Epson Powerlite Cinema 550 Home Theater Projector Users Guide

							Epson
®
 PowerLite
®
 Cinema 550
Home Theater Projector
User’s Guide 
						

							2
Copyright Notice
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in 
any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior 
written permission of Seiko Epson Corporation. The information contained herein is designed only for use with 
this Epson product. Epson is not responsible for any use of this information as applied to other products.
Neither Seiko Epson Corporation nor its affiliates shall be liable to the purchaser of this product or third parties for 
damages, losses, costs, or expenses incurred by purchaser or third parties as a result of: accident, misuse, or abuse of 
this product or unauthorized modifications, repairs, or alterations to this product, or (excluding the U.S.) failure to 
strictly comply with Seiko Epson Corporation’s operating and maintenance instructions.
Seiko Epson Corporation shall not be liable for any damages or problems arising from the use of any options or 
any consumable products other than those designated as Original Epson Products or Epson Approved Products by 
Seiko Epson Corporation.
Trademarks
Epson is a registered trademark and Exceed Your Vision is a trademark of Seiko Epson Corporation.
PrivateLine and PowerLite are registered trademarks, AccuCinema is a trademark, and Epson Extra Care, Epson 
Connection, and Epson Store are service marks of Epson America, Inc.
HDMI, the HDMI logo, and High-Definition Multimedia Interface are trademarks or registered trademarks of 
HDMI Licensing, LLC.
Pixelworks is a trademark of Pixelworks, Inc.
General Notice: Other product names used herein are for identification purposes only and may be trademarks of 
their respective owners. Epson disclaims any and all rights in those marks.
© 2005 Epson America, Inc. 9/05
CPD-20566 
						

							Contents3
Contents
Introduction7
Projector Parts 8
Projector Control Panel 9
Remote Control Button Map 10
Optional Accessories 11
Registration and Warranty 11
Using This Manual 12
Setting Up the Projector13
Choosing a Location 13
Installing the Projector 16
Connecting the Cables 18
Making Other Connections 19
Installing Batteries in the Remote Control 20
Turning On the Projector 21
Turning Off the Projector 22
Selecting the Image Source 22
Positioning the Image 24
Making Basic Adjustments25
Correcting the Image Shape 25
Focusing and Zooming 26
Choosing the Aspect Ratio 26
Choosing the Color Mode 28
Adjusting the Gamma, Color Temperature, and Skin Tones 29
Adjusting the Gamma Setting 30
Locking the Projector 31 
						

							4Contents
Making Detailed Adjustments33
Using the Menu System 33
Changing How the Menus Display 34
Adjusting the Picture Quality 35
Input Brightness Settings 35
Sharpness and Picture Quality Settings 37
Color Settings 38
Adjustments Just for Computer Images 40
Saving and Resetting Menu Selections 41
Creating Memory Settings 41
Recalling Memory Settings 41
Deleting Saved Memory Settings 42
Resetting the Projector 42
Customizing Projector Features 43
Image Sizing 43
Screen Options 44
Other Setup Options 45
Maintenance47
Cleaning the Lens 47
Cleaning the Projector Case 48
Cleaning and Replacing the Air Filter 48
Replacing the Lamp 50
Resetting the Lamp Usage Timer 52
Checking the Projector Status 53
Storing the Projector 53
Transporting the Projector 54 
						

							Contents5
Problem Solving55
What To Do When the Lights Come On or Flash 55
Solving Picture Problems 56
Solving Remote Control Problems 60
Where To Get Help 61
Specifications63
General63
Lamp 63
Remote Control63
Dimensions64
Electrical64
Environmental64
Safety64
Compatible Video Formats65
ESC/VP21 Command Codes67
Notices69
Important Safety Information 69
Remote Control Information 70
FCC Compliance Statement 71
Declaration of Conformity 72
Epson America, Inc., Limited Warranty 73
Index75 
						

							6Contents 
						

							Introduction7
Introduction
The Epson® PowerLite® Cinema 550 projector lets you enjoy theater-quality images in the 
relaxing environment of your own home. Designed especially for home cinema use, it offers 
these outstanding features:
■Native 720P (1280 × 720) resolution, 3000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, and up to 1400 
lumens for incredibly rich, sharp images in any room lighting
■Dynamic Eye Iris system that constantly controls the lamp intensity based on the gamma 
and black/white levels of your projected content, for perfectly adjusted images all the way 
through your movies and game sessions
■Epson 3LCD technology for reliable picture quality, increased contrast ratio, uniform 
colors, and the deepest blacks available
■10 bit color quality for unmatched color accuracy, with over a billion colors available
■Epson AccuCinema™ Color Management delivered by the built-in optical Cinema Filter 
blocks out excess light for an expanded, purer color range and sophisticated grayscale 
tracking
■HDMI™ (High Definition Multimedia Interface™) port for superior, uncompressed 
digital video
■True 16:9 wide-format projection
■Flexible setup configurations, including front projection and ceiling mounted, with 
vertical and horizontal offset lens shift
■Seven optimized color modes to quickly optimize viewing for different lighting 
environments and a vast array of fine custom color adjustments 
						

							8Introduction
Projector Parts
Control panel
Ventilation slots Lens coverVertical lens shift dial
Adjustable foot
Video portHDMI port Input A port
(component)
AC power inletInfrared 
receiver
Kensington
® 
lock port Infrared receiver
D4/SCART port 
(used mainly in 
Japan)
Horizontal lens shift dial
S-Video portControl (RS-232C) port Trigger out 
port
Input B port 
(RGB)
Zoom ring
Focus ring
Main power switch 
						

							Introduction9
Power 
button Power 
light
Keystone correction buttons
Correct the shape of a non-rectangular 
image
Menu navigation 
buttons Source button
Switches the video 
input source
Esc button
Exits the current 
menu item Menu button
Displays the 
menus
Warning 
lightLamp coverAir filter Mounting bracket connections
Aspect button
Changes the picture’s 
aspect ratio
Select/Line menu button
Selects menu items or 
opens the Line Menu
Projector Control Panel 
						

							10Introduction
Remote Control Button Map
Source buttons
Switch between equipment 
connected to the projectorColor Mode button
Optimizes viewing for 
different lighting environments On and Off 
buttons
Memory button
Recalls custom picture settings
Menu navigation 
buttons
Pattern button
Displays test patterns 
to adjust the image Menu button
Displays the projector’s menusAspect button
Changes the picture’s aspect ratio
ESC button
Exits the current menu item
Blank button
Turns off the 
screen image Select/Line menu
Selects menu items or opens 
the Line Menu Operation light
Lights when you send 
remote control commands
Gamma button
Adjusts the gamma values 
of the screen display
ColorTemp. button
Changes the color temperature 
of the screen displayContrast button
Changes the contrast of 
the screen display
S. Tone button
Adjusts the skin tones of people 
appearing in the screen display
Illumination button
Lights the remote control 
buttons for easy viewing