I was thinking about trying to restart the conference talk videos and discussions that we enjoyed earlier in the year, if anyone is interested. This would require a projector or TV. Are there any plans to get another projector or TV for the space?
I am not sure of the budget we would be looking at, but here are a couple of options I have found and pros/cons that the committee might like to consider.
Projector
Pro - More portable than a TV (can be moved upstairs and downstairs with relative ease).
Con - Good models are expensive. Cheaper models, with lower lumens are difficult to see in the daylight.
TV
Pro - Easier to see in daylight. Lower maintenance costs (no bulbs to replace). Quieter. Play files straight from usb.
Con - Difficult to move around. Smaller screen.
Iām completely out of touch on projectors these days. The other consideration is the TV is 1920x1080 whereas the project is 1024x768.
The other consideration for a projector is its focusing ability at close range. We donāt have a great spot upstairs IMHO and some projectors seem to throw well at close distances than others.
I would be keen for a large LCD panel for upstairs.
My thought would be mounting it in the corner opposite the soldering desk, facing towards the kitchen.
I think that would work but perhaps when i look more closely at the space next time i am there it may not work.
Then if things all work out with that one perhaps get a 2nd unit downstairs mounted to the wall or hung from the ceiling. That is of course if it is completely secure down there with the recent security upgrades.
If it had to end up being a projector, then yes defiantly a wuxga (1920x1200) or 1080p with short throw would be the go.
Also an ultra short throw one (>1m from screen) would be nice but i suspect would be a bit too pricey.
Big TV is also less prone to damage from people who donāt know about leaving projectors idle for a few minutes after use.
OTOH TV is bulky and easily dropped!
Once IKEA opens, Lack TV table 90x26x45cm for $20. It is basically built of cardboard but fine for this very specific task. No need for brackets and modifications to the building.
Shelf provides storage space for the bubble wrap envelope.
So, I have finally pulled together some options. I was going for the largest tv for our money, but when I checked these against Choiceās scores they werenāt so great (they tend to only recommend tvs over 70%). I can send the Choice results if this would be useful for the committee.
I have put some options for projectors down (thanks to @csirac2_ and @batau . They are much more expensive than the TV options. I have excluded anything with a resolution below 1920x1080.
I am really excited to get this progressed so we can start playing videos, have presentations from MHV people etc. Please let me know if thereās anything else I can do to help.
TVs
I have nominated the largest (known name brand) tvs that I have found within our budget.
The bigger the better IMHO, so we should get the 48" Samsung. If weāre successful for the grant matching in February we could get a decent project & screen for downstairs then.
Just out of curiosity, were any Kogan models reviewed? Their 55" TVs seem outrageously cheapā¦ $679 to $1199.
Iād rather avoid an on-line voteā¦ itās an amplifier for bike-shedding IMHO if we can decide among the committee, that would be preferable; if necessary, we can do an in-person vote at a Tuesday meet. Particularly as Iād like to include a separate downstairs display solution in our stronger communities grant application in February, which I hope will address concerns that a TV isnāt portable for larger downstairs audiences.
Just to make an update: I intend to harass the rest of the committee on whether we can buy the Samsung UA48J6200, Iām just waiting for feedback from Samsung on brightness and contrast ratio specs.