InFocus Intros USB-based DisplayLink Projectors

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Starting Wednesday at the Infocomm 2008 conference, being held this week in Las Vegas, InFocus will be showing off three new classroom and lecture hall projector series, along with new technologies designed to connect projectors wirelessly and to simplify connections between laptops and projectors using a computer's USB port for delivering video to the projector.

According to InFocus, "InfoComm will mark the first public demonstration of InFocus' simplified connectivity for laptops. DisplayLink technology makes connecting an InFocus projector to a laptop as easy as plugging in a USB mouse--eliminating the hassle of fumbling with function keys and VGA connectors. DisplayLink for projectors is an industry first and is available only for the new InFocus 1100 and 3100 series projectors."

DisplayLink technology actually uses a computer's USB port to deliver the video signal to the projector. The technology is designed to be cross-platform, with support for Windows 2000, Windows XP (32-bit), and Windows Vista (32-bit). Beta drivers for Mac OS X are also currently available for Tiger and Leopard. A release date for the full Mac OS X driver has not been announced, although DisplayLink (the company) said it's "committed to making a Mac release that is just as good [as]--if not better--than our Windows Vista release, including full support for OpenGL 3D acceleration."

InFocus will also be showing off LiteShow II, a new technology for connecting the company's new projectors in a "wireless peer to peer setup, or by using an existing wireless LAN" using WPA and WPA2 for security.

The three new InFocus projector series include the IN1100, IN3100, and IN5100. The IN1100, weighing in at 2.75 pounds, is an ultraportable DLP projector available in XGA and WXGA formats. It offers up to 2,200 ANSI lumens of brightness and includes DisplayLink technology. The IN1100 series starts at $1,299 and will be available in August.

The IN3100 series also includes DisplayLink support, as well as support for LiteShow II wireless networking and an HDMI port. Projectors in this series feature a 2,000:1 contrast ratio, a brightness of 3,000 to 3,500 ANSI lumens, and a choice of XGA or WXGA resolution. The IN3100 series starts at $1,499 and will be available in July.

The IN5100 series projectors, targeted toward larger venues, offer WXGA resolution and brightness ratings up to 5,000 ANSI lumens. They also offer split-screen functionality, horizontal and vertical lens shift, four lens options, BNC and HDMI 1.3 inputs, RS232 connectivity, and embedded network control. The IN5100 series starts at $3,499 and is expected to be available in July.

Information on education pricing for these new models was not available at press time. InFocus' online education store can be accessed here.

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About the author: David Nagel is the executive editor for 1105 Media's online education technology publications, including THE Journal and Campus Technology. He can be reached at [email protected].

Proposals for articles and tips for news stories, as well as questions and comments about this publication, should be submitted to David Nagel, executive editor, at [email protected].

About the Author

David Nagel is the former editorial director of 1105 Media's Education Group and editor-in-chief of THE Journal, STEAM Universe, and Spaces4Learning. A 30-year publishing veteran, Nagel has led or contributed to dozens of technology, art, marketing, media, and business publications.

He can be reached at [email protected]. You can also connect with him on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidrnagel/ .


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