Table of Contents Introduction: Live from NSCA!
Editorial: Little Bitty, Big Deals
News:
1. AV Industry Loses Educational Leader
2. SMART Technologies Unveils New Touch Technology
3. Christie Lands First Single Chip SXGA DLP Projector and Debuts Two High-End LCD Projectors
4. Dukane Introduces System-in-a-Box
5. TVOne Scores with Rackmount Color Monitors
6. NEC Goes for Versatility in Latest Projector Series
7. MCSi's Peppel Resigns, New President/CEO Named
Feature: Contrast Revisited Michael Davis of TI's DLP Group Shares His Observations About ANSI Contrast Ratio and Why It May Not Apply Anymore
Introduction Live from NCSA! We are only one issue away from FINALLY naming my new eNewsletter. I want to thank the 563 (yes, 563) of you who submitted names – especially those of you who submitted a bunch of names at one time. I am weeding through all the naming suggestions and will make a decision before we send out the next issue. This is our Live From NSCA in Dallas, TX, issue. As you can imagine, there are a lot more new products introduced at NSCA than I mention below, but I chose the ones I thought would be of most interest to you – the ProAV insider. NSCA has always been a show that has impressed me and I think 2003 is no exception. NSCA show management is expecting more than 11,000 attendees and as NSCA is the first AV trade show of the year, I am confident that both ICIA and NAB are watching the NSCA numbers to determine what they may expect for their own shows. Everyone is hoping that 2003 is the year we come out of the market slump and trade show attendance, steadily declining for most shows over the past three years, is a good market indicator. Finally, for those of you signed up to get our eNews Blasts, you have already received two of the news stories below, but they are worth reading again. The loss of Kim Milliken leaves a huge void of professional talent in our market and he will be missed by everyone who ever had the pleasure to meet him. And, a 'changing of the guard' at MCSi is big news as former President and CEO Mike Peppel steps down. He was well-known in the market and MCSi is the largest ProAV dealer in our market (based on sales figures). Again, thank you for reading my still unnamed eNewsletter (hopefully the last time I have to write that) and please forward this newsletter on to any of your industry colleagues or friends that may find it useful or helpful. They can subscribe at the bottom of the newsletter. –Gary Kayye, CTS
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Editorial Little Bitty, Big Deals By Gary Kayye, CTS Historically, the ProAV integration and installation market has been dominated by a handful of LCD-based projectors all weighing over 20 pounds. The sub-20-pounders and even sub-10-pounders have been relegated to luggable, portable and ultra-portable product categories for traveling presenters or cart-based projection in corporations and schools. But, not anymore. Virtually every projector manufacturer has what they deem as ultra-portable projectors that are finding their way onto the ceilings of the world's conference rooms and boardrooms. How did this happen and are they good enough? Let's take a look. For two years starting in 1999, Proxima (now part of InFocus) owned the install market with their ProAV line of 9300 and 9400 series LCD fixed-install projectors. Some statistics even had Proxima with an 80% market share at the end of 2000. These projectors, made by Sanyo, garnered a lot of attention as they were the first 2000+ ANSI lumens boxes that were designed from the ground-up as install-projectors including all the features required to hang one of these in a conference or training room including RS-232 control, RGB gain and bias, interchangeable lenses and multiple-input switching. In addition, they handled RGBHV, HDTV and video sources seamlessly. But, they were big. At over 34-pounds they screamed 'install me'. But, no one cared as once a projector is in the ceiling, who cares how much it weighs – unless it falls onto the head of a client or an expensive boardroom table. Then Sony, NEC and Epson all decided to get into the installation-market. From mid-2000 until the end of last year, the average weight of an install-box dropped a whopping 20-pounds. At just under 15 pounds, every maker of LCD projectors had an installation projector with all the bells and whistles needed to outfit virtually every boardroom, conference room or training room. Projectors once deemed as portables were now being hung all over the place. All of them had all the control, input features and output resolutions required to connect any PC or MAC as well as image videoconferencing and HDTV sources. It's amazing how fast this all happened. One year we were without any over-1000 ANSI lumens projectors that are under 75-pounds and less than 5-years later, portables are more powerful than that original Sanyo/Proxima box. Now, here come the ultra-portables. Five, six, seven and eight pound projectors that are being used for installs are the norm. All of a sudden, in less than four months, the average installation projector is weighing in at just over 7 pounds. They're not quite as bright as the 15-pounders, but they all have RS-232 control, some have gain and bias control, all have multiple input capabilities including DVI and HDTV. And, they're not only LCD's any more. Some ProAV dealers are outfitting their installs, regularly, with single-chip DLP projectors for all sorts of applications – even home theaters. Last month, I even saw an installation using HP's xb31, a 3.5-pound 1500-ANSI lumen XGA projector that uses DLP technology. In this case, the user actually had what he called a "quick-release mount" that allowed him to take in on the road whenever he needed to make a traveling presentation. I don't recommend this as a normal install, but it's clear that there is a lot of cross-over in this space and there are more to come. Sony, NEC, Epson and even InFocus have all either introduced ultra-portable install projectors or have plans to this year. One of the aforementioned manufacturers even told me to expect a 3-pounder to have not only RS-232 control, but over 2500 ANSI lumens this year! Wow! What I want to know is when's my battery-operated, 1-pound palm-projector/PocketPC coming out as the NCAA basketball playoffs are less than two weeks away! Back to top
News 1. AV Industry Loses Educational Leader, And Friend I am sad to report that an industry icon has passed. Kim Milliken, mentor to thousands of AV industry professionals, editor of Da-Lite's Angles of View and winner of ICIA's 2002 Distinguished Achievement Award, passed away Saturday, March 8, 2003, after a long battle with cancer. I had the pleasure to work with Kim on a number of industry projects and teach with him at ICIA's acclaimed IPD – Institute for Professional Development. I know I speak for everyone that ever met, worked, took a class from or ever had the opportunity to listen to Kim's stories about his beloved family when I say, "Kim, you were a jewel that the ProAV industry will never replace. I will miss your articulate manner, your professional demeanor and your incredible intelligence. But, most of all, I WILL MISS YOU! Thank you for all you did and will continue to do through your writing and teaching. Your friend, Gary." Official announcement from Da-Lite: Kim Milliken, of Da-Lite Screen Company and founder of Optixx Screen Systems, has died following an extended illness with cancer. Milliken, 59, spent more than 25 years in the audio visual industry. He is best known for his commitment to educating the industry with a level of intelligence and sophistication that remains unparalleled. In 1995, Mr. Milliken began authoring a monthly series of technical papers entitled Angles of View, which discussed the various aspects of visual displays. Today, Milliken's Angles of View is the audio visual industry's standard for visual display knowledge. In 2002, ICIA awarded Mr. Milliken InfoComm's Distinguished Achievement Award, the industry's highest honor, for his career achievements as a true industry leader and educator. Milliken served on ICIA's Board of Governors and held various other committee positions including membership on the Professional Education and Training Committee. "Kim's zeal to always do the right thing and to make absolutely certain that all large displays were done correctly has made the audio visual world a better place," said Richard Lundin, Chairman and CEO of Da-Lite Screen Company. "A deep sense of integrity and purpose combined with his unmistakable style and wit were his hallmarks. It is the legacy Kim leaves for all of us in our industry." The Milliken family has requested that any remembrances be sent to Leiomyosarcoma Foundation, Inc., 61 Cherry Street, Massapequa, NY 11758-5118. The memorial service will be at The Cathedral of the Incarnation on the corner of Saint Paul Street and University Parkway in Baltimore, MD. The service will be held on Saturday, March 15 at 11:00 am.
2. SMART Technologies Unveils New Touch Technology As I read the following announcement from SMART, it occurred to me that SMART might be hinting at something else big, literally. Although they don't mention it here, with this new touchscreen technology, I am thinking there might not be anything to inhibit them from making giant touchscreens now — a size limitation may be a thing of the past. Just a thought. In any case, SMART has certainly raised the bar on touchscreen electronic whiteboarding technology with its new DViT technology. Most touch technology relies on the screen itself to capture and interpret the presenter's finger, stylus or pointer, which is fine in most cases, but sometimes they aren't reliable when it comes to sensing different tools or amounts of pressure, and over time, the surface can become damaged, or sensitivity can weaken. SMART's DViT, however, uses cameras and software to communicate finger, stylus or pointer position to a digital signal processor so the information remains precise and the screen surface remains unaffected. DViT's cameras are housed in the frame. DViT is currently integrated into SMART's Rear Projection SMART Board 3000I and SMART Board for Plasma Displays interactive whiteboards. SMART says the new technology improved the brightness of the 3000i by 34 percent, and increased the contrast ratio by 133 percent. The suggested retail price of 3000i with DViT technology remains at US$16,999. The suggested retail price of the SMART Board for Plasma Displays interactive overlay with the new technology ranges from US$3,299 to US$4,999. Learn more about the SMART DViT at: http://www.smarttech.com/company/mediacenter/press/releases/dvit_release.asp
3. Christie Lands First Single Chip SXGA DLP Projector and Debuts Two High-End LCD Projectors Proof that projection technology gets more powerful all the time, Christie has developed what they say is the first install, SXGA single-chip DLP projector. The DS30 is 6.6 lbs, with 1280 x 1024 resolution, reported to have 3000 ANSI lumens and 1000:1 contrast ratio. Read that again: 6.6-pound, 3000 ANSI lumens (even if that is exaggerated by 200-300 lumens, that's still unbelievably impressive). While Christie has done a great job recently catching up with the lower end of the projector market, its fame comes from the rental and staging market. You can see why with its new LCD projectors, the RoadRunner LX100 and RoadRunner LX65. The RoadRunner LX100 is Christie's brightest LCD projector yet, with 10,000 ANSI lumens (the RoadRunner LX65 has 6,500). Both claim to have 1100:1 contrast ratio. But, what might be the best, and most creative feature of all is that both the LX100 and LX65 have a new bayonet-style Fast Lens Change mount which means the lenses can be snapped in place without the need for tools. That is something anyone in the staging market will love. Check out Christie's new projectors (when they are up on their site) at http://www.christiedigital.com/.
4. Dukane Introduces System-in-a-Box For my regular readers out there, this concept will not come as a surprise – just the manufacturer who is providing it will – Dukane. Yep, Dukane. Actually, in reality, it shouldn't come as too much of a surprise as I have said that with only a few manufacturers of all the projectors out there, the real differentiator will be marketing. Well, Dukane's new Projection System packages definitely qualify as creative marketing. But, is it at the dealer's expense? The DPS1 is an SVGA LCD projector with a DVD-VCR combo, a video/document camera, stereo speakers, ceiling mount unit and all the cables, connectors etc., needed for the install. Dukane specifies the DPS1 at 1100 ANSI lumens. The DPS2 is identical to the DPS1, but it adds a sound system with a separate amplifier and ceiling mounted speaker array and the ability to add a microphone The DPS3 uses a different projector that has a resolution of XGA 1024 x 768 and thus, a high res XGA tabletop camera. It's spec'd to 1600 ANSI lumens. Dukane's claim here is that it's really a system-in-a-box approach that makes the entire installation simple, flawless and installs in less than one hour. But, it's also targeted at the end-user. Along with the major components the system includes all the cables, fasteners, wall conduit, power receptacle, power strip, connectors, and all the other items required for the installation. Dukane claims that the only other items required are the computer and the projection screen. To see a complete listing of the new Dukane Digital Projection Systems, go to: http://www.dukane.com/AudioVisual/products/dps.htm.
5. TVOne Scores with Rackmount Color Monitors Finally, there's the opportunity to install a set of reference monitors that are affordable. Marshall has some of the best rackmount monitors for ProAV installs on the market. But, they are expensive. TVOne is making it possible for virtually every ProAV rack to have LCD monitors. TVOne is introducing three new high-performance rackmount LCD units. The LM-404R Quad has four LCD Displays, each with 4" diagonal viewing area. The LM-563R Triple has three LCD Displays, each with 5.6" diagonal viewing area. The LM-682R Dual has two LCD Displays, each with 6.8" diagonal viewing area. They accept Composite Video and S-Video signals. They're housed in 19" rackmount, tilt-frame housings and take up 3RU of space. They support NTSC and PAL. The LM-404R has an MSRP of $1,695.00, the LM-563R has an MSRP of $1,995.00 and the LM-682R has an MSRP of $1,595.00. To view the new TVOne rack-mount monitors, go to http://www.tvone.com/lcdpage.shtml.
6. NEC Goes for Versatility in Latest Projector Series NEC's new GT Series has an answer for just about anything, it seems. The company has designed a product line that almost makes low end/high end obsolete terms. The dual lamp configuration lets users run one lamp and get 3000 ANSI lumens, or run both and get 6000. It can project 4:3 or 16:9, but in 4:3 mode, can fill the full 16:9 display with non-linear image management to keep the appearance consistent. NEC's ImagExpress networking technology lets users manage the projectors over a wired network via the integrated RJ45 jack or wireless/wired PC Card network connectivity. They can also set up and receive email error notifications and give real-time cable-free presentations. The GT Series also have horizontal, vertical and diagonal keystone correction (that will be interesting to see). Seems to me this unit is best suited for rental/staging, but would also make a good install box for churches, large auditoriums, concerts, etc. NEC's GT Series can be seen at http://www.necvisualsystems.com/applicationFiles/productFamily/appl_SeriesDetails.cfm?Series_id=28.
7. MCSi's Peppel Resigns, New President/CEO Named Our industry's largest integration company (based on public sales figures) is MCSi and virtually everyone who knew of MCSi, knew Mike Peppel. Mike has resigned and there's a new President and Chief Executive Officer, D. Gordon Strickland. The official announcement: MCSi, Inc. announced Wednesday that D. Gordon Strickland has been named President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company. Mr. Strickland had been named to the Company's Board of Directors last week. Michael E. Peppel, the Company's previous President and Chief Executive Officer, has resigned to pursue other opportunities. Mr. Peppel has also resigned from his position as a director of the Company. Mr. Strickland, a graduate of the Wharton School of Business, served as the president and chief executive officer of Kerr Group, Inc. and is the chairman of Medical Resources, Inc. Mr. Strickland has also served as President & CEO of Capitol Wire, Inc. and Managing Director of Wm Sword & Co. Timothy Chrisman, the Company's Chairman of the Board, stated: "We are pleased to have Gordon take on this new responsibility as our President and CEO. We believe that the appointment of a seasoned executive such as Gordon will strengthen our leadership as the Company works through the issues confronting it." Mr. Chrisman continued: "Mike has agreed to assist us to help ensure an orderly transition to our new management. We wish him well in his future endeavors."
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Feature Article Contrast Revisited Michael Davis of TI's DLP Group Shares His Observations About ANSI Contrast Ratio and Why It May Not Apply Anymore
In the early days of fixed-resolution projectors for AV applications, ANSI standards were developed to measure key performance characteristics. One important parameter is contrast ratio, or the ability of the projector to distinguish bright levels from dark levels. The standard test uses a checkerboard pattern (see Figure 1) in which an equal number of black and white rectangles are projected. The ANSI contrast ratio is the ratio of the average luminance of the white rectangles to the average luminance of the black rectangles. This was a useful measure of a meaningful performance parameter in the early days of the projector industry. As you can see, 50% of the total area is white, meaning 50% of the projector light output capability goes through the projection lens. This is referred to as 50% Average Picture Level (APL). This means that the quality of the optics in the projection lens will have a direct impact on the ratio, since light scattered by the optics can "bleed" into the black areas and reduce the ratio. As the industry has matured, however, it has become economically prohibitive within each market segment to have optics that perform either much better or much worse than competitors at this task. It is important to remember that these standards were developed when a 1000 lumen projector was thought to be a relatively impossible task, at least in a projector somewhat smaller than a tank. Now of course, DLP based projectors regularly achieve 2000 lumens or more at significantly less than 3 Kg [Editor's note: many LCD projectors also provide 2000 ANSI lumens, but at weights slightly higher than 3 Kg or 6.6 lbs.]. As the brightness capability has increased, so has the expectations of the user in terms of ambient room lighting tolerance. ANSI standards take great pains to eliminate the effects of any room lighting, especially on contrast ratio, since these standards are intended to measure projector performance, not the viewing experience. This was particularly important when the output capability of projectors was relatively low compared to today. Now, it is more important to understand how a projector might perform in the actual user environment. Also, much like the "crossover" automotive market today, projectors are also becoming more versatile. Gone are the days of data-projection specific projectors. Multimedia, video, and home use are becoming more important to the portable projector user. It is estimated that video content closely resembles the Pareto model, in which 80% of the content is 20% or less APL. Whatever the model, it is certain that most content is less than 50% APL. As the APL goes down and less light goes through the optics, the modulator panel capability becomes the dominant contrast contributor. For these reasons, there is less and less reliance on "ANSI contrast" in projector specification sheets. It has become more useful to measure the ratio of full white screen to full black screen, or simply "contrast ratio". This is the dynamic range of the projector, and is determined more by the modulator technology than optical technology. This is akin to the dynamic range of an audio system: you may never need or use all of it, but the higher it is, the better it makes what you do use, and the more useful it is in comparing the capability limits of systems should your application demand it. Unfortunately, no measure of contrast is important when there is a significant amount of light in the room. For example, a 2000 lumen projector can put 1000 lux on a 2 square-meter screen, typical for a conference room. It is not uncommon to experience up to 100 lux of room lighting on that same screen, since it is a conference room and the projector should be bright enough so the lights can be on and people can see each other, right? In this case, the full perceived contrast capability is less than 10:1 (1000/100) due to the room lights! Projector contrast capability is totally irrelevant now, since it cannot make the screen darker than 100 lux no matter how hard it tries. And yet, the perception of contrast is still there. On the other hand, say this user takes that same projector home and uses it in a darkened home theatre to watch DVD's over the weekend. This user wants to see black levels similar to that dim, archaic, noisy, misconverged CRT projector that used to fill that HUGE hole in the ceiling. With content APL of less than 20 to 30% typical, it is only the projector with a high full-white to full-black contrast ratio that will achieve the satisfying deep blacks. [Editor's Note: Remember that this final sentence is written by a TI-DLP employee] Yoda says, "happy now will be the user who has chosen a DLP projector, for DLP is the only technology that can produce the deep blacks and high contrast ratio for the dark room, yet be bright enough for the conference room." –Michael Davis, Texas Instruments DLP Products Back to top
Well, that's it for this edition! Thank you for spending time with me as we muse the industry's happenings. To continue getting my newsletter, or to sign up a friend, click the link below. To send me feedback and news tips, don't reply to this newsletter – instead, write to me at gkayye@kayye.com. A little about me: Gary Kayye, CTS, founder of Kayye Consulting. Gary Kayye, an audiovisual veteran and columnist, began the widely-read KNews, a premier industry newsletter, in the late 1990s, and created the model for and was co-founder of AV Avenue – which later became InfoComm IQ. Kayye Consulting is a company that is committed to furthering the interests and success of dealers, manufacturers, and other companies within the professional audiovisual industry. To read more about my background, our staff, and what we do, go to http://www.kayye.com Back to top
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