Canon recently announced the development of a new compact, lightweight 4K ultra high definition video projector. Early information tells us this new projector will have some great new features and smaller form factor --- a signal that this new unit may have a lower price --- an indicator that 4K projection systems in churches will happen sooner rather than later. At 5,000 lumens, the new unit, which is yet to be named, will have a tough time being specified for larger environments, but in looking at the feature set, large venues are not the intent. We're also told Canon is developing a new lens for the projector that will offer short-throw distances and the ability to project on curved screens or objects.
New 4K displays such as this one from Canon are becoming more prevalent as the demand and use of 4K cameras becomes affordable and an acceptable choice for content producers. As I contemplated the use and potential adoption of 4K technology in our church, the anticipation of even more amazing, life-like images promises a very exciting future. Then reality set in as I also had to consider what other steps would be needed to fully implement 4K at my church with our existing systems.
At this time Canon has not specified the style or kind of inputs the new projector will have. This information will be very good to know as it will influence how new or existing infrastructure will need to be setup or modified. To get the full 4K resolution from this projector using existing signals such as HD-SDI or HDMI you will likely need extra capacity than what you may have currently. In my HD-SDI environment that would mean I will need a set of four cables for each source and destination. This is not a deal breaker, but as I think through my switcher, router, and processing gear I realize this is a lot of additional cable, inputs and outputs along with potentially upgrading my processing horsepower to handle all of the new data.
Digging into the development specs of the Canon projector here is what we can expect when it arrives on the market in 2016. This will be Canon's first 4K offering in the 4K projector market. It will have a resolution of 4,096 X 2,400 which is slightly more than the 4K standard of 4,096 X 2,160. The projector will be a part of the company's RealiS line. Using technology already developed they will be able to keep the body of the projector compact and lightweight. They are also keeping fan noise to a minimum without sacrificing cooling performance. As I mentioned earlier, Canon is developing a new lens specific for this projector. The lens allows the projector to develop 5,000 lumens of brightness and provide short-throw distances as well as the ability for curved display installations.
One of the applications where 4K may be a great fit in the church world is the static center camera large display with side screens running a supporting IMAG stream. This format is already in use by many churches across the world and could be a great fit or upgrade in adopting 4K without breaking the bank. Current HD is great but four times more the resolution is almost hard to imagine. Using 4K for a large center screen would make the image very life like. In this scenario the 4K infrastructure would only be needed between the camera and recording device along with connections between the playback and display. This setup would initially use fewer resources while making the first step into an all-4K environment.
As with all new projector technology, early adopters will need to determine if the lumen-to-dollar ratio will work in their application. Canon has not provided any financial details yet but they did provide some details about their targeted initial end users. As with other new projector technologies, Canon is specifically looking to market this projector to the museum and flight simulator segments, which is why the push the short throw and curved screen capability of the lens.
One potential short coming for this projector in the church market may be its lumen output. Because we are becoming so accustomed to high-lumen, low-cost projectors, the big question will be, is the improvement in the image great enough to overcome the lack brightness needed to command the space?
Dreaming about the future potential of 4K in the church work I cannot help but think how Jesus would have embraced this new technology and how he would have used it. Jesus was all about connecting with people and developing relationships. Technology used in the right way can do just that. With 4K, the connection between the congregation and the pastor gets more real, even life-like. This will be especially helpful for video venues and remote campuses.
I look forward to 2016 and the ability to see this new RealiS projector in person. I expect it to produce an amazing image and will enjoy seeing how its short-throw distance works in the real world as well as the performance of its lumen output.
Will 4K projection be the next item in our toolbox of technology? For me it's too early to make that prediction, but I will wait patiently to have an opportunity in 2016 to check it out.