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Presentation & Display >> The Challenge of Next-Generation
12/29/2005
2—Pretty Big Monitors. Terry Wirkus, Distance Education manager at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, reports that he is very satisfied with several Samsung 50-inch DLP rear projection monitors that have been used in his classrooms for a variety of applications, including computer presentations. With 60-inch monitors currently selling for $2,500 to $3,500, they represent an affordable and viable solution for smaller rooms, or where there are opportunities for placement of additional monitors toward the rear of larger/longer rooms.
Monitors in this size and price category come in at least three varieties appropriate for classroom use: LCD, DLP, and D-ILA. Many video purists insist that CRT and/or DLP are superior for video due to higher black levels and greater color contrast. However, it’s important to know that a small percentage of DLP viewers can be bothered by a phenomenon known as “rainbow artifacts,” wherein the viewer sees a blur of color around the monitor (this is especially noticeable via peripheral vision). Newer, higher-speed DLP devices have reduced this problem, but some people remain sensitive to it. One should also keep in mind that computer-centric users may prefer LCD, pointing out the sharper pixel lines. If you want to compare the technologies side by side, I recommend that you take a field trip to your local big-box electronics retailer. Keep in mind that the settings made to each display in the store (by the salespeople or by inquisitive customers) can make any display look better or worse than another. The truth of the matter is, with a little adjusting, they all can look pretty good.
3—Next-Generation Projectors. While not really new, I contend that the NEC WT-610 is a second-generation/next-generation product. The projector’s ability to throw a large image from a short distance allows a user to build (or commission) his own inexpensive rear-projection kiosks. Front projection works as well, solving most of the light path problems of a typical front-projection installation: The projector can be mounted just off the front wall of the room, above the screen, if necessary. While the brightness rating has increased from 1500 ANSI (WT-600) to 2000 ANSI lumens (WT-610), potential buyers should know that it’s still not really bright enough for larger screens (100-inches-plus), depending on the ambient room lighting. For rear projection applications, though, this should do fine.
Another first-generation/next-generation projector is the Sanyo PLV-WF10. It offers WXGA (1365x768) native resolution with 4000 ANSI lumens of brightness, at a list price of $12,995. A few cautions, however, when considering purchase of this product: The noise rating is 46dB, the PLV-WF10 weighs over 46 lbs, it uses two projection lamps (doubling lamp replacement cost), and the list price d'es not include a lens. What makes the PLV-WF10 exceptional is that it offers true WXGA resolution at high brightness something that the many 1280x720 home theater projectors out there fail to do.
Will Craig is a Multimedia Systems Design Consultant for Elert & Associates, a nation-wide multi-disciplinary technology consulting firm based in Stillwater, MN.
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