Classroom projector alternatives are becoming more appealing as technology continues to improve. The options include everything from static screens – either re-purposed or built for the classroom – to next-generation interactive flat-panel displays. And with modern software solutions, it’s possible to make the most of any display.
Read more below for classroom projector alternatives that work for you.
Looking for a classroom projector alternative? There’s a growing array of classroom technology aimed at replacing projectors. Ranging from whiteboards to displays, finding the right choice starts by understanding how technology will help your students succeed.
Did your bulb stop working at least opportune time? Has your projector lost its clarity? When classroom projectors work well, they’re the center of the digital classroom. When they bring nothing but frustration, the classroom experience grinds to a halt.
As older projectors fail or become too costly to maintain, education professionals are on the lookout for better classroom options. The most popular classroom projector alternatives are:
- Commercial Displays
- Interactive Whiteboards
- Interactive Displays
- All-in-One Solutions
Commercial Displays
Projector alternatives aim at improving the viewing experience. Commercial displays provide crisp, future-proof 4K resolution. More importantly, displays don’t suffer from windows the way projectors do. As most school classrooms include large windows, light saturation can be a major problem.
On a sunny day, light from the outdoors is simply too much for some projectors to handle. That’s where digital TVs come in. Commercial displays don’t suffer from light saturation the way projectors do.
Display Benefits
Commercial displays have the following benefits:
- Low energy use, less maintenance, and reduced waste management fees with no bulbs or filters to change
- Bright, clear, and sharp images even in rooms with high ambient light
- Integrated casting abilities with included ViewBoard® Cast content sharing software
- Long lifespan with up to 30,000 typical hours* of backlight life
- Easy to install with wall mount or trolley mount options
Displays Bring the Classroom to Life
Commercial displays rely on ViewBoard Cast and related software to display all sorts of multimedia. ViewBoard Cast supports Windows, M, iOS, Android Devices, and Chrome Devices.
This enables 1080p content to be streamed from a user’s device onto ViewBoard® over wireless or cable networks. Multimedia, PowerPoints, cloud files, and any other content can be broadcasted to student’s Chromebooks (or other devices).
Displays vs. Projectors
Also, commercial display TVs are engineered to work consistently for extended periods of time. Digital TVs are increasingly becoming more popular in the classroom.
Benefits of displays vs. projectors:
- Displays are brighter than most projectors
- Better resolution (4K or HD) vs. Projectors (usually less than HD)
- Projector lamps have to be maintained and replaced (every 2K or longer)
- Displays the reduce shadows and glare projectors experience from outside sources
- Don’t have to deal with the loss of image, flickering, or dulling of color over time
The newest line of commercial displays have computers built into them. This makes them a complete Wireless Presentation Display solution. See the new version of CDE 4K Displays:
SCALE-UP Classroom Displays
The popularity of classroom displays is compounded by the fact that schools are moving toward having multiple displays in the same classroom. This trend is fueled by a convergence of digital transformation, especially the SCALE-UP Classroom.
Not only do digital TVs provide better viewing angles, but having multiple displays engage students more effectively. Projectors simply can’t do this. Teachers love the benefit of having multiple displays within the classroom.
Cost is another important consideration. If you factor lifespan of the projectors in (bulb cost, cost of wiring/mounting, etc.) digital displays become cheaper. Up-front costs of displays are higher than projectors, but they cost less to maintain, providing much better TCO.
Commercial displays are smarter than you may think. Equipped with an NMP600 chrome box and/or digital display software, classroom TVs can do a lot more.
Interactive Whiteboards
School districts and EdTech teams don’t want to disrupt the way educators teach. When teachers are comfortable with their whiteboards, incremental changes are sometimes best. Interactive whiteboards simply extend projectors into being touch-capable displays.
Math Teachers love to draw on the interactive whiteboard. But, they have to face away from the class. Enter products like TD2455 and IPF2710 which allow the teacher to face the class while annotating.
Benefits of interactive whiteboards include:
- A way to extend the life of your projector
- Leveraging software adds interactivity to your classroom
- Monitors like the TD2455 and IPF2710 add annotation capabilities
Using myViewBoard technology, and an IPF2710, traditional projectors can be turned into interactive whiteboards with annotation features. There are easy ways to add touch and chrome tools to an existing projector in the classroom with super easy installation.
Learn more about the history of interactive whiteboards here.
Interactive Displays
Interaction doesn’t stop at whiteboards. Digital TVs now come combined with touch technology. Imagine a giant iPad®. ViewBoard® interactive displays for education focus on overcoming the challenges of classroom collaboration with myViewBoard digital whiteboarding technology.
Benefits of interactive displays in the classroom:
- Immersive, touch-based technology
- Digital whiteboarding software including myViewBoard
- Deliver incredible interactive capabilities for 21st-century classrooms
For More See:
All-in-One Solutions
All-in-One solutions are designed to create more immersive education environments while keeping technology easy to use. The latest ViewSonic education solution pairs the NMP660 with the all-new TD2455.
At the end of the day, it’s important to consider what technology your school runs on. If you’re an Android/Chrome classroom, make sure to pick an interactive technology that works with the platform.
Take a look at how one school digitally transformed their classroom with ViewSonic’s digital whiteboarding solution:
See the newest all-in-one solution, called a Wireless Presentation Display here.
*Product light source lifespan may vary based on actual usage and other factors. Program, pricing, specifications and availability are subject to change without notice. Corporate names and trademarks stated herein are the property of their respective companies.