Hi everyone, I'm an IT Pro looking for some advice on a decent projector for our new conference room. We want to mount it from our suspended ceiling so wireless or "single cable" connection is a definite plus. We can mount it just about any distance we want/need to. The screen size is 100".

The room is extremely dark (no windows at all) but obviously there would be dimmed lighting so that people can still see, make notes, etc...

It will be used primarily for presentations/demos from laptops.

The powers that be would probably prefer something that has a good warranty and low frequency of repair versus a unit that performs better.

Does anyone have any recommendations?

4:3 or 16:9

Price range?

There really is no effective wireless option

You say "single cable" but you should anticipate doing more than laptop presentations. What if they want to watch a video/DVD, that's another cable. And is audio any consideration? If so, that's yet another cable, although driving a conference room from the projector speaker is really not the best option.

So... you have power that must be run in the ceiling, VGA for the laptop and Video for any VCR/DVD feeds. And audio, if you go there.

If you leave it out, SOMEONE will want it eventually and it won't be there. Plan for it now so you don't have to deal with later.

When you're considering a projector, good warranty and low frequency of repairs is one on part of the equation. You should look at lamp life and replacement costs. How often will it be used? What if someone leaves it on over the weekend or even longer and uses up lamp life? It happens ALL the time. That eats into the budget.

All things to consider in addition to gwlaws questions.

Also, do yourself a huge favor. When you mount in a drop ceiling, do it right. Ceiling tiles aren't meant to take that kind of weight. The proper ceiling mount kit will have large plate that overlays on top of the entire tile and safety wires are run up to the structure above. I've installed quite a few in drop ceilings and the last thing I want is for a projector drop in the middle of a meeting, or any other time, for that matter.

Wow, all good points there... I'll start with gwlaw's questions.. I'm thinking 4:3 but could easily be convinced to go 16:9. Basically anything that'll do in the neighbourhood of 1280x1024 would be ideal. In terms of price I was thinking somewhere in the neighbourhood of $3000. This isn't a device that is heavily used here so nothing over the top industrial would be necessary. I did a lot of reading last night and have come to the same conclusion you've given above - there is no effective wireless option - unless all you plan on doing is running power point presentations and the sort.

Sheridan - The more I read the more I realize that wireless just doesn't cut it. While we won't be doing many DVD/VCR presentations its like you said - people will want to go there eventually so may as well plan for it now. The advice on the drop ceiling mount is also appreciated - I'm sure you've seen it all!

I just spoke with some of the folks that are pushing for this unit and they're fine with running cables so that shouldn't be an issue going forward. We're probably looking at about 30-35ft of cabling we'll have to run though to be safe. Should I be concerned about signal loss in the VGA cable?

Signal loss...not really at that distance if you're running VGA cabling.

An additional point here...by code, any cables run in the space above a drop ceiling must be plenum-rated. What does that mean? If a fire should start in that space, non-plenum cables will emit a toxic fume when burned. Plenum rated cables won't. It's more expensive, but it is code and the right way to go. If you don't and something happens, who's on the hook?

If there were any objection to cables, run properly, they're hidden in the walls and ceiling.


Any other questions, post them.

If you want a high rez 4:3 projector, this is your best bet

http://www.projectorcentral.com/Canon-REALiS_SX60.htm

Absolutely fantastic stuff guys thanks! Thanks very much for the tip on the safety issue Sheridan! I know that will definatley be an easy sell. My employer treats any safety/health related issues very seriously. Are Plenum rated cables easy to come by? Or is that an item I'll have to look for a little?

Plenum cabling is not hard to find. Unless you're looking in places like Radio Shack. Here (http://www.youravcablestore.com/plenum-cable-styles.html?gclid=CPGO34vYwZICFQInlgodDikZcg) is good place to get them.

And here (http://www.bizrate.com/projectoraccessories/products__keyword--suspended+ceiling.html) is a place to get the ceiling mount pieces. You will need the plate, the projector mount and the short downtube.

Absolutely fantastic stuff guys thanks! Thanks very much for the tip on the safety issue Sheridan! I know that will definatley be an easy sell. My employer treats any safety/health related issues very seriously. Are Plenum rated cables easy to come by? Or is that an item I'll have to look for a little?

When I do installs in a drop tile ceiling I mount it to the beams above the drop tile ceiling. Its not that much more difficult to do and its worth the extra effort. We have plenty of new and used projectors here too, so if you have any questions just PM me. Good luck man!!

That's a bit more involved and requires a longer downtube but then you wouldn't need the ceiling plate as there is no weight bearing on the tile. I've seen installations like that, the only reason I don't do it that way is the suspended ceiling is my height limit. I sorta have a problem getting too high up. :rolleyes:

Oh, and in case anyone wonders how I secure the safety wires if I don't get up that high...I toss a pullstring up through the structure with a weight and use that to pull the safety wires into place.

When I do installs in a drop tile ceiling I mount it to the beams above the drop tile ceiling. Its not that much more difficult to do and its worth the extra effort. We have plenty of new and used projectors here too, so if you have any questions just PM me. Good luck man!!

granted, but if the beams are easily accesible or you are highering professionals then I would have it done that way. I haven't had many issues with accessing the beams in office buildings though, but who knows I guess everything is bigger down there in Texas ;)