Epson Powerlite 74c Multimedia Projector Users Guide

							Solving Problems71
1
Solving Problems
This chapter helps you solve problems with your projector, and tells 
you how to contact technical support for problems you can’t solve 
yourself. This chapter explains the following:
■Using the projector’s on-screen help system
■What to do when the projector’s status lights flash
■Solving problems with the image or sound 
■Solving password problems
■Solving problems with the remote control
■Contacting technical support 
						

							72Solving Problems
Using On-Screen Help 
If the image doesn’t look right or your audio isn’t working, you can 
get help by pressing the 
? Help button on top of the projector. The 
following choices are available:
■Help for the image
■Help for the sound
■Language selection
Follow these steps to get help:
1. Press the 
? Help button on the projector. You see the help menu.
2. Press the left side of the 
Select (Keystone) button on the 
projector to highlight one of the options. Then press the 
Enter 
(
Source) button on the projector to select it.
3. Press the left side of the 
Select (Keystone) button on the 
projector to highlight the problem you want to solve. Then press 
the 
Enter (Source) button to view the solution(s). 
Help button
Press here to select a problem or solution
note
You can also use the 
directional buttons on the 
remote control to select Help 
options. 
						

							Solving Problems73
4. Highlight a solution (if this choice is available). Then press the 
Enter (Source) button to select the solution. 
Highlight 
Return and press the Enter (Source) button if you 
need to back up.
If the solution is to adjust one of the settings, press the left side of 
the 
Select (Keystone) button on the projector to adjust it.
5. To exit the Help system, press the 
? Help button.
If none of the suggestions solves your problem, see additional 
solutions to problems in the following sections.
What To Do When the Lights Flash
The lights on top of the projector indicate the projector’s status and 
let you know when a problem occurs.
If the projector is not working correctly, first turn it off and unplug it. 
Then plug the power cord back in and turn on the projector. If this 
does not solve the problem, check the status lights on top of the 
projector and try the solutions recommended in the following table.
Power light Warning light 
						

							74Solving Problems
Power
lightWarning
light Status Description
— Flashing red at 
1-second 
intervalsInternal error There is an internal error in the projector. Turn 
the projector off and unplug it. Contact EPSON 
for help.
— Flashing red at 
0.5-second 
intervalsLamp failure The lamp is burned out, broken, or not installed 
correctly; or the lamp cover is open. Close the 
cover or replace or reseat the lamp, if 
necessary, as described on page 67. If you 
need to replace the lamp, see page 67.
— Red Overheating The projector has overheated and turned itself 
off. Let it cool for a few minutes, then turn it 
back on. Make sure there is plenty of space 
around and under the projector for ventilation. 
Also clean the air filter. See page 65. If it 
continues to overheat, you may need to 
replace the air filter.
— Flashing orange 
(quickly)High 
temperature 
warningThe projector is too hot. Make sure the 
temperature surrounding the projector does 
not exceed 95
 °F (35 °C) and there is plenty of 
space around and under the projector for 
ventilation. Clean the air filter, if necessary. 
See page 65 for instructions.
Orange Off Standby (sleep) 
modeThe projector is in standby or sleep mode. You 
can unplug it or press the 
P Power button to 
turn it on.
Flashing green Off Warming up The projector is warming up. Wait for the 
image to appear.
Green Off Operating  The projector is operating normally.
Flashing  orange Off Cooling  down The projector is cooling down. Wait for the light 
to stay lit orange without flashing before 
unplugging it. 
						

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Solving Problems with the Image or 
Sound
No image appears on the screen.
■Check that the power light is green, not flashing, and the lens cap 
is off. 
■The projector may be in standby or sleep mode. If the projector 
has not received any input signal for 30 minutes, it turns off the 
lamp to conserve the lamp life and save energy. If the power light 
is orange, press the P 
Power button to turn the projector on.
■Press the A/V Mute button to make sure the picture has not been 
turned off temporarily. 
■If the power was switched off and then on again, the projector 
may still be cooling down. Wait until the power light stops 
flashing and remains orange; then press the P 
Power button 
again.
■Check the Video Signal or Input Signal setting in the Image 
menu to make sure it is correct for the selected source. See 
page 50 for more information.
■Has the Message option in the Setting menu been set to OFF?
■Adjust the Brightness setting on the Image menu or select High 
for the 
Brightness Control setting in the Advanced menu. See 
page 49 or page 54.
■The attached computer may be in sleep mode or displaying a 
black screen saver. Try pressing a key on the computer. 
						

							76Solving Problems
Nothing appears on the external monitor.
■Make sure the VGA computer cable is connected to your 
computer’s video port and the projector’s 
Computer1/Component Video1 port. It will not work if you 
connected the computer cable to the projector’s 
Computer2/Component Video2 port.
■Make sure the cable from your monitor is connected to the 
projector’s 
Monitor Out port.
You see a blue screen with the message No Signal displayed.
■Make sure the cables are connected correctly, as described in 
Chapter 1.
■Make sure the power to your computer or video source is turned 
on.
■If you’ve connected a computer and one or more video sources, 
you may need to press the 
Source button (on the projector) or 
the 
Computer1/2 or S-Video/Video button (on the remote 
control) to select the correct source. Allow a few seconds for the 
projector to sync up after pressing the button.
■If you’ve connected a laptop computer, make sure it’s set to 
display on an external monitor. See page 31. 
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.  
						

							Solving Problems77
■Depending on your computer’s video card, you might need to use 
the Display utility in the Control Panel to make sure that both the 
LCD screen and external monitor port are enabled. See your 
computer’s documentation or online help for details.
If you’re using a PowerBook or iBook with 
Macintosh OS X:
1. From the Apple menu, select System Preferences, then click 
Display.
2. Select 
VGA Display or Color LCD, click Arrange or 
Arrangement, then put a check mark in Mirror Displays.
If you’re using a PowerBook or iBook with
Macintosh OS 9.x:
1. From the Apple menu, select Control Panels, then click 
Monitors or Monitors and Sound.
2. Click the Arrange icon.
3. Drag one monitor icon on top of the other. This lets you display 
on the projector screen as well as the LCD screen.
4. If the 
Arrange icon isn’t available, click the Monitor icon. 
5. Select one of the listed 
Simulscan resolutions. (Allow a few 
seconds for the projector to sync up after making the selection.)
The message Not Supported is displayed.
■Make sure your computer’s resolution doesn’t exceed UXGA and 
the frequency is supported by the projector. See page 88. If 
necessary, change your computer’s resolution setting as described 
below. 
■Make sure the correct Video Signal is selected in the Image 
menu. See page 50. It should normally be set to 
Auto. 
						

							78Solving Problems
Only part of the computer image is displayed.
■You may need to adjust the Position setting in the Image menu. 
See page 49 for more information.
■If you changed the Aspect Ratio setting for a different source, you 
may need to change it back to 4:3. See page 50 for instructions.
■Make sure your computer’s resolution setting is correct. Ideally, 
it should be 1024 
× 768 (for the PowerLite 74c) or 800 × 600 
(for the PowerLite 54c) to match the projector’s native resolution. 
If this option isn’t available, select one of the other compatible 
video formats listed on page 88. 
■Windows:
Right-click the desktop, select 
Properties, click the Settings 
tab, and select a different resolution. 
■Macintosh OS X:
On the Apple menu, choose 
System Preferences, then 
click 
Display. Select a different resolution.
■Macintosh OS 9.x:
On the Apple menu, choose 
Control Panels, then click 
Monitors or Monitors and Sound. Select a different 
resolution. 
■You also may need to modify existing presentation files if you 
created them for a different resolution. See your software 
documentation for specific information.
■If you used the E-Zoom feature, press Esc on the remote control 
to cancel zooming and return to full screen size.
The image isn’t rectangular, but trapezoid-shaped.
■Make sure the projector isn’t placed off to one side of the screen, 
at an angle, or the image won’t be rectangular. Place it directly in 
front of the center of the screen, facing the screen squarely.
■If you’ve tilted the projector upward, the image will be broader at 
the top. Turn on Auto Keystone correction as described on 
page 52 or hold down the   or   side of the 
Keystone 
button on top of the projector until the image is rectangular. 
						

							Solving Problems79
The image contains static or noise.
■If you’re using a computer cable longer than 6 feet, or an 
extension cable, the image quality may be reduced.
■Keep your computer and video cables separated from the power 
cord as much as possible to prevent interference.
■The video signal may be split between the computer and the 
projector. If you notice a decline in the projected image quality 
when the image is displayed simultaneously on your laptop 
computer and the projector, turn off the laptop’s LCD display.
■Check the Input Signal or Video Signal setting in the Image 
menu.
■Make sure the cables are securely connected.
■Select the correct resolution; see “Compatible Video Formats” on 
page 88.
■Try adjusting the Sync and Tracking settings in the Image 
menu.
The image is blurry.
■Adjust the focus using the focus ring.
■Make sure the lens cap is off.
■There may be dirt or smears on the lens. Clean the lens as 
described on page 64.
■Make sure the lens is not fogged by condensation. You may need 
to wait before using the projector after moving it from a cold 
environment.
■Make sure the projection distance is within the range described on 
page 14.
■Adjust the Sharpness setting on the Image menu (see page 49). 
You should be able to see the effect on the screen immediately. 
If you’re projecting from a computer, you may also need to adjust 
the 
Tracking and Sync as described in the next section. If you 
don’t like the new settings, you can always select 
Reset to return 
to the factory default settings. 
						

							80Solving Problems
You see vertical stripes or the image still looks blurry after 
trying the solutions in the previous section.
■If you’re projecting from a computer and displaying an image that 
contains a lot of fine detail, you may notice one or more vertical 
stripes or bands, or some of the characters may look heavy or 
blurred. Press the 
Auto button on the remote control. This resets 
the projector’s tracking and sync settings.
■If further adjustment is needed, you can fine-tune the Tracking 
and 
Sync settings manually using the Image menu as described 
on page 49. 
1. Fill the screen with an image containing fine detail when 
making these adjustments. For example, in Windows you can 
select a pattern to appear as your desktop background. Or try 
projecting black text on a white background.
2. Adjust the 
Tracking to eliminate vertical stripes. 
3. Adjust the 
Sync to increase the sharpness of the image.
The colors of the image are not right.
■Try selecting a different Color Mode. 
■If you’re displaying video, adjust the Color and Tint settings on 
the Image menu. See page 48 for instructions.
■Adjust the Brightness and Contrast settings on the Image 
menu.
■Try adjusting the Color Adjustment setting on the Advanced 
menu.
■If the images appear too green or too purple, check that the 
Input Signal or Video Input setting is correct on the Image 
menu.
■Check your computer display settings to correct the color balance.
■If the image seems dark, the lamp may be nearing time for 
replacement. Check the lamp hours as described on page 55 and 
replace it, if necessary, as described on page 67.
note
Because of the different 
technologies used, your 
projected image may not 
exactly match the colors on 
your laptop or computer 
monitor.