Over Duke’s spring break, the DDMC hosted the Panasonic Road Show at the Technology Engagement Center (TEC) on campus. The session started with a deep dive on the differences between various types of laser projectors. As AV technicians race to install laser projectors in classrooms, considering their many advantages over traditional bulb-based projectors, it’s important to note a few key differences. While laser projectors won’t need their bulb(s) replaced every 2000 hours, some are far from “maintenance free.” LCD, for example, will continue to need the filters cleaned every 1500 hours. As any AV technician knows, this can be a true challenge when the projector in question is 40’ off the ground and mounted above fixed furniture. In contrast, most DLP based laser projectors do not need to have their filters cleaned… in fact, they don’t have filters (but check your manual before you buy). So, you install the DLP laser projector and after 20,000 hours (roughly 2.2 years if running 24/7/365 -or- 7.7 years if you run it a more normal 650 hour a week), you take it down and replace it.
Another interesting aspect of the Panasonic projectors is what I call “chameleon mode.” Panasonic indicated that you can place their projectors in a state where it would act (programmatically) like a competitors projector. In theory (this is something we plan to test this summer), you could replace a failed non-Panasonic projector in a classroom with a Panasonic projector, without the need to re-program the AV control system. It almost sounds too good to be true…
Panasonic went on to highlight their wide selection of professional and pro-sumer video cameras, including the Panasonic AG-DVX200, a 4K camcorder with four thirds sensor and Integrated zoom lens, and their more budget friendly Panasonic AG-AC30 HD camcorder.
