I liked the Epson PowerLite 1775W Multimedia Projector ($1,199 direct) as soon as I turned it on and its automatic keystone correction engaged to right a crooked image. This slim and ultra-light yet bright business projector gave me no reason to alter that first impression as I took it through its paces. In fact, it’s impressive enough to make it an Editors’ Choice as an ultra-light WXGA projector.

The 1775W is rated at 3,000 ANSI lumens of brightness, and has native WXGA (1,280 by 800) resolution, compatible with widescreen laptops with a 16:10 aspect ratio. The projector’s light engine employs the 3LCD technology that Epson helped develop.

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Excluding the feet, the brown and white projector measures 1.7 by 11.5 by 8.3 inches (HWD) and weighs 3.8 pounds. It’s reminiscent in form to the Casio Green Slim XJ-A250 ($1,399.99 direct, 4 stars), which has almost identical dimensions but tips the scale at 5 pounds. To focus the projector, you must use left and right arrow buttons (either from the projector or the remote control). This changes the focus in precise increments and is good enough to get a sharp image. The projector comes with a soft carrying case replete with several pouches.

As was the case with the Casio Green Slim, the 1775W has a modest number of ports compared with many data projectors, but it has the ports that count: VGA, HDMI, RCA video, audio in; a type B USB port for keyboard and mouse control; and a type A USB port for running a presentation off of a USB thumb drive.

It also has a secret weapon: 802.11 b/g/n wireless connectivity, when used with an included dongle that plugs into the thumb-drive port. You can stream content to the 1775W, as well as control basic projector functions through a Web browser. Wi-Fi connectivity is still uncommon among projectors; those that provide LAN connectivity tend to use Ethernet ports.

Still and Video Image Testing
The PowerLite did very well in our DisplayMate testing. Text was readable (if a little fuzzy) down to the smallest size. Some white and gray areas in another test showed the slightest traces of a tint, but not enough to distract anyone if they’d even notice it. Presenters shouldn’t have any problems with image quality. The PowerLite1775W was able to project an 80-inch diagonal image that stood up well to substantial ambient light.

In video testing, using selected scenes from Terminator 2 and The West Wing, video quality was good. Apart from a modest loss of detail in some very bright scenes, I encountered no issues worth mention. And the audio is good, too. Though still modest in volume, it’s louder than many portable projectors with a similar built in 1-watt speaker. The sound quality was pleasing, too. Provided the room isn’t too large, the PowerLite 1775W is capable of showing longer video clips or even movies.

Bulb Life

The Casio Green Slim XJ-A250, which uses a unique hybrid LED-laser light engine, stands out for its phenomenal claimed 20,000-hour lamp life when most standard projectors can barely manage a tenth of that. While the 1775W’s claimed 4,000-hour lamp life (in both standard and eco mode) is impressive for an LCD projector, it can’t begin to approach the Casio Green Slim’s lamp life. The Epson costs $200 less than the Casio Green Slim; you could buy a replacement bulb for the 1775W with the difference in price.

The Green Slim’s amazing lamp longevity seemingly comes at the cost of image quality, with both still and video images showing a slight color shift towards the blue in our testing. The Epson PowerLite 1775W Multimedia Projector passed its image quality tests with flying (and realistic-looking) colors. It packs 3,000 lumens, yet weighs only 3.8 pounds, and is easy to set up and use. Automatic keystone correction and Wi-Fi connectivity are great touches. All of these factors make the 1775W our first Editors’ Choice as an ultra-light (3- to 5-pound) WXGA projector.

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