Brightness without the Juice

Who says you need an expensive traditional lamp to get the brightness needed for a projector to cut it in the classroom? Not Optoma, which just introduced two projectors that use the company’s solid state EcoBright engine. Both put a WXGA image on a screen, but the TL30W uses 300 LEDs and the TL50W has 500 LEDs. The projectors deliver 300- and 500-lumens respectively, which is not a lot but should be fine with the lights off and the blinds down.

Both devices can connect to the typical inputs like VGA and HDMI ports as well as having a WiFi receiver for wireless connections. Each has the one-two punch of an SD card slot and a USB outlet and has built-in software for reading Office files directly. With a 3-year warranty, they sell for $550 and $650, respectively, and unlike traditional projectors, they will likely never need to have the lamp replaced, saving hundreds of dollars over its life.

 

Brightness on the Cheap

Epson’s PowerLite X15 just might be the best balance between cost and performance in a classroom projector today. The X15 uses three LCD panels to put 3,000 lumens on the screen in XGA resolution and has all the ports and connections you’d expect. At $600 it costs less to get and is a power miser as well, using just 0.4 watts in sleep mode and its lamp lasts for 4,000 or 5,000 hours of use in normal or Eco mode.

 

 

Up Close in the Classroom

The latest projectors from Sony take short throw technology even further with the ability to create a 6.5-foot image at just 19-inches away from the screen. The VPL-SW535 and SX535 feature WXGA and XGA resolution and put 3,000 lumens of brightness on the screen. They cost $1,700 for the VPL-SW535 and $2,300 for the $2,500 for the SX535; adding Ludicia eBeam technology to transform the projhectors into interactive systems costs $600.

Joining the Interactive Party

Interactive projectors that can replace white boards are now nearly two years old, and Optoma is joining the party with its DLP-based TW601STi. The WXGA projector can cover a 7-foot screen with 3,100-lumens from just 36-inches and is ready for 3-D programming.  It uses PointBlank technology and a handheld wand to allow teachers and students to write directly onto the projected image.

 

Brightness without the Bulbs

Tired of shelling out $250 for new projector lamps every couple of years? With BenQ’s Blue Core laser engine, you won’t need to ever buy another lamp. Used on the LX50ST and LW61ST short throw models, the light engine is rated to last 20,000 hours, ten-times longer than traditional lamps. The BenQ projectors reduce power use by 90 percent and still put out 2,000 lumens to fill a screen with images and video.

 

Two Pens, No Waiting

The latest interactive projectors from Epson take its BrightLink technology to a new level with the ability to use two pens at once. Think of the possibilities of a race among kids to finish a math problem or a teacher and student working together and you get an idea of its potential. The BrightLink 425Wi, 430i and 435Wi sell for between $1,300 and $1,400, connect with a computer via HDMI and put out between 2,500- and 3,000-lumens. A big bonus is that the replacement lamps for these projectors cost $99, half what others go for.

 

FETC 2012: Projector Big Enough for an Auditorium

Anyone who’s tried to fill a huge screen in a big lecture hall or auditorium with a classroom projector knows that the image quickly gets washed out and often distorted. Enter Epson's ProZ line of large venue projectors that can fill large screens with between 7,000 and 10,000 lumens of illumination and have a variety of specialty lenses. There are three models, some of which can be ordered in black or white and they should be available later this winter.

 

FETC 2012: A Lot of Projector for a Little

Epson’s PowerLite 93+ may not be the cheapest projector around, but it is as great way to put a lesson on the screen for the class to see. That’s because the PL 93+ can put 2,600 lumens of light and includes such amenities as a network connection and a 16-watt speaker. The projector uses a trio of LCD panels to create 1,024 by 768 resolution and its lamp has been designed to run for up to 6,000 hours, reducing its operating expenses. It’ll go on sale this spring for $700.

 

Micro-Mini projector

Who says that projectors have to be big clunky things that are hard to carry around. Velocity Micro certainly doesn’t. The company’s Micro Shine projector puts 300 lumens on screen in 1,280 by 768 resolution, yet weighs only 9 ounces and uses just 23 watts.

 

 

Small Wonders

The latest in educational projectors is a generation of LED powered devices that are not only smaller and lighter, but can simplify classroom set up and save on expenses. That’s because on top of using much less electricity, their lamps have been designed to last at least ten years of typical school use so you’ll probably never have to replace an expensive lamp again.

On the downside, they can’t compare on brightness with traditional classroom projectors, but still have their place in the classroom or small group learning. Here’re five of my favorites,

Need to put something on your iPhone or iPod onto the classroom’s big screen but can’t figure out how to do it? In addition to connecting with a computer or DVD player, BenQ’s Joybee GP2 can put what’s on an iPhone or iPod onto a screen with up to 720p high definition resolution. The $700 micro-projector uses a tiny DLP imaging engine and LEDs, but puts out only 100 lumens of light, the lowest output of the five. It can be battery powered for doing things like projecting a movie on a field trip bus. It weighs 1.2 pounds.

By contrast, Optoma’s ML500 projector is much larger and weighs in at 2.5 pound, but is tiny compared to traditional projectors. It leads its class by being able to put 500 lumens of light on the screen, which should be more than enough for a small group lesson or a classroom with the blinds down. With 1,280 by 800 resolution, the ML500 can show HD programming from a computer or play all sorts of files directly from an SD card. The ML500 costs about $700.

Of these five mini-projectors, LG’s HX350T is the most unique projector by being able to do things the others can’t. In addition to connecting with a computer or DVD player, it has a digital TV tuner built-in so that it can project episodes of Sesame Street or Discovery Channel documentaries. The TV signal can come from a cable connection or broadcast TV via an antenna, it doesn’t matter. At 300 lumens, the projector’s 1,024 by 768 resolution output is midway between the others in terms of brightness; it can show 1,024 by 768 resolution and costs $650.

Despite its micro size and 1.3-pound weight, Acer’s K11 projector offers a lot for a little. It puts out 200 lumens in SVGA resolution so that it can fill a 6.7-foot screen with all sorts of lessons to small groups of students. The K11has a simple control panel as well as a built-in 1 watt speaker and can be connected to HDMI or VGA sources. It has automatic keystone correction for a quick classroom set up, but the best part about Acer’s K11 is its price tag, which can be as low as $300.

Unlike the others, Vivtek pushes microprojectors into the third dimension with its Qumi Q2, which supports the use of 3-D movies and programs. It supports 720p high definition resolution, pumps out 300 lumens of brightness and can play content directly from a USB memory key or SD card; it also has mini HDMI and composite video jacks for connecting with a computer. The projector comes with most of the cables you’ll need, a remote control and travel bag. All told, it’s the lightweight of the bunch with a weight of just over a pound and sells for $500.