Presentation Technologies 101

This post was originally written for Private University Products and News (www.pupnmag.com)

Until recently the cost of large flat-panels for classroom use was prohibitive, making projectors the preferred presentation technology for most colleges and universities. Now, as monitor prices continue to drop, schools are questioning their traditional or standard classroom technology.  Both projectors and flat-panel displays (monitors, LED displays, TVs) are strong choices for specific types of classroom configurations, each providing benefits that can only be considered when the primary use of the room is well-defined.

Cost vs. Image Size

Above 70”, projectors offer a better value of product cost for image size. That means, in auditoriums, large classrooms, multi-purpose rooms, etc. a projector is more often the preferred technology. In smaller classrooms, conference rooms, group study spaces and in specialty environments, the cost of a flat panel is low enough and the quality is high enough that they become the best option. When calculating the total cost of ownership of a projector (TCO= product, accessories, maintenance over the lifecycle of the product), which will include screens, filters and lamps, we find that projectors are still less costly than 70”+ monitors. Simply put, when comparing cost and screen size, projectors...

However, the calculation isn’t always that easy. Richard Derbyshire, Consultant Relationship Manager at Christie Digital, reminds us that “when viewing distance increases, so does the cost of image size for both projection and flat-panel displays.” Additionally, there are more pieces to a display puzzle than just the size. While the general cost per size is lower for a projected image, the quality of the contrast, resolution and color acuity is also lower. There are some fundamentals that must be considered prior to a display purchase: audience size, lighting conditions, and image fidelity.

Audience/ Room size

Let’s not reinvent the wheel here. InfoComm, the trade association for the audiovisual industry, provides a standard to its members called  “Display Image Size for 2D Content in Audiovisual Systems” This standard was developed to help “determine required display image size and relative viewing positions according to two defined viewing needs: basic decision making and analytical decision making. Image height, image resolution, and the size of image content are all prescriptive elements when determining required image size. The standard also addresses closest and farthest viewing distances, as well as relative horizontal and vertical viewer locations. It provides formulas to design and display content when...