Featured Product: Sony SuperSmart Has Mind of its Own
What if you could walk into a classroom to make a media-rich presentation,
and not have to fumble with cables, wait for the projector to warm up, or search
through a set of files on your laptop for the right material? What if you could
simply walk in and begin? What would you do with all of that extra time? A new
line of networkable projectors aims to take the guesswork—except perhaps
what to do with that additional five minutes of teaching time—out of presentations.
Developed by Sony, the SuperSmart projector series is networkable, meaning that
the projector can be assigned an IP address and linked to the university LAN.
Because it’s networked, the projector can send and receive data, store
files, and produce them on demand. Users can upload, store, and access any file
they need, including Microsoft Word files, Excel worksheets, PowerPoint presentations,
and JPEG, bitmap, or GIF images.
“With this technology, a professor who’s building a presentation
can simply send the files through the LAN,” said Robert Meakin, marketing
manager for Sony. “When he or she gets to class, the material is already
loaded and ready to use.” This greatly simplifies classroom start-up.
Says Meakin, “All you have to do is turn on the projector, find the presentation,
and go.”
The SuperSmart series projectors include an on-board Windows CE computer so
that users can browse the Internet without the use of a PC. In the classroom,
participants can also access content from anywhere on the network. No other
software is required to get immediately connected to the campus LAN.
What’s more, the SuperSmart projectors offer tremendous savings for administrators.
The projector’s functions are all controllable from the LAN. This allows
administrators, sitting in one location, to operate, diagnose, and troubleshoot
a projector in another building. In fact, they can monitor several projectors
at the same time. Being able to diagnose a problem from a remote location saves
time and staffing. “A professor can call the tech person from the classroom
where he or she is having trouble, and the administrator can identify the problem
for the professor,” said Meakin. “Sometimes the administrator can
even correct the problem remotely.”
The SuperSmart series includes several models. The 4000 ANSI lumen
VPL-FE110 projector is designed to take center stage in auditoriums, while Sony’s
VPL-FX51 features 5200 ANSI lumens and is best used in mid-to-large size lecture
halls. The VPL-PX35 and VPL-PX40 are mid-sized classroom models featuring 2600
and 3500 lumens, respectively. For smaller classrooms, Sony’s 2000 ANSI
lumen model, the VPL-PX15 unit is optimal as it can also be fitted with a short-throw
lens. Each of these LCD projectors is XGA or SXGA resolution.
Sony also offers an optional software program, called PJNet! network projector
management software, which allows a university to centralize the administration
of its AV and IT support services.
PJNet! emails or pages the administrator
whenever trouble occurs. It notifies administrators about lamp hour usage, filter
cleaning needs, and projector warnings and errors. Through the software, administrators
can detect projectors, turn them on or off, set projectors to power on and off
at particular times, and access projector web pages. PJNet! even has a built-in
theft detection device. If someone disconnects the projector from the network,
PJNet! will notify the administrator. PJNet can control up to 255 projectors
at a time.
According to Meakin, PJNet! can control some seemingly mundane functions, saving
universities a great deal of money. “Just by programming PJNet! to turn
off the projectors at a particular time, a university increases its return on
investment,” he says. Controlling on and off times saves bulbs, reduces
energy demand, and lessens the need for air conditioning, since the projectors,
which warm rooms, will be off when not in use.
The VPL-PX35 and VPL-PX40 models also include a direct power feature. This protects
the unit in case it is unplugged before it has cooled off. The projector will
continue to operate its fan until the unit is safely cooled down, even though
the power from the outlet has been cut off. This is particularly important in
rooms where the projector is powered on and off via a wall switch.
Sony says it is committed to providing the higher education market with a projector
it d'esn’t have to fumble with. And you don’t even have to remember
to turn it off on your way out.
For more information, contact Sony Electronics, Park Ridge New Jersey,
1-800-686-7669, www.sony.com/projectors.
