Number-One Selling Projector Brand Worldwide Epson Offers Feature-Rich PowerLite 83c Projector Designed For K-12 Educators

LONG BEACH, Calif., April 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Multimedia projectors are becoming a necessity for the classroom, enabling educators to take learning to the next level with vibrant colorful displays, a range of multimedia content and interactive collaboration technologies to better engage students. Epson, the number-one selling brand of front projectors worldwide(1), today announced its latest product designed for the education market -- the Epson PowerLite(R) 83c ($899 estimated street price), delivering up to 2200 lumens of brightness, a seven-watt speaker, a built-in closed captioning decoder, wired LAN connectivity for easy monitoring and control, and energy-efficient lamp technology for more added cost savings. Campus technicians will like this projector as much as the educators will love using it in their classrooms.

"Epson is committed to exceeding the needs of educators and develops projectors that reflect our number-one position in the industry," said Daniel Oey, group product manager, Epson America, Inc. "The improved functionality of the PowerLite 83c is a direct result of feedback received from education customers about previous products, which helped design a projector that presents engaging content in classrooms in a cost efficient package."

The Epson PowerLite 83c features a built-in closed captioning decoder for hearing impaired students. This offers schools a low-cost solution for meeting part of their ADA508 requirements without having to purchase and install external decoders. In addition, the PowerLite 83c offers RJ-45 wired LAN connectivity for remote monitoring via the school's IT network, regardless of the physical location of the projector. Finally, a seven-watt speaker provides powerful sound to fill an entire classroom and help capture the attention of students.

Understanding that educators must adhere to strict budget requirements, Epson offers a unique sales and support initiative that is available specifically for schools -- the Brighter Futures(TM) program. Brighter Futures is designed to help educators select and implement the best products for their classrooms, while making the most of their budgets. Across Epson's full line of projectors, the program offers special pricing and Epson's limited warranty extended to three years of coverage, dedicated education account managers and toll-free technical support.

The Epson PowerLite 83c also features Epson's E-TORL(TM) lamp technology which achieves a more efficient lumens (brightness) per watt and a relatively overall lower power consumption than many competitive models. Based upon the projector's efficient wattage and relatively low power consumption, schools may be able to save energy costs compared to competitive models. This technology also allows the projector's lamp to last up to 4,000 hours (as compared with 3,000 hours in the predecessor model) for added cost savings.

The Epson PowerLite 83c offers a wealth of features, making it a reliable asset that is easy for educators and campus technicians to use and manage. Some of these features include:

* Light and Bright -- At only 6.4 pounds, the projector can easily be moved from classroom to classroom while offering up to 2200 lumens of output for use in even well-lit rooms
* 3LCD Technology -- Using the latest generation of High Aperture Epson 3LCD technology, the projector's three-chip engine delivers natural color and more intense, sharper images; it is a solid-state optical engine that works without a moving color wheel, creating exact color reproduction, detailed video and data images that are crisp and rainbow-free with full time color
* Easy Operation -- The projector features five-second Instant On and Epson Instant Off(TM) to avoid delays when starting and finishing lectures
* Versatile Presentation Modes -- The projector has seven special color modes, including blackboard mode, for presenting in a variety of environments; in addition, 1.2 manual zoom and +/-30 degree automatic keystone correction contribute to greater setup flexibility
* Remote Network Control -- Projectors can be controlled and powered down for the night remotely via the network saving time and money since no personal contact is required
* New EMP Monitor -- Allows users to monitor projectors' status via the network and keep track of temperature conditions and regular maintenance issues, such as air flow monitoring and lamp replacement schedules
* Sleep Timer -- This feature can be set for one-to-30 minutes to turn off the projector to save energy and money when no input is being sent to the projector

Availability and Support
The Epson PowerLite 83c is available through national retailers, pro audio/visual dealers, mail order, and PC resellers in April 2007. Epson's PowerLite projectors come with a two-year limited warranty (three years for Brighter Futures customers) that includes three elite technical support services -- two-year Epson PrivateLine(TM) availability, two-year Road Service Program and two-year International Warranty. Through PrivateLine, projector owners can directly access an expedited support telephone line by using a phone card that is included with the product.

About Epson America, Inc.
Epson offers an extensive array of award-winning image capture and image output products for the consumer, business, photography and graphic arts markets. The company is also a leading supplier of value-added point-of-sale (POS) printers and transactions terminals for the retail market. Founded in 1975, Epson America, Inc. is the U.S. affiliate of Japan-based Seiko Epson Corporation, a global manufacturer and supplier of high-quality technology products that meet customer demands for increased functionality, compactness, systems integration and energy efficiency. Epson America, Inc. is headquartered in Long Beach, Calif.

Note: Epson and Epson PowerLite are registered trademarks of Seiko Epson Corporation. All other product brand names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective companies. Epson disclaims any and all rights in these trademarks.

(1) Based upon Q4 2006 worldwide front projection market share estimates from Pacific Media Resources.
Source: Epson America, Inc.