Visualisers Recommendations

[MarkBerridge]

I have been asked to look at buying Visualisers to try in a few classes. Can anyone recommend some they have had good experiences with? I can seem to find much information online with reviews.

[synaesthesia]

Go for anything that's cheap as you like. They're nothing more than webcams on a stick and paying over the odds for the all singing, all dancing ones really is a false economy. Do you not have any mobile devices such as iPads in classrooms? Those alone are pretty much making visualisers old tech.

[ComcenCraig]

In all the schools I've worked with they generally tend to be either Elmo and Aver visualisers. But, as has been hinted at, they are becoming more and more rare in schools. Is there a specific reason you want visualisers?

[MarkBerridge]

I would agree they are old tech but I've been asked by higher ups as they like the look of them and they seem to be cheap. Any brands you have used?

[ComcenCraig]

None that I have used myself but I don't work for a school, I work with them. I'm happy to ask those that do use them for their experiences and let you know?

[MarkBerridge]

Yes any help would be great!

[MarkBerridge]

In all the schools I've worked with they generally tend to be either Elmo and Aver visualisers. But, as has been hinted at, they are becoming more and more rare in schools. Is there a specific reason you want visualisers?

 

You know how it is, the higher ups see something they like and they want it.

[LeMarchand]

One of mine insists on Genee. Was quite impressed by their out of warranty service. Agree with those that have said they're a bit of a waste of money, though.

[synaesthesia]

The cheap-n-cheerfuls are usually the TTS EasiView - I say cheap, they're still £100 a shot which is ridiculous for a fiver quality webcam, some rubbish Chinese software and a bendy arm stand. If they insist on that sort of thing, maybe it's worth you recommending they look at something useful such as mobile devices/tablets that could be used for the same purpose and X amount of things more besides? Gives you brownie points too.

[rogerdnixon]

We use Hue cameras https://huehd.com/ - relatively cheap and robust. Plugin and play on most devices. Most classrooms have them now and they are widely used in teaching.

[NotSoFast]

Not sure I agree. There's a good pedagogical argument for a device that lets you easily model work. A tablet would need a mount, and also some way to cast to the projector. Cheap webcams on a stick are ok, but resolution is only ok and our NM doesn't like the drivers much... I wish we had the money for some proper VGA visualisers, personally.

[synaesthesia]

£30 is certainly better than £100 for something so basic, and certainly evidence that RM/TTS are purely profiteering on the back of schools.

Mounting devices is moot, there's a million and one ways to do just that and many of them better than a static camera. There are many ways to "cast" images and video to whiteboards too. When visualisers were all the rage I said they were a waste of money even with alternatives that were available then and I certainly stand by that now.

[NotSoFast]

I know it can be done and in many ways the more flexible/cheap/geeky solution appeals to me. But there's a lot to be said for simplicity too. Anyhow, to be more positive, could you recommend a sub £200 solution that is really reliable and easy for teachers?

[synaesthesia]

Yes, those Hue cameras. Will work without software if needed, will stream to the likes of VLC with no tinkering as a backup and the software being as simple as they come couldn't get much easier.

[richbrowncardiff]

We use Lumens DC-125 in our Art and Science department and they are very good for close up work with minimal Lag. also use HueHD Cameras as others have said for general purposes.

[Sylv3r]

We've bought EPSON ones in the past - excellent quality but very expensive for what they are.

[TechMonkey]

Just to backup the Hue support. I had a teacher appear with one he got for Christmas. Thought it was going to be a mare but it is literally a webcam, as someone else mentioned, we show them how to show it through VLC. I think he did ask for the software to be installed as he wanted the button to work but, again, showed him how to take a screen shot from inside VLC and he was happy. This way no software needs to be installed (except VLC but that is standard) and he can carry the 'document viewer' with him and plug into any PC.

 

I was one of these https://www.amazon.co.uk/HUE-HD-red-camera-Windows/dp/B001KPAINS/ref=pd_lpo_147_bs_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=59DNN4XH1B35X1EZN76J showing as £40 but I'm sure I have seen them cheaper.

 

We do have a couple of the massive VGA ones and they just don't get much use as they are bulky, get in the way and then the staff can't remember how they hook up. I'm sure they were great back in the day when there was no other option but now there seems to be better options.

 

If you have tablets how about knocking a couple of these together?

[DavR]

We use Ipevo ZiggiHD visualisers. They're good resolution, and fairly cheap (£60-70ish), but I wouldn't recommend them. The positionable arm tends to break at the joints, because of people picking them up irresponsibly.

 

We've had a lot more interest / excitement by installing AirServer on classroom PCs allowing teachers to cast with school iPads / personal iPhones.

[Oddbod]

Just to backup the Hue support. I had a teacher appear with one he got for Christmas. Thought it was going to be a mare but it is literally a webcam, as someone else mentioned, we show them how to show it through VLC. I think he did ask for the software to be installed as he wanted the button to work but, again, showed him how to take a screen shot from inside VLC and he was happy. This way no software needs to be installed (except VLC but that is standard) and he can carry the 'document viewer' with him and plug into any PC.

 

I was one of these https://www.amazon.co.uk/HUE-HD-red-camera-Windows/dp/B001KPAINS/ref=pd_lpo_147_bs_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=59DNN4XH1B35X1EZN76J showing as £40 but I'm sure I have seen them cheaper.

 

We do have a couple of the massive VGA ones and they just don't get much use as they are bulky, get in the way and then the staff can't remember how they hook up. I'm sure they were great back in the day when there was no other option but now there seems to be better options.

 

If you have tablets how about knocking a couple of these together?

 

I used ram products for the iPad tray and clamp, an upturned table leg and mdf from b&q, some speaker feet from maplin and left it at that… far more robust.

[jmak]

Search for Avervision on eBay

 

There's a good selection from around £20. Old models, but I'm not convinced there's that much difference between the old models and the new ones. We've had a couple for over 2 years now.

[Zipsterr]

I have been asked to look at buying Visualisers to try in a few classes. Can anyone recommend some they have had good experiences with? I can seem to find much information online with reviews.

 

Hi Mark,

 

We have the Genee 4100 aswell as some aver models - Genee work really well to be fair. We got ours Genee and Aver from the team at All Office Ltd due to price and support maybe worth giving them a call if needed

[CamelMan]

+1 for the Ziggi's £70 on amazon good images, decent software and arm for getting over the document makes them good for the classroom.

[SamanthaD]

We have visualisers in pretty much every lecture theatre. The Elmo stuff is great - also have a look at Wolfvision. We've tried the Epson ones and found they're not great.