New Projectors
As we prepare to move into a new building next fall, I’ve been thinking about the projectors that we’ll have in the new classrooms. We are leaving our old ones behind, and for good reason. Not only do they not perform as well as new ones but the replacement bulbs are outrageously expensive. My projector bulb is on its last legs (dim, many colours aren’t shown), and a new bulb costs $400. Ouch.
A few weeks ago I attended a workshop put on by an Epson sales rep and he demonstrated a projector that we might be getting, the Brightlink 585Wi. It’s a short throw projector with interactive (ie touch) capabilities. The idea is that our computers will connect to it wirelessly via an Apple TV box. My Surface Pro has Air Parrot installed, which is needed to connect to the ATV. I tested this system out at my home. The connection was handled pretty smoothly by the software and air parrot did a decent job with still screens. It had a lot of problems with video though. The audio and video would go out of sync very badly. Sometimes the video would stutter as it buffered.
All of this made me wonder what the alternatives are, and what functionality I (we?) really need. So the first thing I did was take stock of how and why I use a projector. My primary use is to transmit information. This is usually through using Onenote. Sometimes I show slides or pictures, sometimes a video and sometimes I demonstrate a computer simulation. I don’t really see myself using a projector in any type of interactive/touch way. I hope to be able to mirror photos on my phone to the projector. A wireless connection would be extremely useful since I’m using a tablet computer. I don’t really plan on walking around the room with my Surface, but wireless is nice for the simple reason of being able to move the surface around on my front work table. Furthermore, my initial use of the Surface has indicated to me that the mini hdmi port will not last very long if I’m constantly plugging and unplugging a cable. I’ve already seen the connection get a bit flakey.
That’s me, but what about the students? What are they experiencing? My students for the past 4 years have been coming into a classroom with all the blinds closed, in a somewhat darkened room. Ambient lighting is kept to a minimum to assist the projector. In my mind, this is where the greatest improvements can be made. For 4 years my students environment has consisted of row benches bolted to the floor, forcing everyone to face forward and never entering circles or groups for discussions, in a room with no natural lighting. Now seems to be the time where we can properly focus on lighting.
The Bright Idea
Considering the above, I’m convinced that the primary factor for choosing a new projector comes down to lumens. A bit of research tells me that we should have a minimum of 4000 lumens in our rooms, based on a projected screen size of 80" x 40". This allows for clear reading of the screen from a distance of 35’ in ambient light. This exceeds the 3200 lumens of the Brightlink 585Wi. However, Epson makes other models that appear to be a better fit for our rooms, such as the Powerlite 1945W.
In the graphic below the blue bars indicate a room with some ambient lighting - there are blinds but the blinds let some light leak through. The red bars indicate a room that has bright ambient lighting with windows. For optimal results in a room with bright ambient lighting, 4000 lumens is needed.
Obviously the best thing would be to test these projectors in a room and lighting situation similar to what we will have next year. 3000 lumens from the Brightlink is borderline and it’s possible that it will suffice. For what it’s worth, the Epson rep seemed to think that it might not be enough for larger screens.
To best compare the pros and cons of these projectors, I will use the SECTIONS framework. SECTIONS breaks a technological purchase/choice into 8 factors for decision analysis. Students: is it appropriate for students? Ease if use: how easy it to learn and adopt? Cost: is the cost reasonable? Teaching and learning: will it enhance learning? Interactivity: is it more interactive than other passive mediums or resources? Organization: is it easy for the organization to implement and support? Novelty: is the technology new? Speed: is it quick to implement?
| Brightlink 858Wi | Powerlight 1945W | |
|---|---|---|
| Students | Less appropriate if not bright enough | Good brightness for students |
| Ease of use | More difficult with interactive calibration and sync with Air Parrot | Built-in Wifi may be easy to use, but not sure |
| Cost | More expensive but only by a few hundred dollars | A little less expensive |
| Teaching and learing | Ambient light may result in poorer learning environment. Could be some use for interactive screen. | No specific learning affordances |
| Innovation | Mostly a passive technology | Mostly a passive technology |
| Organization | Added complexity with calibration and apple tv may be a problem | Wifi may be a problem |
| Novelty | Mostly a passive technology | Mostly a passive technology |
| Speed | Should be fast to implement | Should be fast to implement |
There isn’t a lot of difference between these two projectors. The “Students” category has the opportunity to offer the greatest difference, depending on the just how many lumens are required to properly use the projector in a classroom with full ambient light. If the built-in WiFi in the Powerlite works well, the Powerlite projector will undoubtedly be the preferred choice. For this reason, I believe that the Powerlite projector should be purchased for our new science classrooms. An hour of testing with the two projectors in the new school would give a concrete answer. If it’s decided that the ATV will be used regardless of other capabilities, then even cheaper Powerlite projectors can be purchased, saving $700 (via MSRP).
How about you? What kind of projector do you have in your classroom? How many lumens does it output? Do you have to control your light levels? Do you have interactive features?