What are the best 4K wireless presentation systems – and why?

With 4K laser projectors and interactive flat panels quickly replacing older lamp-based projectors in meeting rooms and classrooms, a 4K wireless HDMI presentation system is the most effective and affordable way to manage multiple presenters and devices on the screen. Here is a breakdown of the three most popular 4K wireless presentation systems – and how they stack up.

• BenQ InstaShow S WDC-20
  
• Barco ClickShare CS-200+
• Mersive Solstice Pod

The first area to consider is the amount of time, effort, and resources your wireless system will require to enable it to work effectively. The three different systems have different architectures that will have different demands your IT resources, such as network ports, app deployment, and available bandwidth that your IT department may need to allocate to the system. Proprietary apps also require IT staff to deploy on their employee notebooks and manage updates to ensure security. Finally, for WiFi Hubs architecture, the available bandwidth must be maintained to ensure the system works.

The best 4K wireless systems enable anyone – including visitors who don’t have access to the company network -to connect to a display in under 15 seconds. Why is this important? According to Harvard University, the cost of even a few minutes spent downloading apps, logging into networks, and selecting screens can add up to thousands of dollars in a single year. Some systems may require employee training on how to use the app, and security-conscious visitors may object to downloading an app on their secure notebooks.  You will also want to look for a system that natively supports Chromebooks as well as mobile devices whether on Android or iOS without casting your content over the internet.

As with any IT infrastructure product, a good analyst will evaluate the costs of comparable systems using the Gartner model to calculate the total cost of ownership over time.  One advantage of a 4K wireless presentation system is that it eliminates the initial costs of installing and hiding cables under floors and behind walls, but with some systems, there are annual fees that are recommended or required for software updates such as apps and security patches.  Here is a breakdown of the subscription costs of each platform:

All three systems are solid choices for both classrooms and corporate collaboration areas.  Each system has unique advantages, such as the ability for the BenQ InstaShow WDC-20 to replay video content at 60 frames per second.  Also, both the InstaShow and Mersive solutions can allow four different presenters (ClickShare allows only two) to present at the same time.   But if you are looking to see which one would be the best for you, the easiest way is to try out one for free.  Simply click here to learn how you can set up your collaboration space and save $300 if you choose to keep it.