Epson BrightLink 595Wi Projector Review

Based on Art's earlier review of the similar BrightLink 585Wi, I expected Epson’s BrightLink 595Wi, to be a great performer and it didn't disappoint.  This top-of-the line classroom projector offers similar performance as the 585Wi but adds even more interactive capabilities.  Sharpness, often a challenge with ultra short throw projectors, is not an issue for the 595Wi as it offers excellent focus, rivaling traditional throw distance projectors.

While this model is marketed as a education/classroom model, in reality, the Brightlink 595Wi is just as at home in a corporate boardroom, conference room or training room.  It’s also very suitable for use at trade shows and other events where interactivity is designed, and fast, smooth operation demanded.

Networking features are advanced.  Network administrators should find all the features they are looking for.  The 595Wi has both wired – LAN networking, and Wireless.  Wireless is accomplished by simply inserting an optional wireless dongle into its slot, and, of course configuring.

Of course if your purpose is to place one of these (or its siblings) in a school classroom, then you’ll appreciate that Epson offers an aggressive education program.

The Epson Brighter Futures education program includes discounts from the $2399 MSRP, an extra year of warranty, and an extra year of their support programs. Finally, schools get to purchase Epson’s long life replacement lamps for less than $100, that’s about half to 1/3 of what most lamps sell for these days.

This model is intended to be wall-mounted in an inverted orientation directly above a wall mounted whiteboard or, alternatively, mounted vertically projecting downward onto a tabletop.  In fact the finger touch interactive feature cannot be setup nor used when this projector is sitting on a table.  Note that the other BrightLink models that lack the finger touch feature can be table mounted.   Being a classroom projector I would expect it to normally be mounted to a wall, using the supplied mount, just few inches above the vertical projection surface (typically a wall mounted whiteboard).  As an added bonus, it can be used to project onto a horizontal 'screen' including using a table top as the display surface.  This creates an interactive table.  That may work well in a small classroom, an engineering station, or a museum display.  The interactivity is the key reason for that type of setup and the 595Wi with both interactive pens and multi-finger touch sensing enables really advanced interactive capabilities.

Epson offers multiple mounting options and the photo at the top of this page shows the 595Wi with the included wall mount.

The Epson comes with two interactive pens and a pen case along with a "finger touch module", that enables the simultaneous touch locations of up to 6 fingers to be detected.

Remember, if you plan to use this projector interactively, that a traditional screen surface really doesn’t work with the supplied interactive pens.  A whiteboard or a “hybrid” combination of screen and whiteboard work better.  The primary reason are the pens.  They are pressure sensitive, so pressing against a traditional screen surface is just going to push that surface in an inch or so, before the pen’s contacts click.  In other words, you’ll end up stretching the screen surface, not a good thing.

We wish to thank Epson America for sponsoring this year's Best Classroom Projectors report, in which this projector is considered.