Epson Powerlite 77c Multimedia Projector Users Guide

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6
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 
						

							82Solving 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 the projector or remote 
control. 
Follow these steps to get help:
1. Press the 
? Help button on the remote control or projector. You 
see the help menu.
2. Use the up and down arrow buttons on the projector or remote 
control to highlight the problem you want to solve. Then press 
the 
Enter button to view the solution(s). 
Remote controlProjector 
						

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3. Highlight a solution (if this choice is available). Then press the 
Enter button to select the solution. 
Press the 
Esc button if you need to back up.
If the solution is to adjust one of the settings, use left and right 
arrow buttons on the projector or remote control to adjust it. 
4. 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.
Lamp lightPower light
Temperature light 
						

							84Solving Problems
Power
lightLamp
lightTemperature 
light Description
Flashing 
redFlashing 
red Flashing red  There is an internal error in the projector. Turn the projector 
off and unplug it. Contact Epson for help. See page 93.
Red Off Flashing red There is a problem with the fan or a sensor. Turn the 
projector off and unplug it. Contact Epson for help. See 
page 93.
— Flashing 
orangeOff Replace the lamp with a new one as soon as possible; see 
page 76 for instructions. If you continue to use the lamp, 
there is a risk it may break.
Red Flashing 
redOff 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 76. If you are 
using the projector at an altitude above 4900 ft (1500 m), 
turn on High Altitude mode as the Operation setting in the 
Extended menu; see page 64. If these suggestions don’t 
work, contact Epson.
Red Off Red The projector has overheated and turned itself off. Let it 
cool for about five 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 and air exhaust vents. 
See page 75. If it continues to overheat, you may need to 
replace the air filter.
Red Off Flashing 
orange The 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 and air vents, if necessary. 
See page 75 for instructions.
Flashing 
orangeOff Off The projector is shutting down. Wait for the light to stop 
flashing and remain orange before unplugging it.
Orange Off Off The projector is in standby or sleep mode. You can unplug it 
or press the 
P Power button to turn it on.
Flashing 
greenOff Off The projector is warming up. Wait for the image to appear.
Green Off Off The projector is operating normally. 
						

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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 A/V 
Mute
 slide is open. 
■If the projector doesn’t turn on, the Operation Lock may be 
enabled. Press and hold the 
Enter button on the projector for 
7 seconds to release the lock.
■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, wait until the 
power light stops flashing and remains orange; then press the P 
Power button again.
■Check the Video Signal or Computer Input setting in the 
Signal menu to make sure it is correct for the selected source. 
See page 58 for more information.
■Have messages been turned off in the Display setting of the 
Extended menu? See page 63 for details.
■Adjust the Brightness setting on the Image menu or select High 
for the 
Brightness Control setting in the Settings menu. See 
page 56 or page 62.
■The attached computer may be in sleep mode or displaying a 
black screen saver. Try pressing a key on the computer. 
						

							86Solving 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 
Computer 
(Component Video)
 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 Search button on the 
projector or 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 35. 
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. 
■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. 
						

							Solving Problems87
If you’re using a PowerBook or iBook with 
Macintosh OS X:
1. From the Apple menu, select System Preferences, then click 
Display or Displays.
2. Select 
VGA Display or Color LCD, click Arrange or 
Arrangement, then put a checkmark in Mirror Displays.
The message Not Supported is displayed.
■Make sure your computer’s resolution doesn’t exceed XGA (for 
the PowerLite 77c) or SVGA (for the PowerLite S5 Series) and 
the frequency is supported by the projector. See page 98. If 
necessary, change your computer’s resolution setting as described 
below. 
■Make sure the correct Video Signal is selected in the Signal 
menu. See page 60. It should normally be set to 
Auto.
The buttons on the projector don’t work.
The Operation Lock may be enabled. Press and hold the Enter button 
on the projector for 7 seconds to release the lock.
Only part of the computer image is displayed.
■If you’re projecting from a computer or RGB video device, press 
the 
Auto button on the remote control. If this doesn’t work or if 
you’re projecting from a component, composite, or S-Video 
device, you may need to adjust the 
Position setting in the Signal 
menu. See page 59 for more information.
■If you’ve enlarged part of the image using the E-Zoom button on 
the remote control, press the 
Esc button to cancel zooming and 
return to full display.
■Try pressing the Aspect button on the remote control to select a 
different aspect ratio (ratio of length to height). 
						

							88Solving Problems
■Make sure your computer’s resolution setting is correct and dual 
display is not activated. Ideally, the resolution should be 
1024 × 768 (for the PowerLite 77c) or 800 × 600 (for the 
PowerLite S5 Series) to match the projector’s native resolution. If 
this option isn’t available, select one of the other compatible video 
formats listed on page 98. 
■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 or Displays. 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.
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 61 (PowerLite 77c only) or hold down the   or   
buttons on top of the projector until the image is rectangular.
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. 
						

							Solving Problems89
■If you’re projecting from a composite or S-Video source, check 
the 
Video Signal setting in the Signal menu. In most cases, leave 
it set at 
Auto. If you’re using a 60-Hz PAL video source, change 
this setting to 
PAL60. See page 60 for details.
■Make sure the cables are securely connected at both ends.
■Select the correct resolution; see “Compatible Video Formats” on 
page 98.
■If you’re projecting from a computer, press the Auto button on 
the remote control or the 
Enter button on the projector to adjust 
tracking and sync automatically. If that doesn’t work, try 
adjusting the 
Sync and Tracking settings in the Signal menu. 
See page 59.
The image is blurry.
■Adjust the focus using the focus ring.
■There may be dirt or smears on the lens. Clean the lens as 
described on page 74.
■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 16.
■Adjust the Sharpness setting on the Image menu (see page 57). 
You should be able to see the effect on the screen immediately. 
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. 
						

							90Solving Problems
■If further adjustment is needed, you can fine-tune the Tracking 
and 
Sync settings manually using the Signal menu as described 
on page 59. 
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. See page 56 for 
instructions.
■If you’re displaying video, adjust the Color Saturation and Tint 
settings on the Image menu. See page 56 for instructions.
■Adjust the Brightness and Contrast settings on the Image 
menu. See page 56.
■Try adjusting the Color Adjustment setting on the Image menu. 
See page 57.
■Make sure the input signal setting on the Signal menu matches 
the signal from the connected device. If the image is too purple 
and you’ve connected a computer or RGB video device to the 
Computer (Component Video) port, select Computer as the 
input source. If you’ve connected a component video device to 
one of these ports, select 
Component Video. If you’re projecting 
from a composite video or S-Video source, make sure the correct 
Video Signal is selected on the Signal message. See page 58 for 
details.
■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 65 and 
replace it, if necessary, as described on page 76.
note
Because of the different 
technologies used, your 
projected image may not 
exactly match the colors on 
your laptop or computer 
monitor.