Epson Home Cinema 980
D0 No Radio — No radio at all. It cannot phone home.
The unplug test
Nothing changes, because this projector never had a network connection to lose. It takes HDMI in from a cable box, Blu-ray player, laptop or game console, and projects it — controlled entirely by its included infrared remote. The USB-A port will power a Fire TV Stick or Roku plugged into it, but that stick is a separate smart device with its own account and its own Wi-Fi; the projector itself has no wireless radio, no app, and nothing to phone home with.
Why this tier: The manufacturer's own specification sheet lists the projector's complete interface set as two HDMI ports, a USB Type-A port (power/PC-free playback), a USB Type-B port (USB Plug 'n Play from a computer), and a 3.5mm audio output — no Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ethernet, or wireless module of any kind, and no smart-TV operating system. The USB-A port can power an external streaming stick (Fire TV, Apple TV, Roku, Chromecast), and Epson's own footnote on that feature specifies the *stick* needs its own wireless network connection — the projector itself contributes only power over USB, not a radio. No FCC ID search turned up an intentional-radiator grant for this model, consistent with Epson filing grants under other product lines (grantee codes D3F, BKM) when they do add radios.
Specifications
| Account required | none |
|---|---|
| Works offline | fully |
| Forced firmware updates | no |
| Radios | none |
| FCC ID | no intentional-radiator grant found |
| Local control | none |
| Phones home | none |
| Parts available | unknown |
| Availability | in stock |
| Price band | $700-850 (seen 2026-09-05) |
| Vendor risk | 0 / 3 |
Where to buy
Open questions
- Did not locate a specific FCC ID search result confirming zero intentional-radiator filings under model number V11HB63020 directly on fccid.io (searched the grantee's filing list rather than the model number itself); the manufacturer's own spec sheet is treated as the primary source for the no-radio claim, with the grantee search as corroborating sibling control.
- Did not verify repairability/parts availability specifically for this model; the note reflects the standard Epson Home Cinema lamp-projector service pattern rather than a HC980-specific source.
Sources
Class A is primary (manual, FCC filing, teardown). Class B is corroborated community reporting. Class C is never sufficient alone.
- A https://mediaserver.goepson.com/ImConvServlet/imconv/1f38cec1a914a0909374eb4e01a049ce970253a5/original?assetDescr=+HC980_3LCD_1080p_Projector_Specification_Sheet_CPD-65751.pdf
Manufacturer specification sheet: full interface list (2x HDMI, USB-A, USB-B, 3.5mm audio out) with no wireless interface listed; footnote clarifies the USB-A streaming-stick power feature requires the stick's own wireless network connection, not one built into the projector. — accessed 2026-09-05 - A https://epson.com/For-Home/Projectors/Home-Cinema/Home-Cinema-980-3LCD-1080p-Projector/p/V11HB63020
Manufacturer product page confirms current in-stock status, price ($749.99, reduced from $849.99), and the same interface set with no Wi-Fi/Bluetooth/app/account mentioned anywhere on the page. — accessed 2026-09-05 - A https://fccid.io/D3F
Sibling control: Seiko Epson Corporation's grantee codes (D3F, BKM) show the company does file FCC intentional-radiator grants for products that contain radios (e.g. its Wi-Fi-equipped streaming projectors), making the absence of any grant found for the Home Cinema 980 meaningful rather than an artifact of a vendor that never files. — accessed 2026-09-05
History
- 2026-09-05 — First published at D0.
Last verified 2026-09-05 — 1 days ago.