Five Tips from Epson to Help Determine the Best Display – Projector or Flat Panel – for Small- to Medium-Sized Conference Rooms

LONG BEACH, Calif. – Aug. 4, 2014 – How do you choose between a flat panel display or a projector in your conference room? Having the most cutting edge technology, increasing meeting productivity and maximizing conference room space are often key factors in the decision making process. When considering the right tools to enable your staff to work most efficiently, Epson is providing businesses, IT and facility managers with five tips to keep in mind before making a purchasing decision.

1. Readability: Looks can be deceiving – though a flat panel may seem large, once  mounted in a conference room, reading a spreadsheet or presentation during a meeting on a flat panel can still be difficult. Before purchasing, sit in the furthest seat from the display wall to calculate the ideal display size for readability, given typical font sizes used in presentations. Many times a 60- or 72-inch flat panel won’t be large enough, even for a small conference room designed to seat four to six people, while a projector can offer a diagonal image up to 100-inches.
    
2. Connectivity: Though typically less expensive, consumer flat panels do not always provide the connectivity required for business meetings. Commercial-grade flat panels and business projectors deliver advanced connectivity options, including VGA, USB, HDMI, and even wireless, to accommodate business display needs.
    
3. Resolution: Not all flat panels are designed to support the varying resolutions used in an office environment. As such, it can be difficult to sync a computer, tablet or smart phone properly to ensure the best image quality for a presentation. In addition, navigating setup features on a flat panel can be confusing, while unfamiliar menus may include terms employees find complicated. Business projectors are designed for use with computer inputs and office programs, making them much easier for plug-and-play meetings.
    
4. Flexibility: Flat panels can look sleek on a wall, but once installed, they aren’t going anywhere. Portable projectors provide the flexibility to move from room to room. In addition, users can increase and/or decrease image size depending on the room and presentation needs. Users can also place a projector where convenient – even off to the side of a room – using setup features to change the image size and shape. 
    
5. New Projectors = New Features: Projectors today offer many of the features businesses typically associate with flat panels, including video conferencing and the ability to fit in small rooms. Projectors offer all the inputs to connect to video conferencing equipment, and some offer split screen features, allowing users to see both people and content at once on a larger image. In addition, there are several ultra short-throw projectors available that can be mounted just inches from the wall, making them ideal solutions for a small room. Providing images as large as 100-inches diagonal, these projectors don’t even need a screen – just project directly onto a wall or an already installed whiteboard.

“Most people associate projectors with large meeting rooms, however projectors are an excellent solution for small and medium rooms as well,” said Claudine Wolas Shiva, senior marketing manager, Projectors, Epson America, Inc. “We’ve heard that many companies buy a consumer flat panel for a conference room, only to be disappointed by the quality, image size and difficulty of operation. A projector designed specifically for business needs provides all the essential elements for a meeting space – large display size, high image quality, connectivity options, and ease of use – and oftentimes at a lower price.”

For more information about display options, Epson offers this video that highlights the differences between projectors and flat panel displays for business environments.