We’ve come a long way. Specifically, take a look at the history of projectors in office meeting rooms.
Past
When I started out in the audio visual industry 20 years ago, projectors were being sold for around the $8k – $10k mark. For that, you barely got XGA resolution and 1000 lumens. The lamps lasted less than 2000 hours and their replacement cost was over $700.00.
Present
It’s been intriguing to watch the change in technology over the years. Now we can purchase projectors for less than $1000 that have HDMI, WXGA resolution and 4000 lumens. The lamps last more than 4000 hours and cost only $150.00 to replace. Thank goodness for advancements in technology.
Future
Laser technology is paving the way to the future. Laser projectors have a greater potential of providing brighter images and better colours. Not only that but there are no more changing lamps, which is a huge benefit for many an IT department and a cost saving as well. Also, laser projectors turn on and off quicker than conventional UHF lamp projectors. Although laser projectors are more expensive at this point, it is highly likely that prices will drop similarly to their predecessors. Read cnets blog on why they are the future.
Of course, there are literally hundreds of projectors to choose from for all types of rooms, dynamics, and budgets. The bottom line is that projectors have greatly improved in technology. Although TV’s have become larger and more affordable, there still is a need for office projector applications. The question is … How do I select the right projector for the right application? How bright will I need? What features will I require? Along with that, what size of projection screen will I need?
Are you going through this right now?
A good audio visual provider can help you through this process. When someone calls our office to request for pricing on a specific projector, we ALWAYS verify that that projector will be the right choice. The worst thing after purchase is the feeling that when every time you turn on the office projector, you say you wish you had some other features you did not know about.
Here are some simple questions to help you determine the right office projector for your needs:
Questions to Consider When Choosing Your Office Projector
- What is the projector going to be used for?
- For instance, will it be mainly for PowerPoint presentations or will it be used to present finer detail such as Excel spreadsheets? Will it be used for data or video? Does it require to be wireless? What are the sources to the projector? These questions can determine specifics such as resolution and the light engine (LCD, DLP, Laser).
- What is the size of the room? How many people will be in the room?
- This can determine the size of screen required (and signify the range of lumen brightness)
- Can the light in the room be adjusted?
- This includes both electrical and sunlight. Again, this can determine a range of lumen brightness.
- Will the projector be mounted or portable?
- If portable, you may wish to consider the weight of the projector. If it’s mounted, you may wish to consider the colour and lamp accessibility.
- What is your budget?
There are other questions that will arise, and these can be considered during a conversation or site review with your audio visual solutions provider in Vancouver.
Can we help?
At Amplified Audio Visual, we are here to help you navigate through the process of implementing technology to your advantage (and to your budget). Contact us today to arrange a free consultation. You will be up and running in no time.
Amplified Audio Visual, we are your resource.