Flatscreen LCD televisions instead of projectors?

Published by in edtech on February 9th, 2007

Jamey Osborne posted an interesting idea concerning the purchase of flastscreen LCD televisions instead of projectors today:

I was walking the exhibit floor yesterday and a thought hit me like a ton of bricks. We’re working with our schools to put projectors into classrooms as fast as we can. The revelation was that the price of flat-screen LCD TVs are dropping so quickly that a 37-42″ unit is now comparable to that of a LCD projector! Think about it: If a teacher can connect a laptop and display it on a TV screen that size, then all the benefits of a projector are realized without the shadows, set up and cable hassles of a projector and bulb replacement costs are a thing of the past!

I know bulb replacement costs are something many school districts don’t seem to be budgeting for adequately at the present time. It does seem likely that a comparably priced flat panel LCD TV would have a significantly lower TCO over a given timeperiod, like five years, compared to a projector since bulb replacement wouldn’t be needed. So many schools are putting in electronic whiteboards, however, I would guess there would be some pushback based on a perceived need to have projectors in classrooms for whiteboards. I personally think wireless tablets may be a more cost effective and interactive solution for many classrooms than single electronic whiteboards at the front of the room. With a wireless tablet, students and teachers could use a flatscreen LCD television as well as a projector for instruction, I suppose.

I wonder if any school districts will opt for flatscreen LCD televisions instead of projectors on a broad scale?

On this day..

7 Comments »
  • Ron H

    Wes:

    You make a good point about the costs of replacement bulbs. I still find it hard to believe that when I hold a $300 bulb in my hand, I am really holding a small version of a car headlight.

    We have tried the flat panel idea, but a few things happen. Kids, being kids, like to poke them, and touch them. The screens are just not durable enough for the typical classroom where sharp pencils and greasy hands abound. I have seen some LCD’s with a glossy overlay, but you then run into the problem of terrible glare and reflections.

    I’m sure we will see the day when whiteboards are replaced by video display panels (like thin-rear projected Smartboards). I would love one.

    Ron

  • http://jameyo.edublogs.org JameyO

    I agree, there are some issues and some time before the convergence of flat-screens in the classroom really hits. I just see it as a more efficient means of bringing video and technology into the classroom. Sure, the price point isn’t exactly there yet but it won’t be long. The more I think about this, however, the more I think that projectors aren’t the perfect solution.

  • http://bumpontheblog.etowns.net Brian Grenier

    Wes and Jamey,

    I tried to leave this comment on Jamey’s post but am not able to.

    You bring up an interesting idea and something to consider. Within the schools I work at, most administrators are looking right now at purchasing projectors, not for every classroom, but at the very least every grade level or subject area. Have you seen any flat screens on mobile carts that could be moved from room to room? I am sure something like this must exist, and I’d like to see how close in price the two are at this point.

    Brian Grenier
    http://bumpontheblog.etowns.net

  • http://www.wesfryer.com Wesley Fryer

    I know Polycom has put together some custom cart solutions (and I think this was for El Paso ISD) which included a videoconferencing CODEC and screens, but I don’t know if they were flat. I’ll inquire with Marci Powell, who I think helped with that acquisition and see if she knows….

  • http://bumpontheblog.etowns.net Brian Grenier

    Wes,

    I work in the EPISD, and those Polycoms do come with flat screens…BTW they’re beautiful. This is exactly the type of solution I am wondering if exists (minus the customization and the videoconferencing CODEC). I keeping my eyes out and will be making a couple of calls on Monday.

    Brian

  • http://aboatman.blogspot.com Andrew Boatman

    I think flat screen televisions may be a good way to go in the future. Our district bought 32″ televisions for every classroom. They are fairly ineffective. Nice to have but the resolution is horrible and very difficult to see.
    I do have a SmartBoard in my classroom. I like it but really fail to see how many of my teachers would benefit from one. We have a mobile Sympodium unit in the library. It is under utilized.
    I have been through three projectors in five years. A bulb will last about 6 months and replacement bulbs are impossible to find on older model projectors.
    I would recommend waiting. Do not do anything in the next year. Wait and see what technology will do in the near future. Anything done today will be out of date in three years. We bought VCR machines for all of out televisions. But I still have an eight track tape player in my truck…
    A side note on something similar. I was at Office Depot. They have a color laser printer for $250 after rebate. Four cartridges. At $90 each it is cheaper to buy a whole new printer then to replace the ink cartridges.

  • B Brown

    First, Andrew – more than likely the ink cartridges that come in the printer are not a “full load” so to speak. Check the ink capacity of the cartridges that come with the printer versus replacement cartridges.

    Secondly, flat panel tvs sound like a great alternative, except that a digital projector can push out an image 7 or 8 feet across while for the same price as a 32″ LCD flat panel television. While the resolution is MUCH higher in a LCD flat panel, the 32″ “regular” television I had in my classroom wasn’t good for much other than taking up space in the corner (I taught Biology in a lab-combination classroom which was about twice the size of a normal classroom). My Epson came-over-on-the-Mayflower digital projector was much better for displaying information/videos to my students even if it was limited to the 48″ surface of my Smartboard.

    And that takes me to Smartboards. Several people in my district and I have worked out the cost effectiveness of purchasing Smartboards, projectors, and computers for a classroom and we decided that placing a tablet PC and wireless digital projector is not only cheaper, but more useful for maintaining classroom management (e.g. walking those class traffic aisles while teaching). Also, the need for Airliners or Symposium hardware is eliminated because the teacher can hand the tablet to a student.

    Downsides to this model? BATTERY LIFE. The Toshiba m400s we have tested start with a battery life around 4 hours, but they don’t stay there. For another $200 we can get an extended battery that adds 4-6 hours to the computer – now we are getting somewhere. But that added cost just dips into the money saved by eliminating the Smartboard. Also the weight of the computer is something to take into account. The m400 is a pretty lightweight machine but it begins to drag on you after a couple of hours (I haul mine everywhere I go). Our district provides a laptop to every teacher, so switching to a tablet is a bit pricier, but the prices have already started dropping (the last tablets I bought are roughly twice as powerful as the first ones and both batches cost the same price).

    Finally, we are utilizing flat panel televisions in areas of our new construction projects where a projector is overkill (i.e. conference rooms). Once the price of a 60″ or larger flat panel tv drops below the price of a digital projector, I’ll be a lot more interested.

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