LCD Projectors and Document Cameras Defined Or everything you wanted to know but didn’t know who to ask...

Projectors- Two main types: Digital Light Processing (DLP)Digital Light Processing –Reflect light again hundreds of tiny mirrors called digital micro devices (DMD) –Each mirror represents one pixel Liquid Crystal Display (LCD)Liquid Crystal Display –Operates by shining light through transparent red, green and blue LCD cells –Typically brighter than DLP projectors with the same lumens

Does Size Really Matter? Ultralights - used for traveling presentation –Weigh under 3 lbs. –Typically lumens Room Projectors –Weigh in at lbs –Brighter than ultralights, lumens Fixed Projectors –Most expensive –Usually in Auditoriums –Range from ,000 lumens

Resolving the Resolution Issue Each projector has its own “native” resolution at which it works best For best projection - set the computer and the projector at the same display setting the most popular today being the XGA 1024 x 768 sold in the 4:3 aspect ratio

Projector Resolution Options ResolutionDescription SVGA 800 x 600 Great for those on a tight budget. They’re good for PowerPoint presentations that include clip art or line drawing, black and white, showing documents, etc. They are not good for presentations that require a lot of detail or video. XGA* 1,024 x 768 Most computers still output in native XGA, so matching an XGA projector to your computer ensures you won't lose any detail. These are good general purpose projectors. SXGA 1,280 x 1,024 SXGA projectors are high resolution, and will be more expensive than XGA. These are targeted for high end personal computer users. SXGA+ 1,400 x 1,050 SXGA+ projectors are becoming more popular, and there are several offerings available in both budget and high-end configurations. These are very good for detailed photography and graphics. UXGA 1,600 x 1,200 UXGA is for very high end high resolution workstation applications that require exacting detail. These are expensive projectors that support a broad range of computer equipment. * The most popular projector resolution

Is what you see what you get? 4 Factors Determine Image Quality –Contrast –Color –Brightness –Illumination spread

Contrast and Color Difference between white & black Most important when projecting video Contrast ratio 250:1 minumum :1 great! More colors the better - especially for video Should be able to display 16 million colors or more

Brightness and Illumination Brightness indicated by ANSI Lumens Minimum 2500 Lumens for a classroom Illumination spread - is the image the same brightness from top to bottom and side to side 85% illumination uniformity or better

Let the Light Shine! Projector Lamps come in 3 main types: –UHP - Ultra High Performance –UHE - Ultra High Efficiency - most common –Metal Halide Lamp life hours Lamp Cost - $300 - $600 –Include an extra lamp in the cost of the projector

Conveniences (Extras) Wireless Projector Networked connections - remotely controlled Component video inputs for higher quality video Digital Keystone correction Wireless mouse control Dual computer input

Document Cameras Resolution –Two categories - low resolution output (composite and/or S-video) and those with high-resolution output (1024x768 or higher). Refresh Rate –20 to 30 Frames per second Zoom Lens Features Size

Common Features Zoom 4 to 16x zoom Pan Auto Focus Capture images - single or timed continuous Playback images - view saved images Freeze image - irregular shaped object Brightness Remote control

Bells and Whistles Effects - change from color to black and white or negative Timer - time the image on the screen - countdown Reverse Image Mirror Image Night view - lower the frame rate Download captured images Optional microscope connections Optional Interactive whiteboard connections

More Bells and Whistles Split Screen view - view both live and captured image Picture in picture - view thumbnail of a saved image with the “live” image in the background Presenter view - shaded exterior with clear view inside area

Why Should I Use One? How can they be used? –Case StudiesCase Studies –Using Document Cameras in the Elementary ClassroomUsing Document Cameras in the Elementary Classroom –Document Cameras in the classroomDocument Cameras in the classroom –More Classroom UsesMore Classroom Uses –More Case StudiesMore Case Studies

Web Resources 6 Things You Need to Know about Document Cameras6 Things You Need to Know about Document Cameras LCD Projector Guide