In recent issues AV News has written extensively about IFPDs from SMART, VIVIDtouch and Microsoft. This month it’s the turn of the Android platform models from Promethean, BenQ, Clevertouch, CTOUCH and Geneeworld. In particular, we assess the impact of the renewed focus on Samsung E-Board and a number of new offerings entering the market this summer.
Exertis has been appointed as Samsung’s exclusive distribution partner for the latest E-Board interactive large format displays. Depending on your point of view, this is either a case of Samsung off-loading a batch of displays and overlays on a willing distributor or, according to Ian Neale, Exertis’ business manager for visual products, “a real game-changer”.
The E-Board concept has been around since 2011 and has evolved since the inception of the original 650TS. Neale describes the latest version as follows: “It’s a complete, PC free, ‘out-of-the-box’ interactive solution that requires no extra hardware or cables, allows full on-screen wireless collaboration and opens up a world of new possibilities in the corporate market for more efficient and productive meetings.”
The distribution agreement sees Exertis and Samsung partner in a major initiative to grow their share in the corporate and education markets. Exertis has set up a dedicated UK demonstration team. “This is a key opportunity for reseller partners to gain an advantage in the rapidly growing corporate and public sector markets, whilst not forgetting the considerable replacement interactive whiteboard opportunity in education,” continued Neale.
Had the E-Board concept been given this push when first proposed it would possibly have been a market leader from the outset. Today, both the market and the technology of IFPDs has changed, with new players taking touchscreen / Android mix to leadership positions.
Clevertouch
The role of Clevertouch in establishing the market for IFPDs in education has been seminal. The company quickly established a hardware / software formula that produced a range of affordable touchscreen solutions that rivalled some vendors’ pricing on projection-based IWBs.
Clevertouch evolved to offer both education, and later business customers, a full range of screen sizes and a comprehensive app store. The Clevertouch business software suite includes LynxPro Meeting, Montage Lite and DisplayNote. The new Clevertouch Pro, Plus and Plus 4K business models enable laptop, tablet and smartphone users to share their screens with the Clevertouch display, making it suitable for project management, review or any kind of collaborative decision making.
The company’s most recent advances include a new user interface called LUX. Built from scratch to make the advanced features of the Clevertouch available to everyone, LUX is dedicated to giving users the best possible experience. The designers of LUX have turned to the familiar user interfaces of smartphones and tablets to make use of the IFPD as intuitive as possible.
Flexibility is also a paramount consideration with connectivity options including HDMI, VGA, wired LAN, Wi-Fi, USB and AirPlay. The connectivity options are managed and organised by LUX. For application flexibility, Clevertouch has pioneered the Android and app combination. Every version of LUX comes with apps suited to the customer’s requirements. Whether it’s the flexibility of the download-on-demand Cleverstore for education, or the convenience of the built in business apps, LUX integrates with a growing range of advanced apps, each dedicated to achieving a single task simply.
BenQ
Of the established IFPD vendors, BenQ’s RP790 is a 79-inch, 4K classroom-ready IFPD that has been designed with the interests of its young viewers in mind. The 79-inch model was described by Jan Spence, associate vice president of marketing communications and branding for BenQ America as follows:
“BenQ brings some of the most advanced classroom technologies to teachers, students and schools. The RP790 is purpose-built to satisfy the need for more interactive and immersive education experiences by offering engaging 4K visuals and supporting the move toward the use of Web-enabled collaboration. Schools can now create connected classrooms that enrich the learning environment.”
The RP790 offers easy-to-use, highly accurate and reliable multitouch technology with 4K image quality and complete multimedia connectivity to any learning environment. Featuring 10 touch points, the 79-inch, 4K UHD IFP lets users interact with vibrant content using an integrated Android PC annotation program.
Eye-Care
While concern for the vision of panel users is yet to sweep the industry (although the new CTOUCH Laser Air + has an ambient light sensor which helps reduce eye-strain), BenQ’s panel leaves nothing to chance. BenQ’s suite of Eye-Care tools (such as anti-glare glass to counter light reflection, Low Blue Light technology and a ZeroFlicker backlight) is designed to reduce eye fatigue during long hours of content viewing.
Equipped with DisplayNote, the RP790 allows educators to create more collaborative lessons by streaming any content directly from their computers to multiple participants across various devices. BenQ’s QWrite software enables onscreen user interaction by editing, highlighting and co-creating a wide range of documents. For administrators, BenQ’s Multiple Display Administrator software adds remote monitoring and control capability across multiple units in addition to administering instant equipment performance alerts for IT staff.
The RP790 is flexible enough to support both traditional and collaborative teaching models, but the price premium for the larger size has inhibited sales. In August of this year, BenQ will introduce a 75-inch IFPD which is priced to appeal to buyers in both education and business. The unit’s appeal as a collaborative tool will be enhanced with the addition of the InstaShow presentation gateway, This allows multiple presenters to switch content wirelessly, without driver installation or extended cable runs – it’s just a matter of pushing a button to start presenting.
CTOUCH
Also new to the market this summer is the CTOUCH Laser Air +. Available in Full HD and 4K ranges, the curved lines and slim bezel will appeal to both business and education buyers. With 32 concurrent touch points, CTOUCH Laser Air + greatly exceeds the usual 10.
For educationalists moving to a collaborative teach model, CTOUCH Laser Air + is designed to meet all current requirements – BYOD, content sharing and even student performance assessment. The built-in Wi-Fi router of the CTOUCH Laser Air + can exchange data with up to 40 devices.
CTOUCH Laser Air + also has direct web cam and microphone USB ports for video communication. The CTOUCH Laser Air + is available in 55, 65 and 70-inch diagonal display formats in Full HD and 65,75 or 84-inch in UHD. Those concerned about future-proofing their investments can opt for the UHD model.
If deciding on a BYOD policy is a problem, the range of connectivity options on the Laser Air +, will satisfy customer needs for the foreseeable future, while the bundled Oktopus software suite enables customers to use legacy resources created in other leading education software environments.
The ‘Glass Layer’ Oktopus tools can be used to enhance files created with any other software. The full Oktopus tool set installed in CTOUCH Laser Air + includes 70 different functions grouped over 7 different themes and adaptable for all age groups.
So what else acts as a deterrent to potential buyers? Getting the Total Cost of Ownership within the available budget is always an issue. CTOUCH has made the YCO as predictable as possible with Laser Air +. The product ships complete with audio, software, dual pens and a remote mouse. There are no extras to budget for and even maintenance need not be a consideration: CTOUCH Laser Air + has a 7-year warranty as standard.
Promethean
Customers with a history with Promethean will be drawn to the new ActivPanel range launched at BETT. Like the CTOUCH, this now offers a choice of full HD and 4K Ultra HD displays. The new range is designed to keep pace with the rate of development in the computing world and, in particular, the demand for Android functionality devices in classroom displays.
Ian Curtis, Head of Europe, Africa and Australasia, explains: “Many schools looking to invest in flat panels with internal computing devices have the expectation that the technology will not need to be refreshed for 5 to 10 years; however, the rate of innovation around computing processing power on average doubles every two years. This means there is a high likelihood that the processing power may be generations behind after a short period of time, leaving schools with dated technology and without options.”
To respond to this challenge, Promethean has developed a new external, upgradeable Android. By combining the ActivPanel with this solution, teachers have access to a powerful interactive teaching device without any need to connect to a computer. Curtis continues: “Ease of use and efficiency continue to emerge as key requirements in the education sector. In doing so, we’ve succeeded in addressing these whilst at the same time designing an upgradeable solution which will protect the investment which schools make in the ActivPanel displays.”
Supporting up to 10 simultaneous touch points, a further enhancement to the ActivPanel user experience is a new Promethean Digital Pen. This enables teachers and students to write, annotate and hover in addition to performing typical touch screen commands.
The ActivPanel series is now offered in 55”, 65”, 75” (Full HD) and 65”, 75” and 84” (UHD) formats. These are available with a fixed wall mount or a mobile stand. Connectivity options include HDMI, VGA, USB 3.0 and 4K open pluggable specification (OPS). The latest generation ActivPanels feature the ActivGlide surface; constructed from extremely durable glass, ActivGlide provides a smooth and seamless user experience whilst also eliminating the risk of finger burn from prolonged use.
Geneeworld
Geneeworld has developed a full range of classroom technologies of which its G-Touch 65″ Deluxe with built-in Android is one the company’s most popular products. A new slim line, lightweight design with a portable stand enables teachers to benefit from the flexibility of uses.
With 10-point touch technology, the G-Touch Classroom Range provides teachers with an array of collaborative teaching opportunities. Students can interact directly on the screen or respond via hand held devices. Clear audio is available via front facing speakers which makes the G-Touch ideal for video presentations.
All G-Touch Classroom Touchscreens include Genee’s unique Interactive Classroom Software, LEARN Infiniti and Project Flow which have been developed specifically with teachers in mind. The recently introduced 84″ G-Touch Deluxe combines interactive LED performance with 4K Ultra High Definition.
Samsung e-Board
Give the diversity of choice available in IFPDs, will Samsung’s renewed E-Board initiative prove disruptive? Does it offer anything new? Samsung’s new MagicIWB S2 interactive content management software enables on-screen browsing; hand-gesture screen manipulation; Microsoft Office application editing; finger or pen stylus control; and content sharing on iOS, Windows, Android, Mac and Chrome devices.
Up to four Windows devices can, via Airscreen technology, connect wirelessly and be controlled from the E-Board. Sharing documents, content and screens with the room, presenters can control connected devices on-screen to annotate, comment and save. A pre-installed, quad-core Android player is said to deliver a truly intuitive ‘large touchscreen’ experience and touch screen browser access to external content.
Is it enough? Only time and pricing will tell.
Going forward
So has the IFPD reached an optimal specification? Interactive specialist technology developer Zytronic has investigated extended IFPD specifications. The company argues that multi-touch precision is of prime importance, even on the largest displays. How can this be delivered?
A report entitled ‘Touch Screen Market Globally 2015’ finds that, since 2009, one technology, Projected Capacitive, (P-CAP) has captured the highest-volume touch categories of mobile phones and tablets. This success has been driven by a compelling feature set, including an effectively unlimited lifespan conferred by a resistant all-glass surface, edge-to-edge design capability (with no requirement for bezels) and high levels of sensitivity.
PCAP manufacturers are now taking this technology to screens as large as 85”. They are focussing on four areas to advance both touch performance and user interface design. These are speed, accuracy, EMI immunity and integration.
Commercial touch screens of 47” diagonal that can register between 10 and 40 touches with a precision of 1mm are now commonplace. The area of a 16:9 format screen roughly quadruples when the diagonal doubles. To maintain the same touch detection performance, the touch processor on a 47” screen has to handle many more inputs than on a 4.5” phone. Palm rejection, gesture recognition and other functions further increase the demand on the touch processor.
Touch screen size is increasing further, however, in multi-player casino gaming tables, interactive exhibits in museums, multi-user design/architectural workstations, cataloguing and EPOS tables in retail outlets, car showrooms and bank branches, panels of 55” – 85” are becoming popular.
Delivering a great touch experience at these screen sizes means increasing the number of touch detection electrodes. The advanced touch detection algorithms within the latest firmware double the number of touch detecting electrodes that can be supported to 256, compared with 128 for the standard multi-touch controller (aimed at smaller screens up to 47”).
As a result, the capacitive sensing matrix within the touch sensor can be much denser, which in turn makes it possible to determine the positions of individual simultaneous touch events to far greater precision, even on the largest MPCT-based touchscreens of 85 -inches.
This gives touch controllers the capacity to support up to 40 simultaneous touch points with touch separation of <10mm between each point (i.e. less than the width of a fingertip). They can achieve this across the complete range of MPCT sensor sizes currently available.
To transmit this data to the host PC without visible lag or latency, the touch controller must possess substantial processing capabilities. The touch screen often ends up with as powerful a processor as the system itself – ARM 32-bit Cortex processors are popular. Thanks to careful design of the firmware, the additional data that needs to be captured to achieve this level of performance on a large screen can still be gathered, processed and output to the host PC in less than 5ms.
UHD (4K) screens are increasingly popular and are being successfully integrated with touch sensors. However, the delay (lag) or latency sometimes seen is actually due to the performance of early 4K screens rather than the touch controller.
Typical HD displays used with touchscreens today have a pixel refresh rate of around 120Hz. The data processing requirements necessary to control the extremely large number of pixels mean that most current 4K displays operate at 60Hz or less. This makes it challenging to deal with real-time touch events, such as dragging a cursor around a screen, since the display on board processing power is effectively being consumed by refreshing the background image.
Consequently, a moving touch event on a UHD display, like a drawn line, appears to trail the finger noticeably more than on a HD display. Even P-CAP touchscreens reporting touch events at millisecond speeds will be caught up by this latency. As newer 4K displays enter the market with higher refresh rates this issue will diminish. But until then careful consideration must be given to the kind of touch application running on a UHD display and its likely effect on user experience.
The key attribute of P-CAP touch technologies (such as PCT and MCPT) is its high sensitivity. It can detect a touch through very thick overlays, protective glass and even heavily gloved hands and therefore has an unsurpassed level of Z-axis sensitivity and control. Coupled with a well-designed touch controller it can offer a reliable and intuitive touch experience, responding precisely to up to 40 touches, recognising gestures and rejecting unintentional contact. The continued improvement in P-CAP controller ICs coupled with sensor developments using printable conductive inks and nano-materials are likely to extend the capability and use of this versatile touch technology family further still.
According to Ian Crosby, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Zytronic, said: “Retailers and other users are increasingly seeking to create an exciting customer experience in all possible environments. Using our patented multi-touch projected capacitive technology (MPCT), we can create touch screens to fit displays of up to 85” diagonal, with 4K resolution, and able to detect over 40 simultaneous touch points – indoors and outdoors. We have recently invested over $1.5 million to increase our capacity to manufacture these sophisticated touch screens.”
BenQ to honour warranties on IFPDs sold by Steljes
BenQ has announced changes to its support and the sale of interactive flat panels following Steljes Ltd, its sole distributor, going in to administration on 23rd May 2016.
The onsite warranties and technical support on units sold to reseller partners before 20th May 2016 were sold and managed by Steljes Ltd. BenQ is unable to comment on the status of these warranties, however it can confirm that the default warranty supplied by BenQ UK Ltd to Steljes Ltd was a return to base warranty (RTB) and is now legally the remaining warranty. However, with BenQ’s commitment to the UK education channel, the decision has been made to takeover and honour these onsite warranties sold by Steljes Ltd * before administration.
For products imported into the UK by BenQ after the 20th May 2016, BenQ will supply the warranty support directly, using its existing customer service centre and its UK onsite service partner for continued quality service.
Royce Lye, UK General Manager said “The decision to do the right thing and support the schools who have committed to the BenQ brand was something that we, as a company, felt strongly about. This unfortunate situation highlights that when choosing a manufacturer and reviewing its warranties, it’s imperative that you pick a brand that will continuously support you both today and tomorrow.”
As Steljes Ltd was the exclusive partner for BenQ’s interactive flat panels, there will be further announcements regarding the supply channel: “We enjoyed a successful 10-year partnership with Steljes Ltd with strong IFP sales. The news of its administration came as a surprise, but we will endeavour to work closely with our loyal reseller partners and support them as much as possible.” said Royce Lye.
Reseller partners can contact their BenQ account manager directly or the BenQ UK offices for updates and sales support.
*Only including BenQ IFP sold to resellers before the 20th May 2016 and the warranty will need to be validated online before 30th September 2016 at http://www.benq.co.uk/support
