The Smart Projector

While all projectors provide a way to connect via a traditional VGA or DVI port, Epson’s PowerLite 1716 goes a step further by connecting any PC with a USB port. In fact, the 1716 is so smart that you don’t even need to use a computer because it can projector a variety of material held on a memory key. The 1716 uses a trio of LCD panels to put an XGA image on screen, is capable of 2,700 lumens of brightness and starts up in seconds. It comes with a two-year warranty and sells for $1,000.

Light Bright

Optoma sets the pace for inexpensive bright projectors that are suitable for classroom use. At $650, the Pro250X can put 2,800 lumens of light onto a screen that’s between 2- and 25-feet. Based on the 0.55-inch Texas Instruments digital light processing imaging engine, it creates crisp XGA images and starts up quickly. The projector comes with a 1-year warranty on the projector and 90-days of coverage for the lamp. 

Project Without Wires

Tripped over a projector’s cable lately or spent too much time plugging in wires to get it to work? If you’re like me, all too much time has been spent tangled in projector cables. InFocus may be able to free us all from this tangle with a new wireless technology for connecting computer to projector. It uses WisAir’s ultra wide band wireless USB chip to beam what’s on a PC’s screen to the projector for up to about 30 feet. It’s able to work with up to 1,440 by 900 resolution is protected with 128-bit encryption and the USB transmitter and receiver dongles are paired for greater security. At $159, it’s a great add-on that will be out by the time most schools start in early September, but it only works with InFocus projectors that have DisplayLink technology built-in.

Big Room, Big Picture

A big room, like an auditorium or converted cafeteria deserves a big projector that has the brightness to put a sharp image on screen. With 6,200 lumens at its disposal, or more than double the output of the typical classroom projector, NEC’s NP4100 has the power to light up a big room. The projector can work with screens that are as big as 42-feet, creates an XGA image and can be operated with one or two bulbs turned on. A big bonus is that the projector has vertical and horizontal keystone correction so that the projector doesn’t have to be directly in front of the screen. It will go on sale later this month for $5,500 with a three year warranty. 

Power Projector

When 2,000, 3,000, 4,000 or even 5,000 lumens of light isn’t enough, Epson’s PowerLite Pro Z8000WUNL can do the trick by blasting an image onto the screen. Capable of delivering 6,000 lumens, it is one of the brightest projectors available and is just as good for an auditorium, cafeteria or a lecture hall. Using three tiny LCD panels, it creates a 1,920 by 1,200 image at an astounding 5,000:1 contrast ratio. In other words, it can deliver a presentation that doesn’t get washed out, no matter how bright a day it is. For those who have to install the Z8000WUNL in odd places, it can be set up to 30-degrees off center and still create a rectangular image.

The Table Projector

Projectors are always mounted on a ceiling, the classroom’s front wall or on a cart and projects images horizontally onto a screen, right? Wrong, with Circle Twelve’s DiamondTouch table, the projector is mounted above and points down, making for unique interactions between student, teacher and data. The table works with any projector, is touch-sensitive and is a great way to work with maps, artwork or writing sentences. However, at $10,000 for a 42-inch model, it’s a pricey proposition that doesn't include the actual projector.

Interactive Board, Without the Board

Every once in a while I see something that makes me want to slap my forehead because it is such an intuitive idea, yet nobody had thought of it before. This is the case with InFocus’sLiteBoard projector that not only puts all sorts of lessons on the big screen but can turn any wall into an interactive smart board. I’ve seen LiteBoard and it is as close to magic as technology gets.

The key is the wand that the teacher (or student) uses to write, move the cursor or click on an object. Rather than writing on a digital board it works anywhere the projector’s beam of light goes, although I found it works best when the wand is up against the wall. The beauty of LiteBoard is that it works on any flat surface, from a pull down screen to a plaster wall. The projector uses TI’s digital light processing technology and puts 3,000 lumens onto a wall or screen.

The prototype I saw and played with worked well with the ability to draw or write in space or touch the wand to the wall for more precise action. LiteBoard should be available later this year and sell for about $2,600 for an XGA version and $3,000 for WXGA.

 

Teach Without Wires

I’ve found that the best teachers just can’t sit still. One moment they’re helping a child write a sentence, the next highlighting equations on the board or showing the class where France’s Maginot line was. Frankly, wires and cables just get in the way and slow a good teacher down, which is why the best digital classrooms combine wireless connections with notebooks and projectors.

Sanyo’s PLC-X305 projector makes putting what’s on a teacher’s notebook on the big screen about as easy as plugging in a memory key. The center of attention is Sanyo’s Auto Capture key and Network Capture software that has all the configuration information needed to make a wireless connection with the projector. It works first time, every time.

Rather than fussing with IP addresses, network names and encryption keys, just plug the key into any recent PC or Mac and run the software. After that, in less than a minute the computer starts broadcasting what’s on screen right to the PLC-X305 projector over a secure peer-to-peer connection. With an Acer Aspire One netbook, the projector had a 75 foot range, more than enough to roam around the typical classroom.

The image looks great and appears no different from when the projector and notebook are connected with a VGA cable. The video quality and controlling the pointer are smooth until you get about 15 feet away from the projector when the response gets choppy. Of more concern is that the wireless link uses the system’s WiFi radio precludes using the notebook to wirelessly connect to the school’s servers or the Internet.

The rest of the PLC-XU305 is no slouch either, and is arguably the best rounded school projector on the market today. Its trio of .63-inch LCD panels creates a vivid and rich 1,024 by 768 pixel image in a traditional 4:3 aspect ratio. It works equally well for widescreen material, like DVDs and the latest notebooks.

At 6.5 pounds, the projector can be carried from room to room as needed, put on a cart or ceiling mounted. I really like that schools can set up the projectors to require a password to start up and display a school logo or other image during its start-up. One thing is for sure, it’s not the quickest to warm up and cool down, with the PLC-XU305 taking 36 seconds to get going and an interminable 1 minute 32 seconds to shut down. On the other hand, the projector can be silenced immediately by pulling out its plug.

With a 1.6:1 optical zoom and automatic keystone correction, the PLC-XU305 can fill just about any screen, but its focus ring is too close to housing for the lens cap, making adjustments awkward. Rated at 3,000 lumens of brightness, I measured its output at 2,983 lumens with excellent uniformity from corner to corner. In other words it can support a lights-on lesson with the blinds up on all but the brightest days. On the downside, pure white has a slight blue cast to it and its dark greens look yellow.

The projector has a great assortment of ports with VGA, DVI, Composite video and S-Video plugs. It can connect with another projector or big screen monitor but lacks the latest an HDMI outlet.

For teachers who have trouble managing team presentations by students, the PLC-XU305 can lift images off of its Auto Capture memory key. Kids can transfer their work to the memory key, plug it into the projector and display their work in less than a minute. Unfortunately, it only shows .jpeg images, so PowerPoint presentations need to be converted.

A big bonus is the projector’s remote control, easily the best remote on the market. On top of having a built-in laser pointer, the remote can add a highlighted zone to the screen, freeze the action or blank the screen. It can digitally zoom in for close ups and page back and forth during a digital lesson.

While the PLC-XU305 has a list price of $2,400, if you shop around you find it online for about $1,800. It comes with a 3-year warranty, but the projector’s bulb is covered for only 90-days and a replacement costs $500. The projector’s estimated annual power costs is high at $270. 

The big pay-off is that because its wireless connection works well and is easy to use, schools can forgo running video cables from the teacher’s desk or podium to the projector, saving hundreds of dollars per classroom, more for older buildings. The PLC-XU305 is a winner of a projector that can transform any classroom.

A
Sanyo PLC-X305
$2,400

     + Easiest wireless set up 
     + Good wireless range
     + Very bright and rich image
     + Highlights portion of screen
     + Best remote

     - Expensive replacement bulb
     - Can’t use Web and wireless projector link at once
     - Hard to get to focus ring

Lean Green Projecting Machine

Any principal or administrator who’s looked at a power bill lately can only shudder at the effect of adding a projector to every classroom. Sanyo’s PLC-XW250 can help by lowering its use of electricity when it’s on and when it’s off to save money and reduce greenhouse gases that power plant’s emit. The PLC-XW250 creates a super-sharp 1,280 by 768 image with up to 2,600 lumens of light, yet when it’s tuned off, it uses only 0.4 watts, much less than conventional projectors. The projector will be available later this month for $895.

Cut the Projector Cord

When it comes to the digital classroom, wires and cables are so 20-th century. Sanyo’s latest projector, the WXU700 not only puts 3,800 lumens of light on a screen in pinpoint sharpt 1,280 by 800 widescreen resolution, but students and teachers can put anything on-screen via an 802.11n WiFi network. It works with everything from PowerPoint to streaming MPEG or WMV video. Inside the projector is a Windows CE computer, which does the hard work of connect wirelessly with a notebook running Windows Vista.  The best part is that you don’t need a degree in engineering or programming to get it to work. The projector retails for $2,995.