Hey, SMART Technologies, Sharp's Gunning For You

Grant's Perspective on ... rAVe Publications review of the Sharp 70" touchscreen monitor.

I read the review of the new Sharp PN-L702B 70" touchscreen titled Hey, SMART Technologies, Sharp's is Gunning For You.

rAVe's main point was "... the big story here is the price, $7,750 - that's less than half of what SMART charges the same sized display."* Cost is always very important, but I think another important point to consider is how many executives will actually use the technology. Large touchscreen monitors are much more intuitive than an electronic whiteboard. 

User-friendly systems will be adopted quickly. Everyone is busy, so it is much easier to get people to use a new tool if they are already relatively comfortable with the technology. As we represent Sharp products in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba I have seen clients reactions first-hand when they try the Sharp touchscreens.

Cost-effective and user-friendly makes a great combination. 

* Please note that rAVe is an American publication so the price quoted are in US dollars.

Grant

Sharp 60" Touchscreen Demonstration At Inland AV

Grant's Perspective on ... 60" touchscreen demonstrations at Inland AV.

Andrew, Inland AV Winnipeg, was demonstrating the Sharp PN-L602B this week. He was really excited to be demonstrating the 60" touchscreen so I asked him why he was so pumped. Andrew had an immediate 5 point answer:

1. Cost of Ownership - Commercial monitors are rated at 100,000+ hours of use and the average projector is 3,000 hours of lamp use.
2. True HD - The monitor resolution is 1920 x 1080 perfect for today's high resolution laptops.
3. No Compromising - From PowerPoint to CAD, everything looks as it was designed.
4. HD Videoconference Monitor - True 1080p videoconference monitor for now or ready for future upgrades.
5. Aesthetically Pleasing -  A clean look with the monitor mounted on the boardroom or classroom wall.

Andrew demonstrates the 60" touchscreen

 With the recent announcement of the Sharp 70" touchscreen, monitors can work in even larger spaces.

Grant

Peter Gabriel Believes In 3D

Grant's Perspective on ... Peter Gabriel believes in 3D.

Peter Gabriel has released a new 3D movie "Hot Blood". Whether or not you enjoy his material is irrelevant to this blog, what I wanted to share was his comment about 3D technology, I read in the National Post.

“We have two ears and two eyes, so visuals should be 3D in the same way that audio should be at least stereo.”

A very simple explanation that works.

Grant

Lunch Time Jamming

Grant's Perspective on ... rental techs jam at lunch time.

Some of the Winnipeg rental techs have been jamming at lunch time over the summer. I think it is a great sign that the technicians who set up and operate AV equipment all day will spend their lunch time setting up equipment, strapping on Strats or Les Pauls and playing.

Keep on rocking!

Grant

Roland V-1600HD New Multi-Format Video Switcher

Grant's Perspective on ... the Roland Systems Group new product demonstration night.

John and Galen from the Roland Systems Group were in Winnipeg this week to demonstrate a raft of new products.  One of them was the V-1600HD, a multi-format video switcher. There are 16 inputs plus USB memory with built in scaling and frame sync. This all-in-one switcher even includes a picture-in-picture monitor. The switcher accepts multiple input formats and generates six types of output formats.

I recommend that you click on the link to the V-1600HD product page and have a look at the interactive overview that graphically outlines the product best. I posted a screen capture of the interactive overview below, mouse over the features and an explanation appears.

While Roland is well known in the musical instrument market, their new line up from the Roland Systems Group is sure to get noticed.

Grant

Chief Infrared Mounts Make Any Projector Interactive

Grant's Perspective on ... Chief introduces an infrared projector mount.

It was just a year and a half ago that if you wanted an interactive tool your only choice was a whiteboard.  At Inland AV, we were excited that Epson made the first breakthrough and launched the BrightLink and the interactive market took off. Hitachi soon followed with their iPJ-AW250N interactive projector. Other manufactures added interactive projectors and the people at Sharp introduced a 60" and now 70" touchscreens.  We then saw products introduced that enabled people to make their regular projector interactive. Epson introduced the BrightLink Solo and Hitachi introduced the StarBoard Link.

Chief  has now entered the interactive market with a series of interactive mounts. You can now mount your regular projector with a Chief mount and make it interactive.

I really like the functionality of their website for the new mounts.  The "compatibility" button lets you see if your projector will work with a particular mount. Their list of projector manufacturers looks exhaustive: there are over 50 projector manufacturers that start with the letter "A". Once you choose the manufacturer, you choose your model number. No guessing if your projector will work with a specific mount.

A short while ago you had no choice for interactive products. Now you have lots of options. Options are always good.

Grant

3D Education Blog Future-Talk 3D

Grant's Perspective on ... a blog that discusses the effectiveness of 3D and other technologies.

As an AV systems designer and programmer at Inland AV, I often wonder about how new technology is used. Is it just the re-packaging of existing content or does new technology lead to better and different ways of communicating? I sense that many people underestimate the power of learning in 3D and they feel it is just about going to the movies.

I was happy to see that Len Scrogan is sharing his observations and thoughts on using technology in the classroom in his Future-Talk 3D blog.

It is great to see someone looking at how best to use technology in the classroom.

Grant
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Sharp 70" Touchscreen Press Release

Grant's Perspective on ... Sharp issues a press release on their new 70" touchscreen LCD monitor.

We have confirmed that Sharp is releasing a PN-L702B 70" touchscreen LCD monitor.

I found it interesting that a 70" monitor has 30% more area than a 60" monitor. The working area of the monitor is over 5 feet wide and more than 3 feet high which is close to the average size of a whiteboard!

This is as large an interactive surface that most people would want as users could only comfortably reach up to 7 feet off the ground (most whiteboards and monitors are mounted at 30"- 34" above the finished floor). A rule of thumb is that the monitor or whiteboard should be higher than the boardroom table or desk and the top should be below the top of a standard door frame of 7'. You want the board or interactive monitor above the table height so that it can be seen by the audience and under 7' high so that the facilitator can reach the top with their marker or interactive pen. This 70" interactive monitor is about as large as it can be and still fit this guideline.

The monitor and floor stand pictured above illustrates how this unit will be easily wheeled from room to room so it should always be in use.

Grant

Sharp 70" Touchscreen Coming Soon

Grant's Perspective on ... Sharp introducing a 70" touchscreen.

It was back in January that Sharp demonstrated the PN-L601B 60"touchscreen monitor. Our representative called this week and announced that Sharp will be shipping a PN-L702B in October. A 70" touchscreen will be welcomed into corporate boardrooms, training and educational facilities.

I can't wait to get my hands all over it!

Grant

Workopolis National Work From Home Day

Grant's Perspective on ... telecommuting.

I noticed that Workopolis is encouraging companies to let employees telecommute to work once a week.

"We spend a lot of time and money getting to and from work each day, not to mention the environmental strain and stress that comes with commuting," Kelly Dixon, president of Workopolis, said in a statement. "Today, working from home is a viable option for many. We need to continue to promote the benefits of telecommuting and encourage more flexible working arrangements for Canadian workers."

With the technological advances in videoconferencing this is a real possibility. You can see the person that you are talking with and easily share computer screens and files.

Our website has a simple calculator (you do not have to give us your contact info to try). You check either US Dollar, British pound or Euro and then enter the price of gas, miles per gallon (or kilometers per litre, depending on currency) and distance you commute and your results are calculated.

click here to give it a try!

Give us a call if you want to learn more about videoconferencing.

I know that technology can help you be more productive and enjoy a better quality of life. I know I could not service all my clients in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta and still be home to have dinner and the evening with my kids without it.

Grant