Let's Liven This Place Up!
One church's step-by-step projection system upgrade

The projection system at Church on the Rock, Oklahoma City, OK, needed some work. Its projector lacked computer capability, it was dim, and the portable screen brought out for each service proved inconvenient. As a member of the projection ministry team and employee of a video and audio systems company, Kevin Adkisson was asked to help the church meet its needs. Here, Adkisson walks us through Church On the Rock's decision-making process, from assessment of needs to bright, vivid projection at last.

Arriving on-site at Church On the Rock, I met with Associate Pastor Rhett and the other members of the projection team. After sitting down with them, we determined the primary goals for the new system. First, it should have a brighter, more colorful image. Second, it should be capable of video and computer display. Finally, it should have a retractable, permanently mounted screen. It was also decided that consideration should be given to the system's aesthetic effect.

Next, we took a walk of the sanctuary to get a feel for the space with which we had to work. Upon taking measurements, we found the sanctuary to be 75- by 75-feet. The stage comes out from the center of the back wall 20 feet and is raised 3 feet off of the floor. To the left of the stage is an area for musicians and the ceiling is 15 feet tall. Seating starts about 10 feet in front of the musicians at the left wall and wraps around to the right side of the stage.

Oak Cliff Bible Church (Dallas, TX) uses three projection screens: two rear projection formats on the right and left of the stage and one front projection flying above it. This leaves space behind the choir area for the baptistry.

After taking a look at all of the options for screen size, we determined the area in front of the musicians just to the left of the stage would be the best area for screen placement. (Placing the screen at center stage would not be an option due to the height limitation.) Offsetting the screen was the only option, allowing the use of rear projection. This was also one of the darkest areas of the sanctuary, which helps improve image brightness and prevent us from having to use a high-power projector.

Using a basic formula, we determined a range of screen sizes that would best accommodate this size sanctuary. The distance between the screen to the person seated farthest from it was 48 feet. Dividing 48 feet by eight gave us 6 feet, and dividing 48 feet by six gave us 8 feet. Thus, we determined that optimal screen size for the audience would be between 6 and 8 feet. Rhett and the team members opted for 8 feet, which would easily be accommodated in the area we had chosen. Using a 3:4 format screen, this meant the screen would be 6 feet tall, not including the case. The seated musicians would still be able to see and be seen with the screen completely lowered.

Knowing that we would be able to get a better image with a lower cost projector if we could do rear projection, we decided to explore that possibility. Lighting conditions in the musician's area behind the screen would consist of small lamps above each sheet music stand. Only one other light remained in this area, and the church had the ability to turn it off without affecting the service. Checking the distance, we measured 19 feet from the screen to the rear corner, ample distance for rear throw by a variety of projectors. The projector could be mounted off of a Chief wall arm mounting system near the top of the ceiling. This would prove to be a very aesthetically appealing location for the projector. A Draper Premier tab tensioned motorized screen with Cineflex surface would be used as it was found to be economical and of high quality, although the Da-Lite Cosmopolitan screen was considered to be equivalent. This would provide a gain of 2.3 on axis and a moderate viewing cone.

As part of the on-site evaluation, I brought a few projectors (600, 900, 1300, and 1900 ANSI lumen models) with front and rear screens to help determine the most satisfactory projector for the church. After firing up each projector, we felt that the 900 and 1300 both provided the desired image. Herein lies one distinct advantage of having a company do an on-site evaluation: it provides an opportunity to see the difference and make a decision based on personal needs. All of the units evaluated had computer and video inputs and were capable of both front and rear projection. I brought both SVGA and XGA resolution projectors. Rhett was impressed with the improved clarity and crispness of the image by the XGA unit as well as the manufacturer's warranty. The unit selected was the Sanyo PLC-XP07N, a new product from Sanyo, featuring powered zoom, powered focus, 16X digital zoom, freeze frame, micro lens technology, and auto image. In addition, the unit is ceiling-mountable and rear projection-friendly. It also has an easy-to-use onscreen menu. The chosen unit weighs 14.3 pounds and has a footprint of 10.7" (w) by 16.2" (d). It is a true XGA projector and offers SXGA compressed resolution.

While the projector comes with a wireless infrared remote control, because of the distance involved, it would prove useless for controlling the projector from the sound booth. I suggested the use of a custom remote repeater system to overcome this limitation. Control of the projector is highly desirable and the inexpensive cost of giving the projection team complete control of the projector's functions directly at the sound booth made it a worthwhile investment.

Distance for the cable run from the projector to the sound booth was determined to be 90 feet. A TVOne 100-foot SVGA cable would be used to send the signal from the computer to the projector and a Beldon 100-foot Super High Resolution video cable would be used to send the signal from the VCR to the projector. Using this distance of cable, a distribution amplifier to maintain signal integrity is recommended. An Altinex DA1908SX one-in, one-out amplifier was considered. It could push the signal the suggested distance inexpensively while maintaining high quality.

Design of the new projection system was nearly complete and we had met each of the goals for the new projection system but, as I pointed out to Rhett, we were still lacking the most important piece. Often, I see the computer system--the piece that drives a projection system--overlooked. While it's possible to operate a projection system with any PC capable of running Microsoft PowerPoint, this doesn't mean it's the best or most effective way to communicate in a projection ministry. Microsoft PowerPoint is an excellent program and many use it quite successfully, including Church on the Rock. But, I posed, why limit yourself? Knowing that Church on the Rock has Holy Spirit-led worship services, I suggested that Rhett take a look at a D.O.V.E. (Digital Overlay Video Effects) system.

Overlake Christian Church in Kirkland, WA, uses front projection and what appears to be Microsoft PowerPoint--a very common choice these days--for projecting sermon notes.

The D.O.V.E. system was designed to meet the unique need of a ministry to provide Holy Spirit-led worship services with "on-the-fly" capability. It is a custom, nonproprietary IBM PC that runs on the Windows 98 platform (soon to be Windows 2000), using the multi-monitor feature and replacing thousands of dollars of hardware.

At Church On the Rock, it performed the function of a video scaler, a piece of equipment that scales any NTSC or PAL video feed to the native resolution of a projector. It also replaced the Altinex distribution amplifier as it can drive a signal up to 100 feet. Plus, it gave the church the capability of laying text over any NTSC or PAL video feed and also acted as a switcher between up to four video feeds. The D.O.V.E. includes over 3,700 songs and hymns; more than 700 static images; five translations of the Bible; and 12 motion backgrounds. It can even be upgraded to a real time non-linear editing system.

In the end, Rhett said he was impressed with the capabilities of the system. After its installation, each member of the projection team was trained in the use of all equipment and software. A review of the system was performed one month after installation, and each member of the team expressed his enthusiasm.

Keeping in mind that each ministry's needs vary, I recommend an on-site demonstration and/or evaluation of your facility when considering a projection system. There is usually a fee involved but it's often money well spent. At minimum, consult with at least one professional by phone before making any decisions. Many companies provide this service at no charge or for a very small fee. Map out the goals for the system first and take the time to research the equipment being suggested. And above all, search out a professional you can communicate with, one who's willing to do more than just sell you a projector.

Kevin Adkisson represents Christian Video & Audio Systems, Oklahoma City, OK. For more information, call (405) 721-5004 or visit www.christianv-a.com.