Tech Decisions: Your guide to a well-equipped boardroom
Part 1: The basics of display system selection for a boardroom
Executive meetings, staff meetings, client meetings, presentations, training… With so many uses, the boardroom is undeniably one of the most important spaces in your office environment. Consequently, your boardroom technology decisions are bound to have a significant impact on various aspects of your business.
Selecting the right technology for your boardroom might seem like a straightforward, budget-based task – but a number of important factors are often overlooked. This is especially true when it comes to selecting the perfect display option.
For instance, many of our clients are keen on specific display systems that they have seen in other boardrooms. Or they revamp or move to new offices, assuming that their existing technology will work just as well in the new space. However, every boardroom is different, with different technology needs.
In this first part of our boardroom technology series, we take a look at the basic factors that we consider before we make our recommendations on boardroom display systems. We also look at the differences between TV’s and projectors, and the pro’s and con’s of each.
Factors to consider:
Budget
If your room is small enough for an average sized TV, this is definitely the most cost-effective option. However, as soon as the screen requirement is larger than 65”, we start looking at projectors as an alternative.
Ease of use
Devices that are difficult to operate can cause unnecessary delays and embarrassment during meetings, with a direct effect on productivity, employee morale and visitor perception. In addition, you most likely need to cater for presenting visitors, who might use different devices to your team – or have had no training on your display system. Ease of use, including inter-operability, is therefore always top of mind when making our technology recommendations to clients.
Content
The type of content that you intend to display on your screen is one of the most important factors to consider. If you expect your attendees to read graphs and data, you need to ensure that the display is large and clear enough for this purpose.
Room size
Size matters! Along with the type of content that you wish to present on your screen, the size of your room – or more specifically, the distance to the furthest point of your boardroom table – determines how big your screen should be.
TV’s vs Projectors: What’s best for your boardroom?
Let’s have a quick look at the pro’s and con’s of each option:
TV’s
Pro’s
- Easy to install
- Usually has multiple inputs (3 x HDMI; multiple USB’s, etc)
- Provides a crisp, bright image (particularly important for Video applications)
- Depending on size, it works out less expensive than a projector and screen installation
- Has built-in Audio
- Low cost of ownership
Con’s
- Not too many screens have VGA inputs (though this can be overcome with VGA to HDMI convertors)
- Can be very expensive when looking at sizes over 65”
- Take up “permanent” space on the boardroom wall
Projectors
Pro’s
- More cost-effective when large images are required
- Motorised projection screens do not take up “permanent” wall space
Con’s
- Entry level models do not offer the same level of brightness as a TV. For this, one would need a more expensive model and specialised screen
- Requires maintenance, e.g. cleaning of filters
- High cost of ownership – projectors work via lamps, which have a “lamp life” of a certain amount of hours. This varies between projectors, where lamps can last anywhere between 3000 and 8000 hours. These lamps can cost several thousand rand to replace
- Employees often forget to switch them off, which results in wasted lamp hours
While budget is probably the biggest consideration when choosing between a TV and a projector, it’s clear that there are various other factors that you may wish to consider before taking advantage of the latest promo at your favourite audio-visual outlet.
However, we’ve barely covered the basics! In part 2, we’ll look at some of the technical differences between the various types of TV’s and projectors available, to further assist you in making your technology decision.
At CommsPartner, we realise that the difference is in the details, no matter how small. We apply this thinking to our designs, our installations and our after-sales service delivery.
Ready to take the next step? Want to work with our professional team to assist with your project?
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And a whole lot more! Contact us today for a free consultation meeting.