Digital Projection Inc. (DPI) has introduced a new suite of image and lens calculators to help provide dealers with image size and lens throw distances before specifying a projector into a job.
The Calculator Toolbox also delivers a dedicated portal where members of the audio-video industry can research and specify the key aspects of a projector installation and configure the correct display solution.
Several Years in the Making
Digital Projection Inc. began developing the functionality and architecture of the Calculator Toolbox, as well the supporting databases, in late 2008. What began as a modest browser-based lens calculator has steadily grown, at the behest of DPI’s dealers and industry partners, to encompass all aspects of the projector selection process.
“We wanted to create a true first for our dealer network, DPI president Mike Levi commented. “Innovation takes time, and I feel that we have now created an immensely helpful industry toolkit. The industry at-large will benefit from the suite of tools, though DPI dealers will specifically appreciate some higher value functionality, such as the ability to discover appropriate lenses, screen brightness, and contrast targets for their specific installation.”
From Calculator to PO
The entire calculator suite was designed to integrate with DPI’s projector database. As a case in point, when a DPI dealer proceeds through one of the calculators, the process begins with the option to print or e-mail a cumulative report detailing all aspects of their process. Suitable for sending directly to an end user, or to Digital Projection with a purchase order, the professionally formatted report presents a simple yet graphically dynamic end result, according to the company.
For end-users interested in finding the most appropriate projector for their space, the Calculator Toolbox offers accessible suggestions and guides throughout the different calculators. Users can estimate the amount of ambient light on the screen, screen size in a venue, or projector brightness needed for a certain size screen. Additionally, the calculators allow users to edit certain data points without having to start a new session, which allows them to experiment with different options in real time.
Web Portal Gets a Overhaul, Too
In conjunction with the Toolbox release, DPI’s Find the Perfect Projector (FPP) portal also received a complete overhaul. The portal allows users to identify the projector(s) that best suit their application based on simple parameters. As the FPP portal intuitively coordinates with the Calculator Toolbox, users can then take the recommended projector and immediately harness the full suite of calculator tools without reentering data.
The Calculator Toolbox portal will also contain previously released projector tools such as DPI’s Screen Brightness and Cost of Ownership calculators. Also included in the Toolbox portal will be DPI’s Cost of Ownership calculator, which allows for an analysis of overall power consumption, lumen production per wattage consumption, and lifetime cost of a projector.
The Calculator Toolbox operates within all mainstream web browsers, making it easily accessible to anyone with internet access. DPI dealers and interested parties can find a direct link to the Toolbox at the dedicated navigation button mentioned above, as well as at the top of each projector landing page at www.digitalprojection.com.
