Projecting for Profit: A Sourcebook Annual Report
InFocus includes its Projector Manager Software with the LP70. It's an application that lets presenters precisely control such sophisticated features as Picture-in-Picture (PIP), digital zoom, and picture freeze from their laptop computers. The software also makes it easy to fine-tune image quality, and even to customize start-up screens with your own logo or welcome message.
Having a digital projector with you for that important meeting in another city can help you close that sale, cement that alliance, or get that big project up to speed. Superportable projectors are now making the display of presentations on laptop screens virtually obsolete.
Real Value
Saving valuable time and improving the effectiveness of business communications are two of the most important benefits of deploying portable projectors within your company. As IDC concludes in its report on digital projectors: "Their ability to increase both the efficiency and efficacy of presentations can lead to improved retention, reduced preparation time, and, in some instances, shorter, yet more effective meetings. Even better, the ROI story for digital projectors offers strong evidence of their value and their quick payback to the bottom line"
The Ultraportable InFocus LP70 Projector
Although it weighs less than 2.5 lbs. and can fit in the accessory compartment of your laptop case, the LP70 from InFocus is a powerful, full-featured projector.
Along with its impressive 1100 ANSI lumens of brightness, high contrast ratio of 800:1, and native XGA resolution, the LP70 includes many advanced features usually found only in much larger, more expensive projectors. These include intelligent electronics that optimize the image based on room lighting conditions, an optical zoom lens with one-touch focus and zoom adjustment, and dual sensors for wireless remote control from anywhere in the room. Unlike many other micro-sized projectors, the LP70 operates at a whisper-quiet 32dB, and the all-in-one unit incorporates a wide range of connectivity, including computer, composite, and S-Video and audio input sources.
For more information, visit www.infocus.com or call 1-800-294-6400.
Brightness by the Numbers
The size of your expected audience and the room conditions, such as ambient light, are major factors in selecting the optimum projector. A larger audience requires a bigger screen and a brighter projector; a brightly-lit room demands even more projector power.
Start by determining the size of the screen you'll use for your larger presentations. One good rule of thumb is to divide the distance of the farthest viewer by 8 to get the minimum height of the screen for that room. Thus, a conference room with the furthest seat located 24' from the screen would require at least a 4-foot high screen (typically 50" x 67"). To calculate the brightness of the projector required, multiply the area of the screen (in square feet) by 25. This gives us a figure of 581, which rounds up to a minimum of 600 ANSI lumens of brightness from the projector. Likewise, a 6- x 8-foot screen would require a projector with about 1200 ANSI lumens output. In situations where room or window light "washes out" the screen, a more powerful projector may be required.
Selecting a Projector
Even though there are more than a hundred DLP? and other projectors currently available, choosing the best one for your application is easy if you keep in mind your answers to these four simple questions:
- What kind of content do I need to present?
- To whom will I present, and in what environment?
- Who else will be using this projector?
- What is the maximum total cost-of-ownership that fits my budget?
It's The Content
Projectors with higher native resolution generally cost more than comparable units with lower resolution. The native resolution of a projector is the actual number of pixels the unit can project on a screen. Most models have the ability to "compress" higher-resolution computer images for projection and display the entire image that was on your laptop, but with less usable detail or resolution. A native SVGA (800 x 600 pixels) projector will usually do a good job of projecting a simple PowerPoint or video image from an XGA (1024 x 768 pixels) laptop display, but might not do so well with detailed CAD drawings or a spreadsheet with lots of tiny cells. When in doubt, go for the higher native resolution model if you can afford it.
If you plan to project a lot of video or animated multimedia, choose a projector with advanced video processing capability (e.g., Faroudja DCDi), a good fill factor, and low latency (e.g., DLP). Multipurpose projectors, such as the InFocus, are a good bet for applications that require both high-impact presentations and high-quality video.
Traveling with a projector can be a chore, but you may not need the lightest microportable if you plan to drive to most of your meetings. In that case a 5- to 7-lb. portable unit, such as the InFocus 1000-ANSI-lumen X1 or the 2000-ANSI-lumen LP530, will probably give you more flexibility and presentation bang for your buck.
Who and How
In order for a projector to produce the greatest gains in productivity, its features must fit in with your users' presentation styles and technical abilities. Ease of setup is a key factor, particularly for traveling presenters and slideshow neophytes. Such features as color-coded cables and connectors, automatic adjustment to a variety of inputs, ambient light sensors, and an easy-to-use remote control are also important to these users. For power presenters, flexible remote control software such as Projector Manager from InFocus, is a desirable feature, as are a wireless mouse and DVI input.
Real Cost
Cost of ownership obviously includes more than just the equipment purchase price. In the selection of a digital projector, other important factors include bulb life and replacement cost, and the cost of an extended warranty or field service plan (strongly recommended).
Since smaller, brighter, higher-resolution models cost more, one good way to maximize your projector ROI is to buy a projector with the features and capabilities you really need. Keep in mind that your needs may change over the life of the machine, so select a unit that meets your "projected" needs for at least three years.
