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Highly Recommended Award
Our Highly Recommended designation is earned by products offering extraordinary value or performance in their price class.
The Epson PowerLite Pro G5450WUNL is a 1920x1200, or WUXGA, projector that sets a new standard for high-resolution projection. It combines a maximum 4,000 lumen light output with the highest resolution available in a presentation projector, then adds a pile of useful features ranging from wireless projection and management to interchangeable lenses and a DICOM simulation mode for medical training applications. With H/V lens shift and a connection panel that incorporates every port under the sun, the G5450WUNL sells for $2600 without a lens or $4000 with the standard 1.8:1 zoom, making it one of the least expensive WUXGA projectors on the market.
Applications/Best Uses
The real defining feature of the G5450WUNL (henceforth referred to as the G5450) is its high resolution of 1920 by 1200. WUXGA is not the highest resolution available in a projector, but while 2K and 4K resolution projectors are available, these high-end models cost many times more than the G5450. So consider WUXGA the highest resolution available under $5,000. This resolution takes 1080p and expands it to a 16:10 aspect ratio, making it a perfect match for a high-resolution computer instead of an HD video source.
High-resolution projectors like the G5450 have a number of applications in business and beyond. Schematics and other highly detailed graphic images are best displayed on a high-resolution projector, as are complex spreadsheets or photographs. In fact, with the G5450's color performance being as good as it is, photography clubs may want to invest in one for group showings.
Art history and appreciation classes could be improved with the addition of higher-resolution views of the art in question, and the G5450's color performance is of benefit here as well. The projector's DICOM simulation mode, meant to mimic the performance of medical instrumentation, is of use in medical training and testing applications where the cost of a full DICOM system is not an option.
The G5450 has interchangeable lenses, but the standard 1.8:1 lens will be sufficient for many people. This lens can produce a 120" diagonal 16:10 image from 10' 11" to 19' 7". However, should the standard lens not suit your needs, the others probably will. In total, including all of the lenses, the G5450 can project a 120" diagonal image from anywhere between 10' 11" and 59' 2". There is also a fixed focal length option for rear projection. Manual horizontal and vertical lens shift is available, with 2.25 picture heights of total vertical range and a more limited 0.25 picture widths, which makes rear shelf mounting an option in addition to the more conventional ceiling and table mounts. Since the lens shift range is biased towards one side (you can place the image well below the lens centerline, but only slightly above it), ceiling mounts might require a drop tube. Table placement can be difficult since the G5450 has a powerful fan and produces quite a bit of heat, so any members of the audience sitting forward of the projector may feel uncomfortably warm.
Advantages
Image quality. The G5450 delivers a superb picture with excellent sharpness, depth, and clarity. On our test sample, uniformity measured a solid 85% with the lens at its widest angle and 88% using the opposite end of the zoom range. As far as contrast is concerned, black level is surprisingly good and shadow detail remarkably well-defined during normal use. Color is a strong point, with solid performance out of the box and the controls necessary to calibrate the projector to near-perfection. The picture is sharp and detail is clear with native resolution signals, while lower-resolution signals are up-converted cleanly and without too many artifacts.
While video is not the main application for this projector, we did not see any flaws peculiar to video that would preclude the G5450 from being used in that capacity. In fact, the G5450's sharp picture, good color saturation, and low level of noise make video look quite natural and less digital than it does on many other comparable projectors. Even judder and 3:2 pulldown were well-controlled. If you need a multipurpose projector that can handle data and video, the G5450 is an excellent choice.
Color. The G5450's color performance is impressive in two ways. First of all, its default settings in Photo and sRGB mode are quite good as factory calibrations go, and should suffice for many users who simply want a good-looking picture on the screen without a lot of fuss. Secondly, for those who want the best color performance they can get, the G5450 offers a full suite of color calibration controls for both grayscale and gamut, and an hour spent with a meter yielded a picture very close to established color standards. This feature is more commonly found on home theater projectors than presentation projectors, but its inclusion is a welcome addition.
Light output. In its brightest mode, Dynamic, our test sample of the G5450 produces 3405 lumens with the lamp at its high power setting and the lens at its widest angle. Dynamic mode has a greenish blue color cast, though not excessively so, and it emphasizes brightness over shadow detail. It is best reserved for text documents and other such high-contrast material. The best mode for general display of mixed images and text or slideshows is Presentation, which deepens black level while also improving color performance at the cost of some light output. Presentation mode measures 2782 lumens on our sample. Photo and sRGB modes are quite similar--both offer the best color accuracy available without calibration, and both measure approximately 2400 lumens. Photo has a different gamma setting than sRGB, and color controls are locked in sRGB mode, but otherwise the two modes are nearly identical. Finally, DICOM SIM offers a markedly different gamma profile than other image modes while producing 2377 lumens. This mode is useful in medical training environments. Low lamp reduces output in any mode by 21%, while the 1.8:1 zoom lens causes a reduction of 29%. Using both at once cuts light output in half compared to the maximum, so ambient light control may become important in these situations.
Connectivity. The G5450 has more connections than you can shake a stick at, even by fixed-installation projector standards. For video, the available connections include HDMI, DVI-D, 5-BNC component, VGA, a VGA monitor passthrough, s-video, RCA composite, and BNC composite video. Additionally, a USB thumb drive can be used to display picture slide shows without the use of a computer. For audio, there are three 1/8" audio inputs and a stereo L/R RCA audio input. For data, the G5450 features a USB port, an RJ45 networking port for both presentation and control, and an optional WiFi networking adapter for the same. An RS-232C port and a 1/8" wired remote port round out the connection panel. As this can lead to a cluttered set of connections, Epson includes a cable cover with the projector to help hide some of the mess.
Three year warranty. The G5450WUXNL comes standard with a three-year warranty plus 90 days of lamp coverage. The warranty also includes Epson's Road Service guarantee, wherein any problem with the projector during the warranty period will result in a replacement unit being overnighted to you free of charge, plus a return shipping label for your broken projector. While this warranty is obviously of great benefit to those who use their projectors on the road, it is equally helpful for any business in need of a speedy replacement for their malfunctioning projector.
DICOM simulation mode. DICOM, or Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine, is a set of standards for the storage, transmission, and display of medical images. While the G5450 cannot be used as an actual DICOM monitor, it can simulate one using the "DICOM SIM" mode for use in medical training and educational settings. DICOM SIM mode changes the projector's gamma to more closely resemble that used by medical displays, which increases clarity, especially in black and white images. This opens up another possible application for the G5450 in medical classrooms.
Split screen. The G5450 has a whole suite of tools for group presentations, but one of the most important is the split screen mode. The split screen function is onboard the projector itself and requires no networking or special configuration. You simply attach two sources and tell the projector which ones you'd like to use, and moments later you have two pictures up at once. Only one digital input can be used at a time, so you can't do DVI-D and HDMI for example, but you can do HDMI and component, or DVI-D and VGA, or any other combination. The images can be of equal size or weighted so that the left or right is larger, which can be useful when trying to direct the focus of your audience. Four-way split screen is also available, and can be used with any four PC sources plus up to sixteen networked computers. This capability requires the controlling computer as well as any networked computers to be running Epson's presentation software.
Remote management. While the users might not care about these features, their tech support department certainly will. The G5450 can be controlled over a wired or wireless network using Crestron's RoomView system, which makes it easy for an IT department to keep tabs on all of their deployed projectors from one location. This is helpful when someone forgets to turn off a projector or is having trouble setting it up correctly, since the tech support staff can fix these problems without ever having to touch the projector. In addition, the G5450 even has the ability to send email to up to three addresses upon certain events, such as an air filter or lamp nearing replacement time, a projector overheating, or a general system error. Have that email sent to your smartphone, and all of a sudden the tech support team can manage your projector fleet while working on other projects.
Fan noise. The G5450's fan is certainly audible during operation, with the low-pitched sound of the exhaust always present while the projector is running. However, fan noise is reduced significantly when the lamp is set to Low, and in this setting the G5450 is much quieter. While the projector is never silent, nor could it ever be mistaken for such, it puts out relatively little noise compared to how bright it is and compares favorably to its competition in this regard.
Limitations
Large Venue. The G5450 is ideal for medium to large sized conference rooms, and its impressive collection of features will make it a valuable addition to any such space. However, some features, such as the suite of long-throw lenses that allow placement up to 60' away from the screen, are obviously intended for large venues. However, with a maximum light output of roughly 3400 lumens, the G5450 is not bright enough for most large-venue installations, despite having features that would be useful in such a situation. The G5450's sister projector, the G5750, is slightly brighter with a 4,500 lumen spec.
Lens sold separately. The "NL" in G5450WUNL stands for "No Lens." The projector is sold bare and lenses must be purchased separately. The standard 1.8:1 zoom lens is the least expensive at $1,399 MSRP, bringing the total cost of the projector to $4,000. The other lenses all cost $1,899, bringing total cost to $4,500.
Conclusion
The Epson Powerlite Pro G5450 is an outstanding offering from Epson, carving out a new niche as a high resolution projector ideal for medium-sized conference rooms and classrooms. Its suite of features makes it a great choice for installation across a business's meeting rooms or a school's smaller lecture halls, while its accurate color makes it perfect for photography, art, and other applications where color accuracy is critical. Even though several long-throw lenses are available, the projector is not quite bright enough for very large (200" and larger) screen sizes. Overall, the value proposition represented by the Epson G5450 is superb, and we enthusiastically give it our highest recommendation.
For more detailed specifications and connections, check out our Epson PowerLite Pro G5450WUNL projector page.
