Photo courtesy of Digital Projection, Inc.
Projector technology is getting some radical re-thinking by manufacturers. In addition to exploring new light sources—like laser, LED, and laser/LED hybrid sources—as well as working on improving the total cost of ownership (TCO) with innovations in energy management and longevity, they're also improving connectivity, refining the lens systems, and making the units lighter and easier to install.
To help you keep up with what is new, a number of projector manufacturers shared with CPM some of the cutting-edge projector technologies they are working on for now and the near future. Many of these technologies are still in early days, and although some may not be quite bright enough for long throws in a large sanctuary, they may work just fine in smaller venues, meeting rooms, or alternative spaces. CPM is providing this information so you can better research the right projector for your ministry's application and facilities.
Newest and brightest ideas
“Ministries today are doing incredibly innovative things, incorporating higher levels of audio and video into their services, and presenting better-resolution images to their congregations,” states Wataru Mohri, marketing manager of projectors for Sony Electronics Inc. “The fundamental need is customers want a bright picture at high image quality. The technology to support that need is constantly evolving. The goal is to help enhance the worship experience, facilitate interactive teaching, or solve complicated installation challenges—all at lower operational costs. So, we are seeing further technology development in making maintenance time, energy efficiency, and lamp life more effective.”
As the development of projection technology advances it's important that end-users be given a chance to understand what those advances mean. “Projector design and development is not unlike the technology industry as a whole—new developments are moving at blazingly fast speeds, but adoption into mainstream design is methodical and takes time,” says Phong Phanel, product manager of corporate and higher education projectors with Epson America. “However, there are constants in this ever-changing world of display and projection. Take projector brightness, for example—the trend for brighter projectors has been slowly growing, while production and acquisition costs have steadily decreased.”
“The main projector trend that will benefit [houses of worship] will be more efficient illumination,” reports George Walter, vice president of new business with Digital Projection Inc. “Laser and laser hybrid sources will provide long, stable life and lower cost of ownership.” Christie Digital Systems' Mark Hall, senior product manager of business strategy in the business products arena notes, “Christie has also been focusing efforts into illumination, resulting in the introduction of longer life lamps and solid-state illumination systems that increase both performance and improve cost of ownership.”
Chuck Westfall, technical advisor of professional engineering and solutions for Canon USA Inc., notes, “Within the Canon projector line-up, we are witnessing significant progress in the improvement of image quality, brightness, and power consumption management with our latest Liquid Crystal on Silicon (LCOS) installation projectors.”
Benefits and drawbacks of new light sources
Lamps are still the dominant light source today, but solid-state lighting (SSL) sources—LED and laser—are starting to provide an alternative. There are benefits of new light source technology—laser, LED, laser/LED hybrids [see sidebar: “New Projection Light Sources” for more information on each technology]—not the least of which is that they last longer than conventional projector lamps, typically boasting 15,000–20,000 hours of average rated life. However, they are more expensive upfront and they aren't as bright as some lamp-based projectors, but there's no doubt that this is the wave of the future regarding illumination sources for projectors. These newer technologies also promise reduced heat generation, meaning reduced size and quantity of cooling fans so you get quieter projectors. For the right application, smaller spaces where the reduced brightness is not as big a concern, the reduced noise is also a big plus.
“The goal is to help enhance the worship experience, facilitate interactive teaching, or solve complicated installation challenges—all at lower operational costs.”
Wataru Mohri
Marketing Manager, Projectors, Sony Electronics Inc., Edgewater, NJ
“LED illumination for projectors provides many benefits, including low power consumption, long lamp life, nearly instantaneous startup times, and little to no need for cooling down after operation,” Westfall says. “But at this stage of technological development, the remaining challenges include limitations in brightness and long-term color reproduction accuracy. Laser illumination for projectors delivers high performance in terms of image quality, but it currently faces limitations in terms of high cost.”
“New light sources such as LED and laser do provide some clear benefits, including potentially longer life and stable performance, faster light on screen, and simplified maintenance,” Hall says. “Over the longer lifespan, the light output curve has a much more gradual drop off resulting in brighter, more vibrant images for a longer period of time, when compared to a typical lamp-based illumination. This also means that spare lamps won't need to be stocked on a shelf and a service technician no longer has to go out to replace lamps on a routine basis. However, depending on the implementation of the SSL, one potential drawback is that at end of life, it may be cost-prohibitive or technically incapable of having the illumination system replaced, and a whole new projector may need to be purchased.”
Also commenting on the output curve, Rich McPherson, project manager of projectors for NEC Display Solutions, states, “SSL sources as a new alternative bring longevity to not only life but also brightness. There are projections of up to 20,000 hours of life, exceeding well beyond any previous expectations. Brightness decreases at a much more linear pace, which results in a brighter image over a longer period of time. Both, of course, result in less maintenance costs associated with replacing lamps. The only drawback at this time would be the unknown of a new technology.”
Keeping TCO front-of-mind
Manufacturers are very aware of the need to lower the total cost of ownership (TCO). They all point out that the TCO for a projector should be investigated thoroughly, weighing the upfront cost with the operational costs, especially as the new technologies upend some of the more traditional thinking. “Too often people will use upfront price alone as the key driver in a buying decision,” Hall states. “However, cost of ownership goes much deeper than the upfront cost—considerations should be made for product quality and long-term use. In other words, ‘caveat emptor,' since what might be cheaper in upfront costs could very well end up being more expensive to maintain (and replace on a consistent basis) over the longer term. One factor in cost of ownership that also gets overlooked is making sure you are getting the right projector for the right job. Make sure the projector you choose will do the job for which it's intended.”
Maintenance is certainly part of the cost consideration. “Longer life not only means fewer lamps you need to buy, but fewer numbers of ladder climbs for maintenance,” explains Mohri. “This is exceptionally beneficial for those sanctuaries with high ceilings or other design factors that make maintenance of projectors challenging.” He continues, “From an operational standpoint, the use of a laser means no lamps to replace and no maintenance for up to 20,000 hours of expected light source, display device, and filter use.”
While LEDs offer a longer rated life than lamp-based projectors, there are long-term costs with LEDs that really need to be considered in the units' TCO, repair and replacement among them. “There's an increased cost for producing and maintaining the LED light source,” points out Phanel. “Where projector lamps can be swapped for a nominal cost, replacing or repairing an LED projector would cost much more, so the TCO becomes a factor in the decision to purchase projectors with SSL source.”
One pitfall to be aware of in thinking about the TCO would be making the projector selection based on initial performance and not taking aging into consideration. Different technologies age in different ways—and at different rates. “A projector that looks bright enough and color-accurate today, may not be bright enough and have terrible color performance in as little as six months,” explains Walter. “Different illumination technologies deteriorate in performance quickly (lamp performance after 500 hours) and lose calibration in as little as 200 hours. This dramatically increases maintenance expense and could result in an unusable projector. Always buy a projector that is at least 20% brighter than you need.”
The true challenge for any cutting-edge projector technology is to deliver improvements in image quality, while at the same time reducing operational costs, Westfall reports. “Unless both of these goals are achieved, there is no real incentive for users to upgrade their current equipment,” he says. Making it easier to work with projectors is a goal shared by NEC's McPherson. “The biggest concern would be the lamp life and replacement costs of the respective lamps,” he says. “Also look at a projector's stacking capabilities, which allows for multiple projectors to place the same image on a screen for increased brightness, as well as offering the safety of redundancy.”
“Where projector lamps can be swapped for a nominal cost, replacing or repairing an LED projector would cost much more..."
Phong Phanel
Product Manager, Corporate and Higher Education Projectors, Epson America, Los Angeles, CA
Improved connectivity
Another area where the technology is moving fast is [in] improvements in connectivity, especially using wireless control applications, as well as apps for smart phones and tablets, to improve the workflow and interface with projectors. “There are a couple of areas where projection design is currently experiencing something of an evolution,” comments Hall. “Connectivity is certainly at the forefront of most people's minds, with wireless being a real topic of discussion. Wireless connectivity, however, is a bit of a double-edged sword—while many initially have this set as a high priority in their selection process, they soon discover that there [are] some trade-offs as the technology does not come with standards, and the specs typically fall somewhat short of wired connectivity, particularly where video content and playback is concerned.”
Hall continues, “The other current trend in terms of connectivity with projectors is toward the use of digital connectors vs. analog. It seems that modern cable/connectivity technology like High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) and DisplayPort—with HDBaseT coming on quickly—is becoming more the choice for a variety of reasons, including the capability of transferring both audio and video signals.”
Manufacturers are approaching connectivity in different ways, allowing for new methods to get content to the projector. “Some projectors have an Open Pluggable Specification (OPS) slot that accepts single board computers so that content can be delivered internal to the projector, eliminating the costly proposition found in traditional installations,” McPherson explains. Connectivity via smart phones and tablets has been on the rise, as well, as it allows faster and more convenient control of projectors and displays. When researching projector connectivity, remember to look at the apps offered by the manufacturers.
A bright future
What does the future hold in projector technology? “Professional users can anticipate future projectors to deliver higher levels of brightness and resolution than current models, together with reductions in size, weight, and cost of ownership,” says Westfall. “LED-based projection will continue to improve to the point where it will compete more effectively with conventional projector illumination technologies.”
Hall comments, “At this point there are a number of areas where the market seems focused, and along the way there are bound to be even more options and opportunities that will influence the development of projectors and displays.” McPherson clearly sees this development: “SSL is the front runner from a technology standpoint.” While Walter's future list includes: “Brighter, more stable, remote diagnostics, self-calibrating, and much more energy efficient.”
Mohri from Sony reports that technology use overall is continuing to increase at ministries of all sizes, so the equipment used—including projectors—needs to do more. “There are three aspects that define a projector—and these are the aspects that will keep improving in the future: picture quality, integration/installation capabilities, and maintenance capabilities,” he says.
Like other production technologies, projectors are evolving at a fast rate, so start by taking stock of what your needs are and what your long-term goals are for projection within your ministry. Then create a list of features and benefits that you require; use this to compare different projectors and see them in your space. Work with your equipment providers and the manufacturers on getting the projection technologies that work best for your application. And, as always, feel free to contact CPM at info@churchproduction.com if you seek further resources on the latest in projector technologies.
