In a bird's-eye view, what will be the top technology contenders affecting church production this year? Production director of the largest church in Alabama, Church of the Highlands' Justin Firesheets, shares which technologies he expects will have the most impact for church techs in 2019.
Justin Firesheets, Production Director, Church of the Highlands, Birmingham, AL
1. IP-based video
"When broadcasting to other campuses we don’t have to rely on satellite or dedicated fiber networks anymore. Public internet is now an incredibly useful way to broadcast content and can be done very cost-effectively. IP-based technology is expanding rapidly. Dante is transforming the world of audio data management, and the video world is catching up." [Editor's note: Audinate officially announced its union of video with audio-over-IP on 1.29.19, approximately one month after this interview.]
2. 4K content
"Higher resolution video content is becoming more and more common. More computers, TVs, phones, tablets, and cameras are more 4K-capable, offering better quality video. [Of key importance to] many churches is being able to capture and tell stories--and doing it in a higher resolution that will translate well over [several decades, even centuries]. Obviously, that then can create some storage and transmission concerns, but the industry is working to catch up and make those more scalable and cost-effective."
3. LED technology
"Very little new visual technology relies on any type of bulb or lamp-based light source. Whether it’s a lighting fixture or a video wall for displaying video content, LED solutions are becoming more common. And as they become more common, the price continues to drop, making them easier to implement by ministries with lower budgets. LED is more efficient, offers a short ROI, and is often easier to maintain than lamp-based equipment. The same can be said for laser projectors, which are continuing to get better and better."
What do these changes look like, moving forward?
In light of the constant changes in technology and capabilities, Firesheets says church tech teams don't have the luxury of ever getting too comfortable with their current set ups and practices.
"What worked 20 years ago doesn’t work now," he says. "When I was in high school youth group, we used an overhead projector and transparency slides to display words for people to sing along with. Now, it’s all computer-based, and many churches build their own custom video content that has animated words. The whole landscape has changed."
"I don’t think we ever have the luxury of getting comfortable. Just because we used a solution once doesn’t mean that it will be the silver bullet for everything moving forward."
He adds, "I don’t think we ever have the luxury of getting comfortable. Just because we used a solution once doesn’t mean that it will be the silver bullet for everything moving forward. We have to keep pushing ourselves to learn and grow. Plus, since [Church of the Highlands is a] multisite church with locations all across the state, we have to always be seeking out ways to be more efficient and cost-effective. As you start scaling out technology solutions across 19 campuses, the cost can add up quickly. Since we are implementing ideas using the generosity of the congregation, it’s our job to be effective stewards of what we’ve been given, and we’ll ultimately be held accountable for that."
