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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program I am a teacher and am using two versions of this projector currently in my classrooms, the EX7210 and the EX3210. This review includes both general information about the two projectors and describes the differences between them.
General review of the Epson Multimedia Projector: Applicable to both models
The projector itself is smaller than I expected. It is also reasonably light and comes with a carry case for easy transport. As teacher who moves from room to room the portability is handy. The carry case has a strap long enough to throw it over your shoulder, a real plus when you are juggling stuff between classrooms. The case has a front pocket for the power cord and remote as well. The manual and CD (for extra info) are originally packed inside this front pocket of the case.
Inputs:
The projector is absolutely idiot proof when it comes to inputs. You can push the button that says Source Search and it will find where you are trying to input and start displaying the information.
Light output:
Light output is strong enough that Powerpoint presentations can be seen with the projector 20 feet away from the screen (this is as far back as I can get it in the room in partially lit room. Partially lit in this case is defined as the overhead lights are off but the three windows do not have blinds. The room is bright enough that the students can easily see their papers and take notes (and I can see the students!). These projectors put out 2800 lumens (a lumen is a unit of visible light emitted by a source). The school has 1500 lumen projectors, which I rarely used because the lights had to be all the way off for the student to see the projections, and that leads to trouble.
Sound output:
It has built in speakers and they are loud enough for use in a room with 50 students but just barely. In the smaller room with 25 kids it is great. If you use it with a laptop I would suggest adding some speakers for sound.
Noise and Heat:
They hum. The fan whirs. Not very loud but it is audible. They get hot, and fast. This is one problem because you need to let them sit for a few minutes after using so the fan can cool the bulb down before you unplug it. That means I have to remember to turn them off a few minutes before class ends. If you are leaving it in one place this is not a problem. If you have to run, it might be.
Differences:
Want to watch movies? You want the EX7210 with the HDMI input.
I see two main difference between the EX7210 and the EX3210 (besides the color) . The first is the inputs. The EX7210 has HDMI inputs and a higher resolution (1280 X 800 for the EX7210 and 800 X 600 for the E3210). The difference is clearly visible. If you are using the projector for video (or showing movies) the EX7210 definitely provides a clearer picture. Projected on a screen from 10 feet away movies are clear, sharp and very little pixilation is visible.
Just want to use it for presentations?
If you are using the projector for business presentations (Powerpoint and such) the lower end EX3210 is plenty good enough. I have often been using it to project a grid onto the classroom chalkboard for graphing. I can then switch to the next image with the answer and the student can see if their solution was correct. This is a godsend, as it is difficult to graph on a chalkboard with any accuracy without a grid. The projector even has a setting for the chalkboard, which takes into account its greenish grey color and counteracts the color change. It is bright enough to project a clear grid. The only small problem is keeping out of the way so you don't block the image.
And other uses
The projector can also be used in science class to project a clear slide of one color of light to show color absorption and reflection. I know this is not what it was designed for at all, but it works very well for this purpose. I simply made an image of the various colors I want to compare and since the projector uses LCD to make the light the wavelengths are very precise. Although this will probably not be useful for most users it does show you how clear a projection the device yields.
Other issues:
I originally tried to use the projectors with really cheap (think less than a cup of high end coffee) 25 foot long HDMI cables. This caused some problems, with the signal dropping out every once in a while. Digital is either all there, or not. With a slightly better (think two fast food dinners) 25 foot cable I did not have this problem.
The replacement lamp is currently just over 160 dollars on Amazon. Since it is rated for 4,000 hours that is a lot of science and math.
I cannot speak to the price/value for these projectors (as I only have these and the school ones but they are a LOT better than the school provided ones. Everybody wants to borrow them, and since they are easy to move around it is simple to loan them out.
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