Can Epson Projectors Play Videos/Images From USB?

Watching your favorite videos and photos on a projector is ten times better than watching them on your laptop, TV, or mobile screen. Projectors help create an out-of-the-world experience when it comes to visual entertainment.

With the advent of 3D technology in projectors, you can take things up a notch and enjoy a high-definition 3D experience at home or your office. All you need is a USB drive.

Gone are the days when you needed HDMI cables to use your projector. The process was tiring and required extensive installation. Thanks to modern technology, projectors from brands like Epson now come with a USB port. This means Epson projectors can play videos and images from USB.

The good news is that, besides the HDMI cable, you do not even need a laptop anymore to view pictures and videos from a USB.

Keep reading further to find out all you need to know about how Epson projectors can play video/images from a USB.

How Do I Play a Video/Image on my Epson Projector via USB?

With the latest Epson projectors, you can easily play videos and images via a USB without any trouble. 

You can use a USB flash drive that has your pictures and videos stored in it for easy access. Or you can directly connect your camera to the Epson projector using a USB cable.

Follow this step-by-step guide to successfully play video and images on your Epson projector via USB:

• Step 1 – Turn on the Epson projector.
• Step 2 – If you have a USB-cable camera or any other USB device, make sure it is powered on. Keep a power socket nearby to avoid the wires getting tangled up.
• Step 3 – Insert your USB flash drive or USB drive into the USB Type-A port on the Epson projector. This port is most probably on the back of the projector or one of the sides. 
• Step 4 – Make sure you have inserted the device properly inside the port, or your Epson projector will not be able to read the device. 
• Step 5 – Switch to Epson projector’s PC Free feature to view the videos and pictures from the USB device. Select Type A source to access the menu. 
• Step 6 – Once you have successfully connected your USB and accessed the source on your Epson projector, all compatible files will appear on the screen. 
• Step 7 – Select the picture or video that you want to play and enjoy. You can also view them in slideshow mode for an uninterrupted experience. You can also Rotate, Pause, Mute, or Zoom the media files.
• Step 8 – Once you are done watching the videos and images from the USB, you can safely disconnect the USB device from your projector and switch back to normal mode.

What Video/image Formats do Epson Projectors Support?

While it is possible to play videos and images from a USB on your Epson projector, keep in mind the projector supports only certain media formats. 

Here’s a detailed breakdown of all video/image formats supported by Epson projectors:

Compatible Image Formats

1. Image (.jpg) 

The image (.jpg) must have a resolution below 8192 × 8192 px. Moreover, the image (.jpg) should not be in the following form:

• CMYK format
• Progressive format
• Highly compressed

2.    Image (.bmp)

The image (.bmp) must not exceed 1280 × 800px resolution.

3.    Image (.png)

The image (.png) must not exceed 1280 × 800px resolution.

4.    Image (.gif)

The image (.gif) must have a resolution below 8192 × 8192px

The image (.gif) should not be in the following form:

• Animated
• Interlaced

Compatible Video Format

Motion JPEG movie (.avi)

Epson projectors currently support AVI 1.0 version of motion JPEG movie (.avi) when you’re playing movies from a USB drive.

Your motion JPEG movie (.avi) file should not be more than 1280 × 720px in resolution, and the file size should not exceed 2GB.

Moreover, the (.avi) file should not only be saved with a PCM or ADPCM audio codec. No other audio codec format is supported at the moment.

Some important points to consider about media file formats supported by Epson projectors are shared below:

• USB storage devices that come with security functions may not always function properly on your Epson projector. 
• Media files with DRM (Digital Rights Management) authentication cannot be displayed on the Epson projector.
• Using a USB storage device with a slow access speed is likely to cause interruptions during playback. You may notice lags in the video, or the audio may not run properly. 
• If you have media formatted on file systems, your Epson projector will not run them. Only media files formatted under Windows can run smoothly on the projector. 
• The best way to format media files is by utilizing the FAT16/32 file system to ensure that the files play on the projector without any trouble.

What Considerations to Make when Using a USB on Your Epson Projector?

1. When connecting a USB cable to your Epson projector, make sure your USB cable is a maximum of 10 feet in length. If your cable is longer than 10 feet, your connection may be interrupted or the projector will not display media files properly. 
2. If you wish to play videos/images from your digital camera or USB flash drive, always connect it to the projector instead of connecting it via a USB cable and laptop.
3. If you have a USB-supported hard drive, do not forget to plug in the AC adaptor that comes with the hard drive.
4. Always use the same branded USB cable that comes with your digital devices like digital cameras, hard disks, etc. This ensures that your device will connect adequately with the projector without causing any damage to both the device and the projector.
5. Make sure that USB devices that you connect to your Epson projector are USB Mass Storage Class-compliant, not TWAIN-compliant devices.

Final Thoughts

We hope that the information in this blog helped answer your question concerning whether Epson Projectors Play Videos/Images from USB.

The answer is yes. It is quite common to play videos/images on your Epson projector via a USB. You just have to take care of the supported file formats and use the most compatible USB devices for the best results.