The Epson EX3200 Multimedia Projector ($369.99 direct) is an easy-to-use portable projector for business travelers on a shoestring. It doesn’t have a huge range of connection choices, and its image quality is so-so, but it’s simple to set up, connect to a PC, and run a data presentation

The EX3200’s light source, based on the 3LCD technology developed by Epson, is rated at 2,600 lumens. The projector provides SXGA (800 by 600 pixel) native resolution, at a 4:3 aspect ratio befitting a data projector. It lacks a manual zoom, providing a 1.35 digital zoom instead.

The glossy white EX3200 is fairly compact and lightweight, measuring 3.1 by 11.6 by 9.0 inches (HWD), including feet, and weighing 5.1 pounds. A soft carrying case adds to its portability.

The Epson EX3200 Multimedia Projector has a modest selection of ports: VGA-in (which doubles as component video; S-video; audio-in and audio-out; an RCA video jack; and a type B USB port for connecting with a PC. The latter is a nice touch, as its USB Plug ‘n Play provides easy and fast connectivity with both Macs and Windows PCs, helpful for businesspeople who need to set up and run a presentation in a hurry.

Still and Video Image Testing

From a distance of about eight feet away, the EX3200 filled our test screen with an image about 65 inches (measured diagonally). The image was bright in a darkened room, and stood up to a fair amount of ambient light, making it suitable for smallish conference rooms.

In our testing using the DisplayMate suite, the EX3200’s data image quality proved typical of a low-priced SVGA data projector: adequate for basic business presentations, though not without flaws. There was occasional tinting; for example, some bright white areas had a slight yellowish tinge, and grays sometimes looked a bit greenish. IN our text testing, white-on-black text appeared slightly fuzzy and tinted a bit yellow at the two smallest sizes, while black on white type was fuzzy, though readable, at the smallest size. One image showed misregistration, where zones of different shading didn’t quite line up; a very thin, bright gap showed between them.

The EX3200’s video quality is sufficient for showing short clips as a part of a presentation, but I wouldn’t recommend it for longer clips, let alone movies. I noted some loss of detail in bright areas in our test clips, as well as posterization—abrupt changes in color where they should be gradual. Some colors didn’t look quite right (for instance, one normally blue night scene just appeared dark), and I’d frequently see artifacts in the form of hatching or jaggedness in scenes portraying motion or when the camera was quickly panning.

Also limiting the EX3200’s utility for projecting video is the fact that audio from the single 1-watt built-in speaker is hard to hear unless you’re very close to the projector.

The Epson EX3200 Multimedia Projector is best as a very portable and easy to set up budget projector for business travelers who need to make data presentations to small groups. There are many similar SVGA projectors on the market, such as the Dell 1210S  ($419 list, 3.5 stars). The Optoma Pro160S  ($500 street, 3.5 stars) has similar image quality and features, but it adds an HDMI port, a rarity on low-res projectors. For better image quality, higher resolution, and more features, the Editors’ Choice NEC NP-M260W  ($850 street, 4 stars) should fit the bill, though at a commensurately higher price.

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