adhutton Posted March 4, 2011 Posted March 4, 2011 Hi all - We've had a complaint from a teacher that her video projector is too bright and it is giving her sight problems/headaches. I have been to have a look and I have to agree that it is bright...but gives a fantastic picture on the whiteboard. Have tried adjusting the lamp/picture via the projector menu (Sanyo projector by the way) but she says it doesn't make it any better. Have any of you come across this issue before? If so, can you suggest any solution(s)? Cheers - Andrew
localzuk Posted March 4, 2011 Posted March 4, 2011 I doubt its the brightness that's the problem to be honest - whether the projector is 2500 lumens or 2000 lumens, it'll still cause the issues. The problem is its position - the angle from the ceiling is likely right in the eye-line for the teacher. The only real fix to this problem is to move the projector higher up, and adjust the keystone - else get a short throw projector that doesn't get in the eye-line at all. 1
MYK-IT Posted March 4, 2011 Posted March 4, 2011 Really??? (It's not April 1st already??) We'll have it! Or exchange it for one of our dull, red hue effect projectors..... 1
CESIL Posted March 4, 2011 Posted March 4, 2011 You lucky, lucky, barsteward...I dream of having a teacher complain about a projector being too bright... Seriously though, what is the lumens rating of the unit? Or is the ceiling a bit low...we have a projector in a hut that is much lower than all the others and any tallish teacher will have problems avoiding the beam... 1
adhutton Posted March 4, 2011 Author Posted March 4, 2011 You lucky, lucky, barsteward...I dream of having a teacher complain about a projector being too bright... Yep, it is the stuff dreams are made of....I couldn't quite believe it myself when I heard....but I still need to find a solution to the problem - preferably a low-cost solution...! Any cheap ideas folks...filters....mirrors...??? Andrew
localzuk Posted March 4, 2011 Posted March 4, 2011 Yep, it is the stuff dreams are made of....I couldn't quite believe it myself when I heard....but I still need to find a solution to the problem - preferably a low-cost solution...! Any cheap ideas folks...filters....mirrors...??? Andrew Nothing cheap that I know of. What height is the ceiling? Can you not lop some of the mounting pole off and raise it up? 1
adhutton Posted March 4, 2011 Author Posted March 4, 2011 Nothing cheap that I know of. What height is the ceiling? Can you not lop some of the mounting pole off and raise it up? Unfortunately our school has quite low ceilings and it is already about as far up as it will go. A
RTFM Posted March 4, 2011 Posted March 4, 2011 Nothing cheap that I know of. What height is the ceiling? Can you not lop some of the mounting pole off and raise it up? That would be the most obvious solution. As was said, the problem isnt the lumens of the projector but the height of it. It's too close to the teachers eye line and that's why its causing a problem, if you raise it up and alter the angle then it wont be in direct eye line (or close to) solving the problem. Cutting down the pole and raising it up is the easiest solution..... 1
localzuk Posted March 4, 2011 Posted March 4, 2011 Unfortunately our school has quite low ceilings and it is already about as far up as it will go. A You're going to be out of luck then I'm afraid - I'd be looking at replacing the projector with an ultra short throw, wall mounted one. If a teacher is complaining about it dazzling them and giving headaches then you sort of have to change it. 1
MYK-IT Posted March 4, 2011 Posted March 4, 2011 Dig a pit in front of the board for the teacher to stand in. 3
RTFM Posted March 4, 2011 Posted March 4, 2011 You're going to be out of luck then I'm afraid - I'd be looking at replacing the projector with an ultra short throw, wall mounted one. If a teacher is complaining about it dazzling them and giving headaches then you sort of have to change it. Think a short throw is going to be the only option really isnt it.... Dig a pit in front of the board for the teacher to stand in. I prefer this option though!! 1
JJonas Posted March 4, 2011 Posted March 4, 2011 Dig a pit in front of the board for the teacher to stand in. Use a saw from the DT Department to shorten teacher at the knees? on a serious note wasn’t one of the teaching unions advising schools to only install short throw projectors as a way to protect their members from long term sight damage? 1
Jamman960 Posted March 4, 2011 Posted March 4, 2011 Do any other rooms have a similar setup? and if so are other teachers complaining of the same thing? the last thing you want is to change one room and then have everyone else decide theirs need changing also Swapping in a short/ultrashort teacher might be an easier solution 1
Andrew_C Posted March 4, 2011 Posted March 4, 2011 BECTA had guidelines that 1500/1800 lumens was the MAXIMUM recommended where the teacher would be standing in the beam. If this wasn't bright enough they reccomended fitting blinds rather than increasing brightness. I remember this as we had a huge fight with an artist that wanted (and got, against my views) a 3k lumen projector. 1
adhutton Posted March 4, 2011 Author Posted March 4, 2011 Do any other rooms have a similar setup? and if so are other teachers complaining of the same thing? the last thing you want is to change one room and then have everyone else decide theirs need changing also Swapping in a short/ultrashort teacher might be an easier solution Quite a few other rooms have the same setup and this is the only complaint we've had. This particular teacher wears glasses and the glare seems worse with the glasses...I wear glasses myself and I would find it a problem I think, so I do have some sympathy with the situation. Andrew
jc1875 Posted March 4, 2011 Posted March 4, 2011 Does he/she stare at the sun too?..... We always re-inforce basic training when putting standard throw projectors into classrooms - what at the board, back to the projector, step to the side then turn. I always thought these complaints were a mountain out of a molehill - i remember one educator from a previous employer insisted on wearing sunglasses. 1
penfold Posted March 4, 2011 Posted March 4, 2011 Cost solution - replace with short throw. Free solution - Intstruct teacher to use IWB with their back to kids and then step to the side when they need to speak to them. You could also see if you can reduce the image from the projector and move the mount closer to the IWB(although that's probably not going to be enough to make a difference) 1
elsiegee40 Posted March 4, 2011 Posted March 4, 2011 All my Sanyo projectors have faded with age... do you have an old one in somebody else's room that it can be swapped with? Another teacher will probably be delighted with a bright projector. 1
Guest Guest Posted March 4, 2011 Posted March 4, 2011 Just throw some dust into the projector, should make it suitably dark.
laserblazer Posted March 4, 2011 Posted March 4, 2011 Does it have a lamp save mode? That will reduce the light outout. 1
Busybub Posted March 9, 2011 Posted March 9, 2011 Quite a few other rooms have the same setup and this is the only complaint we've had. This particular teacher wears glasses and the glare seems worse with the glasses...I wear glasses myself and I would find it a problem I think, so I do have some sympathy with the situation. Andrew Send her out to get an eye test, and supply her with a pair of polarised glasses. Will reduce glare and cut the amount of light hitting her eyes. 1
tech_guy Posted March 9, 2011 Posted March 9, 2011 Equip your teacher with a set of these: http://wwwdelivery.superstock.com/WI/223/4029/PreviewComp/SuperStock_4029R-290716.jpg 1
Hacksawbob Posted May 4, 2011 Posted May 4, 2011 You can get filters for cameras that reduce light without changing colour. They come in stops 1 2 3 (higher darker) and you can double them up. It might be your best bet to get the Cokin square plastic type. Also there are rotating polarising lenses available for cameras they will only allow light to travel through in one direction (to reduce reflections in pictures + enhance contrast.) One might in its vertical orientation reduce the light spread creating dimmer edges which means that the projector will be easier to stand in front of. HOYA 55mm Circular Polarising Filter | Dixons | PM me if you want me to have a go with one. Of course there is not a filter mount thread on the projector so you may need to get creative with gaffer tape and blue tack.
localzuk Posted May 4, 2011 Posted May 4, 2011 You can get filters for cameras that reduce light without changing colour. They come in stops 1 2 3 (higher darker) and you can double them up. It might be your best bet to get the Cokin square plastic type. Also there are rotating polarising lenses available for cameras they will only allow light to travel through in one direction (to reduce reflections in pictures + enhance contrast.) One might in its vertical orientation reduce the light spread creating dimmer edges which means that the projector will be easier to stand in front of. HOYA 55mm Circular Polarising Filter | Dixons | PM me if you want me to have a go with one. Of course there is not a filter mount thread on the projector so you may need to get creative with gaffer tape and blue tack. Circular polarising filters do change the colour - they increase contrast, reducing brightness, and possibly increasing the saturation of the colours in the image.
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