After installing a basic projection system in a church, many media ministries quickly realize that switching between a computer source and a video source can be a headache. Most installations include two cable runs: a computer cable (15-pin connector) and a video cable (s-video or composite). Many churches use the video projector’s remote control to switch between the two sources. Being able to control the switching from the back of a room is usually the first problem. There are RF devices and hardwire remotes that make this easier, but using the remote control from a distance is not always reliable. Another problem is that there is usually a delay when switching. Sometimes there is an awkward flicker or blue screen when changing inputs. Some projectors will show on-screen text (e.g. “Input 1”) when switching, with no option to turn this function off. Finally, on some models the inputs have to be cycled using one button (e.g. Computer 1 > Computer 2 > Video 1 > Video 2). This is obviously hard to control.
A solution to this problem would be to use something another than the projector’s controls to switch between sources. This would involve using some kind of switcher or mixer. There is a problem with this idea, however. Computer signals and video signals are not alike. This is why many projection systems have two types of cable runs. Video signals are roughly half the scan rate of a computer signal. It is because of this difference that there is a flicker when switching; and mixing (such as a crossfade) these two types of signals is impossible without some conversion. The traditional way around this problem was to scan convert the computer signal down to the video level so that they could be mixed using a standard video mixer. This is very undesirable as it degrades the computer image. Also, projectors are more like computer monitors than televisions. This is why a computer image looks so much better than video on a projector. Rather than lowering the quality level of the computer signal, it is a better idea to raise the level of the video signal and mix them at the higher resolution.
This is where The Compass Presentation Switcher by FSR, Inc. comes in. The Compass (List: $5995.00) is a seven-in/oneout, high-resolution video and audio mixer housed in a single rack-space chassis. The Compass includes a video scaler, which raises the quality of video sources to the computer level, allowing them to be switched and mixed seamlessly. The input and output connectors on The Compass are all 15-pin connectors (just like a computer graphics card). Computers may be connected using standard monitor cables. Other devices such as VCRs and DVD players may be connected using special cables that adapt s-video or composite connectors to the 15- pin connectors. There are two 15-pin outputs. One would be connected to the projector and the second could be connected to a computer monitor or second projector.
We had a first-hand look at The Compass and were impressed with the results. We connected a VCR, DVD player, digital camcorder and two computers to the first five inputs. The computer inputs used standard computer graphics cables. We had to order special s-video to 15-pin cables for the VCR and camcorder and a component to 15-pin cable for the DVD player. We connected the output of The Compass to our projector using a standard computer graphics cable.
The Compass also includes seven audio inputs for each of the video inputs, as well as an extra line and mic input. We did not test these features since most churches would probably not use them, but the features and controls looked easy to use.
The Compass has a very simple control panel that includes a button for each of the seven inputs and a button to fade to black or a logo. The Compass may also be controlled via any RS-232 device. We powered everything up and started pressing buttons. The first time that we selected each of the inputs, The Compass took a moment to adjust itself to the source input. This is a time-saving feature for optimizing the various formats that we were feeding the mixer.
As we cycled through our five inputs, each source faded into the next. The first thing we noticed was that the image from the active source would freeze while crossfading into the next. Upon further investigation of the setup menu, we discovered that we could change this setting to cut to black and fade in the selected source. However, our preference would be for a crossfade from source to source without any type of image freeze or cut to black. However, units that can perform this type of mixing cost up to three times as much as The Compass, which makes the image freeze tolerable. The image freeze makes The Compass unusable for live video (IMAG), but that is not what it was designed for. In most situations the original source material will fade to black before transitioning to another source, so the image freeze becomes a non-issue in that situation. The operator could also fade to black using The Compass before fading back up to the next source. Other transitions include a variety of wipes and a mosaic effect. Each type of effect can be globally adjusted in a number of ways.
Once we understood the basic functions of the switcher, we entered the setup menu to perform some tweaking to the images. The display screen was easy to understand and changes were made using a knob and two buttons.
Our VCR source was showing some “garbage” at the top and bottom of the screen. This is normally cropped out by a television, however a projector will show this distortion. We were able to adjust the top and bottom edges of the image to hide the garbage. We also adjusted the positioning of the image for a perfect fit on the screen. On some projectors, the video image will be noticeably smaller than the computer image. The Compass solves this issue with these controls. There are also controls for brightness, contrast, hue and saturation.
Our camcorder had some material that was recorded using the anamorphic 16:9 technique (the video was recorded “squished” so that it could be letter-boxed for a wide-screen effect). We were able to use The Compass setup controls to adjust the image for the correct aspect ratio.
As mentioned earlier, The Compass includes a scaler, which will scale up the video sources to match the output resolution of The Compass (which should be set to the native resolution of the projector). This can greatly improve the quality of a video image. On our VHS source there was a noticeable enhancement, however where the scaler really shined was with our DVD and digital camcorder sources. Since the original material was higher in resolution, the quality was maintained and looked great when run through The Compass.
Once everything was tweaked we were able to easily switch between sources or fade to black with a simple touch of a button.
The Compass would a great addition to any church projection system. With The Compass as the control center, the projector’s remote control is no longer needed for switching. As “grand central station” for all the video and computer sources of a media ministry, The Compass will improve the quality of services and make life easier for the media minister. More information may be found at www.fsrinc.com.
Tim Eason is president of ChurchMedia.net, an online resource center dedicated to churches using media in ministry. Tim has an extensive background in audio, video and computer technologies. Known as the “Media Missionary”, Tim has a passion for equipping churches to fulfill the great commission using modern methods of communication.
