Flat Panel TV vs. Projector? Need some input...

[Steve Dickie]

We're talking about putting up projectors in each of our classrooms over the summer. Someone brought up an interesting idea. What if instead of projectors we put up flat panel TVs?

Advantages:

• Much easier to mount
• Much brighter. It'd be no problem to use them with the lights on
• No bulb to burn out
• Built in tuner for cable that is already in the classroom

Disadvantages:

• Likely will be a little smaller to stay in the same price range as a projector
• Will never be able to upgrade it to a "Smart Board"
• Can't be "rolled up" out of the way like a screen so may steal some board space

Anything I'm missing? We're going to spend a bunch of money and we want to make sure we make the right choice.

Thanks.

[Matt McCarty]

1) I don't think that you will be happy with the image size...unless you have a huge budget and can afford 50+ inch TVs
2) With today's projectors brightness isn't usually a problem.
3) TVs are typically installed "off-axis" where they are out of the way when using a whiteboard, that also means they have to be angled and up higher so you don't hit your head on it. This makes it harder to integrate whatever you would be projecting into your curriculum. (Imagine students doing a presentation etc)

M. McCarty
Clarkston Community Schools.

[Ben Rimes]

You could easily make it an interactive surface using a Wiimote, which I know you can do, Steve. One of the biggest problems I foresee is actually something you have listed as an advantage.

Yes, there's no bulb to burn out on the TV screen, but when it does go out/get hit/breaks then you're out you're entire way to display what you need. You're district probably isn't likely to have extra screens in storage to use while one gets fixed.

When lamps burn out on the projectors, most school districts can easily store replacement lamps to replace immediately.

[Steve Dickie]

I've posted this request in a few different forums to see what I'd get. I've heard from a number of different educators, almost all of the pro-projector side come from people who haven't tried the TV solution. I received fewer Pro-TV comments/emails but those all came from schools that have gone with TVs.

So far here's what I've gotten:

Pro-Projector Side:

• You get a much bigger display - TVs are going to be too small or too expensive if they're big enough
• They are much brighter than they used to be
• With proper maintenance the bulbs can last a long time
• Can easily add an interactive whiteboard in the future
• If the lap burns out there are probably replacement bulbs on hand, meaning a quick fix. While if the TV goes you'll likely be without a display for a while.

Pro-TV Side:

• Cost of ownership is lower. Typical LCDs are rated at 60,000 hours while typical projector bulbs are rated for 2,000 and bulbs often cost 2/3 the price of the projector
• More comfortable for less tech savvy faculty
• If you pay attention you can get one with decent built in speakers meaning one less thing to deal with
• Higher resolution means it can still be readable even if it's smaller. However, if you have a large classroom you'll still need a fairly large display

As Ben points out you can also make an IWB with a Wiimote for under $100, as I have done in the past. You can use this with a projector, but I'd not recommend it with a TV. I think I used my Wiimote whiteboard once this school year. I've replaced my wiimote board with a bluetooth Wacom tablet. This way I'm not tied to the front of my classroom. I can wander around helping students and then be controlling my computer/writing on the screen without having to walk all the way to the front again. Totally awesome!

In the end we've decided to go room by room and make the decision for which technology will best suit the space rather than go with a blanket solution for the whole school.

[Ben Rimes]

Going room by room may sound like a great idea from the standpoint of the teacher using the room, but I think that would ultimately create more work for your IT department to support. Granted, not much is required in the way of maintenance, but the fact that some rooms may be TVs, while other are projectors, means there's no unified support solution.

Either way you decide to go, I'd stay go with it for the entire school.

[Steve Dickie]

I understand what you're saying, but it was actually our IT guy who was pushing for the room by room approach. :)

[Ben Rimes]

That sounds more like someone pushing for job security than for cost-savings measures :)