Mar 30 2010
Digital Projection Inc. (DPI), an Emmy® Award-winning manufacturer of high performance projection systems, introduced an integrated suite of image and lens calculators to the audio/video industry.
Entitled the Calculator Toolbox, users can quickly calculate essential data such as the image size and throw distance of a projector given a few basic parameters. In addition to the suite’s core functionality are numerous other tools and guides intended to demystify the projector selection process, as well as identify the true long-term cost of ownership of any projection system within any application. The Calculator Toolbox delivers a dedicated portal whereby the audio/video industry can confidently research and specify the key aspects of a projector installation in order to configure the perfect display solution.
Digital Projection began developing the functionality and architecture of the Calculator Toolbox, as well the supporting databases, in late 2008. What began as a modest browser-based lens calculator has steadily grown, at the behest of DPI’s dealers and industry partners, to encompass all aspects of the projector selection process.
Mike Levi, President of Digital Projection Inc., commented, “We wanted to create a true first for our dealer network. Innovation takes time, and I feel that we have now created an immensely helpful industry toolkit.” Levi continued, “The industry at-large will benefit from the suite of tools, though DPI dealers will specifically appreciate some higher-value functionality, such as the ability to discover appropriate lenses, screen brightness and contrast targets for their specific installation.”
The entire calculator suite integrates seamlessly with DPI’s projector database, creating a one-stop destination for dealers that need guidance as well as accurate results. As a case in point, when a DPI dealer proceeds through one of the calculators, the process commences with the option to print or email a cumulative report detailing all aspects of their process. Suitable for sending directly to an end user, or to Digital Projection with a purchase order, the professionally formatted report presents a simple yet graphically dynamic end result.
For end-users interested in finding the most appropriate projector for their space, the Calculator Toolbox offers accessible suggestions and guides throughout the different calculators. Users simply use the guides and suggestions to estimate the amount of ambient light on the screen, screen size in one’s venue, or projector brightness needed for a certain size screen. Additionally, the calculators allow users to edit certain data points without having to start a new session, which allows users to experiment with different options in real time.
In conjunction with the Toolbox release, DPI’s Find the Perfect Projector (FPP) portal also received a complete overhaul. FPP portal allows users to identify the projector(s) that best suit their application based on simple parameters. As the FPP portal intuitively coordinates with the Calculator Toolbox, users can then take the recommended projector and immediately harness the full suite of calculator tools without reentering data.
The Calculator Toolbox portal will also contain previously released projector tools such as DPI’s Screen Brightness and Cost of Ownership calculators. The Screen Brightness calculator has been an integral tool to the DPI dealer network, as it quickly and easily calculates both the image contrast ratio and screen brightness of any projector given a few key data points. Also included in the Toolbox portal will be DPI’s Cost of Ownership calculator, which allows for an immensely detailed analysis of overall power consumption, lumen production per wattage consumption, lifetime cost of a projector and more. Qualifying the cumulative cost of a projector through its lifespan is essential when comparing the overall efficiency of one projector versus another.
The Calculator Toolbox operates within all mainstream web browsers, making it easily accessible to anyone with internet access. DPI dealers and interested parties can find a direct link to the Toolbox at the dedicated navigation button mentioned above, as well as at the top of each projector landing page at digitalprojection.com.
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