Home > Consumer Reviews > Epson Powerlite 76C LCD Projector

I bought this projector in exchange for Epson PowerLite S3. S3 has excellent reviews and very low price, so I wanted to try it first. Very good projector, but two things are missing - optical zoom and high resolution. 76C is just like S3, but it does have optical zoom and 1024by768 resolution. Image quality is great. Images are also very bright, enough to see during daytime in a well lit room (but may not be bright enough for direct sun light). Design is great and operation is very easy. Menu options are actually very intuitive and logical - something that is not common with many other projects. Overall - great product, definitely worth the price.

I recently purchased the Epson 76c. I use it for watching DVD's and television. I havent't used it with a computer. The DVD player is connected with an S-video cable and the television (cable box) is connected with RCA cable. I can't give the unit 5 stars because I don't really have any way to compare it with other projectors. The stores around here that sell projectors don't have them on display like the big screen TV's. The advantages of a projector are obvious; small size, large picture, cost ($1,000 vs. $2,000 or more for big screen TV). The projector bulb does need to be replaced every 2000 to 3000 hours at cost of around $300. I have the projector down the basement where it is fairly dark. I originally projected the image on a wall. I experimented with different types of paint and found that flat white is about the best. DO NOT use gloss white paint!
Later I purchased an inexpensive screen that is slightly better than a white wall. The controls on the 76c are very easy to use. Several features that I like on the unit include the two different light settings; the low setting is for dark rooms(like my basement) and the high setting is for well lit rooms. Also, the low setting will extend bulb life. There are two rings on the projector, one for focus and one for image size. If you go with a projector, make sure you get one with XGA resolution(1024 x 768) (like the 76c) which has almost twice the pixels as SVGA (800 x 600).

Of all the LCD projectors this one gives the most bang for the buck, and I definitely would rather have the slight screen door effect than the rainbow effect on the DLP type. The only complaint I have so far, after a week of use, is that the fan on high speed, needed here due to the altitude, is much louder than I would have expected. I can run the projector in the low light mode, but the 7,500' altitude requires high speed fan operation. No one ever cited that in reviews.

In my line of work, I do about twenty to thirty hours of presentations a week. I have to set up and break down my computer and projector on a daily basis. My Epson Powerlite is a godsend. It is powerful, has great resolution, is light and easy to carry, connects to both a Mac and a PC easily, and best of all is quiet. I love that it comes with a case that was intelligently designed. It is padded, protected, and well positioned so that it easily carries on your shoulder. The image is easily resized (which comes in handy because rooms are not always the same dimensions). The resolution is great when the projector is ten feet from the screen as well as ninety feet. I have a tendency to abuse my electronics, because I have to travel with them so often. The Epson projector and my Macbook Pro have held up to the extreme beating with flying colors. It's a great combination that comes complete with all of the cabling you'll need to operate. The only other purchase I've had to make is an extension cord. This is a topflight projector.

The Epson Powerlite 76C LCD Projector is awesome, and working perfectly and easily for what I need. I project my laptop on the wall for various demos of software, and everybody loves the clarity and crispness of this projector. I've even watched about 4 movies on it, some for my kids, and it's better than I ever imagined.

It is quiet, powers up and down quickly, and has two very easy and intuitive knobs around the lens which make it easy to focus and adjust the zoom or size of the projection, within limits. Overall it's exactly what I need for cheaper than I thought.