Setting Up A Hi-tech Conference Room For $2,500 Only

By Author: Kanika Gupta
Total Articles: 20
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Every business, whether small or big, requires a hi-tech conference room setup. This is the place where most of their deals get finalized. This is a place where they can actually communicate with their clients or partners, no matter how far they are physically located. Since a conference room is a special place for businesses, every business spends thousands of dollars setting it up, without knowing that a hi-tech conference room can be setup for much less than they usually spend.

Let me let out a secret here - A hi-tech conference room equipment can come for less than $2500. Here is a list of all the equipment you might need in a conference room.

Projector - A conference room projector should have high brightness and contrast levels which produce easy-to read text. It should also have a good lamp life and require less maintenance, thus bringing down the cost of ownership. Optoma EX532 DLP Projector, priced at $548.99, is the best choice. This projector has an image brightness of 2800 ANSI lumens, contrast ratio of 3000:1, a native XGA resolution of 1024 x 768, an aspect ratio of 4:3 and a lamp life cycle of ...
... 3000 hours. This projector can support video modes of 480p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p and 480i. Other features include wide range of connectivity options, built-in closed captioning and rapid power-on and shutdown. This projector comes with a remote control and VGA cable.

Projection Screen - A must have for conference room is a projection screen which is compatible with your projector and has large projection image size with large viewing angle. Optoma 100" Manual Pull Down Screen (DS-3100PM), priced at $104.99, is compatible with the above Optoma projector and has a projection image size of 80 x 60 with viewing angle of 180 degrees. This screen is ceiling or wall mountable, washable and fire resistant.

Plasma Display - Plasma displays found their way in conference rooms few years back. They act as a computer screen and make your conference room look hi-tech. Samsung SyncMaster P50HP 50" Widescreen Plasma Display, priced at $1,223.99, is the best choice. This plasma screen has a host of connectivity options including HDMI, contrast ratio of 10,000:1, resolution of 1365 x 768, a display format of 720p, aspect ratio of 16:9 and built-in speakers. Remote control and VGA cable are included.

Plasma Wall Mount Kit - Mount your plasma display on a wall and make your conference room stylish and neat. Mounting the screen will also reduce cable clutter in the room. Samsung WMN-5770D Mounting Kit, priced at $119.99, is compatible with the above Samsung plasma display.

Desktop, Keyboard and Mouse - Connect a desktop with plasma display and you have a full working computer in the conference room. Lenovo 3000 H200 53571WU Desktop (53571WU), priced at $280.99, is a tower form PC that comes with Intel Atom N230 1.6 GHz processor, 512 KB cache memory, 1 GB RAM, 160 GB Hard drive, Intel GMA 950 graphics controller and a DVD writer. This Lenovo desktop comes included with a keyboard and a mouse.

VOIP Phone - Leverage the advantage of IP telephony by setting up a VOIP phone in the conference room. Linksys SPA921 VoIP Phone, priced at $81.99, comes loaded with features such as 3-way conference call, speakerphone, intercom, call waiting, call forwarding, call hold, call transfer, call timer, easy station moves, shared line appearances and secure remote provisioning. This VOIP phone also has call log capacity of 60 numbers and phone directory capacity of 100 names & numbers. Network cable comes included.

Webcam - A good webcam is a must for video conferencing. Microsoft LifeCam VX-2000 (YFC-00001), priced at $25.99, produces clear VGA videos and sharp 1.3 Megapixel photos. This webcam is easy to setup and auto-adjusts for low-light conditions.

Microphone - A microphone is needed for audio conferencing. Cyber Acoustics ACM 51B Microphone, priced at $7.99, is Omni-directional with adjustable microphone arm. Other features include PCvoiceLINK technology for compatibility with all sound cards, sensitivity of 60dbV/microbar and impedance of 2000 Ohms.

Headsets - Headsets are also needed for audio conferencing. Maxell HP 200 Headphones, priced at $3.99, feature adjustable locking headband and are lightweight.

Cables - Most of the above equipment comes included with a VGA cable. You'll need an extra HDMI cable though. Tripp Lite HDMI to HDMI Gold Digital Video Cable, priced at 25.99, is a 10 ft cable that will help with interconnection.

So far the expenses amount to $2,424.90, to be exact. The remaining $75.10 can be added for any extra necessities including internet connection.

Finally, a hi-tech conference room is setup for $2,500 or less. Can you setup a hi-tech conference room for less than $2,500?

Prices on all the equipments have been taken from a leading B2B online retailer - Super Warehouse. Find: Optoma EX532 Projector, Samsung P50HP Plasma Display, Linksys SPA921 VoIP Phone and Lenovo 53571WU Desktop .