, Projector Station for Network Presentation, is available for both PC and Mac – a major plus considering not all projectors these days are Mac compatible.

Projector status can be monitored and managed remotely using the Projector Station for Network Control software, also included, from any networked computer. In addition, the projector is endowed with IP control sync, which allows for system expansion.

Control signals such as on/off and input select can be distributed from a master projector to various “sub” projectors on a network. Some schools may not need all of these networking capabilities, but others may find the advanced features are just what they’re looking for.

Warranty

The Sony VPL-EW435 has a three-year parts and labor warranty, with 90 days on the lamp. Such a warranty is not unheard of in the projector world, though it is not a common commodity. Excellent warranties such as this really ups the projector’s value proposition, as that’s three years of worry-free use. Next up is our tour of the hardware, where we will discuss the projector’s layout, its inputs and connectors panel, lens, control panel, physical remote control, and the menu system.