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Making the Grade with the Right Display Technology Choice

min read

Choosing display technology for higher education requires careful consideration and research since customers need to be aware of a variety of factors in making an informed decision. Based on decades of experience, insightful customer feedback and interviews, Christie provides a wide range of solutions for higher education customers that address changing learning environment needs.

Size is the first consideration. What type of room, hall, or space will the display be placed? You also need to keep in mind the number of viewers and their specific needs. LCD panel displays are adequate for rooms with five to six people. For average-sized classrooms, video projection has been found to be more cost-effective. If you're thinking of an auditorium or lecture hall, then large-venue projection should be a consideration. For even larger-scale video images or immersive environments, such as an atrium or student center, tiled video wall displays are often effective.

Image resolution can be an important consideration depending on the content. One tried and true tip for ensuring proper matching of projector performance to the venue is to create a set of evaluation "slides", since they tend to be the most commonly used content in education. Try using colorful pie charts or high-resolution images, or varying types of text. Comparing these same slides across a number of projectors helps tech managers see the varying levels of performance, thus making it easier to identify which products to consider for purchase.

Brightness level is critical. In smaller meeting rooms or classrooms, an LCD panel display or a 2,000-lumen to 7,000-lumen projector will be sufficient. However, in larger spaces, such as a typical lecture hall, a 20,000-lumen to 30,000-lumen projector is recommended. Up to 40,000 lumens may be needed for very large rooms with extremely high ambient light levels, or, at the lower end, a 10,000-lumen projector will suffice if the budget is tight.

Lamp-illuminated projectors still tend to be the most cost-effective solution at initial purchase. Solid-state illumination or lampless projectors typically require a slightly more sizable investment, but are commonly rated for 20,000 hours of run time, with little to no maintenance, making them ideal for typical classroom applications.

It's very important to consider the planned uses of the display, whether it is a projector, an LCD panel, or video wall. Will it be used to watch live sports activities, or static art, or moving text for campus information updates? Also consider potential future uses, to ensure the right selection for the longer term.

The challenge is finding a display technology that offers everything you're looking for without spending for unneeded extras or spending too little and sacrificing benefits. Keep in mind that the initial purchase price is not the only cost that should be considered — total cost of ownership (TCO) will help you consider the full investment required. Are there built-in features that save you from having to purchase additional equipment? Are there consumables and how frequently do they need to be replaced? What are the power consumption and cooling requirements? How accessible are the serviceable components of your display? The greater the accessibility, the lower the downtime and service costs.

While most may think of traditional display types in education-focused applications, like projectors or LCD Panels, there are other options such as cubes, tiles, and LED video wall displays.

The ability to display bright, colorful content despite the large amount of natural ambient light found in the space made the Christie Velvet LED video wall a great choice for the installation at the University of Southern California. "The atrium has two huge gothic windows, a giant bay window and an enormous skylight up above…The amount of natural light is unreal. We're in sunny Southern California and this video wall performs exceptionally well in all that light. We get lots of traffic in the building from people who just want to check it out — there is a lot of positive buzz around it," according to Charles Peyton, Director of Operations, Facilities & Technology, University of Southern California.

Another innovative use for tiles is found at the Cleveland Museum of Art where the museum chose Christie MicroTiles in an educational setting that's both entertaining and informative. Blending art and technology, the museum's Collection Wall is a 40-foot wide multi-touch screen comprising two 15-units wide by 5-units tall Christie MicroTiles video walls using Christie Interactivity Kit. Christie displays are helping inspire museum visitors to engage with the art collection in a unique way, helping the Cleveland Museum of Art stand out among art museums all over the world.

Display technology sets your education institution apart from the others and a potential draw for new recruits. As students have more options for post-secondary education including online degrees and universities, technical schools, community colleges, and more, they want to be ‘wowed' by technology. It's the world that they've grown up in, and they expect from their surroundings. Students expect technology to add to their educational experience in athletic complexes, student common areas/corridors for watching community events, and other environments.

Creating unique spaces for learning and collaboration is a challenge. Coffee shops were once the trendy place to go, however, new and innovative spaces are appearing on campuses where you'd least expect it — like the library.

North Carolina State University's James B. Hunt Jr. Library
North Carolina State University's James B. Hunt Jr. Library

At North Carolina State University, while then Libraries' head of information technology, Maurice York had to helping design the NC State's James B. Hunt Jr. Library. "We had to rethink the way the library behaves as a physical space…It had to be a place that would be relevant to students to draw them inside. That meant a focus on collaboration spaces that create an environment that not only welcomes, but also invites everyone to come in and use these tools."

The solution was to transform the library into an experience hub with the addition of Christie MicroTiles combined with the Christie Spyder content processor. By including an orientation area with a large curved videowall, students can gather to explore ideas while viewing other colleague's art or watching a basketball game. The Immersion Theatre allows campus community members to experience interactive exhibits in a way they hadn't before.

Another example of unique visual displays is found at the Criss Library at the University of Nebraska Omaha.

Criss Library, University of Nebraska Omaha
Criss Library, University of Nebraska Omaha

"I was searching for something unique that wasn't already on campus," explained Joyce Neujahr, Director of Patron Services at Criss Library, University of Nebraska Omaha. "With the main focus of the lab being media production, we knew that what we still needed was some kind of display technology our students could use to experiment, play and create." The choice was a Christie multi-touch LCD video wall. "Christie quality speaks for itself and that means a lot. We're very happy with the installation and how it is being used. It's been a great addition to our campus!"

The wide array of display technologies in use in higher education is indicative of continued growth in dynamic learning approaches. Chosen thoughtfully, with technical, cost, and use case parameters in mind, displays can take help educational experiences to the next level.

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Jessica McElhone, Senior Director of Strategic Markets Management, Christie