What you need to know about data and video projection systems

Which brand is the best?

How much is bright enough?

What features are important in a projector?

How is a projector mounted?

What about the screen?

Where should we install the projector?

What can we connect to the projector?

Where do we install the hookups for all of the computers and video sources?

What about lightning protection?

How about service and warranties?

Can we install this ourselves?

About brands                  back to top

There are a lot of video projectors on the market in any price range you can imagine up to several hundreds of thousands of dollars for those sold on a daily basis and even higher for large custom installs. Fortunately, there are a lot of projectors in the affordable price range for the average user, that have great looking images.

Picking a projector brand is a blend of several factors not just the brightness. Customer service, available parts, company stability, contrast ratio, features on the machine, and many other things go into making a selection. In any one price range you can find a number of projectors with a blend of the above desirable characteristics. To pick out the best choice you really need to see each machine with the same image side by side. We are able to do that by attending seminars and other trade shows that showcase each manufacturer= s offerings.

As a result, we have selected EIKI as our premier projector. The images are crisp, with excellent contrast, the machines are feature rich, customer service is outstanding, and EIKI= s products are extremely reliable. To date we have not had one unit die from a defect in manufacturing. We have had a couple get killed by lightning which is not the fault of the manufacturer. We know you= ll be proud of the images and the quality of the machine.

We like quality products whether it is sound, lighting, and video equipment. EIKI is a mid range to upper end price range of products. They're not the cheapest and we don't want to sell the cheapest. We want products that work and we believe you do to.

How much brightness do you need?           back to top

Our recommendation is to buy as much as you can afford. But, a rule of thumb is at least 1500 lumens. The typical machine we are installing averages about 3,000 lumens or more.

Lumens is the measure of projector brightness. This is where you can get out in the woods trying to compare one projector against another by specifications alone. Two projectors can claim to have the same brightness level and one will look remarkably better than the other. The primary reason for this is manufacturers try to stretch their specifications to make their unit look the best on paper for marketing reasons. You must have experience in the field to recognize fluff from fact. Again, you can depend on EIKI to give you real numbers to work with. 1500 lumens will be 1500 lumens measured correctly without fudging the numbers. Another spec you should pay attention to is the contrast ratio. Higher is better with 300:1 being the minimum.

The brightness requirement is dependent upon how much ambient light you have in the room that will wash the screen. If you have a lot of windows and lighting that bleeds excess light on the screen, you will have to speed more for a brighter projector. A room with no windows and controlled lighting will make it easy to keep wash light from hitting the screen. A low lumen projector can easily be installed and work very well in this room.

The first step in determining the projector brightness is to take a critical look at where the screen will be installed. See what light is striking that area and what can be done to control it. The more you can do here the better the result of any projector installation will be.

What features do we need in a projector?            back to top

All projectors have some features you'll never need or will use only once when it= s set up.

Built in sound is not needed for permanent installations since the sound is usually supplied by an in house sound system. No need to spend more for built in high quality sound when you'll never use it.

A remote control zoom lens can be a nice feature but often is not necessary for fixed installations because once installed the lens is never moved again. Some installs require custom fixed lenses anyway.

A couple of important features are lens shift and keystone adjustment. Both features allow you to place the image exactly on the screen where you need it vertically and correct for bent images if the projector cannot be mounted in the optimum location in relation to the screen.

The more computer inputs and video inputs on the machine the better if you plan on having several computer or video hookups. If the projector has two computer inputs you can easily connect two independent computers to the projector and switch between them with the supplied remote control. If the projector only has one input you'll need to buy extra hardware to switch between the two computers and likewise for any video sources.

How is a projector mounted?         back to top

For a flat ceiling you can use a mount that suspends the projector right at the ceiling height. We always make sure the projector is secured to a building component above the ceiling for safety reasons particularly in a suspended ceiling system. You can also purchase motorized mounts that disappear into the ceiling operated via remote control.

For high ceilings we prefer to mount the projector on the rear wall for service reasons. But, if you must have it mounted from the ceiling a 1 2 inch metal pole will be mounted at the ceiling and the projector mounted below level with the top of the projection screen. At the bottom of the pole a mounting plate is installed that will allow course positioning of the projector. All of the interconnecting cables are installed inside the pipe if possible. Sometimes there are too many cables to conceal in the pipe and must be mounted on the outside of the pipe.

What about the screen?              back to top

First decide if you even need a screen.

We have several installations that don't use a screen but a white wall instead. We painted a screen area on a wall with hot white paint and used good projectors to give great looking images without typical screens. This saves quite a bit of money if you have the wall space to work with.

Otherwise, there are two basic screen designs with several variations of each. They are front projection and rear projection, motorized or fixed surface screens (doesn't roll up).

Front projection means that the projector is mounted in front of the screen and rear projection means the projector is mounted behind the screen. All things being equal the front projection arrangement will look better than the rear projection, dollar for dollar. However, there are installations where only rear projection can work and there are nice screens (read expensive) that look great for installations that have the budget. But, rear projection is workable and will give very good images if the lighting is carefully controlled.

You want a screen with electric remote controlled operation. You can install just one switch at the control location, several controls, or even wireless remote controls. We usually will install a switch in the sound or control booth and another one on the stage just in case a presenter wants to use the screen for something else than video. Maybe they have an overhead projector or they want to have complete control of the presentation from the stage.

Screens also come in different price ranges for the same size. The main features for the price difference will be the quietness of the motor, the style of the case (ceiling mount or wall mount) and the screen surface. Economy screens will usually have a metal case, standard screen material, and a standard motor. There's no problem with this price range of screens. We install a lot of  'em. Just be aware that there are many options available.

Screens can be concealed in some ceilings with enough overhead space, suspended from high rafters down to the desire level with aircraft cables, beam mounted, or wall mounted.

You will have to supply a single 120 volt circuit to the screen location for power. This is installed by a qualified electrician.

Where should we install the projector?               back to top

Most projectors are ceiling mounted. The projector must be mounted at the same height as the top or bottom of the screen, with the top preferred.

In a low ceiling room 8 to 12 feet or so with a flat ceiling this is very easy. In churches that have a cathedral ceiling of 25 to 50 feet, this is a problem. You have to think about looks and how you are going to service the unit. The lamp will go out one day and you= re going to have to get to the projector to change it. Keep this in mind. In such instances, we usually mount the projector on rear wall or in the sound control booth just to make the projector accessible. However, projectors have fans and fan noise can aggravate the sound technicians attempting to mix sound. So think carefully about the placement of the projector. We can mount it anywhere. But there are practical limitations you need to be aware of.

If you have enough room behind the projector of at least 18 feet, you can use a rear screen projector. In some places this is the only choice.

We typically install a remote control range extender for the projector because even though a wireless remote comes with the projector, it won't have enough strength or range to reach a projector mounted several feet from the control room, stage, or platform. Attempting to make a remote control work without a range extender can cause unpredictable operation in the middle of your presentation. Just when you want to zoom or focus, it won't! So, go ahead a figure in a remote control extender for peace of mind operation. If the projector is nearby (within 20 feet) the stage or near the area where the projector will be operated, you can get by without the extender.

You will have to supply a single 120 volt circuit to the projector location for power. This is installed by a qualified electrician.

What can we connect to the projector?             back to top

Any video or data source.

The most common application is PowerPoint from notebook or desk top PC= s. Companies have various sales and economic presentations and churches primarily use the same application for displaying the words of choruses, message notes, object lessons, pre-service announcements, and hymns. If you can see it on a computer screen, you can project it.

Video from DVD's, VCR's, TV sources, satellite receivers, and even video games can be projected. A fine point about video is that for the absolute best image you can purchase video enhancement hardware. The image will look fine for most applications and we have rarely installed the extra equipment except for those that had a need to have the best image possible.

Where do we install the hookups for all of the computers and video sources?           back to top

Where ever you want to have control of the playback.

In conference rooms this is usually up front near the podium or in a remote room nearby accessible with a remote control unit. The tape is loaded in the case of a VCR and remotely started and stopped when needed.

The computer is usually near the presenter and plugged into a wall or floor mount connector that ultimately connects to the projector.

In a church we normally install the video and computer connections in the sound booth since the sound techs often control the equipment when needed. In some instances we install a computer connection under the pulpit for a notebook computer. This is used if the pastor or guest speaker has prepared a message on PowerPoint and wants to control his or her own presentation. Any number of video and computer connections can be installed as your need requires.

What about lightning protection?              back to top

We strongly recommend the installation of lightning and surge protection devices on ac mains and all signal and control cables. The video and projector equipment does have some protection built in but more is always better. Keep in mind that no surge protection equipment is going to stop a direct hit unless you spend big bucks for major components for protecting your building's entire power grid.

How about service and warranties?           back to top

This type of equipment rarely has any major problems unlike sound equipment and lighting systems. This will most likely be the least technical service problem in your facility. The only problems we have encountered is lightning damage, screen adjustments for correct deployment and roll up, and lamp replacement. Warranties vary with different equipment but most warranties are at least 90 days to a year.

Can we install this ourselves?            back to top

Yes!

There' s no magic or special equipment needed to install a complete video projection system. There are no special setups to do. It' s all plug and play. All you need is brute labor and an electrician if you need someone to install the 120 v circuits for the screen and projector. We can send you the entire package ready to install with everything clearly labeled.

Of course, we can install the system for you at a daily rate plus travel expenses. But, you really can do this.