Question: Week Three of projector selection criteria
The IT Guy says:
Audio is the next issue to consider in purchasing a projector. All projectors come with built-in speakers, but not all systems are alike. Lower-end projectors tend to have underpowered speakers, which are functional but don't produce very good sound. As you move up into the mid-range of projectors, however, you will see mentions of "5W Audio" or "7W Audio." This is a description of the power of a built-in amplifier that will produce audio of greater volume and range, so you will be able to hear the soundtrack of your videos much more clearly.
Of course, this may not be necessary in your classroom. You may have a sound system already, or you may not be set up to show videos through the projector. In that case, you don't need this feature.
What if you already have a projector, but the audio is poor? You can purchase externally-powered speakers for near fifty dollars at your local electronics store. These speakers can be plugged into the headphone jack on your computer or to the audio out ports on the back of the VCR or DVD player. You may need an adaptor cable to make this work, but they cost only a few dollars. I have a pair of speakers that I take around with me to all my presentations, and they always make for better sound!
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