Califone Wireless LCD Projector Audio Transmitter

Enhances Audio for one of Education’s Must-Have Technologies Transmitter augments audio portion of multimedia presentations for students to hear clearly

Califone International, Inc., the premier manufacturer of high-quality audio technology for the education market, today releases the Wireless LCD Projector Audio Transmitter to help schools better utilize and enhance audio from LCD projectors.

Califone developed the new technology in response to the explosive growth of LCD projectors in classrooms and the need to help all students better hear multimedia presentations. Because most LCD projectors do not have built-in audio amplifiers, the sound portion of a presentation is frequently under utilized. With the high levels of ambient noise and prevalence of poor acoustics in classrooms, students often have difficulty hearing their teachers’ lessons, particularly if they are seated far away from the source of the sound. The Acoustical Society of America reports that excessive noise and reverberation interfere with speech intelligibility, or the capability of understanding speech, and subsequently reduces student learning. In many U.S. classrooms, the speech intelligibility rating is 75 percent or lower, meaning students can only hear three-fourths of what is said by their teachers or in presentations.

LCD projectors have been a big hit with educators because of its portability and easy set-up. Expanding on these qualities, Califone has created a small, lightweight transmitter with a single connector to allow for quick, simple attachment to a projector. The device, whose size resembles a deck of playing cards, provides wireless transmission up to 50 feet from any projector to the company’s PresentationPro sound presentation system for high-quality audio support. The portability and flexibility of the 16-channel UHF LCD-16 and PresentationPro will be a boon to AV carts and to any teacher who requires mobile presentation tools.

Educators have lauded the LCD projector as must-have technology to equip classrooms for 21st century learning. LCD projectors easily display computer-generated information on a wall, screen or whiteboard, which is another technology rapidly growing in classroom use. “Students accustomed to digital displays of information in virtually every aspect of their lives become more engaged in the curriculum when educators utilize multimedia presentations to bring concepts to life,” said Tim Ridgway, Vice President of Marketing for Califone. “But without the ability to hear clearly, students can not experience the powerful combination of sound with rich visual information.”

The lack of audio amplification with presentations is compounded for students with some degree of hearing loss. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) says that more than 1 million U.S. children have some type of hearing loss. Students with minimal hearing loss miss sounds at certain frequencies, so their impairment often goes undetected as they appear to hear with no difficulty. But studies have shown even minimal hearing loss can affect student achievement. Without classroom accommodations to help students hear, they will have difficulty learning.

With the Califone Wireless LCD Projector Audio Transmitter the audio portion of multimedia presentations reaches every student in the classroom, including those with special needs, allowing them to fully appreciate and learn from a dynamic lesson.

About Califone
Califone was founded in 1946 and continues to be a leader in the design, development and manufacturing of audiovisual and supplemental curriculum products for use in education, presentation and professional markets. The company offers a complete line of audio solutions, wireless systems and multimedia products for small, medium and large presentation needs. Califone serves millions of educators and children in the PreK through higher education school environments and has expanded to serve business and industry, houses of worship, parks and recreation and other presentation markets as well.

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