5 Tips for Selecting the Best Wireless Presentation System for the Classroom

Wireless Screen Mirroring Options for K-12 classrooms - which is the best?

2020/08/21

Which is the best wireless technology for sharing high-resolution K-12 classroom displays - BenQ, Mersive, or Airtame?

Wireless presentation systems (WPS) allow users to share their ideas to the screen wirelessly from their device. In a classroom, they allow teachers to conduct more engaged, successful lessons, and allow for social distancing needs and are highly effective to allow students to connect to the presentation while maintaining social distancing. Modern flipped classrooms demand the alternative placement of displays; teachers are delivering on their promise of improved student performance, many IT administrators are looking at how they can incorporate wireless screen mirroring technology to enable students and teachers to mirror their screens in classrooms intuitively.
Here are important considerations for IT and technology managers when examining these solutions.

Tip #1 - Consumer Wireless Presentation Systems aren't designed for the classroom

While Miracast, Chromecast, and Apple TV/AirPlay are inexpensive, they are not classroom-ready. For a classroom, they require a third-party application, which has to be licensed and managed for each type of device. For example, a teacher may be using a PC-based notebook while students are using an iPad or Chromebook, requiring three different licenses. As a result, staff is saddled with more labor than they originally budgeted.

Tip #2 - Beware of Wireless Presentation Solutions that require network access

Systems that rely on your network, such as Kramer Via and Airtame 2, can require lots network bandwidth — up to 25mps per user when sharing video. If four students are streaming to the screen, that’s already 100Mbps, which can impact overall network performance. IT managers also have to closely monitor security because these network-dependent solutions can create network vulnerabilities.

Network Security

Keeping the campus network secure is critical – and wireless presentations that are highly dependent on network access need to be managed and updated to ensure that hackers don’t use the system to access or shut down the network.

Solution – look for a system that minimizes the need to use your campus network – and keeps it safe.

Download the Instashow Security Whitepaper

Tip #3 - Wireless Presentation Systems need to be HDMI-ready

From Chromebooks to digital microscopes and STEM Beagle Boards, more electronics have an HDMI port. In addition, school districts are using a mixture of devices. These are all sources that need to be shared to the projector or interactive flat panel (IFP). WPS built for the classroom should handle computers, Chromebooks, Blu-ray Players, microscopes, and any HDMI source on the horizon.

Tip #4 - It needs to be simple to use

Tip #5 - Choose a wireless system that embraces your future display needs

IFPs are replacing projectors. With that in mind, look for a WPS that offers “touch-back,” which allows teachers to annotate files being shared from their notebooks

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Eliminating software or license keys, BenQ’s InstaShow S is an affordable plug-and-play WPS. Designed from the ground-up with ease and security in mind, just plug it in, press the button, and present. It’s also the only WPS that can operate independently of the network, truly eliminating the access risk to the network, while ensuring a 100% 128-bit AES-encrypted content stream. InstaShow can present almost any source or device with an HDMI port, giving schools a scalable solution even as technology evolves. The WDC20 model supports up to 32 participants or sources at a time, and when paired with an IFP, the touch-back feature allows teachers to control their laptops directly from the screen. InstaShow S’s split-screen mode enables up to four laptops or devices to be controlled directly from the display.

What are the most popular systems - and how do they stack up?

According to Futuresource,over 30 companies are offering wireless presentation system today. So which popular systems offer the best solution for K-12 classrooms? Here is a comparison of a few of the popular systems being used today in K-12 classrooms.

	BenQ InstaShow	BenQ InstaShow S	Airtame2	Kramer VIA	Mersive Solstice
Maximum Resolution	BenQ InstaShow 1080p	BenQ InstaShow S 4K	Airtame2 1080p (720k for video)	Kramer VIA 1080p	Mersive Solstice 4K
Network Bandwidth Requirement	BenQ InstaShow None	BenQ InstaShow S None	Airtame2 Up to 16 Mb/s per user	Kramer VIA Up to 25 Mb/s per user	Mersive Solstice Minimum 20 Mb/s bandwidth availability
Dependent on-campus network for performance	BenQ InstaShow No	BenQ InstaShow S No	Airtame2 Yes	Kramer VIA Yes	Mersive Solstice Yes
App Free Design	BenQ InstaShow Yes	BenQ InstaShow S Yes Optional wireless app	Airtame2 No - requires a proprietary app	Kramer VIA No - requires a proprietary app	Mersive Solstice No - requires a proprietary app
Device Support	BenQ InstaShow Windows Mac Chromebooks Mobile devices (via HDMI button) Blue-ray & other media players Digital Microscopes Document Cameras Beagle Boards Any HDMI 1.4 output	BenQ InstaShow S Windows Mac Chromebooks Mobile devices Blue-ray & other media players Digital Microscopes Document Cameras Beagle Boards Any HDMI 1.4 output	Airtame2 Windows Mac Chromebooks (limited) Mobile devices Linux (limited)	Kramer VIA Windows Mac Chromebooks Mobile devices	Mersive Solstice Windows Mac Mobile devices
Connection Method	BenQ InstaShow Simple - plug and play	BenQ InstaShow S Simple - plug and play	Airtame2 Requires network login - and Airtame app	Kramer VIA Requires network login- and Kramer app	Mersive Solstice Requires network login- and Solstice app
Touchback Support	BenQ InstaShow No	BenQ InstaShow S Yes	Airtame2 No	Kramer VIA No	Mersive Solstice No

Why would you choose BenQ InstaShow for your K-12 classroom?

The answer is simplicity. The InstaShow connects to your display without a hassale or complicated network configuration – and enables teachers to connect either with the InstaShow button (both version) or the InstaShare app, Miracast, or Airplay. With its 4K resolution and touchback capability, the InstaShow S is designed to work with any modern interactive flat panel, all at a cost that is much less than other leading systems – and still can be centrally managed by the IT team.

Click Here To Learn More About InstaShow

Learn More About Wireless Presentations and Screen Mirroring

Wireless Presentation from a laptop to a projector in a meeting room

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