When preparing a PowerPoint presentation, unless you intend to attach your laptop to a very large wall mounted video screen or television you will require a projector of some description to enable those in the audience to actually see images and read any text. In my line of business it is of the utmost importance that clients and other members of staff can see the charts we present and read through the sometimes quite detailed business plans we prepare. Our two new conference rooms are now equipped with the Toshiba TDP S35 projector, a relative bargain purchase for only 420 Euros (approximately £300).
I cannot comment on the actual decision to purchase these projectors over the other brands and models available on the market as I had no hand within the decision making process, but I will provide my opinion on what they are like to use as a presentation tool to the best of my ability. In addition to this, I will provide a comprehensive breakdown
of the specifications for those with a little more technical knowledge than myself.
Starting with the actual build, look and feel of the projector I cannot rate this highly enough. Unlike other projectors I have had the misfortune of using in the past, the Toshiba TDP S35 has a thick silver metal casing that prevents any form of damage should be it knocked out. This casing does attract scratches very easily, but from the audience retains its look of quality. In terms of weight, the projector weighs only 3kg and is easy to reposition in front of a white board or indeed transport to off-site meetings and the size is also surprisingly small fitting into a carry case measuring 9.8cm x 28.5cm x 25.4cm. These measurements relate to height, width and depth respectively. The projection is emitted from the front of the projector, which has a metal ring that allows for alterations to be made to the focus and size of the projection area. Other buttons such as power, brightness and contrast are hidden away to the side of the machine to enable the user to make changes without obscuring the view from the audience or by standing in front of the actual projector. This is a nice touch as I find it highly unprofessional for someone giving a presentation to either turn his or her back on the audience or stand in front of the display causing a shadow.
The projector is not MAC compatible and to use it on a regular computer requires a number of drivers to be installed. I cannot comment on the length of time taken to install this software but have never experienced any sort of problems with the drivers being corrupted or deleted. So they have never been any issues with attempting to start a presentation and the projector refusing to communicate with the PowerPoint software. Attaching the projector to the laptop is a single thin cable, which can hardly be seen. If used in conjunction with the Logitech Cordless Pointer system the laptop can be placed behind a platform and the only piece of equipment visible to the audience is the actual projector. I feel that this projector utilised with other available technologies will enhance reputations and add to the viewing experiences of the audience. Alternatively, with the appropriate technology (that does not come as standard) the projector can be made wireless.
When performing I cannot find the words to describe how pleased I am with the Toshiba TDP S35. Once set up properly so that the projection area is at a suitable size and focussed the picture is fantastic and cannot be faulted. It is in comparison the same as viewing a television display, if not a touch brighter and clearer. There is no loss of colour and no form of distortion once a presentation is projected onto a white surface. Within our conference rooms we have specialised white boards for presentations, however, when using the projector off-site the picture quality has been exceptional even when just projected onto a white wall within a darkened room. The specifications for the projector state that as with most LCD and Rear Projection television sets, the Toshiba TDP S35 can reproduce up to 16.7m colours so it is hardly surprising that the display quality is amazing.
Due to the large amount of light produced and the amount of power consumed, the projector does become very hot, very quickly and I have accidentally touched it after a long presentation only to receive a shock at the heat it retains within the metal coating. There is a built in fan to attempt to combat this over-heating problem but it cannot cope with prolonged usage. This is not that serious as prolonged usage does not have any effect on picture quality, the only issue is that the movement of the fan does start to get louder and the spinning sound can be distracting for the person giving the presentation. Despite this, I am reliably informed that an audience placed some 10 feet away cannot hear any noise being produced by the projector.
After using the Toshiba TDP S35 projector for a number of months I can happily and confidently recommend this to any ICT or business professionals looking to make a purchase of a projector. It is not something you would want, nor need within the home environment, but as far as presentations are concerned, this is head and shoulders above any other projector I have ever used in the past.
exceptional by (10%):
very helpful by (90%):
