SCREENS Project
Technological changes in classroom environment
Flat panel displays have replaced CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) monitors due to their dramatic price reduction and smaller space requirement. A new digital display connector (DVI) for flat panel displays is taking place of the analogue display (VGA) connector, which has dominated in the market since 1987. This technological change has made the current equipment obsolete and has caused technological challenges for European SMEs in the educational network business.
In the DVI standard the transfer distance is specified to max. 5 meters, which is not enough in a typical classroom environment. One goal of the project was to increase the transfer distance of digital video signal up to 20 meters. The DVI standard enables content to remain in the lossless digital domain from creation to consumption. It also enables better picture quality on flat panel displays. A new generation educational network system supports resolutions up to 1600 x 1200 pixels and 1920 x 1080 (HDTV) resolution. It also supports the next generation HDTV level digital training material formats like HD-DVD and Blu-Ray discs.