There are a few things you can find in just about any conference room in America — a big table, a lot of chairs, a whiteboard, a Powerpoint presentation and at least a couple of employees checking their Instagram feeds. But one thing you’d find in a lot of conference rooms in the past isn’t there much anymore — the humble video projector.
Back in the day, when you wanted to share a screen with a lot of people gathered in a meeting, a projector was the way to go. These days, projectors have fallen out of favor, with big flat-screen TVs taking their place. It’s not at all uncommon to find TVs as large as 85 inches mounted in some conference rooms where a projector screen once hung.
TVs have taken over the board room in a big way – no pun intended. Older projectors had gotten the reputation for being hard to maintain, with expensive bulbs needing to be changed after a certain amount of use. TV prices have plummeted in recent years, making them much more attractive to those looking to remodel their meeting spaces. TVs also didn’t require the warm-up time that traditional projectors often required.
If you want a big, brilliant picture that engages employees and impresses business prospects, TVs have drawbacks. The larger you go, the higher the cost – especially for a TV that you can count on using for a long period of time. TV panels typically don’t go much bigger than 100 inches, and once you go past 85 inches, you could be talking in the tens of thousands of dollars. To get a big, bright picture suitable for a large conference room, a TV can’t beat a projector.
The projector makes a comeback
Projectors have gone through some revolutionary changes in the past few years, and these benefits are now finding their way back into the board room. When you really compare modern projectors to a simple big-screen TV, projectors are once again becoming the clear choice – no pun intended!
The biggest change has been the introduction of the laser light source. Once the domain of high-end movie theaters, lasers have started making their way into both home and commercial projectors. Laser projectors don’t have expensive bulbs to replace, giving you years and years of virtually no maintenance. They also start up almost instantaneously, so you get the convenience of a traditional TV with the big, bold picture of a projector.
Depending on the screen and installation, you can get much larger pictures than a TV, which really makes a difference for large meeting rooms. Having the ideal viewing distance for everyone in your meeting makes for more engaged team members. Even in a small conference room, a 75-inch TV can leave some people straining their eyes.
Today’s laser projectors also give you plenty of options for rooms of all types and sizes. Besides the traditional ceiling-mounted projectors you might be used to, there are also ultra-short-throw projectors you can place on a piece of furniture directly under the screen that still offers you more than 100 inches of bright, beautiful picture. This gives you a lot of flexibility that you may not be used to with the projectors of old.
Let’s talk bottom line – you may be surprised how affordable these newer laser projectors are. In fact, when you compare them to the price of a reputable 85-inch TV, you’ll find you get way more bang for the buck. It’s really a win-win for both you and your employees.
Experience it for yourself
If you’re a business owner and still aren’t sure which is right for you, we make it easy. Our showroom features a wide selection of TVs up to 85 inches, as well as a number of projectors and screens on display. We have a commercial audio/video designer on staff who can show you what’s available and help you find the right solution for your space and budget. Stop by our showroom or give us a call at 920-733-6464 to get started.
(Your employees will thank you!)
