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Well, I might have to go change the way I answered on the survey! I've been asked to find a new projector for my lab.

I happily agreed of course, but now I'm taking the question to the experts...

The current projector is a Dell 2300MP. The issue with it is we try to project lots of images of cells and other tiny things. Many of the images are from florescent spectroscopy and have bright red or green images on a mostly black background. I think the issue is the reflective screen reduces contrast and we just end up with black patches. In my presentations i've tried to get around this by increasing the brightness of the pictures in my presentations and quick adjustments with the projector.

Is this an issue of improper usage of equipment, or do we need a new projector? Budget of less than $5000

The projector sit on a table in front of the screen about five feet away and is plugged into various computers, both Windows and Macs.

Sounds like a projector is the wrong tool for the job. Is this a mobile presentation setup, or single-site? If the latter, that $5k budget could buy a 63" plasma display and wall-mount bracket, with a grand left over to buy a very nice lock for the front door. Intense colors, no viewing angle constraints.

Someone -- it may have been Sony -- was experimenting a few years ago ago with a display screen that contains microprismatic crystals which almost completely reject passive lighting while intensely reflecting the RGB output of a projector, but I have no idea if that technology went anywhere.

It is a single room that is only used for meetings. I do admit that I am very perplexed by the design of the building. The put in conference rooms with a screen built into the wall, but neglected to put in a dedicated projector. (This is a building in which most everyone sits on a Herman Miller Aeron Chair)

I would love to convince them to get a huge plasma, and it would do a wonderful job i'm sure. However, they have "always" used a projector so that might be a problem.

rogthewookiee wrote:

Many of the images are from florescent spectroscopy and have bright red or green images on a mostly black background. I think the issue is the reflective screen reduces contrast and we just end up with black patches. In my presentations i've tried to get around this by increasing the brightness of the pictures in my presentations and quick adjustments with the projector.

All the mainstream projectors use LCDs, and "mostly-black" images are the worst possible case for that -- as you'll notice if you ever view an all-"black" image on an LCD screen in a dark room. I guess inverting your images isn't an option, eh?

UberGerbil wrote:

rogthewookiee wrote:

Many of the images are from florescent spectroscopy and have bright red or green images on a mostly black background. I think the issue is the reflective screen reduces contrast and we just end up with black patches. In my presentations i've tried to get around this by increasing the brightness of the pictures in my presentations and quick adjustments with the projector.

All the mainstream projectors use LCDs, and "mostly-black" images are the worst possible case for that -- as you'll notice if you ever view an all-"black" image on an LCD screen in a dark room. I guess inverting your images isn't an option, eh?

Just to nitpick, their current projector is DLP.

rog: have you tried adjusting the projector? to what extent can you control ambient light?

mattsteg wrote:

Just to nitpick, their current projector is DLP.

Ah, missed that. Wow, so unless something really is badly adjusted.... well, a 60" plasma is pretty nice (toasty though)

Ambient light can be controlled to some extent. The room has a wall of floor to ceiling windows and blinds that are meant to let some light through. The controls on the projector are not the best. I usually turn the brightness up as much as I can. Is there a particular setting I should be looking for?