The Church of The Highlands in Birmingham, Ala., is one example of Sony solutions at work on a budget. Last year Sony provided its HDC-2400 series cameras for the church's main campus in Birmingham, and several small but powerful MCS-8M production switchers in various satellite campuses.
Church Designer sought out Craig Harper, national manager of Sony Faith in Park Ridge, N.J., to learn what the company has in store for the church market leading into 2016. Harper, active at his own church, notes a year of strong product offerings ahead for specifiers of church gear—as well as robust support from Sony Faith in the form of ongoing education: “We’re continually training and educating our partners and our own people so they can better understand and respond to the needs of churches.”
Last time we talked we discussed several products that Sony offers that are right for the church market—AWS-750 Anycast Touch Live Content Producer, MCS8M Compact AV Mixing Switcher, and VPL-FHZ55 3LCD Laser Projector to name a few. What new Sony AVL products are most fitting for the church setting?
Harper: These products are all still widely in use, but we’ve also made some recent announcements and new additions to our product lineup that meet the needs of churches of any size and budget, including:
+ Remote PTZ Cameras:
SRG-300SE
The SRG-300SE is Sony’s first 3G-SDI and Live IP streaming PTZ camera. The camera combines full HD video and ease of use at an affordable price and is optimized for various applications, including churches and live events, for which it enables seamless performance, allowing for a hassle-free live stream. It can also record a service for on-demand viewing.
SRG-120DU
Sony Electronics’ new SRG-120DU is the latest member of its SRG high definition remote-operated camera line-up. The compact, lightweight camera is the first in Sony’s PTZ line to feature a USB 3.0 interface and is UVC video compatible. It combines high speed data transfer of uncompressed video signals resulting in full HD images with imaging advances to instantly adapt to the challenging lighting conditions often found during worship services.
+ Digital Imaging Cameras:
PXW-FS5 & PXW-FS7
The FS5, our latest camera, was just announced and will be available in November of this year. It is a flexible, 4K, compact Super 35mm camcorder [that] is ergonomically designed for versatile, hand-held shooting. It is Sony’s first Super35 camcorder to feature built-in electronic variable ND filters, which expand the depth of field and enable easy exposure control. Another key feature of the camera is the E-mount lens system that works with Sony’s E-mount and A-mount lenses and allows the FS5 to be compatible with virtually any lens.
Announced last year, the FS7 is still one of the most talked about and widely used cameras on the market and in use by many of our faith customers. It is a complete camera system that delivers long-form recording capabilities with 4K resolution in a compact, hand-held design. The PXW-FS7 XDCAM Super 35 camcorder combines the flexibility of native E-mount technology; the recording efficiency of the XAVC-L codec; the transfer speed and intelligence of XQD memory cards; and comfortable, handheld ergonomics, including a new “Smart Grip.”
+ Laser Projectors:
VPL-FHZ65
VPL-FHZ65 uses 3LCD imaging technology to achieve 6,000 lumens of color light output at WUXGA resolution (1920 x 1200), delivers a range of capabilities that eliminate many of the issues associated with conventional lamp-based projection, while still producing vivid color, and having a long lifespan. It is a good fit for worship centers and classrooms, since VPL-FHZ65 is quiet, easy to install, requires less cost and less upkeep, at about 20,000 hours maintenance-free—and the lack of lamps means fewer risky ladder climbs for bulb changes. The cost of ownership is low since there are no lamps to buy and, additionally, the low power consumption and energy efficiency help worship facilities reduce electricity bills.
VPL-FHZ60
The VPL-FHZ60 uses 3LCD imaging technology to achieve 5,000 lumens of color light output at WUXGA resolution (1920 x 1200). The projector is virtually maintenance-free, extremely quiet and is compatible with a variety of optional lenses. It features HDBaseT input for single cable video/audio/IP/control input.
+ Lamp-Based Projectors:
VPL-EW345
In addition to laser, Sony has new lamp-based offerings like the VPL-EW345, 4,200 lumen WXGA (1280 x 1200) projector. The bright and powerful product has superb picture quality and uses Sony’s 3LCD projection technology. [It is] compact and easy to transport, [with] just [an] 8.8-pound compact chassis, and would be [ideal] for portable campuses. It offers up to 10,000 hours of lamp life, 1.6x optical zoom, HDMIx2 input, and Digital Lens Shift for easier installation, [as well as] Optional Wireless Presentation.
Security is another area where Sony has offerings right for churches. What are some of the Sony security systems that are right for churches and what components are especially volunteer-operator friendly?
Harper: Many markets are moving toward the adoption of 4K resolution, and security is no different. The SNC-VM772R is Sony’s newest offering, a 4K surveillance camera which combines the enhanced resolution of 4K with low-light sensitivity, a 1.0 type back-illuminated Exmor R CMOS image sensor, bandwidth optimization features, and intelligent scene capture capability to adopt the best picture quality. With the exceptional level of detail provided by 4K technology, the surveillance area can be expanded and will still capture, magnify and examine the smallest parts of a scene. The SNC-VM772R camera provides enhanced visibility, reduced total system costs and flexible and easy installation. The surveillance camera also uses Intelligent Coding which allows a user to select only the portion of an image they want to see in 4K resolution, while also streaming a scaled full HD image and results in 50% less bandwidth consumption by reducing the amount of video transmitted in 4K resolution.
Additionally for smaller churches and smaller budgets, Sony offers a full range of security solutions to meet any need. From mini domes and bullet cameras to 360-degree solutions, [as well as] megapixel technology, Sony has a comprehensive lineup of cameras for every budget and form factor. Sony offers IP cameras, analog cameras, network surveillance recorders, and accessories that address security and surveillance in a church setting.
Leading into 2016, what are new product areas where Sony hopes to shine for churches, and how are you already addressing these needs?
Harper: The Church of The Highlands in Birmingham, Ala., is a great example of how Sony has solutions for any need and budget. Last year we provided our HDC-2400 series cameras for their main campus in Birmingham. We also have several of our smaller but very powerful MCS-8M production switchers in their campuses. The MCS-8M is a real switcher in a small package. It is not a PC trying to keep up with the demanding needs of live production. It is a proven low-cost highly effective production tool for many of our churches across the country.
[Another] longtime Sony Faith partner is First Baptist Church in Orlando, Fla. [Staff was] remodeling the worship center and wanted to include high definition images for IMAG as well as television broadcast. They already had Sony standard definition cameras in use and we went in and demonstrated the latest in HD technology to the church media team. After careful evaluation of the HDC-2400 camera, they selected the long-term technology partner that they have trusted for many years: Sony.
These categories will continue to be technology cornerstones for the faith market, especially as these products evolve with new features and capabilities, like 4K, laser light sources, new codecs, workflows and ergonomics. We’re also seeing interest from many churches in new types of storage options, such as cloud and optical disc archive, as well as asset management solutions.
