Gearheads: EPSON

EPSON EB-L20000U

Epson’s Project Manager, Daniel Rose, discusses the company’s latest compact installation projector.

When did development of the EB-L20000U begin? The introduction of the EB-L20000U forms part of a long-term strategy from Epson to provide a full range of professional AV products that not only maintains Epson’s leadership in the overall projection market, but also develops the company’s position as the market leader in the more specialised Pro AV market. This strategy was initiated in 2013 with the first models, the EB-L1505U and EB-L25000U, coming to market in 2016.

What markets are you directing the EB-L20000U into? The EB-L20000U is targeted primarily at the rental and staging market – events, festivals, trade shows and so on – but we’re also seeing great interest from the fixed installation market such as visitor attractions, large auditoriums, shopping centres, schools and enterprises.

for those in live events and touring. The EB-L20000U also features a sealed optical system and a highly rugged design to cope with the most challenging environments the live events market can throw at it. For improved flexibility and future-proofing, the EB-L20000U includes interchangeable input boards allowing for multiple inputs and redundancy.

What benefits does the built-in camera provide for end users? The built-in camera, which features in all our recent >8,000K lumen projectors, combined with our Epson Professional Projection Tools, allows users to calibrate multiple projectors easily. They can also monitor the projected image and utilise a new feature called ‘tiling assist’, which simplifies and partially automates the edge-blending process.

Did you bring any end users into the development stages of the project? As with the development of our entire Pro AV portfolio, we have involved and consulted with customers throughout the process. We’ve introduced customers to the engineers at our projector factory to discuss product development and requirements and have also brought engineers to our customers to see how our products are being used. Customer involvement

Epson’s Project Manager, Daniel Rose.

has helped ensure that our product portfolio meets the demands of the market as closely as possible and has even influenced firmware development just weeks before the first shipment of the EB-L20000U based on feedback from customers on our engineering samples.

Have the fixtures been used on any projects yet? Yes, in Moscow 12 EB-L20000U projectors were recently used as part of the Circle of Light mapping festival via SDI Project. Look out for the case study video on our YouTube channel.

What has the feedback been so far? The feedback has been very positive and the recent investment from UK-based video specialist Universal Pixels (UP) of 20 EB-L20000Us, the largest across EMEAR, is a great show of confidence in this projector. Ollie Luff, Co-Founder of Universal Pixels, said: “Providing high-entertainment value for our customers means our kit needs to deliver on the vision and expectations that we establish for each activity. What will continue to be a priority for UP, particularly as we increase and diversify our clientele, is a projector fleet that is not just reliable and robust, but easily able to adapt to different light and environmental challenges. Epson’s team in the UK have been trustworthy and efficient and the faith we’ve instilled in their product has served our business well.” TPi Photos: Epson www.epson.co.uk