Business meetings can be more streamlined and collaborative than ever before with a whole tranche of apps now available as standard on Optoma interactive flat panel displays (IFPDs).

Optoma IFPDs come with a number of pre-installed apps as well as free compatible apps that can be easily downloaded from the marketplace area on the display.

These include an intuitive videoconferencing app (Zoom) and the super quick Screenshare app that allows multiple people in a meeting to simply type in a code and be able to share their laptop or PC screen with the rest of the meeting. You can also use a mobile device with this app to share documents or photos from the device or even to turn the device into a mouse for the display.

All Microsoft Office documents can be opened on the screen with the pre-installed WPS app and Cloud Drive allows users to save documents to the cloud via Google Drive or OneDrive.

Designed for corporate and education environments, Optoma’s multi-touch interactive flat panel displays boast 4K UHD resolution and 20-point touch.  All displays come with wall mount, three interactive pens and WiFi/Bluetooth dongle for BYOD (bring your own device) wireless connectivity as standard.

Pre-installed apps that come as standard on Optoma IFPs

Free apps on Marketplace

The free apps on the Marketplace are third party apps that have been tested and are compatible with the IFPs.  As new apps are added they will automatically appear on the Marketplace for you to download.

Other software

The presentation and collaboration software, Oktopus, has been tested and approved compatible, but does not come not pre-installed onto the display or Marketplace.

Optoma IFPDs have certification for low blue light by independent world leaders in product testing, TÜV Rheinland.  This certifies that Optoma IFPDs produce no hazardous UV light and emit minimal blue light (which causes eyestrain and tiredness).  Available in 65", 75" and 86" sizes, they feature anti-glare glass and boast extensive connectivity. 

Optoma interactive flat panel displays run on a customised Android operating system and do not support Google Play Services. The operating system may not be compatible with all third-party Android apps. Third-party Android apps can vary in quality and some even contain malicious codes, which could compromise system security and may invalidate your product warranty. Optoma makes no representations regarding the quality, security or suitability of any third-party apps and their compatibility with the Optoma interactive flat panel. Optoma shall have no responsibility or liability with respect to any damage, faults, loss in functionality or security issues arising as a direct or indirect result of the installation of third-party apps on the interactive flat panel. Optoma support in rectifying any issue which may result from the installation of third-party apps will be chargeable and may be limited.

Hint: it’s not the reflection of the water, and it may cause fatigue and sore eyes.

Light is made of Electromagnetic waves (EM waves) that emit energy and it’s this energy which we perceive as light. These waves come in different wave lengths and are the different colours of light we perceive.

Blue light is one of the types of light that form the white light we get from the sun, together with red, orange, yellow, green, violet and indigo – also known as the visible EM spectrum. Past indigo, we have UV light (which can’t be seen by the human eye). The energy of these waves increases as we go towards UV light, making blue light one of the highest intensity types of visible light.

The wavelength of blue light waves is so small they collide with air molecules more than any other colour and get scattered everywhere – that’s what makes the sky blue!

But what has this got to do with me?

Your body uses this blue light from the sun to discern the difference between day and night and regulate your sleep cycle. It also suppresses secretion of melatonin – produced at night to help prepare our bodies for sleep. Because of this, blue light can fool our brains into thinking we should stay awake.

And what has this got to do with Optoma?

Optoma’s interactive flat panel displays reduce eyestrain and tiredness by minimising blue light output.  They are TÜV  Certified as Low Bluelight Content, meaning that TÜV Rheinland* has tested the blue light emitted and found the product emits no hazardous UV light, in addition to the blue light content constituting no more than 20% of the total light spectrum emitted from the screen.

A new study by researchers in Amsterdam stated that people who switched their screens to low blue light reported their sleeping patterns were significantly improved.

In short, the sky is blue because the short-wavelength, high energy blue light scatters more easily than other visible light, and you should turn on blue light filters when available – you might sleep better!

Find out more about Optoma’s multi-touch interactive flat panels here.
*TÜV Rheinland is the independent body and world leader in product testing and certification.

Early adopters of new technologies can often be found in the corporate sector, especially when it comes to AV.  And a technology currently leading the way within the corporate market is sub 5mm, Narrow Pixel Pitch (NPP) LED, which now holds 58% of the corporate LED signage market.

Why has it seen such growth? Because LED provides high brightness, high impact displays, even in high ambient light environments .  This makes it ideal as the main display in a boardroom or auditorium or the atrium welcome in the lobby.

But it is not just the brightness that makes these displays the corporate high flier:

Making a big impression

LED displays produce glorious imagery with incredible depth of colour and detail – even in bright boardrooms – guaranteeing presentations look impressive.

LCD screens can only reach around 100” in size – and even then – they are incredibly expensive, heavy and impractical to install.  LED displays are modular in design, so can be as large as you need.  These are made up of slim panels to create a seamless display with no bezels disrupting the image.

Optoma’s QUAD LED display has the simplicity of a single LCD screen but is larger (130”), proportionally lighter, easier to install but still gives the ‘wow factor’.  Its unique pre-build process reduces the installation complexity and means this can be operational in just a couple of hours with less downtime for the business and a lower overall total project cost.

Each LED screen is made up of individual surface mount diodes or SMD (sometimes referred to as a package). Within each SMD there is an individual red, green and blue diode which makes each SMD work as an individual pixel that is the building block for all display devices. A full HD screen is made up of over two million individual pixels.

Optoma’s QUAD LED display is at the forefront of LED screen design, pioneering a 4-in-1 (four pixels in one package) SMD layout. This unique design creates a high-quality image with extremely wide viewing angles and a very flat finish. The design creates excellent black levels along with the added benefit of a robust front face less prone to damage.

ErP compliance

Corporate environments need to ensure equipment is ErP compliant and draws less than 0.5W in standby.  QUAD FHDQ130 is one of the few LED displays that can achieve this. 

No image retention

Unlike other technologies, LED does not suffer from image retention so static information can be displayed with no risk of image burn.

Low maintenance and reliability

Requirements of display products used in corporate environments often include a low maintenance solution, efficient running costs and operating temperatures. Optoma LED displays are highly reliable, designed for 24/7 usage, built from high quality parts down to component level, providing a low maintenance solution with a lifespan of over 100,000 hours or around ten years.

Silent

It is especially important in a corporate setting that displays are quiet to not distract audiences from the presentation or meeting. LED displays provide this visual focus without distraction.

Multiple mounting solutions

LED displays can be fitted on a framework, freestanding or wall mounted.  The LED modules can be fixed directly onto a suitable wall using wood or plaster screws without a mounting frame but a simple, lightweight frame option is available if needed. Optoma’s QUAD LED display comes with both a wall mounting bracket and hanging brackets.

LED displays are the natural choice for display technology in the corporate space.  They are bigger, brighter, while being reflection and bezel free.  They perform well in large environments with high ambient light. 

CASE STUDY

Read how software developers, Serif, created a striking space in its headquarters in Nottingham with a 4m wide LED display as the central focal point together with audio and conferencing facilities. Read more here.

The idea of having a home cinema might sound like something only the Cannes Film Festival guest list might have in their home, but these days it’s something we can quite easily bring into our own homes. To indulge your inner movie buff, a home cinema can be created affordably without having to miss out on any of the cinema essentials - making it easy for you to plan and host your own film festival.

Over the last few years home projectors have become brighter, more cost-effective and available in 4K UHD resolution. The increase in brightness in home entertainment projectors means they can be used with lights on rather than having to watch films, sports and TV shows with the lights down low. This is why many homeowners are choosing these as an alternative to having a TV as their main viewing device. 

 But if you haven’t got a projector installed in your home – don’t despair.  There are many excellent portable projectors that are perfect for impromptu film nights.  All you need to create your at-home film festival is a blank canvas in the form of a spare bedroom, dining room or maybe a loft space that’s being converted that has a plain, ideally white, wall.  From here, you’ll simply need to add the essentials and you’re set for watching films to your heart's content.

Read on for a no-nonsense, step-by-step guide to creating your very own home film festival.

Deciding a theme

First things first: decide on a theme for your film festival. Are you creating this for your little one’s birthday or to keep the kids occupied on a rainy day, a night in with your friends or a favourite film genre you want the room to reflect? We love the idea of designing the room with a particular genre in mind, to add an extra experiential element to the movies you’ll be watching.

Once you know who the home film festival is for, you can decide on what you need to keep the audience happy. For example, if it’s a night in with friends watching your favourite films from a particular era, genre or actor, it makes sense to invest in a mini fridge where you can store a few bottles of wine. This will provide welcome accompaniment for your Mamma Mia marathon sing-along, while you snack on an adult-friendly buffet.

Alternatively, if the room is designed for your kids to watch Disney classics back-to-back, you’ll want to make sure you’ve stocked up on Disney-inspired sweets, cakes and biscuits, and cartoon-themed cups for soft drinks galore.

Picking the projector

It’s far more exciting and immersive to watch your favourite films when they are a supersize 100” image projected on the wall rather than on the TV. 

A multi-use occasional table is perfect as a platform for a short throw projector during the film festival, or positioned at the end of the sofa for easy access to your tipple or to pop your coffee while it’s cooling down.  Short throw projectors can be placed at around one metre from the wall to achieve a 100” image whereas ultra short throw projectors can achieve a 100” from as little as 33cm!

Optoma offers a huge range of home projectors in a variety of resolutions, brightness and throw. If it’s for the kids and they’re likely to want to keep the lights on in the room, our UHD51ALVE 4K UHD resolution Full 3D home projector is the ideal choice.  

Creating a comfy seating area

No cinema is complete without the perfect viewing environment. Whether you’re getting comfy on the sofa in the living room or using a collection of big cushions to make a seated den area, it’s vital to make sure you and your fellow festival-goers enjoy a good level of comfort.

If you’re using the living room, think about any adjustments you could make to dial up the comfort factor. The addition of lights that can be dimmed would create a welcome cosy atmosphere, while some extra tables around the seating area for drinks and snacks will mean treats are never far from reach.

Providing a well-stocked treat station

A trip to the cinema is not complete without popcorn, sweets, nachos, fizzy drinks and other tasty treats - so it goes without saying that you’ll need to go town when it comes to your treat station. You might want to go all out if you’re having a night in with your friends and add some hot snacks to the mix, like pizzas or finger food.

Selecting a film lineup

Choosing which films you’re going to watch is an important piece of the puzzle.

You might choose to watch the films via a DVD collection you’ve stocked up on in advance, or, alternatively, you may have a list of films you’d like to stream online through an on-demand provider such as Netflix - either way, get prepared and pick what you’re watching well ahead of time so the film festival itself can be a seamless experience for all involved.

Film festivals are an ideal way to get everyone together in the name of a shared love of cinema - especially if you’re partial to a movie franchise marathon, covering an epic series such as Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings.

To whip up the ultimate at-home event, sort out your equipment, edibles, comfy seating and, of course, the all-important viewing agenda, and you’ll be set for an unforgettable film festival in the comfort of your own home.

One of the most common questions we get asked here at Optoma is ‘how do I know which is the best projector for me?’

Buying a projector can be a confusing business with its own world of jargon and acronyms* but the key is to ask yourself the right questions.
 
How will you use your projector?
Is it mostly for showing presentations and slide shows, watching films or playing games? Would you like to watch 3D?

This will help you to identify what native resolution you require and the ports/connections and accessories you will need.  

Native resolution is simply the number of pixels in an image.  The higher the number of pixels, the greater the resolution and the better the image quality will be. Projectors have the following native resolutions: SVGA (800 pixels high x 600 pixels wide), XGA (1024x768), WXGA/HD Ready (1280x800), 1080p (1920x1080) and 4K UHD (3480x2160).

So, if you are looking to use the projector to mainly watch DVDs or Blu-Rays® you would probably chose a high resolution 1080p or 4K UHD projector with HDMI input.  If you need the projector for business presentations, you might choose a more basic SVGA or XGA projector.  

How big is the screen/image that will need to be projected and what is its aspect ratio?
The bigger the screen, the higher the native resolution you will need. Aspect ratio is dimply the ratio of image width to image height. This could be widescreen (aspect ratio either 16:9 or 16:10) or more square, like old-style televisions (aspect ratio 4:3).
•    SVGA and XGA projectors have a 4:3 aspect ratio
•    1080p and 4K UHD projectors have a 16:9 aspect ratio
•    WXGA projectors have a 16:10 aspect ratio

How far from the screen would you like to install the projector?
If the projector is to be permanently sited you will need to calculate the throw ratio to ensure the projected image fills your screen. A projector's throw ratio is defined as the distance that a projector is placed from the screen divided by the width of the image it will project.  If you know the screen size but are unsure how far back to site the projector, you can use the given throw ratio to calculate where the projector needs to be installed.

Optoma’s short throw projectors can be installed very close to the screen.  Its mobile, desktop and home entertainment projectors must be sited further back.  We have a distance calculator on our website that will help.

How bright is the room where will the projector be used?
Can the lights be turned down/blinds shut? This will determine the ambient light in the room and how bright the projector needs to be.  The brighter the room, the brighter the projector will need to be.  Brightness is measured in lumens.

And finally, is the projector for home or business?
Home: Consider whether you would like built-in speakers or will you be connecting the projector to external speakers.

For home cinema and gaming you will need a high resolution projector to ensure the contrast and picture quality is crystal clear.  So, ideally a 4K UHD or 1080p projector.

For gaming, check the projector’s ‘input lag time’ which is the time it takes for the projector to produce an image. Latency in games can be crucial and a few milliseconds can mean the difference between shooting the enemy and being shot. A lower lag time will improve your gaming experience.

Business: Where will the projector be used? Does it need to be light and portable for off-site meetings or installed in the boardroom?

This will help you to chose between mobile or ultra mobile, desktop or installed projectors.

For basic Powerpoint presentations SVGA and XGA projectors are good all-round cost-effective projectors.  

Boardrooms and larger meeting rooms might need a larger screen and a higher resolution projector – so a WXGA projector may be a good option or if you need greater detail a 1080p or 4K UHD projector would be ideal.

For those looking for a projector to install in a much larger space, such as an auditorium or exhibition, a professional AV projector may be what you need, such as Optoma’s ProScene range.

*There is a helpful glossary on our website to help make sense of this world of aspect ratios, lumens and throw ratios.

www.optoma.co.uk

So, you’re thinking about getting a projector and want to know where the projector needs to be to fill the screen or to get a certain size image.  Or you know exactly where you want to install the projector but don’t know how big the image will be at that distance. No problem! 

Introducing the Installation Triangle…

If you have any two dimensions on the installation triangle – you can calculate the other one. 

So – taking our UHD40 4K projector as an example.  This has a throw ratio (TR) of 1.2~1.59:1

If we want a 100cm wide screen – we multiple the screen width by the TR = projection distance of 121cm~159cm

If we know where we want to place the projector (ie 121cm back) and want to calculate how large the image would be – we divide the distance by the TR which gives a screen width of between 76.1~100cm (depending on how much you zoom in the image).

If you don’t know exactly what model you need but know your screen size and where the projector needs to be – you can calculate your TR.  This will help you to narrow down which models would fit your room.

But put that calculator away!

Optoma has a brilliant distance calculator on its website that does all the hard work for you! Simply put in one dimension and the calculator will do the rest. 

Where you place the projector is an important part of choosing the right projector

Short throw and ultra-short throw projectors can be positioned very close to the wall and still provide a big image on the screen. The benefits here are no shadows and they tend to be brighter by being closer to the screen or wall.

Normal or standard throw projectors sit further back and tend to mounted on the ceiling and above/behind where you would be seated.

Top Tip

If are thinking of placing your projector on a shelf near to the ceiling – don’t.  You would need to tilt the projector which would distort the image shape.  Install the projector under the shelf rather than above -  ideally with a universal mount.

3D can be an exciting immersive experience.  We thought we’d break down the two 3D glasses technologies available and give you a run-down on what each technology is called and what they do to produce a 3D image.

3D glasses work by displaying a different image to each eye. Our brain then merges each image into one, but with 3D characteristics. This, in turn, “dupes” our brains into thinking that it is seeing an image in 3D, so it creates an image with depth for you.

Types of 3D Glasses

There are two types of 3D glasses – Passive Polarized & Active Shutter. Both achieve their 3D visuals in a different way.

Passive Polarized glasses look a lot like sunglasses, not unlike what you get when you visit the movies. The TV or projector has a special filter that polarizes each line of pixels. This filter makes the odd lines on the screen only visible to the left eye, and the even lines only visible to the right. Your brain then interprets the image as a 3D image. Without the glasses, the image looks normal. A downside to this system is that the image is not Full HD 1080p as it halves the amount of pixels visible.

Active Shutter glasses syncs with the rapidly moving shutters for each eye from the on-screen display.  The 3D image resolution is the same as the 2D image displayed on the same screen. This is because the left and right eye images are shown in sequence rather than at the same time. The 3D glasses sync with the projector's refresh rate to sequence the images that produce a 3D image to the viewer.

At Optoma, we recommend two different types of Active 3D glasses to use with our Full 3D projectors:

DLP Link™ technology glasses use line of sight to the screen to produce a 3D image. If you look away and then back to the screen, the glasses will display a very slight stutter as they re-sync with the projector.

Radio Frequency glasses use RF (Radio Frequency) technology to sync with the projector. RF synchronisation eliminates any potential sync issues and many glasses can be paired to the same projector. These glasses need an RF emitter to function.  

Full 3D vs 3D ready

If your projector is Full 3D it can play 3D content from a DVD player or games console - you just need the glasses.  If the projector is '3D ready' - it is still possible to watch content on 3D but you would need additional equipment including a PC with quad buffered graphics card and professional 3D software through which you would play the content.  This is not recommended for general home use.

Are you dreading the annual tussle with the tangled ball of Christmas lights?  We are too!  So we have put together some suggestions on how to create a stunning seasonal spectacle with a twist.

Project onto your windows

Simply line your windows with tracing paper, a frosted shower curtain, a thin cotton sheet or frosted film and you have a screen to project your decorations.  This could be a Christmas tree, a festive greeting or even an elves workshop!

For the 2018 Gadget Show Christmas Special presenter Jon Bentley showed how to create a magical Christmas display by projecting AtmosFX digital decorations onto the Gadget Show house windows.  We used a £3 shower curtain from Dunelm Mill and beamed the elves workshop via our ultra short throw Full HD HZ40UST laser home entertainment projector. AtmosFX creates digital decorations with fun and entertaining animated characters and stories for Halloween, Christmas, Valentines Day and other special occasions.  Watch again on My5: www.my5.tv/the-gadget-show/season-28/episode-9

Don’t get the needle

If you are fed up schlepping in the tree from the garden centre (or loft) and spending hours arranging baubles – why not project your tree or decorations

Optoma helped Craig Charles projection map his Christmas tree and create a snowy scene on a mirror, using the GT1080Darbee short throw Full HD projector and Optoma’s Projection Mapper app, for the 2017 Gadget Show Christmas special.  Watch again here: www.my5.tv/the-gadget-show/season-26/episode-10

Project decorations straight onto your house

If you have a shed or a friendly neighbour opposite, you could project your Christmas lights straight onto your house.  This avoids battling with blown bulbs and just needs a bright projector, images or animations to project onto the house and somewhere secure under cover where you can place the projector.  Your house would be the envy of the neighbourhood!

Richard Ayoade, showed how to do this in the Gadget Man Guide to Christmas when decorations and animations were projected directly onto the Gadget Man house. 

Have a very merry 4K Christmas

More films, TV and sport will be broadcast in 4K this Christmas than ever before. Bring a cinematic experience to your home and enjoy your favourite festive flicks in 4K.  Join the 4K party this Christmas!

We often get asked “Should I upgrade my projector to 4K or stick with Full HD? Is there a significant enough improvement in image quality to warrant paying more?”  So, we’ve popped down a few pointers that might help you to choose. 

What is 4K? 

Put simply, 4K provides four times as many pixels on your screen than Full HD 1080p.  And the greater the number of pixels – the better the image quality will be. 

The Consumer Technology Association (CTA) defines 4K UHD resolution as 3840 x 2160 or greater than eight million addressable pixels.  Full HD resolution has around two million on-screen pixels. 

With the full 8.3 million on-screen pixels, Optoma’s 4K UHD projectors meet the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) requirements for 4K UHD and CTA High Dynamic Range (HDR) compatible display standards.

Will I notice the difference?

“So, there are over eight million on-screen pixels but will it make a difference to what I can see?” 

The additional pixels from 4K bring increased depth and light and shadow detail to imagery but if you are viewing this on a small screen and depending on how far from the screen you are sitting, this extra detail may not be visible. 

That’s why the large imagery produce by projection is where you can really see the benefits from this added resolution.  Any imagery bigger than 65” will look better with 4K UHD resolution.  4K allows you to sit closer to the screen without individual pixels being visible.  Filling more of your visual field yields greater immersion.

“But is the content there?”

More films, TV and sport are being broadcast in 4K than ever before. Sony and Microsoft both have consoles on the market that can render games in 4K. Most major blockbuster movies are being released on Ultra HD Blu-rays, and streaming companies like Netflix are releasing more 4K content than ever before. 

A 4K projector today will future proof your viewing tomorrow.

The price is right

With the improvement in technology, the price for 4K projectors and TVs has reduced massively over the last couple of years with 4K budget models now available.

So with content more readily available, and its ability to bring content to life with incredible detail, colour and contrast, is it time you joined the 4K party? 

Check out Optoma’s range of 4K UHD projectors here:

www.optoma.co.uk/projectortechnology/4K_UHD

To achieve a large image, installers have a myriad of options.

Should they go projection?

This is, by far, the most cost effective and simplest way to attain a large display image, especially if high resolution is required. But is there too much ambient light? Would a high brightness laser projector cut through this?

Should they install a Large Format Display (LFD)?

For a large image a single LFD screen is heavy, cumbersome and expensive.  They could create a videowall with multiple LCD screens but this has the downside of bezel frames around each screen slicing through the overall image.

Or they could look at an LED display. 

LED displays are made up of slim LED panels installed flush beside each other to create a seamless display with no bezels disrupting the image. They are expensive compared to projection but large LED displays are becoming far more comparable in cost to similar size LFD videowalls.

But which one is best?  We catch up with Ross Noonan, Technical Product Specialist at Optoma, to try to cut through the confusion. 

Q: So, which solution is best Ross?

A: It depends on the environmental factors.. In a high ambient brightness environment, projection will look washed out but if the ambient light is not too high or light could be controlled, projection may be the best (and certainly the cheapest) option. 

If the ambient light is high and you want large seamless imagery without bezels interrupting the image, you may need to look at installing an LED display. 

Q: That sounds complicated.

A: It doesn’t need to be.  You need to ask more questions perhaps than for a regular projected display but honing down the requirements, by asking a number of key questions, will help you choose the right solution.

Q: What questions do I need to ask when looking at LED displays?

A: Do you need a permanently installed or mobile solution?

Is it for indoor or outdoor use?

How bright is the environment where it will be operating?

What size and aspect ratio do you need?

What content will you be showing?

Where will the audience be in relation to the display?

How accessible will the display be if it needs maintenance?

Q: Can you use LED displays in full sunshine?

A: Yes you can.  Brightness of LED panels is measured in Nits.  A single Nit emits over three times more light than a single lumen.  LED panels can be scheduled to change the brightness at different times of day. 

Q: As the LED display is made of lots of tiles, there must be more flexibility in size and aspect ratio. Right?

A: Size and aspect ratio is a little bit more complex for LED displays than projection.  Due to their modular setup, there is no limit to the overall image size for LED displays. True. But this is where it can be more complicated than projection.  When looking at the size and aspect ratio, you also need to consider your content and desired resolution.

The LED panels that make up an LED display are a certain aspect ratio.  If the same number of LED panels are used horizontally and vertically – it will retain that same aspect ratio.  For example, Optoma LED panels are 16:9 aspect ratio.  A display of 10x10 panels would keep the aspect ratio the same.  But if the customer wanted a specific width and height, the aspect ratio may not be 16:9 and it would alter the resolution – as there would be more or less pixels depending on the size chosen.

Resolution is determined by the size and the pixel pitch of the LED display – that is, the distance between each LED diode/pixel in the panel.  The narrower the pixel pitch, the greater the resolution of this panel. 

Pixel matching the content to the native display resolution is always the best option. But if the content resolution varies or cannot be known up front, Optoma has a range of image scalers which use the exceptional HQView technology to give the best on-screen results.

So, if people want a definite size, they may need to compromise on the resolution and aspect and/or create content at that resolution.  Optoma has simplified this for customers by offering a range of panels at specific sizes and resolutions. 

Customers can have custom sizes with different resolutions but they should try to ensure the overall display’s aspect ratio is consistent with its individual panels to ensure the image is not distorted.

Q: Why is it important to know where will the audience be?

A: The closer the audience is to the screen, the narrower the pixel pitch you need for them not to see individual pixels.  As a rule of thumb – for a 2.6 pixel pitch, the minimum viewing distance is 2.6m away, for a 2.0 pixel pitch it is 2m.  But this is not the optimal viewing distance.  We advise that the optimum distance if roughly the width of the display.  So the best place to view a 5m wide display is 5m back.

One more thing.  You also need to think about the viewing angle.  Better quality LEDs have a wider viewing angle. If your audience will be viewing the display far off-centre, you need to make sure the diodes have a wide viewing angle, which ours do.

Q: How accessible will the display be after install?

A: Some LED displays are only accessible from the rear which would need substantial framework, designed and signed-off by structural engineers. 

All of Optoma’s out of the box solutions are designed to be mounted directly onto the wall using wood screws and are front serviceable with no cabling required to connect each tile.  This makes installation and servicing quick and efficient.  They also have 3-axis adjustments to mitigate uneven walls. 

If one panel gets damaged, it can be simply swapped out without having to dismantle the entire display. It is easier and cheaper to change this single panel within an LED display than for a LFD or videowall. 

Every display comes with a custom tool kit with everything needed to install, as well as spare LED panels and components.  This includes a unique suction device for removing individual panels which significantly reduces the potential for damage during installation and servicing.

Q: Does it need much servicing then?

A: No. Optoma LED displays need minimal maintenance.  There are no filters to clean.  Fluctuations in temperature and damp may reduce the lifespan of diodes so we advise to leave the display on standby to keep these warm and dry.  If there is a build-up of dust on the front of the display, you can brush this gently with a soft brush - but other than that, they need very little maintenance.

Q: What are the main pitfalls for installers?

A: One of the common pitfalls is that buyers look for the cheapest option and buy directly from a far East supplier.  This is high risk as these companies request payment up front and, when there are problems, provide no local support.  I would recommend choosing a trusted and established AV brand within Europe with whom they can be assured they would have support during and post install.

We can guarantee a single bin pick for LEDs.  This means that the LED panels all come from the same production run to ensure a consistency in colour performance and brightness across the whole display. 

Q: Anything else?

A: Once the size and resolution is set, this will determine what controller you would need.  All Optoma displays come with a controller and all cabling. 

Each controller has a fixed number of outputs to prevent bandwidth issues.  Optoma MCTRL660 is designed for screens with a maximum resolution of 1080p.  It has four outputs dividing a 1080p screen into four signal runs.  A 4K resolution display would need a controller with 16 outputs – four times that of 1080p – so would use Optoma CTRL4K.  If you need full redundancy, you would need an extra controller and cabling.

The only other thing to consider is the power needed for the display.  This is dependent on size and brightness.  We advise customers on the maximum consumption based on maximum brightness so they can arrange for the electrics to accommodate this. 

Optoma has a range of ultra-thin, 16:9 native aspect ratio LED displays.  These are easy to install, operate and maintain, and engineered for reliability and superior image quality.

Why choose Optoma LED displays

• Local stock, local support & cost effective
• High brightness, high-resolution indoor Full HD and UHD 4K LED displays
• Easy installation and maintenance – surface mount and front access
• Ultra-thin 56mm panel depth - discreet, space-saving design
• Best-in-class processing and switching – HQUltra technology
• Ultimate reliability

Ultra-thin

With an ultra-thin panel depth of only 56mm, Optoma LED displays are designed to take up less space, blending discreetly into any environment.

Easy installation and maintenance

They can be mounted directly onto a suitable wall using wood or plaster screws without a mounting frame. A simple, lightweight frame option is also available. Front access gives fast, low-cost installation and easy maintenance.

Fully supported

Designed, supplied and supported as a single solution, Optoma LED displays include everything you need – from cables to preconfigured processors for a hassle-free installation.

Scaling and switching

They use industry leading HQUltra 4K image processing technology for best in class picture quality and low latency video processing. Inputs can be switched seamlessly in as little as 0.25 seconds.