Follow These Top Tips for the Best Conferencing Outcomes 

This blog was originally published January 2022 and has been updated in August 2024 with new information. 

Is it time to update your conference rooms? Is your tech looking a little ‘retro’? 

When installing a new conferencing system, there are many factors to consider if you want to set your Tampa, FL, business up for success. For example, what’s the best projector screen size for your space? Which screen format should you choose for your conference room display? How bright should your projector be? 

We answer these questions in detail below!

SEE ALSO: How to Design a Conference Room for the Hybrid Workplace

Ideal Screen Size

Wall height, width, and distance of the furthest seat are the three most important dimensions in determining the ideal screen size for your room. These measurements will limit you regardless of the screen size you want.

Wall Height 

If you have an 8-foot ceiling and you’re mounting the screen from the ceiling, you’d have a maximum clearance of 8 feet for screen height. But if your conference room table is 30 inches tall, then you’d have to subtract 30 inches from 8 feet (or 96 inches), leaving you with 66 inches to work with. 

We prefer to use a bottom screen height of 36 to 40 inches to provide additional clearance above the conference room table. In this case, your maximum usable screen height would be 56 to 60 inches.

Wall Width 

To carry this example further, if you’re using a 16:10 screen with a screen height of 56 inches, then your screen width would be 89.6 inches. In some cases, you may have plenty of height but only so much room on the width of a wall. In that case, just reverse this process by starting with the width.

Distance from Furthest Seat 

This is the area where many people make mistakes. Proper conference room design should allow multiple people to participate in a discussion while viewing the same material. If a person at the end of a table or in a back row can’t see or read what’s on the screen, then the purpose of the room has been compromised.

Many clients think that they can substitute a flat TV panel for a projector. In a small room, you often can. However, there’s no way you’ll be able to see small numbers on an Excel spreadsheet—even on a 60-inch flat panel—at over 10 feet away. It’s unfortunate, but many clients don’t follow our advice and end up learning this lesson the hard way. In most cases, a projector screen is essential. 

As in any profession, you want to make sure that you use the right tool for the right job. In many cases, incorporating a flat panel in your boardroom audio-video installation will work well if your boardroom is small, but it typically won’t work well in a large room.

Screen Format

After you’ve determined your ballpark screen size, you’ll need to dial it in further based on the screen format you plan to use. To determine the best screen format size for your conference room, you’ll need to decide what the room will be primarily used for. Will it be for presenting data or video conferencing? 

We typically prefer a 16:10 format for business environments if the screen will primarily be used to present data from a computer because the 16:10 format allows two document pages to be viewed in full size and side by side. At the same time, the 16:9 format is the typical aspect ratio on laptops and video meeting tools like Zoom. So, depending on what you’ll be using your conference room for, you may prefer 16:9 or 16:10. Our commercial audio-video experts can help you decide which is best for you.

Ambient Light/Lumens

Room brightness is another important consideration when choosing the right projector. A typical conference room projector will put out around 3500 ANSI lumens of light, which is good for a small general-use meeting room. Plus, it may even allow you to leave some lights on during the presentation.

However, for bigger meeting rooms with twelve or more people, we’d recommend a projector with over 4000 lumens. If you have a large meeting room, your projector ideally should have 4500 or 5000+ lumens. 

Use caution when comparing specifications on projectors, as the specs are not always 100% accurate. For example, two projectors with the same specs won’t necessarily give you the same results. In cases like these, our professionals can help you determine the best option for your environment!

READ MORE: How to Enhance Communications with Advanced Office AV 

Optimize Your Conference Room Display with AV Specialists

We hope this article helps give you a better understanding of what to consider before you add a projector and screen to your conference room.

If you need professional assistance upgrading your conference room design, contact AV Specialists here or send us a message below to schedule a free consultation! We’d love to work with you.