Projectors: Bulb Replacement or New Unit?
In conference rooms and other locations throughout your facility, you have a handful of digital projectors. Here at Experience Audio Video, we’ve watched projector technology come a long way in the past couple decades. Today’s machines are impressive and quite reliable.
But even the most reliable projector will eventually experience degraded performance or may even stop projecting entirely. When this happens, you’re faced with a choice: try replacing the bulb, or just buy a new unit?
Option 1: Replace the Bulb
The first option is to try replacing the bulb. After all, the bulb is a consumable component. The manufacturer intends for users to replace projector bulb assemblies after a certain number of hours of use.
This is certainly an option. The problem is that the bulb itself can be fairly expensive. If replacing the bulb doesn’t fix the problem, you may have wasted a few hundred bucks.
According to one projector specialist, the one situation in which replacing the bulb is the clear first step is when you hear a “pop” or can visually tell that the bulb has popped or exploded.
Option 2: Replace the Projector
The second option is to replace the entire projector. The average price for projectors has dropped greatly. On the surface this is a good thing, but the reason for the price drop is that many cheap, low-quality players have entered the market. Component failure rates are high. These projectors aren’t designed to last.
If your projector didn’t cost much, chances are it’s in this category. If it’s failed or is malfunctioning, your best bet may be to replace the unit outright.
Option 3: Have the Projector Serviced
The third option is to have your projector serviced. Dust can build up in vents, and small internal components can fail as a result. Having your projector serviced is one way to extend its life. And if it turns out the bulb really does need to be replaced, your repair person can take care of that, too.
2020 Trends in Audio Visual Technology for Businesses
As we begin the new year in earnest, Experience Audio Video is looking ahead. Audio visual technology continues to evolve, and savvy businesses know how important it is to keep up. With that in mind, here are the top trends we’ve identified for business audio visual technology in 2020.
Trend #1: Digital Display Prices Continue to Drop
Digital display prices have been dropping, and we anticipate this trend continuing strong in 2020. The changes are staggering, really. In the consumer space, just a few years ago 4K TVs were cost-prohibitive for nearly everyone. Now big box stores are regularly selling them for under $500. The same goes for computer displays.
Of course, commercial grade digital displays will always command a premium over bargain-brand equipment for home use. But whatever the level, the trend remains the same.
As prices keep dropping, reevaluate whether your budget will allow you upgrades in this area. These could include digital signage, conference room video and even customer-facing TVs (if those are relevant for your industry).
Trend #2: Artificial Intelligence Grows in Capability
Our second trend for 2020 is in the area of artificial intelligence, or AI. AI-powered applications are growing more powerful by the week, it seems, and audio visual technology is no exception.
In the business A/V space, smart conference room technology will continue to get smarter, more capable and more intuitive. Existing smart control systems may drop in price as new players or new versions hit the market.
Trend #3: HD Isn’t Cutting It Anymore
As prices for 4K and even higher resolution displays drop, people will get accustomed to seeing 4K and better imagery. Soon, HD will begin looking as dated as VHS tapes did when DVDs hit the scene.
What Makes Digital Signage Better than Traditional Signage?
One of the technology solutions that Experience Audio Video offers is digital signage. This high-tech approach to signage has been gaining quite a lot of ground in the last few years. But is it really worth the investment?
You may be skeptical of digital signage. After all, people say it can get expensive, and technology failures can be embarrassing. What makes it worth investing in? What makes digital signage better than traditional signage?
In a word, it’s more dynamic. Allow us to elaborate.
Dynamic Engagement: Digital Signage Is Brighter
Digital signage is far brighter than traditional signage. Brightness grabs attention, and isn’t attention the point of your signage in the first place?
When you want to grab people’s attention, bright, light-emitting digital signage is a great choice.
Dynamic Messaging: Digital Signage Is Easy to Change
Second, digital signage can be easily customized and changed in the moment. In this way it’s exceptionally dynamic.
If your signage needs change, even briefly, you can easily reconfigure digital signage to display the message of the hour. With traditional signage, changing your message takes some serious work. You have to order new signs from a vendor and wait weeks for them to arrive. Or you end up scrawling something on printer paper and taping it to the sign— not exactly elegant or professional.
Dynamic Animation: Digital Signage Moves
Lastly, digital signage is an improvement over traditional signage in that your signage can come to life. Take advantage of the fact that digital signage is video-capable. Create animated flourishes for your signs if you have the capability. Or at least experiment with basic animations and transitions in your favorite presenter software.
See for Yourself
We hope we’ve convinced you of the value of digital signage. But in this case seeing could be believing. Contact us today for a free demo and quote.
Lobby Looking Tired? Refresh It with Digital Signage
The lobby of your business is vitally important. It’s the first thing people see when they arrive. It tells customers and clients a great deal about you, and it sets the tone for what they should expect throughout their visit.
Far too often, though, businesses underinvest in their lobbies. Perhaps the thinking is this: lobbies don’t generally make money by themselves, and they don’t provide a ton of functionality for your staff.
Given how crucial your lobby is to the customer/client experience, though, you can’t afford to let it go. You need to keep it looking fresh.
If your lobby is looking tired, one extremely easy way to refresh your look is with digital signage. The team at Experience Audio Video has helped numerous clients do just this already, and we can help you, too. Here’s what you need to know.
Digital Signage Injects a Modern Feel Without Blowing the Budget
First, quality digital signage injects a modern feel wherever it gets installed. And it doesn’t have to be an overwhelmingly expensive upgrade.
Remodeling your entire lobby with a sleek, modern aesthetic may be well outside your budget right now. But have you seen the price of TVs these days? Large 4K displays are shockingly cheap compared to just a couple years ago. Adding digital signage can be a very cost effective way to modernize the look and feel of your lobby.
Digital Signage Allows for Customized Messaging
Second, digital signage allows you to easily customize the messaging in your lobby. Your logo and brand messaging get top billing, of course, but consider the possibilities. VIP clients coming for a visit? Give them a customized welcome (even incorporating their logo) using your digital signage. New branding initiative or ad campaign? Display elements from your campaign on a rotating basis using your digital displays.
The possibilities for engaging, dynamic display content are nearly endless when you deploy digital signage in your lobby. Contact us today for a customized quote for your space.
Got TVs in Your Facility? Here's Why a Head-End System Makes Sense
Does your business have multiple TVs throughout one or more of its facilities, TVs that are for customer use? If so, you should be running content to those TVs using a head-end system. Head-end systems powered by DirecTV are one of the technology solutions Experience Audio Video offers, so we want to help you understand why and when a head-end system might make sense for your business.
What Is a Head-End System?
Generally speaking, a head-end system is a means of receiving and distributing either cable or satellite TV signals (along with FM radio signals, if desired). The technologies differ for cable and satellite, but the general principle is the same.
In both types, content feeds from the cable or satellite distributor into a central unit (the head-end unit) and is distributed to many TVs throughout a building. Using a head-end system, many televisions can independently access pay TV channels without configuring each connection independently.
Common Uses for Head-End Systems
Head-end systems are commonly used in environments with lots of TVs, unsurprisingly. These include businesses in the hospitality and healthcare industries, educational institutions, and in some situations multi-unit housing (like a large apartment complex). Really, any business with multiple TVs in multiple spaces can benefit from this technology.
Why a Head-End System Makes Sense
The main benefit of a head-end system is simplicity. A 300-room hotel doesn’t want to configure 300 independent cable connections. It doesn’t make financial or logistical sense for them or for the provider. Imagine a high-rise apartment building with 400 satellite dishes decorating one wall of the building.
If your business needs more than 2 or 3 independent feeds, then a head-end system could be the right choice. If you’re not sure, we can help you decide. Get in touch with us today!