Epson ELPSC21B 80″ 16:9 Portable Projector Screen
Written by Vlad on January 20, 2011 – 2:24 am - 8,787 views
If you own a portable LCD projector, you will know how great it is to be able to instantly create your own cinema to entertain friends, or give a compelling presentation to a large group of people for business or social functions. You will also know the frustration of turning up somewhere only to find out that they don’t have a projector screen or a large white wall.
The Epson ELPSC21B is a portable 80″ 16:9 projector screen that is light enough to take anywhere and very affordable. I purchased mine from itspot.com.au for just under $200.
Why I Bought the Epson 80″ Widescreen Portable Projector Screen
As part of my work and social activities, I frequently have to present to groups using powerpoint slides, videos or other tools.
In early 2010, I purchased a Dell 1609WX widescreen DLP projector for a fantastic price, by waiting for the Dell online store to have a sale and combining it with a 15% discount coupon. Now, I needed a portable screen to go with it.
At that time, the only cheap ones on eBay were the old metal canister types dating back to when people used Super 8 film cameras and slide carousels. Many of these were in good order, and their spring-loaded self-retraction mechanisms are convenient, but they were all 4:3 aspect ratio and weighed a lot – often 20kg, which would limit the portability.
Some other portable projector screens did have the widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio, but they were’t freestanding so you would need to already have a mount. Secondly, very few came with carry bags. Thirdly, as large screens are bulky to post, cheap imported screens were not competitive once you included postage.
I decided to use the local price comparison site shopbot.com.au, and found the Epson ELPSC21B 80″ Projector Screen. It immediately stood out because not only was it half the price of other similar-sized screens (including another Epson model), but because it came with a tripod mount and shoulder bag, so it provided a complete solution.
Best Features of the Epson ELPSC21B 80″ Projector Screen
Freestanding
The projector screen has a sturdy height-adjustable stand with a tripod base, and an optional stabilizer you can attach to the legs, if you need it (I never have).
Widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio
The widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio makes it suitable for movies as well as traditional 4:3 presentations.
Well Designed Carry Bag
The carry bag has three separate compartments to keep the screen components from scratching or damaging each other during transport:
- one for the tube containing the rolled-up screen
- one for the stand
- one for for the four support shafts.
The bag is approximately 1m long when packed and comfortably slings around your shoulder. It is sealed with a rip-cord, like those used on sleeping bag covers.
Very light
When packed into the carry bag, the total mass is only 3.9kg (8.6 lbs), so it is easy to carry.
Large Size
Despite the fact that the screen is designed for portability, the screen is still a massive 80 inches in size (diagonally), making it much larger than all commonly available plasma, LCD and LED flatscreen displays currently on the market (as of January 2011, the largest flatscreen TV I’ve seen for sale is a 63″ Plasma).
Weaknesses
- Attaching the unrolled screen to the four support shafts is easier to do with two people than alone. Ask someone in the audience to help you. Most people like to suck up to presenters.
- Unlike those projector screens with metal canister storage compartments, you have to roll up the screen yourself, but it is not hard as it comes with a plastic inner-tube to roll the screen around, and an outer tube to store it in
Assembling the screen
- Take everything out of the carry bag – the stand, the four support shafts and the tube containing the rolled-up screen
- Position the tripod stand. The shaft holder at the top of the stand is directly behind the centre of the screen. Ideally, you should set the height to match the eye level of the audience. Will most of them be standing or sitting?
- Insert the four screen support shafts into the holder. At the other end of each shaft, there is a support hook that fits into a circular metal-rimmed hole located on each corner of the screen.
- Take the rolled-up screen out of the storage tube and unroll it. You will see that the screen has been wrapped around an inner-tube. Place the inner tube inside the storage tube for safekeeping.
- Slide the corners of the screen onto to the hooks on the four support shafts. The instructions recommend attaching any two neighbouring corners to begin with, before moving to the opposite side. The hooks have a spring inside them, so they can actually retract a small distance to make it easier to get the hooks to fit into the holes on each corner of the screen. This step is easier if you have another person holding the opposite side of the screen.
Dismantling the screen
- Take the the inner-tube out of the storage tube, where you left it before.
- Detach the white screen from the hooks on the support shafts, and roll back up around the inner-tube
- Place the rolled up screen inside the storage tube, and place the tube inside the carry bag.
- Pull the support shafts out of the holder at the top of the stand, and put them back in the carry bag
- Fold up the tripod legs, lower the shaft holder and put the stand back in the bag
Detailed dimensions
For those of you that like to measure everything to make sure that everything is a perfect fit, this diagram should satisfy you:
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