February 06, 2006

Wireless Projectors - What They Can and Can't Do

Wireless presentations are already a reality in the business world. But as older (802.11b) wireless projectors are used for regular business applications, bandwidth limitations are brought to light. Some effects of the bandwidth deficiency include slower display of transition-heavy PowerPoint® presentations, and weak support for embedded multimedia.

What Wireless Projectors Can Do...

Projectors from manufacturers such as Epson have adopted faster transmission standards (802.11g) to help eliminate issues with bandwidth. The 802.11g standard is two to five times faster (from 11 mbps to 54 mbps) than the popular 802.11b standard. This new faster technology allows for smoother looking transitions between slides which add interest to presentations, and the ability to edit documents such as word or excel spreadsheets in close to real-time. Real-time meaning that you what you see on your computer will match exactly with what is on the projector.

There are other benefits to using wireless technology as well. Rather than having to plug and unplug several laptops during a group presentation, users can instead login and log out of the wireless network to display information on their computers. It also allows people to present from any location (within range of the network) in a room, so that individuals have more seating flexibility.

Epson was the first to market with an 802.11g projector, the PowerLite 835p. The projector includes a PC card slot which can be used with an 802.11g wireless card. They have also included a proprietary decoding algorithm that allows for MPEG-2 video to be displayed over the wireless connection. The 835p supports WEP, WPA, and LEAP wireless security protocols; by contrast, most competing Wi-Fi models currently support only WEP.

    Quick Take: Wireless Projectors Today Can…
  • Toggle between multiple computer sources.
  • Allow users to present from a computer placed anywhere in a room.
  • Run PowerPoint presentations (with limited animation).
  • Show edits to a document, such as an Excel spreadsheet, in real-time.

Click here for a complete list of wireless projectors.

What Wireless Projectors Can't Do...

You may be familiar with the 802.11g standard from your home PC wireless internet network. We know that we can see very fast transitions and animations on a webpage using this kind of wireless system at home. However, you will not see the same kind of performance with a wireless projector. This is because of the method of compression used by the wireless technology. Essentially the wireless system takes a 'snapshot' of your computer screen at a specific interval (a few times a second or so) and transmits the images to the display. This can create some 'jerkiness' in the image, or a slightly less smooth transition than you would see when surfing the web on a wireless connection with a computer.

Wireless video transmission beyond MPEG2 format has yet to become mainstream. There are some solutions available with various limitations and issues, but one effective and price appropriate method has yet to prevail. Many manufacturers are still working to make this happen, and an eventual resolution is sure to come.

External Wireless Solutions

In addition to fully integrated wireless solutions from manufacturers, there are also external options that can be used with most projectors today. The WiJet from OTC Wireless is one example of this kind of offering. The WiJet is a peripheral that will plug into your computer and into the VGA port of nearly any projector to create a wireless connection. You don't need a special PC Card slot to use this technology. The WiJet is now 802.11g compatible, with legacy support for 802.11b. An additional benefit of an external solution is that they are upgradeable, as the components are external and can be easily replaced.

PC Card Slots for Computerless Presentations

Not to be confused with wireless technology, PC card slots also make it possible to present without wires, and even without a computer. This convenient feature (available on the Epson PowerLite 745c and 835p) allows you to store a presentation on a small PC card, and simply insert the card into a built-in card reader on select projectors. The slide stores your PowerPoint® presentation, and you can advance slides using your projector's remote control.

Still have questions? Call a Projector Expert today for the best advice and the best price on projectors for work and home.

, ,,

Comments

Post a comment

Thanks for signing in, . Now you can comment. (sign out)

(If you haven't left a comment here before, you may need to be approved by the site owner before your comment will appear. Until then, it won't appear on the entry. Thanks for waiting.)


Remember me?