Projection Systems Feature Color, Convenience
Terian Tyre · T.H.E. Journal Technological Horizons in Education · 1990
From drawing pictures in the dust to chalking up a blackboard, educators have always used visuals to explain, illustrate and entice. Modem times require modem tools, and video/data projection systems are tools for the times. Although such devices still generally fall into two distinct categories-projectors and LCD panels-a third category emerged last year. These are combination units, or hybrids, and they offer presenters some special features and options. Also, the first color LCD panels made their debut in late 1989. Overall, the 1990s will see presentation hardware continuing to evolve both in capabilities and convenience. N Projectors Fill Big Needs For large audiences or visuals requiring a high degree of detail, video/data projectors remain the device of choice. Any material created on a computer or taken from a video source can be projected by these units. they can fill curved or flat screens ranging in size from eight to 25 feet, measured diagonally. All video/data projectors were tube-based; now a few utilize advanced LCD technology. Apollo Audio Visual, Eiki International, Epson America and Sharp Electronics all offer LCD-based projectors. Convergence problems, aligning and focusing three separate lenses, are eliminated in LCD units. in general, they are lighter, smaller, less costly and easier to use than traditional video/data projectors. The trade-off, however, is that so far the picture quality of LCD based projectors is less than that provided by CRT-based units. Quickly becoming a standard in all video/data projectors is multiscan capability. Units with this feature automatically lock onto the horizontal scan rate of the device serving as the source of the visual material. This virtually eliminates set-up problems and allows educators to use the projector with any number of different computers or video sources. A multi-scan range between 15 and 33 KHz encompasses most computers. Video/data projectors are particularly suited for fixed installations, such as lecture halls. Most come with a mounting kit for the ceiling and can handle either front-or rear-projection configurations. But educators also want portability, so many newer models boast a built-in handle or carrying case. Other features of modem video/ data projectors include wireless remote controls, built-in audio speakers, the ability to save settings on disk for future use, onscreen help menus and other informational displays. Being able to control more than one projector from a single computer is another new capability. They're all over the school district here, says Robert Berthel about video/data projectors from AmPro Corp. And we're quite happy with them. Berthel, a media technician for the Salem School District Media Center in Salem, N.H., says the center's most recent acquisition, a VideoBeam 3000 projector, is utilized in a variety of ways-from demonstrating software packages to straight video applications. …