VISUAL TECH SOLUTIONS PTE LTD

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Fixed Controller vs. Remote Controller

Ultra Short-Throw Projectionphoto credit:lelong.com.my

Projectors usually come with a remote controller but why is there a need to install a separate fixed controller? Are fixed controllers better and are they necessary in the first place? There are various instances where a remote controller works better than a fixed one and vise versa.

Some of the main reasons why some users decide to opt for Fixed Controllers:

–       No issues with mis-placing the remote controller

–       No issues of last minute flat batteries in remote controllers

–       When install at the right places, convenient for the presenter to change settings

–       Only the important Basic functions available, reducing unnecessary problems with users accidentally changing the pre-set calibrations or settings via Remote Controllers

However having said the above, working with just the remote controller is not as bad as it seems. It is quite convenient especially for smaller rooms where there are no blockages, in the line-of-sight to the projectors, for the IR signals. Having the same brand of projectors for multiple rooms can also be controlled via the same controller making it very handy with just 1 controller. Most importantly, it is going to save the user a couple hundred dollars per setup without installaing the fixed controller.

Projector Controllers

projector-controllerThere are a handful of proprietary projector controllers in the market, so how does an everyday user know what is suitable for them?

A basic controller will have functions including On/ Off projector and switching source. Most controllers will also be equipped with ‘Blank Screen’, Volume Control and even Motorized Screen Control. There are also multiple input controllers that double up as an receptacle point, which allows users to change input port should the existing one gets damaged without having to change a new receptacle.

There is also a difference in the buttons used to select the functions. Some of the cheaper models used hard keys with a layer of PVC over them to make them look like soft keys. These buttons are prone to wear and tear over time due to the friction between the PVC and the hard key buttons. Costlier controllers will come with printed circuit membrane soft keys (similar structures to the ones used in mobile phones), which enable them to me more lasting and durable.

Some users are also very particular about the outlook of the controllers are they often wall mounted it next to the light switches, hence will opt for the more simple versions (without input ports) while the receptacle points are laid nearer to the table.

A projector will need to have a RS232 Control Port in order to be linked up with a controller and each projector model will have a specific source code to be programmed into the controller in order for the controller to recognized the projector it is required to work with. An AV installer will be able to help program it during installation.

There are also the more fanciful controllers like the Touch Screens Controllers offered by brands like Crestron & AMX.

Getting to know your projector

So often we have seen users who requested for the latest projector system and eventually not knowing how to use the projector’s functions. Are you getting up to speed on the upgraded projectors in your premises?

Projector technology have moved beyond increasing brightness and shrinking in size. The ever evolving tech-hungry market have yield projectors with much more functionality and controls. Interactive Platforms, 3D Capable, direct wireless projection from your mobile phone, edge blending for panoramic projections etc, just to name a few.

Having paid good money for the new investment in your meeting rooms, it does not hurt to gather your staffs for a quick introduction on how to use and operate the projector’s latest functions. This is often over-looked due to the fact that the person involved in requisition (buyer/ IT Personnel) on this new equipment might have already know how to operate the projector but did not manage to communicate his knowledge to the actual users.

Your staffs will find it painful having to adapt to the new equipments since we can safely assume that most, if not all, personnel outside of IT/ AV job scope will only know the bare minimum on how the projector operates. Hence do make it an effort to get your System Integrator to conduct a detail training on the functions and operations on your new system and you will find your newly acquired asset making its money worth for its latest advance options.

We can be found at the following address:

Visual Tech Solutions Pte Ltd

Vision Exchange
2 Venture Drive
# 24-01
Singapore 608526
tel: +65 6914 7705
fax: +65 6914 9001

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