Don’t overlook your usage model and tech refresh cycle! Projectors are popular in classrooms because they’re an effective, budget-friendly display technology. They enable primary and secondary schools to present multimedia content that engages students and promotes visual learning. When assessing which projectors will best fit your school’s needs, K-12 technology leaders have many factors to assess. This infographic takes a closer look at two primary considerations that can go unnoticed.
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Don’t overlook your usage model and tech refresh cycle!
Projectors are popular in classrooms because they’re an effective, budget-friendly display technology. They enable primary and secondary schools to present multimedia content that engages students and promotes visual learning. When assessing which projectors will best fit your school’s needs, K-12 technology leaders have many factors to assess. Let’s take a closer look at two primary considerations that can go unnoticed.
- What is your usage model?
How much a projector is used depends on how many hours per year it is turned on. Typical usage considerations are:
- 1,000 hours per year: Average annual state-mandated instructional hours for K-12 schools
- 1,520 hours per year: Yearly usage if operated 8 hours per day, 5 days per week, 38 weeks per year
What is your technology refresh cycle? The technology refresh timeframe for a classroom projector is driven primarily by:
- the model’s estimated life
- he length of its warranty
- technology advances
4-6 years are common K-12 technology refresh cycles for projectors. 9,120 hours are commonly logged on K-12 projectors at the end of Year 6, even in extreme use case scenarios (8 hours/day, 5 days/week, 38 weeks/year) .
2. Projector Considerations
- Light Source Life Lamp vs. Laser: Laser projectors have an estimated life of 20,000 hours. They have no filter or bulb to replace, but they can be up to 50% more expensive than equivalent lamp-based classroom projectors under 4500 lumens. Some lamp projectors have an estimated life of 10,000 hours or more. With models that offer Eco mode, this lifespan can be lengthened up to 20,000 hours.
- Brightness: For most K-12 classrooms, a projector with 4,000 to 4,500 lumens is suffient. This level of brightness ensures crisp, vivid images while keeping costs lower.
- Warranty: Warranty lengths vary among manufacturers. To avoid unexpected repair costs, look for a three-year warranty or longer.
- Networking: For large deployments placing a projector on the network can allow remote management, control, scheduling, and reporting capability for administrators.
Making Your Decision
As you consider buying projectors for K-12 classrooms, keep these tips in mind to make sure you’re not overspending your technology dollars:
- Determine your refresh cycle by estimating how long the projectors are likely to be used in your schools before being replaced.
- Find projector models that have an estimated lifetime as least as long as your estimated refresh cycle.
- Find models that fit your needs in terms of light source, brightness, networking, and warranty — as well as other features.
Keep in mind that technology advances move quickly, so you may end up replacing a projector before it reaches the end of its expected lifetime. For more information on projectors and other display technologies for your school, visit us at business.sharpusa.com/visual-solutions.