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Why a fullscreen virtual tour?
Broadband (high speed) Internet is capable of delivering large, high-resolution panoramic images, making for a very compelling virtual tour. And while it is important to include dialup virtual tours, it is also becoming increasingly important to cater to users of broadband internet connections.
Broadband Growth
By the end of 2005, Broadband use in the US surpassed 60%. The chart below demonstrates this trend.
How does a broadband virtual tour compare to a dialup virtual tour?
Unlike a television, where everyone sees the same thing regardless of the physical screen size, a computer monitor allows the user to control how much is seen on the screen. Current statistics show that 74% of computer users have their monitors set at 1024 X 768 pixels or higher. This number is expected to keep increasing.
| 2006 | Higher | 1024x768 | 800x600 | 640x480 | Unknown |
| July | 19% | 58% | 17% | 0% | 6% |
| January | 17% | 57% | 20% | 0% | 6% |
| 2005 | |||||
| July | 14% | 55% | 25% | 0% | 6% |
| January | 12% | 53% | 30% | 0% | 5% |
| 2004 | |||||
| July | 10% | 50% | 35% | 1% | 4% |
| January | 10% | 47% | 37% | 1% | 5% |
| 2003 | |||||
| July | 8% | 43% | 44% | 2% | 5% |
| January | 6% | 40% | 47% | 2% | 5% |
| 2002 | |||||
| October | 6% | 38% | 49% | 2% | 5% |
Here's how our virtual tours appear at different resolutions:
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Dialup Virtual Tour
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Broadband (fullscreen) Virtual Tour
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PanaViz dialup tour on a 800 X 600 screen (20% Users)
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PanaViz fullscreen tour on a 800 X 600 screen (20% Users)
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PanaViz dialup tour on a 1024 X 768 screen (57% Users)
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PanaViz fullscreen tour on a 1024 X 768 screen (57% Users)
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PanaViz dialup tour on a 1600 X 1200 screen (17% Users)
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PanaViz fullscreen tour on a 1600 X 1200 screen (17% Users)
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After comparing the dialup tours to the broadband tours, you see that the broadband tours fill the screen no matter what resolution you're using. It's easy to see the tremendous advantage of the broadband tours.
Looking at the broadband tours, you can see that none of the computer's interface is visible - the panorama spans all the way across the physical screen, as far as it can go, for maximum visual impact. The only visible buttons are located in a thin bar across the top - these are the buttons for changing the scenes, controlling the panorama's movement, and closing the window.
Nothing beats the visual impact of an image that spans all the way across your computer monitor. It's impossible to ignore and it showcases your property like nothing else can. The only thing that beats it is actually being there.