Epson MovieMate 25 LCD Projector/DVD Player/Sound System
By Jeffrey Hastings -- School Library Journal, 3/1/2006
Epson America Inc., 3840 Kilroy Airport Way, Long Beach CA 90806 (800) 922-8911. www.epson.com. $1,499. Replacement lamp: $199.
No amount of duct tape or cable ties can tame the projection equipment I circulate. No matter how well I set them up, after a few months of daily use, the projectors, DVD players, and powered speaker systems I string together always wind up looking like absolute chaos on a cart. The problem stems from having to manage three separate components for each device. That translates into three times as many power cords and AV cables, three times as many things that can become disconnected, and three times as many points to troubleshoot when things go wrong. Luckily, Epson has released a home theater product designed for the living room that can also simplify movie projection in the classroom: the MovieMate 25.
The MovieMate puts a 1,200-lumen LCD projector, a DVD/CD player, and a JBL stereo sound system together in one elegant unit. A second matched box houses a 40-watt subwoofer for room-filling sound. Plug both boxes in, attach a single audio cable, and you're in business.
Even when placed on a frumpy plastic cart, the two gleaming white units that comprise the MovieMate 25 look absolutely heavenly when compared to the hellish tangles presented by other circulating equipment. My appreciation for the product goes way beyond the aesthetic, though—the MovieMate's highly functional, too.
My favorite feature is the pair of lens-shifting controls, two rotary dials that let you move the image horizontally or vertically. That's a huge advantage when the unit gets used in multiple venues; it means no messing around with keystone adjustments or the height of the projector's legs. And no propping books beneath the projector's feet. (Oh, come on, you know you've done that.)
It should be mentioned, however, that the MovieMate is not a data projector and does not include a VGA input. It does have auxiliary composite and S-video inputs, though, in case you want to connect outboard video gear or a live video feed.
The MovieMate, designed for home projection, could also use a bit more candlepower and a longer zoom lens to better suit classroom conditions. I'm hoping that Epson will realize they're on to something good and add a model designed specifically to free schools from the scourge of chaos-on-a-cart.
| Author Information |
| Jeffrey Hastings is a school library media specialist at Highlander Way Middle School in Howell, MI. You can e-mail him at hastingj@howellschools.com. |
