VISUAL TECH SOLUTIONS PTE LTD

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Ultra Short-Throw Projection

Ultra Short-Throw Projectionphoto credit:vr-zone.com

Short throw projection has gained popularity since breaking into the market in the early 20th Century. It started off with odd-looking lenses seemingly attached onto a standard projector, not to mention the exorbitant price tag, to what we have seen as state-of-the art design and functionality projectors developed by almost all major projector manufacturers now.

With the advantages of short throw projection, many users are beginning to make the switch, especially with the launch of more Short-Throw Projectors models from more and more manufacturers, the price of Short-Throw projectors have became very competitive.

Advantages of Short Throw Projection includes:

–       Large image with short throw distance (Ideal for small room)

–       Minimal shadow interference since movement at the front of the projector is minimized when projected near to the screen (away from the audience)

–       Presenter need not be staring at the light beam from standard throw projector

–       Minimal light loss from short throw projectors means having a lower lumens projectors which translates to energy saving as compared to a high lumens projector installed from afar

With the advances and popularity of Short Throw Projectors, we are now seeing a new breed of Ultra Short Throw Projectors, giving users larger and yet shorter throw distance flexibility.

The use of “mirror-reflection projection technology” has made the projected image significantly bigger via a ‘curved’ mirror. The specially designed mirror allows the projection to be enlarged within a very short distance, something that normal projection lenses could not achieve.

This new range of Ultra Short Throw projectors have brought new life into the projection industry. New possibilities for interactive white boards, new installation methods, new projection applications, which are not possible, previously are now readily available. Though this technology is not new, but it has been relatively expensive until recently.

With the lowering of price tags, users are more open to try out this range of projectors and finding them more useful and flexible than a conventional projector. We see a huge potential in this range of Ultra Short throw Projectors given the right education and marketing to our technology-hungry users.

Keeping your projector screen in good shape

Keeping your projector screen in good shapephoto credit:smarttech.com

Although a projector screen is only a fraction of the projector’s price, it plays an important role in delivering a good clear image. But how often do we look into maintaining a projector screen? Or is there any maintenance to speak of in the first place?

The most common problems with projector screens are:
–       Warping on the sides of the screen
–       Fabric of the screen crumbles/ wrinkles
–       Fabric turns yellowish

Things to avoid during installation:

  1. Air-conditioning blowing directly at the screen
    This causes water vapor to condense on the surface of the screen once air-condition is switched off. Prolong exposure to water vapor will results in fungus ‘growing’ on the screen causing it to turn yellowish or even brownish
  2. Brackets mounted on vibrating surface
    Building structures like metal beams running across the ceiling of the room might have been used to support other equipments (e.g. Air-Conditioning Unit) such equipments will cause the beam to vibrate constantly. Screens mounted on these vibrating surfaces may cause mechanism in the roller to jam easily.
  3. Leveling of the screen
    Un-leveled screen installation will cause tension on one side of the fabric and slag on the other. Over time, such tension and slag may cause the fabric to warp or wrinkled

A screen should always be retracted when not in use. This is to reduce the amount of tension on the hanging fabric hence relieving it of the stress. Less stress on the fabric will help to prevent it from warping and wrinkling.

Not much of preventive maintenance but more like preventive measures on prolonging the life span of your projector screen.

Is it Bright Enough?

Is it Bright Enough?photo credit:epson.com.ph

Lumens has been the universal indicator for the brightness of a projector and it is reasonable to assume that the brighter the projector, the better… or not?

Brightness of the projector is decided largely on the ambient condition of the room during which the users would like to operate in (not when all lights and window blinds are closed). The size of the desired screen as well as the area of the room should also be taken into consideration.

Deciding on the projector brightness involves some quick assessment of your room as follows:

1. To determine the right screen size for the room
– A quick gauge is to use a screen height 1/6 the length of the distance between the screen to the last row of audience

2. Position where you can place/ mount your projector
– The further you require to mount your projector, the brighter you require due to light loss on extended projected distance

3. Identify the lighting positions
– Any lighting installed just in front of the screen would require an additional 20-30% Brightness to show projected image clearly

With the above 3 points in checked, a user will be able to filter out specific projector requirements and zoom in on the available brightness specifications.

Rule of thumb:

–       A typical meeting room of 5-10 paxs will require between 2000 – 3000lm projectors

–       A conference room of 10-20 paxs will require between 3000 – 4000lm

–       A Lecture Theatre of 50 paxs will require between 4000 – 5000lm

–       Auditoriums 5000lm and above subjective to the setup conditions

But having said the above, it is important to understand that the brightness specification in brochures and catalogues may not be a true indication of its exact brightness. It does not help with the fact that manufacturers are using different Brightness Standards for their projectors.

A ‘brand A’ 3000lm projector may look totally different from a ‘Brand B’ Projector with the exact same brightness specifications. Some projectors are bluish base bias and some are yellowish based bias giving users a harder time in distinguishing which actually looks brighter.

A side-by-side demo will help to differentiate the difference better and the user can choose the right brightness that best meets his/ her preference.

And since brightness of a projector deteriorate over time, it is always good to get a projector 500-1000lm brighter than what is required. It can be operated on ECO Mode when it is brand new and switched back to NORMAL mode when the image began to look dim. This has proven to be especially useful in saving lamp life and prolong the lifespan of the lamp.

A Quick Tip:

Getting a screen with black borders helps our eyes in perceiving the image to be brighter and sharper. The black border enclosing the projected image giving the image more depth and hence ‘boosting’ the image quality.

Budget Without Compromise

Building a large screen home ‘theatre’ is probably on many homeowners’ wish list. They are often held back by the prospect of facing a 5 to 6 digit price tag that has so often been acquainted with home entertainment system.

But if it is for the sole purpose of getting up a 100” screen for your “wide-screen” experience in the living room or in your bedroom, you will be pleasantly surprise that it can be done within a few thousand dollars.

The Projector:

Projectors are generally classified into 2 groups. They are Data projectors (also known as video projectors) and Home projectors. The basic projection systems of both groups of projectors are pretty similar but Home projectors are equipped with better video processing and high contrast capabilities. Having said that, it means a much more sophisticated chip-set and lens system, which justify the higher price tags for Home projectors.

However if you are tight on your budget, the latest data projectors (especially those which come with HDMI port) should still give you a pretty decent picture.

Data Projector Price Range: $800 – $2000

Home Projector Price Range: $2000 – $4000

Sound System:

A basic sound system comprises of an amplifier/ mixer and Speakers, which can be readily available for plug and play.

Sound System Price Range: $300 – $1500

Screen:

A matt white screen will do the job. Projection onto a flat wall painted with matt white paint will also do the job.

Manual Pull-Down Screen Price Range: $200 – $500

Find the best possible equipments with your available budget and with the necessary equipments in place, all that is left is to plug in your Blueray, PS3 or Nintendo Wii for the ultimate large screen experience in comfort of your home!

Note:

The prices above serve as an indication only, as different brands and models prices varies.

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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