Slide Projectors vs. LCD Projectors

We have all seen the videos or may be old enough to remember sitting through boring slide presentations in health class as a kid; watching the still image projection of the birds and the bees at an astonishing rate of 18 frames per second, 24 frames per second if you had the top of the line model. However, slide projectors still exist and have not gone the way of the dinosaur or better yet the VHS tape. There are many underlying factors that have prevented their extinction that make the slide projector still a viable option for many educator’s and video enthusiasts alike. The overall bang for your bucks. Compared to its big brother, slide projectors are significantly cheaper and deliver relatively good picture quality.

This is a real David and Goliath match up and as such we must first examine all aspects of their technology, intended uses & availability, and the delivery of presentation.

Similar to the negatives we get from our 35mm cameras, slide projectors work by displaying the image on a card and with a little magic they are able to greatly increase the size of that image and project it accordingly. Since each image on the card is still, you need to have many images in order to create a full motion effect. This often times make for bulky devices and the need to carry around a case of slides. Additionally each slide needs to be loaded into the projector one by one, which can often time’s make for a lengthy setup time. If one of these slides were say replaced or mixed up at the expense of an unsuspecting teacher, the class would surely get a good laugh.

LCD Projectors on the other hand are a lot harder to compromise. Liquid Crystal Display refers to a flat panel technology that uses liquid crystals sandwiched between two glass plates. When a voltage is applied, these crystals turn varying colors which allow you to display an image. As one can imagine this technology is much more sophisticated and significantly more expensive. However, LCD Projectors are able to display images that are much more realistic and believable to the human eye. This makes for great presentations and there is no need to carry around a case of slides. These LCD or digital projectors are connected to a computer for the source. As a result you are able to give varying presentation including, video, PowerPoint, and still images.

With its varying presentation uses and relatively low setup time, the LCD Projector is hands down the winner for this category.

Even in today’s digital world, many schools continue to use slide projectors as their primary means to deliver presentations. It is by far the most cost effective approach since many schools want the ability to bring these presentations to each class room. So as the volume increases the margin grows significantly. This makes slide projectors, realistically, the only option for smaller schools with lower budgets.

Traditionally, businesses have been quick to adopt the benefits the LCD Projector has to offer. It gives them the ability to deliver multimedia rich presentations in a variety of formats ranging from video to PowerPoint. However there is a definite barrier to break into this market. For now businesses will continue to lead in the acquisition of these projectors while colleges and university’s following a close second.

While LCD Projectors offer a wide range of availability and are able to deliver presentations in a variety of formats. The Slide Projector is the definitive winner for this category. They are a tried and true method for schools and government agencies delivering presentation at an affordable cost.

With a bottle neck of about 24 frames per second, the Slide Projector did not stand a chance compared to its LCD big brother. At minimum the LCD Projector runs at 30 frames per second allowing you to see full motion picture and video. Additionally the LCD Projector allows you to deliver a presentation in a variety of formats including: video, PowerPoint, animation, picture, diagrams, and overheads.

Here’s a quick recap of the potential pros and cons of Slide Projectors vs. LCD Projectors. While each side put up a pretty good fight there is a definitive winner.