Epson PowerLite 1880

Epson PowerLite 1880 MultiMedia Projector

Any projector that boasts the 4,000 lumen rating that the Epson PowerLite 1880 MultiMedia Projector ($1399 direct) offers is an obvious candidate for a mid- to large-size conference room or classroom. At that level of brightness, you should be able to throw an image that's large enough to let you see details easily even from the back of the room and still stands up to ambient light. The PowerLite 1880 lives up to that expectation and adds high quality for data images as well, making it a particularly good choice for the job. Built around an LCD-based, XGA (1,024 by 768) engine, the PowerLite 1880 weighs just 7.4 pounds. That's a pound heavier than the DLP-based WXGA (1,280 by 800) Optoma TW762 ($1,100 street, 3 stars), another 4,000 lumen projector that I recently reviewed. However, the two are close enough in weight to share essentially the same level of portability. Projectors in this general weight class are most likely to wind up permanently installed or on a cart for moving from room to room. On the other hand, they're also light enough for carrying with you at least occasionally. Optoma even provides a soft carrying case with the TW762.