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Digital Projection E-Vision 8000 8000-lumen DLP Projector
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Christie Roadster HD14K-J 13,200-lumen 3-chip DLP projector
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Panasonic PT-DZ13K 12,000-lumen 3-Chip DLP Projector
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Sony VPL-FH500L 7000-lumen 3LCD WUXGA Installation Projector
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Canon WUX5000 5000-lumen 3LCD WUXGA Projector
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Epson PowerLite Pro G6800 7000-lumen 3LCD XGA Projector
Projector manufacturers continue to develop feature-rich projectors that offer solutions for the way the house of worship (HOW) market is embracing projection technology. As more services expand how they're using visual technology to support the message, CPM asked some projector manufacturers to offer their thoughts on trends in product design and development—and the considerations that HOW AV staff should keep in mind when purchasing new projectors.
Development trends
Projector manufacturers really do listen to the input that they get from customers, and they use that to improve their products by incorporating the features that make sense for end-users. As a vital and growing market segment, the HOW market is important to all the manufacturers, so churches’ input is reflected in these new products.
“The trend in projectors for HOW is the inclusion of features that not only deliver great images in a larger venue, but also that provide convenience for HOW market users and their installers,” says Chuck Westfall, technical information advisor for the ITCG Professional Client Relations Division of Canon U.S.A. Inc, Melville, N.Y. “Projector design and development trends for this market from Canon U.S.A. Inc. include the continual addition of user-friendly features.” These include convenient memory features that easily recall settings and smarter handheld remote controls. Christie Digital Systems’ Frank Anzures, senior product manager of business products for the Cypress, Calif.-based company, notes the related trend of going wireless, “The adoption of smart phones and tablets has increased the demand for quick collaboration and sharing ideas. Wireless capabilities are now possible in a number of high brightness projectors.”
Brighter is the ever-present trend for not only the HOW market, but for all market segments. The manufacturers pointed out that you need to remember color brightness along with those lumens. Phong Phanel, product manager for corporate and higher education projectors with Epson America Inc. in Long Beach, Calif., explains, “The most beautiful displays are the ones that are big, bright, and colorful. Brilliant image quality requires high color brightness—the color light output. Projection is never in just black and white, and users shouldn’t be limited to one single white light metric. Lumens measurement is not enough. A projector‘s specification needs to show both high color brightness and high white brightness. If color brightness is lower than white brightness, images may be dark, dull, and lose detail. Having a large, bright, and colorful image creates a better viewing experience for congregations.”
Since most worship spaces are seldom perfectly square rooms with flat, white walls, built-in warping technology that will allow for projection onto corner walls and curved surfaces, along with edge-blending features, are important to look for if you are thinking about presenting a more immersive experience for your congregation. Along with addressing the need for features, including lens shift and digital correction, a trend that ties into that idea is projection mapping. “A cool thing that I recently saw was a Dallas-area company called Visual Worshiper and what they call ‘environmental projection,’” describes John Glad, product manager with Hitachi America Ltd. in Tarrytown, N.Y. “This is where the church projects images onto all the walls without screens. They use software to change the resolution of the images so it all fits together.”
Projection mapping has been done for some time in the entertainment industry and the architectural lighting segment, but is now starting to get wider use in today’s worship market. Along these same lines, Barco Business Development Manager Chris Prosio with the Duluth, Ga., company’s projection division says, “The cost per lumen is coming down across the board. This has opened the HOW market to applications like projection mapping. There is also a push for more resolution and image quality to support new digital camera systems.”
In the HOW market, like other markets, end users are constantly looking for projectors and other technologies with low total cost of ownership (TCO). “Minimizing maintenance of a projector through long lamp and filter replacement cycles is the easiest way to lower a projector’s TCO,” says William Edwards, sales manager for house of worship, Panasonic System Communications Co. of North America in Secaucus, N.J. “A big trend in projection right now is lamp-free and filter-free models, which deliver end users an even lower TCO. Ease of use is also important in product design and development, with devices that offer simplified remote control and maintenance.”
Smaller, quieter, and brighter are perennial goals of many people—users and manufacturers. “Those points, along with products that are easier to install and operate, are key points to keep in mind,” Anzures reports. “We’re seeing less intrusive (i.e., smaller chassis, less noise) high brightness projectors with < 39 dBA in normal display mode with brightness in the 5,000 to 7,000 lumen range. Stacking capabilities for flexibility to increase brightness when needed are important features. An example would be taking two 6,000-lumen projectors and having the ability to stack them easily for a brilliant high brightness image of 12,000 lumens.”
Prosio concurs, saying, “The reduced size and noise level of high lumen projectors have made it more practical to consider these for use above the main seating areas. This has allowed for more remote worship sites that may be temporary or in smaller spaces than the main church.”
The changing uses of projection
It’s interesting to see how the use of projector technology is changing for the HOW market. Are churches using them differently? Are there newer or different applications for projection? The use of projector technology is changing in churches as they look for different methods to underscore their messages.
Westfall notes that because the integration of visual content continues to increase in importance in the worship environment, the use of projection becomes ever more important. He adds, “This extends to non-worship ministry events such as church pageants, leadership summits, and parent training. There is more visual content available to present than ever before for houses of worship. This ranges from image magnification (IMAG) captured by the ever-expanding array of affordable, high-quality HD cameras to inspirational DVDs and streamed Internet video.” Edwards adds, “Congregations are embracing multi-screen and more creative stage backdrops, and projector technologies such as multi-screen support and edge-blending are meeting this need.”
An immersive experience for congregants is driving projection into new areas of use in churches, as well as seamless integration. According to Prosio, “Video is becoming more than just slide and IMAG support, which allows for a more interactive and engaging experience for both the ministers as well as the church members. At the same time, the projection experience is being integrated into the complete scenic design, and not just a pair of screens stuck on the wall on either side of the pastor.”
Another factor driving projector development is the increase in satellite locations viewing the services. “With a significant increase in multi-site churches, current projector technologies allow houses of worship to affordably stream HD video of services from the main campus to remote church locations,” explains Edwards. “New projectors provide a low cost solution for houses of worship to migrate from standard to high definition.”
Anzures, too, notes an increase in HD demand. “The growth continues in the HOW market for full HD displays,” he says. “End users do not have to compromise by simply having 720p options available to them. More affordable full HD 3LCD products are entering the market. Customers should think about the migration to high definition to future-proof their investment.”
More to consider
In addition to features, manufacturers strongly suggest customers look at the total cost of ownership up front prior to making any purchasing decision. You don’t want to be unpleasantly surprised when it costs more to maintain your new projector than you had realized.
“With any projector purchase, houses of worship should consider image and color reproduction; ease of integration within existing infrastructure and equipment; and total cost of ownership,” Phanel says. If you want to embrace projection mapping and really integrate projection in with lighting and scenic design you will want to look at projectors with flexibility. Phanel suggests that you look at a projector’s feature set including “optional lenses, 360° installation, and built-in warping technology. With these functions, integrators can display on nearly any surface, and utilize the full potential of any space to give the audience an immersive viewing experience.”
Westfall’s list includes these items to consider: “The projector’s throw range, availability of different projection lenses (such as an ultra long-focus zoom, or an ultra wide-angle lens), brightness amid ambient light, image size and aspect ratio (to be able to display the latest HD content from DVDs and notebook computers), and lens-shift capability to make projector placement easier for installers.” Not many integrators are installing standard definition systems these days, as almost everyone has made the move to HD.
Glad suggests that church techs answer these questions in preparation for speaking with an integrator or a manufacturer about a church’s projection needs. How do you want to integrate your media? How and where do you mount the projector? Who will operate the equipment? Who and how will you build your Sunday presentations? Staffing is just as important as having a good product, as well as having people that can develop good content. A great projector cannot make mediocre content look any better.
Anzures echoes the point: “Ease of use is important to many congregations where the range of pro AV expertise varies. Not all organizations have the luxury of having AV professionals on staff. Features such as easy-to-read menus and LCD displays, maintenance alerts, and long-life lamps and filters ensure that setup and maintenance is easy to do.”
In addition, Anzures notes that brightness and resolution are key to making sure a projector meets the needs of the venue. “The impact of the presentation can be lost when the image looks washed out or isn’t in the right resolution,” he explains. “Also, with the growing number of source devices that can be used to display content, it is important to have the flexibility of a robust set of signal input and output options.
Buying solely on cost never works out well for anyone. You might initially be happy with your purchase, but over time you may well discover why this unit costs what it did. As Prosio puts it, “Question the total cost of ownership of ‘inexpensive’ lamps against having consistent light and color output from the projector over the whole life of the lamp. Having a projection system that can also manage the power level of the lamp reduces power draw and increases lamp life. By dimming the light output at times when it is not needed, say choir practice, you gain the green benefits [of] losing less energy and sending one lamp to the landfill later than expected.”
Also look at control and communication methods, especially for remote diagnosis of issues when they might occur. Prosio continues, “Having tools available that not only allow you and your local team [to] control the entire system, but that can allow for remote access by factory trained technicians, means a faster recovery. The control tools should talk to all the projectors in your church, not just a specific model. Being able to ping the projectors via multiple methods including WiFi and GSM means you have multiple doors in to the system and are set for the future.”
As the usage of projection in houses of worship continues to grow, the ease of use, dependability, and total cost of ownership are just as important as brightness, resolution, and color rendition. It is a good idea to look at the data sheet, but don’t just rely on that solely—get a demonstration of the unit in your facility, if possible. Better yet, try to get a shoot out of two or three likely candidates so you can compare them in the real world of your application’s needs. Consider the usage so you can weigh the features you need now and in the future. Speak with your systems integrators or projector suppliers. Have a talk with other churches that are already using projection in new and interesting ways to see what they recommend. Projection can add a great deal to your services; you want to be able to make a well-informed decision when adding projectors to your church.
