Epson Powerlite 81p Multimedia Projector Users Guide

							Solving Problems81
4. 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 the   pointer 
button on the remote control or the left and right arrow buttons 
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.
Lamp lightPower light
Temperature light 
						

							82Solving Problems
Power
lightLamp
lightTemperature 
light Description
Red Flashing red  Flashing  red  There is an internal error in the projector. Turn the 
projector off and unplug it. Contact Epson for 
help.
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.
Red Flashing red Off 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 73. If these suggestions 
don’t work, contact Epson.
— Flashing orange Off Replace the lamp with a new one as soon as 
possible; see page 73 for instructions. If you 
continue to use the lamp, there is a risk it may 
break.
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 71. If it continues to overheat, you may 
need to replace the air filter.
Flashing 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 71 for instructions.
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.
Flashing 
orangeOff Off The projector is cooling down. Wait for the light 
to stop flashing and remain orange before 
unplugging it. 
						

							Solving Problems83
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 Computer 1 Input or Computer 2 
Input 
setting in the Signal menu to make sure it is correct for the 
selected source. See page55 for more information.
■Have messages been turned off in the Display setting of the 
Extended menu? See page 59 for details.
■Adjust the Brightness setting on the Image menu or select High 
for the 
Brightness Control setting in the Extended menu. See 
page 54 or page 58.
■The attached computer may be in sleep mode or displaying a 
black screen saver. Try pressing a key on the computer. 
						

							84Solving 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 Search button on the 
projector or the 
Comp 1, Comp 2, S-video, or 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 33. 
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 Problems85
■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 XGA (for 
the PowerLite 81p) or SVGA (for the PowerLite 61p) 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 57. It should normally be set to 
Auto. 
						

							86Solving Problems
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 56 for more information.
■If you’ve enlarged part of the image using the E-Zoombutton 
on the remote control, press the 
Esc button to cancel zooming 
and return to full display.
■Try pressing the Resize button on the remote control to select a 
different aspect ratio (ratio of length to height).
■Make sure your computer’s resolution setting is correct. Ideally, 
it should be 1024 
× 768 (for the PowerLite 81p) or 800 × 600 
(for the PowerLite 61p) 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 for OS X 10.3). 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. 
						

							Solving Problems87
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 57 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.
■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 57 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 56. 
						

							88Solving Problems
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 70.
■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 54). 
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.
■If further adjustment is needed, you can fine-tune the Tracking 
and 
Sync settings manually using the Signal menu as described 
on page 56. 
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. 
						

							Solving Problems89
The colors of the image are not right.
■Try selecting a different Color Mode. See page 54 for 
instructions.
■If you’re displaying video, adjust the Color Intensity and Tint 
settings on the Image menu. See page 54 for instructions.
■Adjust the Brightness and Contrast settings on the Image 
menu. See page 54.
■Try adjusting the Color Adjustment setting on the Image menu. 
See page 54.
■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 
Computer1/Component Video1 or Computer2/Component 
Video2
 port, select Computer1 or Computer2 as the input 
source. If you’ve connected a component video device to one of 
these ports, select 
Component Video1 or Component Video2. 
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 55 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 61 and 
replace it, if necessary, as described on page 73.
There is no sound.
■Press the   button on the remote control or projector to turn up 
the volume.
■If you’ve turned off the picture and sound, press the A/V Mute 
button on the remote control to turn them on again.
■If you’re using a VCR or other video source, make sure its volume 
is not turned all the way down or muted. Also, make sure the 
cables are connected correctly, as described in Chapter 1.
note
Because of the different 
technologies used, your 
projected image may not 
exactly match the colors on 
your laptop or computer 
monitor. 
						

							90Solving Problems
■Make sure the audio cable is connected to the correct Audio port. 
See page 21. 
■If your presentation includes computer audio, make sure the 
volume control on your computer is not turned all the way down 
or muted. Make sure the audio cable is securely connected to both 
the projector and your computer’s   headphone jack or
 audio out jack. See page 21.
■The wrong source may be selected. Press the Source Search 
button on the projector—or the Comp 1, Comp 2, S-Video, or 
Video button on the remote control—to select the correct source.
Solving Password Problems 
You have forgotten the password.
■Write down the request code that appears in the Password Protect 
Release screen and contact Epson. See “Where To Get Help” on 
page 92.
■If you turned on the password protect feature before setting the 
password and no password was set before, try using the default 
password: 
0000.
The remote control is not available.
You must have the remote control to enter the password. If necessary, 
you can purchase a replacement remote control from Epson. See 
page 92 for details about ordering.