You would be hard pressed to not find at least one projector-or multiple projectors-being employed to some degree in a majority of houses of worship these days. Projectors are being used in a variety of worship applications-Image Magnification (IMAG), imagery and background displays that support the service, displaying song lyrics, support for remote satellite venues, production support, etc. As a result, manufacturers have been bringing out new products that improve on the visual experiences for the house of worship (HOW) market, as well as making the lives of AV technicians just that much easier.
More efficient lamp technologies, higher brightness, and improved resolutions paired with the reduced size and decreased total cost of ownership (TCO) are among the benefits of innovations in product designs. And while high-definition (HD), brightness, and feature bells and whistles catch your eye initially, it is important to also pay close attention to noise levels, lamp life, and filter maintenance. Lamp life and maintenance are an important part of the TCO, which should factor into your buying decision.
Here is a roundup of some of the latest developments in projectors that may help you address your video needs. Please feel free to let us know what you think of these products.
For this article, CPM spoke with: Chuck Westfall, technical advisor for professional imaging products, Canon U.S.A., Lake Success, N.Y.; Frank Anzures, senior product manager, business products, Christie Digital Systems, Cypress, Calif.; Sean Gunduz, product manager, Epson America Inc., Long Beach, Calif.; John Glad, product manager, Hitachi, Century City, Calif.; Scott Wellington, senior product marketing manager, projectors, Panasonic Solutions for Business; Secaucus, N.J.; Robin Richards, senior marketing manager, Sony Electronics; New York.
CPM: What trends are you seeing in projector product design and developments?
WESTFALL: Installation models delivering long-throw, high-brightness (4,000 lumens and up) displays for use in well-lit environments, high-resolution picture clarity, and installation-friendly features such as easy access to lamp and air-filter assemblies, and optional projection lenses suited to each particular presentation environment
ANZURES: Less intrusive (i.e., smaller chassis, less noise) high brightness projectors with < 39 dBA in normal display mode with brightness in the 5,000-7,000 lumen range. Also stacking capabilities for flexibility to increase brightness when needed. 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. Going wireless for control with the adoption of smart phones and tablets. Wireless capabilities are now possible in a number of high brightness projectors.
GUNDUZ: Projectors are integrating full HD digital connectivity options such as HDMI, DisplayPort, or HD-SDI. Installation-type projectors with optional lenses and lens shift are also becoming more affordable. In addition, other important factors to look for include reduced total cost of ownership with longer lamp and filter hours, as well as easy maintenance features.
GLAD: Ease of use is always a priority, in large part because HOW often rely on volunteers to manage and operate AV systems. We're seeing a continuing movement toward projector designs that provide intuitive operation and are easy to maintain. In addition, because so much content comes from the digital domain, two HDMI inputs are important. Also we've developed new filters lasting 20,000 hours to lessen maintenance and bring down the TCO of the projector.
WELLINGTON: High resolution and widescreen capability is growing in popularity as this market replaces older XGA resolution and 4:3 aspect ratio equipment. LCD-based projectors are popular particularly when the budget is limited. New lamp and filter technology, along with improved projector design, make it possible to minimize maintenance while maximizing TCO and consistent operation. Reductions in power consumption and expansion of eco-related features and specifications are becoming increasingly important, impacting operating costs and performance.
In addition to basic needs like image quality and brightness, ministries are taking advantage of features like interactivity, ultra-short-throw capabilities to increase presentation flexibility in different environments, enhanced network capabilities to expand image projection through the different parts of a ministry, and more. Also, the expanding use of geometric adjustment for curved screen projection and edge blending to deliver large video images is growing in popularity.
RICHARDS: From an operational standpoint, many ministries rely on volunteer staff to operate and maintain their equipment, so full-time AV personnel are not always at the controls. Therefore, projectors need to be intuitive, training and support needs to be easily accessible and readily available. Also, projectors need to accept signals from an increasing number of diverse sources.
CPM: Is the HOW market different in terms of the features and or considerations they look at in projectors?
WESTFALL: The HOW market has its own unique needs. In addition to brightness and resolution, important considerations include reliability, cost-effectiveness, and installation-friendly features designed to help AV professionals maximize projector placement and performance. Such features can include a motorized lens shift to compensate for potential installation obstacles in the projector's beam path.
ANZURES: Ease of use is important to many congregations, as well as other markets where the range of professional AV expertise varies. Not all organizations have the luxury of having AV professionals on staff. Features and functionality that enable users to quickly configure and troubleshoot, regardless of their experience with the equipment-features such as easy-to-read menus and LCD displays, maintenance alerts, long life lamps and filters-ensure that set up and maintenance is easy to do.
GUNDUZ: The trend we are seeing is that most HOW customers choose brightness over resolution. We see most of them choose XGA (4:3) models with 5,000 or 10,000 lumens, but not go for WXGA or WUXGA resolutions. It is interesting to note that according to recent market research (TFC Info - The Use of Video Displays in American Churches 2012), audio and visual aids help churchgoers comprehend and retain messages. It is mentioned that a new ministry-style approach is emerging in America, and decreasing projector prices help medium-to-smaller churches follow this trend. Also, multi-site locations are becoming more popular and there are many benefits for churches to add additional satellite locations, rather than expanding upon a main worship center. These satellite locations utilize AV equipment, including projectors and audio systems to deliver the same sermon.
GLAD: Worry-free maintenance goes a long way when relying on volunteers to manage the technology. Some of Hitachi's newest projectors, for example, offer our new Status Monitoring System, which provides information about the projectors' operational status via an LED screen on the rear panel or through the Hitachi network tools software. These are the types of factors houses of worship should consider when choosing a projector.
RICHARDS: While there are some similarities, many of a ministry's AV needs are very different from those of a traditional broadcaster or corporate video producer, for example. The decision on how and what AV solutions to incorporate is often highly personalized as ministries try to balance what enhances vs. what detracts from a message; they want to blend technology into their services to enhance and enrich the congregations' experiences. Overall, technology use is continuing to increase at ministries of all sizes.
CPM: Are there innovative ideas for using projection technology that you have seen in the HOW market?
WESTFALL: Innovative ideas are common, including the use of large-screen projection to display artwork that reinforces sermons, IMAG of musical instruments being played, and even live two-way videoconferencing with distant locations.
ANZURES: There are a growing variety of methods for displaying content in your venue and a number of display options (projectors, video walls, moving projection systems, etc.) that can provide impactful meaningful messages that engage and inspire your congregation. There are projectors that can be used to present video, as well as lighting effects to provide a truly impactful message. Christie Nitro Solutions enables a selection of our LCD and 3-chip DLP projectors to be integrated with moving yoke systems to create a more innovative way to present and share messages and knowledge.
GLAD: More ministries are using edge blending to create large, bright, and highly detailed images.
GUNDUZ: Epson offers a wide range of networking tools for remote access and control of its projectors. One of these features is content-over-IP, which allows for sending the contents of a presentation over the network. This tool can be used for sharing song lyrics, images, and other training content with satellite locations.
WELLINGTON: With more 3D-ready large venue projectors becoming available, 3D projection in the house of worship market has the potential to add a new dynamic element into presentations and the overall worship experience.
CPM: What should a HOW consider when looking at incorporating projectors into its services or programs?
WESTFALL: You should be asking, does the projector offer HD or greater image resolution, and in a widescreen 16:10 aspect ratio that's compatible with the latest laptop and desktop computers, and with HD video from Blu-ray DVD players? Does the projector provide a wide variety of connectors, such as DVI-I and HDMI inputs for display of HD video, a separate audio output for external speakers, an RJ-45 port for PC networking, and an RS-232C control connection?
ANZURES: Brightness and resolution are key to making sure a projector meets the needs of the venue and congregation. The impact of the presentation can be lost when the image looks washed out or isn't in the right resolution. 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.
GUNDUZ: One thing to consider is working with a professional AV dealer or consultant to get recommendations for finding a projector that best fits the needs and space in a particular house of worship. Another thing to consider is working with an installation service-a good installer will know how to maximize the image quality and longevity of the equipment. Service and support is very critical to reduce downtime and TCO, so it should be considered and discussed before making a large investment.
WELLINGTON: When looking to incorporate projectors into a service or program, a house of worship first needs to consider the size of the room (throw distance), ambient lighting conditions and content to be projected. Houses of worship should purchase a projector that will deliver the brightness, resolution, color/image quality, and connectivity to meet their needs now and into the future. Service and technical support are also important considerations when making a purchase decision.
RICHARDS: HD resolution is becoming more of a factor; especially as more content creation tools in use are HD. So it makes sense that the display devices should also be HD capable. Also, with higher resolutions, more information can be displayed and clearly viewed on a screen. For example, using a projector with a higher resolution can make it easier to display a full page of hymns for congregation members to follow along. Of course, no matter how good the projected image looks, if the projector's noise distracts from the service, it's not adding to the overall AV values you're trying to produce.
One maintenance issue that should be considered is filter-cleaning cycles. Projectors that only require filters to be cleaned or changed at the same intervals as the lamp can lessen maintenance headaches. Also remember, energy use in projectors is primarily from the lamp. So the more efficient a projector is at turning the lamp wattage into available light on the screen, the more energy efficient the projector is.
In closing, there are a wide variety of new projectors to consider for your facility, so take a good look around, arrange product demonstrations in your space, and ask a lot of questions. As with any technology, research, demos and questioning are the keys to being happy with your purchase. Hopefully, this conversation has provided you with a good base to build upon when looking into new projection technology. Be sure to ask yourself, "What do I want the technology to bring to my facility; what features are important to address my needs, and what is the best choice for my budget and style of worship." Please feel free to reach out to these manufacturers and distributors, as well as your local AV dealer/integrator to learn more.
