Sourcebook Educational Guides: Presenting the Future
People Business
Your focus in creating and delivering business presentations should always be on the audience -- especially their need to understand the benefits of your products or services. Likewise, you should be looking for software, hardware, and vendors that maintain this kind of customer/audience focus. Screen potential vendors to ensure that they will provide the level of support required for your presentations to go smoothly. In the projector arena this usually means working with pro AV manufacturers that have maintained a high level of customer service over the years, even in the face of increasing economic pressure to cut "nonessential" costs. Canon, NEC, and Epson are often cited as providing superior support, and industry veterans such as Sony and Boxlight have built their businesses on a consistent track record of top-notch customer care.
Using presentations to get a competitive edge also means having up-to-date, accurate info about the different tools and techniques available. Over the past several months, we have scoured major industry trade shows, including InfoComm, TechExpo, and Macworld, and examined dozens of projectors, peripherals, and programs in the field. Here is our update on the latest generation of presentation tools.
Software Tools
The biggest news in presentation software is the coming of age of MPEG 4, and the consequent emergence of QuickTime 6. In the near future these technologies will provide easy cross-platform standardization and better-quality video and audio for business communicators of all stripes. eZediaMX is a good example of the new class of the easy-to-use tools that will make imagination the only requirement for creating great multimedia presentations (www.ezedia.com). Even non-nerds can use this $229 drag-and-drop, cross-platform program to create effective interactive presentations with an extremely high sizzle factor. VideoClix is another hot new program. This cool sub-$400 tool lets you establish "hot spots" within a video clip. Clicking on a hot spot during play-back opens a window containing additional info about that product -- all without even having to stop the video stream (www.elinetech.com).
On a more routine level, Microsoft PowerPoint continues to improve and maintains its position as the de facto standard for presentation software. Recent upgrades of this program for both PC and Mac have added small but significant features. For example, the latest version of PowerPoint 2002 for the PC provides easier-to-use, more powerful animation functions and password protection for presentations. Recent versions for the Mac even allow presentations to be saved as QuickTime movies -- for universal playback with transitions and effects.
To spice up your presentations and give them a different look that will stand out from the crowd, try using templates from third-party designers. These add-ons offer dozens of new looks and even broadcast-style 3-D transitions, and can be previewed and ordered via the Web. PowerPlugs (www.crystalgraphics.com), Presentation Plates (www.artisticcapabilities.com), and Powerful Templates (www.imagedj.com) are just a few of the many PowerPoint boosters on the market. Be sure to check system requirements, as some plug-ins work only with certain operating systems or with the most recent versions of PowerPoint.
Extending Your Reach
An electronic whiteboard is a convenient way to increase audience involvement. These devices are getting smarter and more affordable. The new Virtual Ink mimio Xi weighs only 1 lb., is small enough to fit into a laptop bag, and attaches to virtually any whiteboard. When combined with a video/data projector, this type of device can help you to change your presentation on the fly, add annotations, and easily incorporate input from local and distant participants.
Remote presentation technologies allow you to deliver high-impact communications to a distant audience without the expense, delays, and other hassles we have come to associate with air travel. If you haven't tried WebEx, M-Show by Intercall, or any of the other top-grade Web conferencing services, you are in for a pleasant surprise. These services allow you to enhance a conference call with a synchronized slide show and other interactive tools such as chat, remote annotation, and even live video.
Smart Projectors
The new crop of projectors are brighter, lighter, less expensive, and smarter! Intense competition between manufacturers of LCD and DLP projector technologies has produced a leap forward in the cost/performance of projectors -- from lightweight economy models to the top of the line. The increased intelligence of these new machines is seen in their capability to communicate with wired and wireless networks. For example, NEC's ImageXpressT technology (available as an option with some new LT and MT series projectors) sends application- independent screen images from any authorized computer to the projector through a wired LAN or via Wi-Fi 802.11b. This opens up a wide range of new applications, including hassle-free wireless switching between multiple presenters during a meeting.
Advances in both LCD panels and new DLP technology from Texas Instruments (TI) have enabled the latest projectors to increase brightness and contrast ratio, while at the same time improving overall video quality.
Many current DLP projectors incorporate a new chip set from TI to provide contrast ratios as high as 1000:1, and significantly better color reproduction. Boxlight, HP, Optoma, NEC, and BenQ are among the vendors that have deployed these leading-edge devices in their projectors. Boxlight's XD-2m and CD-850m are good examples of how this new technology is providing immediate benefits to business presenters. The XD-2m is a microp-ortable projector that weighs only 2.4 lbs. and delivers 1000 ANSI lumens of native XGA image power, while the CD850m packs an amazing 2500 ANSI lumens of brightness into a 7.5-lb. package.
Portable LCD projectors have also broken the 2000-ANSI-lumen barrier. This means that you can now own a single unit that will cover a tremendous range of meeting needs -- from an off-the-cuff sales presentation to large group sessions of a hundred or more. The new Canon LV-7345 is a great example of this new class of portable powerhouse projectors. The $4,700, 3-LCD unit produces more than 2100 ANSI lumens of native XGA picture power and weighs 8.82 lbs. For the highest quality video presentations, the projector can be set to deliver a very punchy 1600 ANSI lumens with ultra fine color reproduction. We watched an HDTV videotape of forests in Washington State played at this setting on an LV-7345, and the image was so realistic that you could almost smell the pines.
A New Image
Even the best projector can only reproduce the quality inherent in the original image. Video or digital photography quality can be improved with the use of a better camera and improved shooting and editing skills.
Like many mobile presenters, I have sometimes had to choose between carrying a camcorder and a digital still camera. Several manufacturers, including Sony and Canon, have recently introduced palm-sized combination units that offer high-quality DV video and megapixel digital photo capabilities sufficient for product and people photos for presentation use. The new Canon Optura 200MC is a feature-rich and versatile hybrid camcorder. The compact unit incorporates both high-quality DV camcorder and 1.33-megapixel digital still picture capabilities with SD card storage. What impressed us most about this unit, besides the high quality of the video, was the ingenious swivel mount for the palm strap that allowed the shooting wrist (hand) to adjust to a truly comfortable angle.
The image resolution and functional features of digital still cameras are also improving at a rapid pace, and the cost continues to fall. Unless you have other uses for a digital camera (and who doesn't), a high-quality 3-megapixel unit with a 3X optical zoom and easily controllable exposure and flash should suffice for most presentation needs. The Epson 3100Z and Canon PowerShot S30 are both excellent choices in this class. If you're a committed digital shutterbug, you'll want to check out the new Nikon 5700 with 5-megapixel resolution, 8X optical zoom, and a wide range of creative control for under $1,200. Most impressive is Canon's EOS-D60 (around $2,500), a true digital SLR with 6.3-megapixel resolution that is compatible with Canon's EF Series lenses and dozens of other pro-level accessories.
Increasing Interest
A good way to spike the interest level of your audience is to introduce a live demonstration. This is frequently more effective than a product slide or video. To make small objects or print-outs visible to the entire audience, professional presenters use copystand cameras such as the Elmo EV-4400AF or the Canon Video Visualizer. Canon's model RE-450X with a street price of about $2,500 can view and capture live 3-D objects, flat art, documents, photos, and slides, and provides both VGA and video outputs.
Being progressive in your selection of presentation technologies and conservative in your choice of vendors -- dealing with companies that have earned the trust of AV pros over the years -- is a good formula for producing presentations that will help move your company into an ever more profitable future.
Sidebar: New High-Performance Affordable Projectors
NEC Solutions America's latest mobile/desktop projector, the LT260, gives users optional real-time wireless data transmission thanks to NEC ImageXpress TM technology. It offers XGA resolution, image brightness of 2100 ANSI lumens, and contrast ratio of 1300:1, and it weighs only 6.5 lbs. The versatile new projector also features one-touch operation as well as superior image quality with NEC's exclusive VORTEX Technology Plus color management system. The LT260 ships in September with an estimated street price of $3,595.
A version featuring a short-throw lens and 1600 ANSI lumens (the LT240) will ship in October for $3,195, and a budget-priced SVGA model (the LT220) at 2000 ANSI lumens will be available for $2,395.
For more information about these and other NEC products, including the VT45 which gives users a full-featured 1000-ANSI-lumen projector at an affordable $1,549 street price (plus a $150 end-user rebate through September 30), please call 1-800-NEC-INFO or visit www.necvisualsystems.com
Sidebar: Work or Play at Home
With its latest projector release, Studio Experience continues its trend of bringing big-screen movie quality to the home theater marketplace.
The Cinema 17SF features a stunning 1000:1 contrast ratio, 1000 ANSI lumens, HDTV compatibility, and a high-quality Silicon Image deinterlacer. This XGA unit features a high-resolution DMD chip from Texas Instruments that delivers crisp, clear images with natural color reproduction.
Whether you're viewing wide-screen movies or playing video games, this portable unit comes ready for action with high-end audio and video connections including component and composite video and a digital computer input.
Studio Experience is the home theater division of BOXLIGHT -- the first name in digital projectors. Visit its Web site at www.studioexperience.com to see the complete line of Cinema series home theater projectors.
Sidebar: Versatile Presentation Tools
Making a strong connection with audiences is easier than ever with the versatile line of presentation systems from Canon USA Inc. Canon's complete line of projectors, video visualizers, digital cameras, and digital camcorders can be used to create visually exciting presentations, making Canon the top choice for maximizing message impact and retention in business, education, and beyond.
Canon's presentation products benefit from the company's industry-leading optics and easy connectivity, consistently allowing presenters to create dynamic multimedia presentations that enhance their message. With projectors including the LV-X1, LV-S1, LV-7345, and LV-7545, as well as the Video Visualizer RE-450X and PR-200S Presentation Assistant, the Canon line continues to set the pace for presentation technology.
For more information, call 1-800-OK-CANON, or visit www.canonprojectors.com
