By Cindy Davis On January 15, 2016
The format wars continue…
Just when you thought large-format, flat-panel displays weren’t ever going to be cost effective, and you would be changing projector bulbs until you dropped — so did the prices of 100-plus-inch flat panels making you take another look (and touch). Just when you thought projectors were going the way of Betamax, the ability to have a projector as close as two-feet to the screen, or map specular images onto a large building, the only thing that has gone the way of the HD-DVD is the high-churn-rate projector bulb. There’s no sitting on the sidelines and waiting it out on this one. Both projectors and flat-panels will live on. Or will they?
True Story: Let There Be Light, and Color… and a Stunning Image
In the past, projectors were the only viable option when displaying large images for presentations in conference rooms, boardrooms and multipurpose rooms etc. Now, large flat screens (65-, 75-, 85-, 98- and 105-inch) are available and fairly inexpensive. By using a flat screen, we no longer have to darken a room or deal with an abundant amount of ambient light in a room. We don’t have to deal with changing lamps or other maintenance, as flat screens typically run maintenance free for years. Because the displays are typically mounted on the wall or from the ceiling, when adding peripherals like video conferencing cameras, it’s easier and more appealing to affix the camera to the display. Infrastructure is easier since there is only one location for blocking and mounting as opposed to projection which required blocking and cabling to the projector, and electric and structural mounting to the projection screen location if motorized.
Now, projectors won’t go away, especially with the advent of hybrid and laser phosphor projectors and better projection screen materials which deal with the ambient light issue better, producing better images. Where required we can still get large projection screens in places where flat screens are just not big enough yet…the key word is “yet.”
—Stephen Keppler, CTS, Vice President, Senior Sales Executive, McCann Systems
Read the full story here: AVNetwork: Point/Counterpoint: Flat Panels vs. Projectors
