Presentation Projector Wiring
- Thread starter olc
- Start date
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May depend on projector. I believe means of interfacing has been changing from VGA to HDMI and USB over the past decade. You may even run across a projector that has a couple or all three. AFAIK, projectors are slow to adopt newer technologies. Last time I checked (~4 years ago), many projectors had not even implemented high definition imaging.
Use the cable type that matches the projector input. Projector end plugs directly into projector, assuming a suspended ceiling [grid; acoustic tile] installation. Laptop end can either extend directly to 'podium' or transitioned via wall outlet.
Also available today are wireless casting dongles (MiraCast, EZ Cast, ChromeCast, etc.) if the unit has a USB input.
Note this is not a field I am adept in.
Use the cable type that matches the projector input. Projector end plugs directly into projector, assuming a suspended ceiling [grid; acoustic tile] installation. Laptop end can either extend directly to 'podium' or transitioned via wall outlet.
Also available today are wireless casting dongles (MiraCast, EZ Cast, ChromeCast, etc.) if the unit has a USB input.
Note this is not a field I am adept in.
- Location
- Placerville, CA, USA
- Occupation
- Retired PV System Designer
There are also wireless HDMI extenders.
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
- Occupation
- EC
I haven't been involved too much with how these set up myself, but most of what I have seen that has a permanently installed projector I believe is associated with a "smart board" and I believe the projector links to the board and the board links to the PC, may or may not be wireless link to the PC.
I usually only need to provide power to the ceiling projector and maybe to the smart board area if there isn't a receptacle already in that area, someone else usually deals with communications between all the devices.
I usually only need to provide power to the ceiling projector and maybe to the smart board area if there isn't a receptacle already in that area, someone else usually deals with communications between all the devices.
- Location
- Placerville, CA, USA
- Occupation
- Retired PV System Designer
Once upon a time, before computers, it was a coax or maybe RCA jack.
Next came VGA. Maybe old Apple style digital video connector.
I do not recall ever seeing USB for that purpose. It went straight to HDMI from there. But the length of HDMI cable is severely limited unless a range extender is incorporated.
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
- Occupation
- EC
I don't know limit on HDMI length, but what is severe? I have seen 50 foot HDMI cables, more then that I usually see adapters that convert to a pair of CAT 5/6 cables then adapt back to HDMI on the other end. I seem to recall seeing similar adapter in catalogs that uses coax cable between but I always seen the CAT 5/6 adapters in the field.
zbang
Senior Member
- Location
- Roughly 5346 miles from Earls Court
There are HDMI range extenders over real CAT6 that will do native 1920x1080 for at least 50m. There are also some that encode to IP and ship it over that way, but those usually have 3-4 TV frames delay (around tenth of a second) and people notice that much delay vs audio.
(There are also HDMI/SDI converters that will give you maybe 100m over coax and a long distance over fiber.)
(There are also HDMI/SDI converters that will give you maybe 100m over coax and a long distance over fiber.)
- Location
- Chapel Hill, NC
- Occupation
- Retired Electrical Contractor
The last one I used had cat 5 cable rum and then a vga jack, I think. I always bring a laptop and a projector so I don't run into issues. I just need the screen. Of course the rooms I present in are relatively small.
mgookin
Senior Member
- Location
- Fort Myers, FL
- Occupation
- Retired inspector, plans examiner & building official
I've done a lot with projectors at home, at the office when I worked for government, and in academia. We still have VGA at the university here. I gave a presentation (Neutron Stars) in an Astrophysics class just last Friday and they still had the same equipment that was installed in the late '90's.
But I can't imagine VGA would be considered industry standard today. Maybe it is. I just don't know.
I suggest you get more info on the projector, or contact someone in the industry. Maybe just walk into BestBuy and walk up to the Geek counter. Those guys actually do a whole lot of high end commercial stuff above and beyond helping tweens with their unicorn apps at the counter. Those Geek guys can also give you a heads up on any issues they encounter when they do the installs. Ask for their best projector guy when you get there. Or just call them.
ron
Senior Member
- Location
- New York, 40.7514,-73.9925
My office we has VGA male cable brought to the location of the presenter's computer.
My client's office has HDMI male cablebrought to the location of the presenter's computer.
My client's office has HDMI male cablebrought to the location of the presenter's computer.
- Location
- Placerville, CA, USA
- Occupation
- Retired PV System Designer
They do now, sometimes in addition to a specific connector for external displays, so that you can watch movie from your computer on your large screen TV.
In some limited circumstances you can use a ChromeCast dongle attached to the HDMI input at the projector instead, and only WiFi at the computer end
mpoulton
Senior Member
- Location
- Phoenix, AZ, USA
Make it flexible
Make it flexible
I've dealt with a decent number of projector installations. The most common type of A/V connector changes every several years - much more frequently than people remodel their spaces. A few years ago VGA was standard. Now new laptops and even many projectors don't even have VGA connectors on them. It's all HDMI these days, but for how long? Who knows what's next? I thinkt he best solution is to make the cable easily replaceable. Just run a nice big conduit from the projector location to the equipment location. The AV guys can run whatever they want through it and it can be changed easily later. In the conference room of my new office space I just completed last year, I had a 1-1/2" smurf tube installed from the projector to my AV cabinet. I pulled HDMI, audio, and USB through it for now, but can replace that with whatever the next big thing is when the time comes.
Make it flexible
I've dealt with a decent number of projector installations. The most common type of A/V connector changes every several years - much more frequently than people remodel their spaces. A few years ago VGA was standard. Now new laptops and even many projectors don't even have VGA connectors on them. It's all HDMI these days, but for how long? Who knows what's next? I thinkt he best solution is to make the cable easily replaceable. Just run a nice big conduit from the projector location to the equipment location. The AV guys can run whatever they want through it and it can be changed easily later. In the conference room of my new office space I just completed last year, I had a 1-1/2" smurf tube installed from the projector to my AV cabinet. I pulled HDMI, audio, and USB through it for now, but can replace that with whatever the next big thing is when the time comes.
- Location
- Chapel Hill, NC
- Occupation
- Retired Electrical Contractor
I have to use a converter because my surface pro does not have a vga so I have an adapter some call a dongel
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