businessinfomag.uk
magazine
16
Projectors
...continued
Blowing hot and cold
Business Info (BI):
Why is the projector
market in decline?
Claire Kerrison:
The global projector
market is declining due to a combination
of factors – the most pervasive being
macro economic/political issues.
This has been most notable in Russia
where volumes declined 41% in 2015
compared with the market high seen
in 2011. Russia presents a significant
opportunity for projector vendors as the
market is heavily under-penetrated, both
in corporate and education environments.
However, the tender market has collapsed
alongside the value of the Rouble, as has
consumer confidence, which is severely
impacting B2B sales. Sales in other key
countries, such as Brazil, Mexico and India,
are also being hindered by macro factors,
but as they, too, are significantly under-
penetrated, it is anticipated that sales will
rise alongside economic recovery.
The second factor is flat panel
displays (FPDs): consumer TVs are
almost ubiquitous now in corporate
environments, and as small ‘huddle-
rooms’ grow in popularity, the installed
base of TVs here is set to mount.
Consumer TVs and commercial FPDs are
becoming larger and cheaper, significantly
eroding the key benefits of projection. The
fact that FPDs are perceived as ‘future-
proofing’ and 1080p/4K resolutions are
almost standard have further cemented
their position in this environment.
Futuresource has also seen the rapid
adoption of interactive flat panel displays
(IFPDs) in Education in recent years –
particularly in early adopting countries
like the UK and Netherlands, where
year-on-year IFPD sales grew 99% and
109% respectively in Q1-3, 2015. The
2016 BETT show was dominated by flat
panel technologies, illustrating that this is
where the market is moving.
However, this trend will be largely
confined to developed regions in the mid-
term as the technology still presents a
substantial price premium over projection.
Moreover, projection still offers numerous
benefits to the Education space – large
display size, wide range of resolution
options, interactivity and ultra/short
throw. In fact, Futuresource forecasts
growth in the short throw segment over
the next five years due to rising demand
from developing regions, coupled with
falling prices.
I think it’s important to note that
recent market declines don’t necessarily
reflect the level of demand for
projection as a technology, but are more
symptomatic of other issues.
BI:
What areas of the market are
declining most and why?
Kerrison:
The part of the market forecast
to decline the most is the ‘mainstream’
segment i.e. standard throw projectors
below 4k lumens, which fell 8% year-
on-year in Q1-3, 2015. This area is
being impacted by competing display
technologies, with projectors in schools
and classrooms increasingly being
‘swapped-out’ for flat panel solutions.
Moreover, as prices of high-brightness
products decline, Futuresource is seeing
an increasing proportion of sales in this
segment being accounted for by more
Business Info
quizzes Claire Kerrison, projector market
analyst at Futuresource Consulting, about developments
in the projector market
Claire Kerrison,
projector
market analyst,
Futuresource
Consulting
Lamp-less projector
Panasonic’s new 1-Chip DLP SOLID SHINE
laser phosphor projector is aimed at
50-person lecture theatres. The PT-RZ570 is a
compact WUXGA projector with a brightness
of 5,200 lumens, brilliant picture quality and
20,000-hour maintenance-free operation.
Dynamic Contrast delivers deeper blacks,
improved definition and a contrast ratio of
20,000:1 by modulating light output frame-
by-frame according to image
requirements. An efficient
cooling system and heat
sink keeps operational
noise down to just 29
dB in Silent Mode.
panasonic.co.uk
Integrated lighting and
projection
Panasonic’s Space Player PT-JW130 is an
integrated lighting and projection solution
for applications in retail, hospitality and
exhibition spaces. As well as spotlighting an
object, the Space Player can project video or
still images on or around it. It comes with a
simple cable duct box for easy installation,
removal and relocation and features a wide
range of selectable video inputs, including SD
card, HDMI, wired and wireless LAN.
Pocket projectors
The new Philips PicoPix PPX4835 and
PPX4935 combine power and portability.
With 350 lumens and SmartEngine
720p HD resolution
with LED technology,
the pocket projectors
offer clear pictures
with brilliant colours
and high contrast. Both
models can project to a
screen size of 150’’ (381cm)
and feature a HDMI/MHL
interface for support of mobile devices like
notebooks, tablets and smartphones.
The PPX4935 is an Android-based
pocket projector withWi-Fi for connecting
a smartphone, tablet or laptop. Photos and
videos can be shared directly from an SD card
or via USB. Useful features include video chat;
an Office Viewer for displaying PowerPoint
presentations,Word, Excel and PDF files; a
two-hour internal battery; built-in 3-watt
speakers; and Bluetooth audio for connection
to external speakers.
The PPX4835 (featured on the last
Business Info
cover) is available from Staples
and the PPX4935 from Currys PCWorld.
Panasonic PT-RZ570
Panasonic PT-RZ570
PT-JW130
