Video projection is one of the most exciting technologies in modern lighting design. It seems that video projection is now as common in houses of worship as pews. Image magnification (IMAG) serves many functions during a service. It can project the pastor's face onto large screens so that the congregation can make a stronger visual connection, project scripture so that people can share in the message, and project abstract and realistic images to create artistic statements and support the moments.
In only a matter of decades the technology and design of video projection has evolved from simple slide projectors to sophisticated LED screens. For many years, houses of worship used video projectors projecting onto reflective screens. Today, most churches use precisely this method as the costs of video projectors and screens have become much more affordable.
Enter LEDs
In recent years LEDs have been introduced as image projection devices. LED technology has many advantages over front and rear video projections. As conventional front and rear video projection is perceived by reflecting light off the screen to the viewers' eyes, ambient lighting must be carefully controlled because it can negatively affect the image, washing it out and making it difficult to see the projected image.
LED screens create their images as lighting emitting devices, meaning that the screen itself emits the light. This creates lighting affects that are much stronger and dynamic than conventional front and rear projectors.
Many LED screens can even be hit by direct sunlight and still be seen by the congregation. It is also important to consider LED's significant power savings and service life (close to 100,000 hours). Up until recent years the cost of LEDs made this technology unaffordable for small- to medium-sized houses of worship. Thankfully these costs are coming down, making LED technology a realistic consideration for modest sized churches.
LED projection surfaces are usually made of interlocking tiles that can be assembled to create almost any sized screen. Due to the electronics associated with LEDs, these panels are rigid and can only create a flat projection surface. However, production designers have always desired to be able to cover curved surfaces with LEDs.
PixelFlex is a product that is designed precisely for this purpose. PixelFlex LED curtains can be applied to almost any curved surface, making it a versatile projection surface solution. The curtains come in standard four-by-eight-foot sections. They can be attached to each other through quick-lock connectors. They are also very light and use convection cooling (no fans required), thus making the curtains easy to rig and hang.
A closer look
The most impressive features of the PixelFlex LED curtain are its amazingly light weight (4-30 pounds per square meter depending on pixel pitch) and flexibility (flexible in all directions). The LEDs are applied to a mesh-like material, allowing it to fold up and be neatly packed into a shipping crate. This makes the product ideal for touring shows or for easy storage. This feature also makes the product quite attractive for churches that need to quickly move or store their projection screens. You can rearrange the design of the LED curtains from service to service. You could hang the curtains like standard projection screens for one service, and then move them onto a surface for another. Try that with heavy, non-flexible conventional LED panels.
PixelFlex sent us four curtains for testing in our theaters and labs at California State University Long Beach. We decided to install these screens for our Cal Rep production of “Tartuffe Lab.” The four curtains arrived in one standard road crate. That's right—folded neatly in this crate was a 16-by-eight-foot LED screen. Upon opening the crate we discovered that these curtains were surprisingly light. One person can easily lift each four-by-eight-foot curtain out of the crate.
PixelFlex is available in several pixel pitches (distance between each LED). The curtains that were sent to us had a 20mm pixel pitch, making the projection resolution very high for such a flexible screen. The curtains also came with a controller (basically a PC computer) and interconnecting cables. Almost any media server or computer can send video signals [to] these curtains.
We easily hung the PixelFlex curtains as four separate four-by-eight panels, creating a large projection surface behind the scenic design. We connected the jumpers and ran the control cable 100 feet into our control booth. After connecting the PixelFlex PC computer to our Apple computer, the LED curtains powered up immediately. After setting the video parameters and adjusting our Q-Lab settings, we were up and running in no time.
One of the first things we noticed was the high intensity of the PixelFlex LEDs. We ended up setting the intensity level at only 50%! However, this was for a darkened theatrical application. We can see why the great intensity of the LEDs would be appreciated in a bright sanctuary with daylight streaming in.
The video design for the show included both live feed and pre-recorded content. We had no issues with the curtains projecting any colors. Bright, abstract moving patterns were especially effective on these curtains. Images containing text appeared sharp, and the video contrast was impressive. There were some scenes where the LED curtains themselves were providing the lighting effects on stage. They were that dynamic, in my opinion.
We also shot video of the show for our own documentary needs. The refresh rate and variable color temperature on the curtains permitted flicker-free video results. Therefore, you should have no concerns when shooting live video with these screens in the background.
One of the most significant challenges of LED technology is its dimming curve. Due to the design of LEDs, it is very difficult to achieve smooth dimming, especially when dimming below 10% intensity. I was told from a Philips designer that the amount of programming code that dims the LEDs from 0-10% is about four times as much as from 10-100%. The PixelFlex LEDs had very good dimming capabilities. Although there was a small drop off at the very end, the curtains dimmed smoothly and effectively.
It is important to consider that due to the pixel pitch being wider than in many conventional rigid LED panels, that you do need a bit of distance for these curtains' resolution to look smooth. Our curtains were hung only about 20 feet from the audience, making some of the images look pixilated. However, they looked great from 40 feet away, the distance that many houses of worship enjoy under most conditions.
We were very impressed with the PixelFlex LED curtains. They were easy to unpack, lightweight, and easy to assemble and connect. They were also
twice as bright as was needed for our application. We never had any problems with them over the six-week run of the show. The audience loved the video design and raved about how vivid the video images were.
PixelFlex LED curtains could be an extremely effective projection surface for your church, as well. I highly recommend their consideration for your IMAG needs.
