Answering the Call: AV Solutions for Immersive Worship Experiences

Panasonic offers complete audiovisual solutions for churches of all sizes who want to deliver high-quality immersive worship experiences for congregants onsite and at remote locations.

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For most churches, the last couple of years have demonstrated how video technology can unite even the most remote house of worship venues. Of course, reaching both in-person and remote worshippers requires churches to evolve their

application of video, resulting in questions about how to best approach this exercise. Panasonic’s Theo Roll, Territory Account Manager, ProVideo and Timothy Hunnicutt, Territory Account Manager, Visual Systems––both seasoned AV experts on video production and visual systems––address some of the most pressing issues church production teams are dealing with right now.

At the beginning of the pandemic, churches that had never done live streaming found themselves delivering remote services almost overnight. While some may have had basic audiovisual equipment in place, others relied on nothing more than a smartphone for both audio and image capture. How can churches on a budget deliver higher quality streaming to remote worshippers?

“Panasonic places cameras in churches with million-dollar budgets and multi-million-dollar facilities. But Panasonic also has excellent solutions for churches with less expansive budgets,” Roll notes. “We have solutions in our ecosystem that allow small churches to transition from a smartphone, for example, to a PTZ camera that gives them more control over the production. These cameras also offer increased flexibility, because unlike ‘staffed’ cameras––which take up space and often run the risk of compromising sightlines within the worship center––PTZ cameras can be mounted virtually anywhere and provide high-quality video.”

Traditionally, PTZ cameras weren’t used for high-quality production. Why should churches consider them now?

“Technological advancements have resulted in PTZ cameras delivering exceptional quality images that are a far cry from the old systems that were used primarily for capturing security footage,” Roll says. “When I hear someone say, ‘we don’t want a security camera in our production rig,’ I know that individual has never used our PTZ cameras before. When they do, they quickly understand how far this technology has come.”

Most churches rely on volunteers to execute at least part of their AV production. The reality is there are never enough volunteers to go around, and most of these teams are made up of individuals with varying degrees of technical skill. On a technical level, Panasonic PTZ camera solutions may be top-notch, but how easy are they to use?

“Our PTZs not only give you placement flexibility, but operational flexibility as well,” Roll says. “You can have one volunteer operating multiple cameras. Our free Windows-based PTZ Control Center software and our dedicated hardware controller feature recallable presets that can be programmed ahead of time, so a volunteer doesn’t have to worry about whether or not they’re getting the right shot or making a smooth transition. Everything is already mapped out for them.”

What about getting what’s captured in the worship center onto a streaming platform? How complicated is it?

“Not complicated at all. Our free PTZ Control Center software performs control and monitoring,” Roll explains. “And our all-in-one AV-HLC100 offers video switching, control and streaming to all of the major platforms––including YouTube, Facebook, and Twitch––literally with the push of a button.”

Panasonic professional PTZ cameras are designed for a wide range of applications. The new Panasonic AW-UE40 and AW-UE50 are ideal for online video streaming. Combined with the Panasonic AW-UE80W/K, which supports 4K/60p shooting to better capture the natural facial expressions of those on stage, churches can provide inspirational worship experiences onsite or online. All three models feature 4K resolution, 24x motorized optical zoom, a wide 74.1-degree angle lens, support for NDI HX version 2 and SRT protocols and a direct drive motor for quiet operation.

Auto-tracking is a feature that an increasing number of churches are exploring. Does Panasonic offer this capability?

“Yes. Our AW-SF100 / AW-SF200 PTZ Camera Auto Tracking Software is designed to, once again, simplify image capture,” Roll explains. “It employs both facial recognition and motion detection using an NVIDIA GPU. It’s IP-based and can be used with multiple cameras. Importantly, its delivery is smooth—viewers can’t tell they’re watching an auto-tracked image.”

What is your advice for churches that have been streaming for a while––even before the pandemic––but wish to make the leap into professional-grade streaming?

“This is where I point church production teams to our AW-UE150 PTZ camera,” Roll says. “As part of the Panasonic ecosystem, it can be incorporated into a setup that includes the PTZ cameras we’ve talked about, as well as a traditional Panasonic studio broadcast camera, or even a Panasonic cinema camera––all in the same system. Controlling, shading, and color matching are easily achieved even with all these different cameras in the same setup, because they are all based on the same technology. Users don’t have to worry about color matching when they move from camera to camera and shot to shot; it remains consistent throughout.”

The Panasonic AW-UE150 4K 60p PTZ Camera features a 1-inch type large MOS sensor, 20x optical zoom, and a 75.1 viewing angle. It supports multiple outputs (including 12G-SDI, HDMI, Optical Fiber, and IP) with 4K/HD simultaneous video output, and SRT for 4K/60p streaming. It also supports V-LOG output, the FreeD protocol for AV/VR camera tracking, and PoE++.

How are churches using projectors and displays to enhance services on site?

“Many of them are creating a 4K experience throughout their productions,” Hunnicutt relays. “They’re taking our 4K AW-UE150 PTZ Cameras and feeding it into our PT-RQ35KU projector, which offers 32,000 lumens of 4K. Some churches are also feeding those projectors into video walls. For example, one of our customers is in the process of deploying a system where the video wall serves as a larger-than-life backdrop; using a projector with an ultra-short-throw lens, the pastor can walk right up to the wall and signal teaching points that are projected on the wall to underline what he’s discussing in his sermon without affecting the display. Pastors in a lot of churches are using our professional displays to display sermon notes and as a teaching aid.”

The Panasonic PT-RQ35K is a 3-Chip DLP projector delivering 32,000 lumens of brightness and 4K resolution. This 4K laser projector offers 20,000 hours of maintenance-free operation. Featuring built-in Smart Projector Control with NFC, it allows for mobile access to the network, including IP address set-up. This software enables users to perform simple functions such as turning displays on and off or changing inputs. It is also used for more advanced systems that incorporate edge-blending.

The pandemic accelerated the transition to IP video for many churches because it allowed church techs to deliver productions literally from home during lockdowns. But IP video also plays a major role in facilitating multi-site production. How is Panasonic contributing to this?

“Our new IP video platform, KAIROS, is a video switcher and screen management system that allows for remote control of video production from a single control room,” Roll explains. “For example, KAIROS can reside in New Jersey, with a Chicago-based producer controlling inputs and outputs. This offers churches enormous flexibility as they upgrade their environments to accommodate the need for remote capabilities or expand in size to serve multiple locations.”

Panasonic’s KAIROS Live Video Processing IT/IP Video Processing Platform for live video switching offers unlimited Mixed Effects (ME) scalability. This means that when more MEs are required, churches don’t need to absorb the cost of adding hardware as their productions evolve. KAIROS delivers simultaneous baseband streaming (NDI and ST 2110), as well as simultaneous HD, 3G, 4K, and IT/AV display resolutions. Using this single system, church production teams can drive IMAG, live broadcast, LED walls, streaming, and front-of-house (FOH) displays. All control of setups, transitions, and peripheral gear is network-based and accessible from a single interface. Multicast inputs can feed multiple destinations.

While many churches are now back to in-person worship, some congregants are still nervous about being in close proximity with one another. How is video technology helping production teams address this?

“We’ve seen huge increases in digital signage applications, where churches are locating multiple displays around the building to connect multiple spaces within the facility,” Hunnicutt relays. “This way, if people aren’t comfortable sitting in a room filled with 500 or 1,000 people, they can go to a smaller space where they’re a little more isolated. Panasonic offers a complete, all-in-one digital signage solution which fits a variety of applications while providing the best visual experience. Our digital signage package offers a portfolio of products and services—from unmatched projectors and professional displays,  accessories and content management to design, installation, logistics and warranties.

While Panasonic’s technology is user-friendly, inevitably there will come a time when church production teams require guidance. What kind of technical support does Panasonic offer?

“One of the main reasons I joined Panasonic was the support the company had offered me when I was in a customer role,” Roll says. “I could pick up the phone and talk to an actual human, and that made a massive difference. Whether you’re a seasoned church technician or a volunteer who’s learning the ropes, sometimes you just need to talk to a real live person. We have resources for everyone, no matter what their role is, as well as people they can reach out to.”

“It’s my belief Panasonic has the best engineering and service support in the industry,” Hunnicutt declares. “First of all, we make incredible products that just don’t break, but when there are issues or our customers need clarification on something, they can always get somebody on the phone to get the problem resolved quickly.”

Visit AV Solutions for Houses of Worship to learn more about how Panasonic is helping churches provide immersive worship experiences.

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