Epson began work in LCD technology to produce displays. As the quality of their displays increased, and the size decreased, Epson engineers realized that they could also use them in projectors. If light levels could be made bright enough, the company realized that LCD projectors could be made smaller and much cheaper than the standard Cathode Ray Tube projectors that were then dominating the market. LCD projectors could also be made portable.
Epson first released an LCD projector in 1988, but it sold poorly. For the next 6 years, the company devoted extensive research and development to producing a projector that was higher quality, higher resolution, lower cost, and lower weight. This led to the release of the ELP-3000 in 1984. It was very successful in the marketplace. In addition to technical advances in the product, this success was also a measure of the development of laptop computers that customers were now using to give public presentations. For this they needed an effective, portable projector. Epson's new product fit this expanding market perfectly. Epson responded by calling it a "data projector" rather than a "video projector."
The object is grey and black. It includes a built-in handle, two serial cables with two sets of adaptors for each cable, a power cord, a replacement fuse, a remote, and a manual in original packing.