SamanthaD

Having 2 screens right next to each other displaying the same content achieves nothing, except a small gain in the overall viewing angle of the screens. If you go this route please at least separate them a bit to increase your viewing area! You're correct in saying for programming the screens have to be a lot larger. Using the old 4:6:8 rules (which still work IMO) the furthest viewer should be no further than 4 times the image height from the display screen for detailed viewing (6 for Powerpoints, 8 for casual viewing ie video). The best way to achieve what you want to do is a second display further into the room, so the students towards the rear of the class can see. Here's an extreme example of what I've done in the past for a similar requirement, for a larger room with around 90 students. (2 x 86" touchscreens on the teaching wall, 8 x 55" screens mounted in pairs running down a central "spine" of the room). The screen placement was dictated to us in that the circular tables had already been purchased, and ceiling heights meant they had to be over the table so they weren't knocked. Also the walls had air conditioning already installed, so were unavailable for use. Pricey, but might give you an idea of what can be done. Either way, I would recommend only connecting 1 video output to the PC, then use distribution amps to split the signal as you need. Means you won't get someone being clever and changing the outputs to Extended mode, then someone else using the room getting confused!

What's your budget? If you want a really nice solution, something like the TopTec Juno A would be perfect. Nice desk space for the laptop to sit on, secure space for the dock and cabling. We use these with a SFF PC in the access hole for small meeting rooms, no issues. If you want something less intrusive they also do enclosures such as the Slimline Active Learning Console, Neutrik D holes for connections (not sure if they do USB-C on Neutrik yet), again secure space for your kit. Not a TopTec reseller, just someone who uses their kit a lot and am very happy with their products.

Not a product recommendation - more of a warning for scope creep. "I've got the mic and they can hear me, but now I want them to always see me on camera as well wherever I am in the room......" you know it's going to happen! Maybe check to see if this is going to be a thing now before buying something that will end up being the wrong product in the long run.

My recommendation has always been bin the faceplates. I work on each connection adding an extra meter to the chain, so a faceplate adds 2m plus the pigtail cable. Starts getting flaky over distance. I understand the concern over leaving expensive cables to be plugged in by users, but anything over 5m really has to be an active cable (the directional ones, though I'm being told nowadays the power output on HDMI on newer machines isn't really enough to power the amplifier) or fibre. CatX is great if you're running other data with it such as RS232 or multi channel audio (we use RS232 for projector / screen control) but otherwise is a bit expensive and clunky compared to fibre HDMI. I recommend a USB-C dock (with a short, sacrificial USB-C extension) that then gives the user network, power, display and any in-room USB devices (touchscreen, cameras and microphones perhaps?). Plug the fibre HDMI into that which then goes directly to the display, no breaks in the chain. You provide the user with a 1 cable solution that gets around them having to carry video adapters, PSU's etc (also stops them unplugging power sockets to power their laptops!)

Just wanted to add my usual recommendation for GVAV. Nationwide support, top installers and our "go to guys". Worth a look.

With any CatX converter it's going to have to be a direct connection. If you want it on the network you're looking at AV over IP (AVoIP) which, for a digital signage application, is massively overkill!

The price difference is probably more to do with the standard of the equipment. An Iiyama 75" touch display is a professional grade piece of equipment, with warranties that include commercial use. It is not a TV, per se. If the Samsung TV is, as you say, an actual TV then the warranty standards and build quality will be reflected in the price. (Most likely going to be a domestic level warranty that isn't worth anything in a commercial setting) Last time we updated our standard quote list the price difference between 75" interactive and non-interactive displays was approx £400 when warranties etc are taken into account. Sure you're comparing apples with apples?

We use OneLAN NTB's. Screens have power and data installed inside the bracket perimeter, and the bracket is a TopTec security bracket (Jupiter 485). All the cabling and the NTB is secured inside the bracket, leaving the screen and a nice, clean box around it no-one can play with.

Some great points brought up - I tend to look at the practical side of things though. BYOD/1-2-1 deployment can raise a lot of practical issues. Such as - Updates - when a big Windows/software/AV update is issued when is that to be done? Imagine all your pupils sat there doing nothing because their devices are all updating first thing on a Wednesday morning? WiFi - is your WiFi up to that many devices connecting at the same time? Or are you hoping to have LAN cables for every user (bearing in mind a lot of mobile devices don't have a LAN port now, so an adapter is required) More infrastructure - think all your students are going to turn up with a fully charged device that will last all day? Think those batteries are going to last for the 5 years they're with you? You'll need charging points all over the place. Expect these to be used and abused with constant plugging and unplugging of PSU's and probably phone chargers too. More support - "forgotten" devices, adapters, PSU's... Broken kit because the dog chewed it (my old pet rabbit loved Macbook chargers!), not to mention the debris that's going to end up in there "I was doing my homework while eating my breakfast and now there's coco-pops in the keyboard". And that's before a helpful member of the family tries to fix something to make the device work better.... I'm not against students having a school managed personal device. But it should supplement a standard, robust and sufficient wired network based PC offering to be used on school premises rather than replace it IMO.

You're likely to run into issues with HDMI lengths. Cheap CCTV cameras with composite outputs are the way to go, run the cable to your screen and convert to HDMI at the screen if you need to. Analogue systems don't suffer the same latency as digital or IP based solutions, and the kit tends to be cheaper these days. Route the power down from the bar so you can turn on and off from floor level, or just leave it on all the time. Consider privacy as well, this is technically a CCTV system. If people are using the space for something more private than a drama performance can you isolate the camera if you need to?

In larger rooms you'd be better taking a feed straight off the mixing desk, if it allows. A post fader aux send works nicely (or FX send if you have one). Using ambient mics, even in smaller rooms, will have a degree of reverb which will do no favours for your stream audio. I'd also feed the audio into your camera if possible rather than straight into the PC - helps with synchronisation.

What device are you trying to get the 2 displays out of? It may be that your graphics hardware isn't capable of doing it!

You'd have massive issues with that, in terms of the camera position (typically under the screen) and wide angle view. The Meetup is the widest I've seen and even then sat right next to it you'd be out of shot...

Considering your user name I thought you'd be able to work that out yourself! :-D Essentially the control panel is connected via a 2 core and screen cable to the projector, usually on a DB9 plug. Once configured a button press on the panel sends the RS232 command to the projector, or switcher, or whatever else you've connected. More advanced panels do this via Ethernet. (Extron's stuff is dead easy as drivers are available with all the commands, so it's mostly drag and drop rather than proper coding like you would have to do with Crestron). You can also use logic arguments on buttons, eg IF projector blank is on, unblank projector ELSE blank projector type of thing. They are quite expensive, but very rarely go wrong and for us prevents the more "helpful" users from changing any settings they could do if they had a remote control. You can also stack commands onto a button, so turn the projector on, wait until its warmed up, set the input to HDMI, set the volume, ensure the blank isn't on.... All on a single button push. The only thing is getting hold of them right now. They're suffering from the semi-conductor shortage the same as everything else. If you're really interested get an Extron Insider account and dedicate some time to the ECS course. It was free (don't know nowadays) and shows you the power of control panels!

We use various systems across various price points. Microsoft Surface Hubs, Teams Rooms, Sennheiser TCC2 ceiling mics with PTZ cameras running auto tracking, Logitech Meetups and Rally PTZ's. All of which would work for your application.

Most important thing for us to know is what budget you have available. Pointless recommending a Teams Room with ceiling mics and PTZ cameras if you're hoping to do this with a £500 budget!

We use Iiyamas for our touch displays. Our requirements are a lot less (screen, touch, 1 HDMI input and RS232 control) but so far the only issue we've had is occasionally a screen will fail to boot and need a factory reset. 2 min job to reconfigure and it's good to go again. And when I occasionally, I think I've had 5 go down over approx 100 screens installed (finger in the air guess). We're not looking to move away from Iiyama any time soon.

Also - I recommend using the Camera app for using Doc Cam's etc where the image needs to be large on the in-room displays as well as on a video call (Hybrid teaching). Open Camera app first and connect Doc Cam to that, join video call, share desktop then full screen Camera app. Stops any issues with multiple programs using the same USB device, or mirroring. Everyone gets the same experience.

Use the Win10 Camera app. Simple, reliable and you probably already have it.

At this point I would suggest it is cheaper to buy a newer model when you take into account any replacement parts and, more importantly, your time.

The TopTec raceway we use is neither. Metal construction so heavy enough to stay put (not the nasty rubber stuff you have to tape down) and low profile so pretty wheelchair friendly. We use it all over the place and have never had any complaints, even in DDA rooms with adjustable height lecterns.

If you want to teach the basics of mixing, stay analogue. Too many newcomers get all obsessed with multi-band compression, the latest plug-in or the perfect EQ curve that they forget to use the most important tool of all - their ears! Amazed at how many "sound engineers" I've met that know nothing about correct gain structure, or how to insert analogue outboard equipment correctly! Digital wise you could use Dante Virtual Soundcard to ingest multi-track audio to a Mac, or most desks have a multi-track USB connection these days. If you want something relevant then I'd stay away from Behringer. Much more likely to see A&H, Soundcraft or Yamaha on most shows, if not DigiCo or Midas.

If it's a new build, raised floor is the most flexible. Easy to move floorboxes in the future if you need to, and run cabling wherever you need. But susceptible to rodents - I have one room where the rats love to chew on my HDMI fibre cables! Channeling out concrete is laborious, expensive and a one time deal. Great if nothing will EVER move, but you have to be absolutely sure of the locations before you proceed. Poles feed from overhead are a good compromise, but beware of sightlines to a main display. For me the easiest (and probably cheapest) is using over floor containment. Get some good quality walk over trunking (We use TopTec Cable Raceway), no sightline issues, infinitely flexible for the future and no need to involve external contractors!

This is where I usually start... https://www.easyflip.co.uk/CPC_Catalogue/?page=1259

I don't think there's one specific product that would only do this. However I've found that an annotator does live freezing, but includes a wealth of other functions that you wouldn't need or want to pay for. It really would be cheaper buying the panel that has this functionality built in rather than add it on afterwards - the annotator I found was £4.5k retail. So you could literally throw your existing screen in the (WEEE) bin and buy a new one cheaper than that!