Compare These Top Vendors for Projectors

Projectors

More businesses throughout the world are using projectors than any other technology for a number of different reasons. According to The Gulf News, the market for projectors in the Middle East showed a growth rate of between 25% and 30% in recent quarters. Improvements to presentation projectors in particular now make them particularly geared to meet business needs. For a company looking to present information to many different people, projectors have many benefits. Potential negative factors regarding projectors include image blurring, light variation requirements, and differences in quality. Perhaps the most important quality issue is the longevity and reliability of a projector lamp. The replacement cost of a lamp can in some cases equal the original cost of the projector.

Benefits

Cost-Effective

Projectors have a longer life span than alternatives such as television. With a television, you will need to update it every couple of years for a newer, more compatible model. Projectors never really go out of fashion and require little in the way of ongoing maintenance.

Convenient

Projectors are portable, making them perfect for giving presentations on the go. They are easy to set up, dismantle, and transport. Alternative presentation technologies, such as televisions, are cumbersome and fragile in transit. There are also potential compatibility issues. A projector will work anywhere it is taken; a television relies on good reception.

Quality Viewing Experience

Rather than being restricted to the size of a television or laptop screen, a projector can present information on any screen size you choose. This means your presentation can be given to a large group of people with ease, and nobody will be straining to see.

More Professional

Using a projector to relay information, giving a presentation or presenting a tutorial is much more professional than using a television or laptop. 

New and old customers, as well as employees, will have more confidence in a company that presents itself in a professional manner. For example, PowerPoint presentations look much better on a large screen than on the average laptop.

Recycling Programs

There are programs available for both businesses and individuals that allow for projector lamps to be recycled. A small return on your old lamp can go toward an upgrade, making projectors much more cost-effective than their alternatives. Many programs also offer secondhand lamps for a fraction of the price of a new one. This is ideal for a small business that is looking to keep outlay to a minimum.

Projectors are used to deliver PowerPoint presentations and training services in many businesses. Although they have their obvious benefits, they are not without their pitfalls.

Pitfalls

Poor Image Quality

Businesses are attracted to the use of projectors because they offer the ability to project information from a distance and to a large number of people. However, depending on the presentation type, the image quality may become compromised when projected over greater distances. For instance, text is usually projected well, but images tend to decrease in quality the further they are projected. This can make it difficult for people to follow the information provided.

Low Visibility

Brightly lit rooms, in particular those lit with fluorescent lighting, are not usually projector-friendly. The intensity of the light can interfere with the projection, making it difficult for people to see the information. In some cases, lighting can cause the projection image to warp or get what is known as a rainbow effect. Although switching off the lights is an option, this is not always viable in a training situation.

Expensive

Although the average projector lamp lasts for around 2,000 uses when properly maintained, replacing the lamps can be expensive.

Secondhand lamps are available at a relatively low cost, but there is no way of telling how many times they have been used. Projectors require little in the way of regular maintenance; however, if your projector does need repairs, you have the added hassle of trying to find a replacement to complete your presentation.

Strict Projection Surface

Some companies have a portable pull-down white screen to use as a surface for their projections. If you are addressing a large audience or conference, these screens will not provide an adequate surface to allow everyone to see. It is possible to project onto a blank wall; however, you risk warping the projection image if the wall is anything but completely smooth.

Pricing 

Digital Light Processing

DLP projectors are the more technologically advanced models on the market today. They tend to be more compact and portable with better contrast and less pixilation. The prices on these products range from around 300 dollars to as much as 17,000 dollars for the most recent, high-end models.

Liquid Crystal Display

LCD projectors might be the older of the two types, but they offer better color saturation and light efficiency, which is valuable for PowerPoint and Excel presentations. Prices for these models go as low as 300 dollars, but can reach past 8,000 dollars for the best projectors.

Conclusion

Whether for personal or business use, projectors are among the most utilized pieces of equipment worldwide. Projectors have a longer life span than other electronic equipment such as televisions. Cost-effectiveness, ease of use, quality images, and portability make projectors an essential product for many businesses and individuals. Variations in quality, price, and reliability should be considered when purchasing a projector.

The demand for projectors is increasing. Despite the consensus that the average price of a projector will fall to 20 dollars in 2011, the estimated revenue of the handheld projector market is set to reach over 6,000 million dollars by 2014, with a CAGR of 120.56%.