Epson VS335 Projector Review - Summary

Posted on April 16, 2014 by Art Feierman

The Epson VS335W provides a bright, sharp image with good color accuracy (in some of the available color modes). It is easy to set up with its 1.2:1 zoom lens plus vertical and horizontal keystone correction adjustments. It offers some very bright modes that will allow it to used in a educational setting with a relatively large screen size or with moderately bright room lighting. Since this is a portable projector it will normally be table mounted, but can be ceiling mounted with an optional ceiling mount. From a weight standpoint, traveling with the VS335W would be no more trouble than carrying a typical laptop PC.

Pros

very sharp display with good focus over the entire image
no color fringing visible on displayed text from normal viewing distance, and only minor color viewing when viewed up very close, indicating good alignment of the LCD panels and also good optics
excellent readability of text and presentation graphics limited only by this projector’s WXGA (1280 x 800) native resolution
excellent scaling from higher resolution inputs down to the projector's native display resolution
can display photos (jpg, bmp, gif or png file types), or video (avi file type), directly from a USB flash drive
high light output (2000+ lumens) possible even in modes with good color accuracy and even brighter modes available with 2500+ lumens of light output
supports use of an optional wireless network adapter, which enables a wireless connection to a PC
has both automatic/manual vertical and manual horizontal keystone correction adjustments for when the projector cannot be positioned at the ideal location relative to the screen.
low replacement lamp cost ($99 list price) combined with a long lamp life (5,000 hours in normal mode) means low maintenance costs
Excellent overall performance for a low-cost ($529), entry-level, WXGA business projector

Cons

remote can be difficult to operate in a dark room, since it has no backlight
dust filter that must be maintained
a moderately high black level and a modest contrast ratio means that while suitable for viewing typical business presentations, the VS335W is not the ideal choice for more critical viewing when used in a darkened room with good light control (i.e., such as might be desired for viewing high quality photos or video).
moderately high fan noise level when operated in normal mode
even though this projector has enough light output for use with screen sizes frequently found in a large room, the small 1 watt built-in speaker provides only adequate audio volume for use in smaller size classrooms
there are no built-in network connectors provided on the projector, thus forcing the purchase of the optional Epson wireless adapter if network support is needed