Epson touts sub-$1,000 projector

Epson America this week announced its new $999 Epson PowerLite S1, a 1,200-lumen portable projector for presentation environments and video applications. The projector also includes a lamp that offers 2,000 hours of life and replaceable for $199, Epson said. The projector will be available in June at national retailers, audio/visual dealers, mail order and PC resellers, Epson said.

The 7-lb. PowerLite S1 has three 0.5-inch LCD panels to project in SVGA (800 by 600) resolution, and with a contrast ratio of 400:1, Epson said. The projector also has a new case that helps “reduce light leakage, which contributes to extremely quiet operation,” the company said. Setup is made simpler through the use of color-coded connections and buttons on the control panel. For example, when the power button is pressed, the projector emits a “verification tone” to let them know that the power is on, and the image will appear in about six seconds, Epson said. In addition, the cool-off period on the projector has been reduced to 20 seconds or less, giving users a chance to quickly move and store the projector.

Video features added to the projector include a high-end component video input, and pre-programmed color modes that “enhance images associated with different applications and video sources,” Epson said. Standard 4:3 or wide format 16:9 aspect ratios can also selected via the remote control. For more details, go to the Epson Presenters Online Web site.