Epson LightScene EV-100 Laser Projector Review - Hardware 2

Epson LightScene EV-100 Laser Projector Review – Hardware 2: Control Panel, Remote Control, Menus

To maintain its clean appearance the EV-100 doesn’t have a control panel. Except for a power button located on the power supply unit, there are no buttons or controls on the EV-100. All settings adjustments must be done using the remote control, over the network via a compatible web browser.

The layout of the EV-100 remote control is organized into multiple sections. The top section contains the power button and dedicated input buttons for the three sources (HDMI, LAN and SD card). There is also an AV mute button which turns off the picture and sound and dedicated button to trigger Spotlight mode.

The next section contains numeric buttons which can be used to select a desired playlist stored on an inserted SD Card. The third section contains buttons used to navigate the projector’s menu. There is an ID switch button which you can use to control multiple projectors individually or as a group.  The user button can be customized for quick direct access to a specific projector menu or adjustment such as light source mode, brightness level, info or messages.

In the fourth area, there are buttons for several additional commonly used adjustments like focus, zoom and volume.  There are also buttons to access test patterns and adjust keystone. The SD button is used to select and start a playlist stored on the SD card. The final button is the Effect button which overlays shape effects and colors filters on to a projected image video or spotlight.

The images of the menu shown in this section represent only a small number of all the sub-menus available. I tried to show a couple more notable sections found in the most used sub-menus (image, setting and networking, etc.). The menus on the EV-100 are almost identical to Epson’s lamp-based models, except for items relating to it being laser-based rather than lamp-based. Epson’s overall menu structures haven’t changed in well over a decade. Their system is good – well organized and easy to navigate. The type size on the menus is a little on the small size compared to some, but very readable at a “normal” distance.