Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Don't be fooled by the advertising that claims this is a 48-bit (16/channel) scanner. The files produced by their scanning software will be downgraded to 24-bit (8/channel) before being given to you. I bought this unit from somewhere other than Amazon, but am posting this review as a public service. I submitted this exact problem to Epson's support: "Using the latest version of the scan software (Epson Scan 3.76US) in 'Professional Mode' I do not get a 48-bit color scan option. Under 'Image Type' I get '24-bit Color' only. How do I scan at the advertised 48-bit color depth level?" EPSON'S RESPONSE (four-day turnaround, fyi) "Thank you for contacting Epson regarding your Epson Artisan 810. The specification of the scanner can support 48 bit (input) and 24 (output only). That is why on Epson Scan you only have 24 bit option." MY COMMENTS I'm not given to hyperbole, but this is downright fraudulent on the part of Epson - nowhere in any of their marketing or support documentation for this product do they reveal the scanner has a lower "output" than "input" bit depth. And to add insult to injury I can see right in their scanning software that 48-bit is supported on at least some of their products, but in my case the 48-bit option was grayed out. (And until now I was completely ignorant of the difference - do a Google search for "scanner input versus output depth"). My recently deceased Canon MP760 all-in-one scanner would output 48-bit (i.e. 16/channel) color depth, and my Photoshop CS2 software handled it just fine. It never occurred to me that a more-expensive and three-year-newer printer would not do the same. You have been warned.