Projecting. Epson PowerLite 61p, 81P, PowerLite 81p

Projecting

O nce you’ve set up the projector, you’re ready to turn it on, adjust the image, and give your presentation.

Although you can operate the projector without it, the remote control

lets you use additional features. See Chapter 3 for instructions on

using the remote. This chapter covers the following:

■

■

Turning on the projector and other equipment

Adjusting the image

■

■

Adjusting the volume

Shutting down the projector

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Turning On Your Equipment

Make sure your projector and other equipment are set up and

connected correctly, as described in Chapter 1. Then turn on your

projector, as described below.

If you turn on your connected computer or video equipment before starting the projector, the projector automatically detects and displays the image source. If you turn on the projector first, or have multiple pieces of connected equipment, you may have to select the image

source manually. See page 32.

Turning On the Projector

Follow these steps to plug in and turn on the projector:

1. Push in the tabs and remove the lens cap.

caution

Do not use the projector with the lens cap in place. The heat generated by the lamp can damage it.

2. Connect one end of the power cord to the projector’s power inlet.

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3. Connect the other end to an electrical outlet.

The power light on top of the projector turns orange, indicating that the projector is receiving power but not yet turned on. Wait until the light stops flashing but stays orange.

4. Turn on your computer or video source if you have not already.

5. Press the P

Power

button on top of the projector to turn it on.

(You can also press the P

Power

button on the remote control.)

Power button

note

If you are using the remote control for the first time, be sure to insert the batteries as

described on the Quick

Setup poster.

Projector

Remote control

The projector beeps and the power light flashes green as the projector warms up. The projector lamp comes on in about 45 seconds and the power light stays green.

■

If you’re using a computer, you should see your computer display projected after a moment or two. If not, you need to

select the image source. See page 32.

■

■

(Windows only: If you see a message saying that it has found a plug-and-play monitor, click

Cancel

.)

If you’re projecting a video, press the

Source Search button on the projector or remote control to switch to your video source. Then press the

Play

button on your DVD player or other device.

If you are prompted to enter a password, see page 66.

warning

Never look into the lens when the lamp is on. This can damage your eyes, and is especially dangerous for children.

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To focus and adjust the image, see page 35. If a projected image fails

to appear, see “What To Do If You See a Blank Screen” on page 33.

When you’re done with your presentation, shut down the projector as

described on page 41. Shutting down the projector correctly prevents

premature lamp failure and possible damage from overheating.

note

The name of the selected image source appears in the upper right corner of the screen.

Selecting the Image Source

Selecting the image source lets you switch between images input from different pieces of equipment connected to the projector (such as a computer and DVD player). If you don’t see the image you want, press one of the following buttons on the remote control:

■

■

■

Comp 1

Press this button to move through the following options:

Computer 1 (Auto)

,

Computer 1 (RGB)

, and

Computer 1

(Component Video)

.

Comp 2

Press this button to move through the following options:

Computer 2 (Auto)

,

Computer 2 (RGB)

,

Computer 2

(Component Video)

.

S-Video

Press to select

S-Video

.

■

Video

Press to select

Video

.

You can also press the

Source Search

button on the remote control or projector until the correct device image is projected. If a projected image fails to appear, see the next section for help.

Once you see your image, turn to page 35 for instructions on focusing

and making other image adjustments.

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What To Do If You See a Blank Screen

If you see a blank screen or a blue screen with the message

No Signal after turning on your computer or video source, try the following:

■

■

■

■

Make sure the cables are connected correctly, as described in

Chapter 1.

Make sure the power light is green and not flashing and the lens cap is off.

Make sure you’ve selected the correct image source; see page 32.

Allow a few seconds for the projector to sync up after pressing the button.

Check the Signal menu to make sure the correct input source is

selected. See page 55.

If you’re using a PC laptop:

■

Hold down the

Fn

key and press the function key that lets you display on an external monitor. It may have an icon such as or it may be labelled

CRT/LCD

. Allow a few seconds for the projector to sync up after pressing it. Check your laptop’s manual or online help for details.

■

On most systems, the or

CRT/LCD

key lets you toggle between the LCD screen and the projector, or display on both at the same time.

If you’re projecting from a laptop, and you don’t see the same image on the projection screen and computer screen, check your monitor settings to make sure both the LCD screen and the external monitor port are enabled.

From the Control Panel, open the

Display

utility. Click the

Settings

tab, then click

Advanced

. The method for adjusting the settings varies by brand; you may need to click a

Monitor

tab, then make sure the external Monitor port is set as your primary display and/or enabled. See your computer’s documentation or online help for details.

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If you’re using a Macintosh laptop with OS X:

You may need to set up your system to display on the projector screen as well as the LCD screen. Follow these steps:

1. From the Apple menu, select

System Preferences

, then click

Displays.

2. Select

VGA Display

or

Color LCD

, click

Arrange

or

Arrangement

, and make sure

Mirror Displays

is checked.

Click here

Select Mirror

Displays

If you’re using a Macintosh laptop with OS 9.x or earlier:

You may need to set up your system to display on the projector screen as well as the LCD screen. Follow these steps:

1. From the Apple menu, select

Control Panels

, then click

Monitors

or

Monitors and Sound.

2. Click the

Arrange

icon.

Click here

Drag one monitor icon on top of the other

3. Drag one monitor icon on top of the other.

If the

Arrange

option isn’t available, you may need to select one of the Simulscan resolution settings:

1. Click the

Monitor

icon, if necessary.

Click here

Select a

Simulscan resolution

2. Select a

Simulscan

resolution, as shown. (Allow a few seconds for the projector to sync up after making the selection.)

Adjusting the Image

Once you see your image, you’ll need to make certain adjustments:

■

■

■

■

To focus or zoom your image, see the next section.

If the image is too high or too low, you can reposition it.

See page 37.

If the image isn’t square, see page 38.

To adjust image brightness, see page 39.

■

■

If a computer image displays incorrectly, see page 39.

To change the color mode for your image and surroundings, see

page 39.

You can make many other adjustments to the image—such as changing the brightness, contrast, and aspect ratio—using the projector’s menu system. See Chapter 4 for more information.

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Focusing and Zooming Your Image

Rotate the focus ring to sharpen the image.

Focus ring

Rotate the zoom ring to reduce or enlarge the image.

Zoom ring

You can also change the image size by moving the projector closer to or farther away from the screen. You can use the

E-Zoom buttons on

the remote control to zoom in on a portion of the image. See page 45

for instructions.

Adjusting the Height of Your Image

If the image is too low, you can raise it by extending the projector’s front adjustable foot.

1. Stand behind the projector. Press up on the blue foot release lever and lift the front of the projector to extend the front adjustable foot.

Foot

2. Once the image is positioned where you want, release the lever to lock the foot in position.

3. To fine-tune the height of the image, rotate the feet at the back of the projector.

If the image is no longer rectangular after raising it, see the next section.

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Pointer button

Enter button Menu buttton

note

You can also use the buttons on the projector to access the menu system:

Menu button ESC button

Adjusting the Image Shape

The projector automatically corrects images that are distorted when the projector is tilted up or down (up to a 15° tilt). The Keystone window appears on the screen while the projector makes the correction. If the projected image still isn’t rectangular or has a

“keystone” shape, do one or more of the following:

■

■

If your image looks like or , you’ve placed the projector off to one side of the screen, at an angle. Move it directly in front of the center of the screen, facing the screen squarely.

If your image looks like or , the Auto Keystone feature may have been disabled or you may need to manually adjust the keystone correction value. (Auto Keystone is not available when you’re using ceiling or rear projection.) Follow the directions below:

■

■

To turn on Auto Keystone, press the

Menu

button on the remote control. Use the pointer button on the remote control (or the arrow buttons on the projector) to select the

Setting

menu, then press

Enter

. If

Auto Keystone

is

OFF

, use the pointer button to highlight this option and press

Enter

. Select

ON

in the Auto Keystone window that appears and press

Enter

to save your changes. Exit the menu by pressing the

Menu

button.

To manually adjust the keystone correction value, press the

or buttons on the projector to correct the shape of the image. After correction, your image will be slightly smaller.

Enter button Arrow buttons

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You can also make keystone adjustments using the projector’s Setting

menu. See page 58.

Adjusting the Brightness

The brightness of an image depends on the source you are projecting and the amount of light in the room. If the image is too bright or not bright enough, here are two ways you can adjust it:

■

■

Change the

Brightness

setting in the Image menu. See page 54.

Select

Low

or

High

for the

Brightness Control

option in the

Setting menu. (See page 58.) Low brightness mode extends the

life of the lamp and decreases the fan noise.

Correcting Computer Images

If you’ve connected a computer and the image doesn’t look right, or it doesn’t fit properly on the screen, press the

Auto

button on the remote control. This automatically resets the projector’s tracking, sync, resolution, and position settings. You must be projecting an image for this button to have any effect. Additionally, if the

Auto

Setup

option in the Signal menu is set to

OFF

, the Auto function will

not work. See page 56.

Adjusting the Color Mode

You may want to adjust the color mode to select a different setting that is appropriate for the image you’re projecting and the environment in which you’re projecting it.

If you’re projecting computer or RGB video images, the default color mode is

Presentation

, which is appropriate for presentations in bright rooms. For other images, the default color mode is

Dynamic

, which optimizes video images using natural colors.

Color Mode button

Auto button

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The following table lists the six color modes available.

Color mode

sRGB

Dynamic

Presentation

Theatre

Living Room

Blackboard

Description

Use when projecting computer images conforming to the sRGB color standard (the default setting when projecting from a computer with analog video).

Best for projecting movies with vivid color in bright rooms.

Use when you’re projecting a presentation in a bright room.

Use when projecting movies in a dark room.

Best for playing video games or watching TV in a bright room.

Choose this fixed color mode when you need to project against a green blackboard.

To change the color mode, press the

Color Mode

button on the remote control until you see the mode you want. The currently selected setting appears in the upper right corner of the screen. You can also use the projector menu system to change the color mode in

the Image menu (see page 54).

Adjusting the Volume

You can use the buttons on the remote control or projector to increase or decrease the volume for both the projector’s built-in speaker and external speakers connected to the projector. Press the button to increase the volume, or the button to decrease it. A volume gauge appears on the screen while the volume is being adjusted.

Volume controls

note

You can also adjust the volume using the projector’s

Setting menu. See page 57

for details.

You must adjust the volume separately for each input source.

Shutting Down the Projector

When you’ve finished using the projector, follow the recommended procedure to shut it down. This extends the life of the lamp and protects the projector from possible overheating.

1. If you’re using a computer, shut it down first; otherwise you may not be able to see your computer’s display to shut it down properly.

2. To turn off the projector, press the P

Power button on the projector or remote control.

You see this confirmation message:

(If you don’t want to turn it off, press any other button or wait a few seconds until it disappears.)

note

When the projector has not received any input signals for

30 minutes, it automatically turns off the projector lamp and enters “sleep mode.” This conserves electricity, cools the projector, and extends the life of the lamp. If you are done using the projector, unplug the power cord. If you want to start projecting again, press

the P

Power

button. You can turn sleep mode on or off through the Extended menu.

See page 59.

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3. Press the P

Power

button again. The projector beeps twice, the lamp is turned off, and the power light flashes orange for about 60 seconds as the projector cools down. When the projector has cooled, the light stays orange and the exhaust fan shuts off.

If you want to turn the projector on again, wait until the orange light stops flashing. Then press the P

Power

button.

4. Press up on the blue foot release lever and lower the projector to retract the front adjustable foot, as shown.

caution

To avoid damaging the projector or lamp, never unplug the power cord when the power light is green or flashing orange.

5. Replace the lens cap and unplug the power cord.

6. Turn off and disconnect any equipment plugged into the projector.

7. If you won’t be using the projector for awhile, store it in the soft case that came with it or in a protective case.

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