Posted on November 23rd, 2009 by Marcela.
Categories: new, Products, Technology, more, not 24 hours, Screens, rear projection, education, corporative, events, media.
E/T/C are specialists in high power projection both in slide and video format and provide support with image creation and programming.
With the PIGI and Onlyview systems E/T/C have been projecting on site during world class events such as the Asian Games, the Olympics and the Queen’s Golden Jubilee at Buckingham Palace.
ETC has been specialising in producing stunning, large format projections onto buildings, interesting spaces and structures since 1994. These images can be produced using either slide projection, video projection or a mix of the two.
ETC’s work has been seen around the world. We have supplied image projection solutions for a range of different clients from state occasions through theatre, rock and roll and corporate clients. A sample of the events that we have worked on would include the Doha Asian Games, The Edinburgh Military Tattoo, London’s Official New Years Eve events, The Queens Golden Jubilee, Ford, Liverpool Culture Company, Renault, the BBC and the MTV Europe Awards
There is literally no size barrier to the images we can produce. We keep adding projectors until we have achieved the size you require. For the Sultan of Oman, we created an image 400m wide by 200m tall onto a mountain. However we are just as at home creating a one or two projector backdrop to a Rock show, or a three or for projector Son et Lumière onto a stately home.
Video First for London
New Year’s Eve Projections
Video was used for the first time to project giant images onto the 353 ft high Shell Building on the South Bank of the River Thames for the Mayor of London’s 2008-09 New Year’s Eve celebrations.
E/T/C London created a projection concept and suggested that they harness the flexibility and power of video for the first time on this event, on which E/T/C has worked for producers Jack Morton Worldwide for the last 5 years. With LG Electronics coming onboard as a new sponsor, they really wanted to up the production values, making the show something extra special and more spectacular this year.
Says E/T/C’s Ross Ashton, “It was another milestone in giant video projection for E/T/C London, and probably the UK’s largest New Year video installation to date as well as a great opportunity for us to move the company forward.”
E/T/C’s Richard Porter designed the technical installation, which utilised 24 Christie S+20K projectors, all rigged vertically, and run in 12 overlaid pairs. These covered a 12 zone grid – 3 wide and 4 high – measuring 55 metres wide by 110 tall on the river facing fascia of the building.
At 2888 x 5184 pixels, this offered far higher resolution than HD.
The projectors were positioned 150 metres away from the Shell Tower in a 12 metre tall purpose built structure, together with a complex E/T/C OnlyView® control system that was set up in an adjacent cabin, and operated by Richard Porter for the show.
The 30 minute looped show was programmed by Porter, assisted by Karen Monid, onto 18 OnlyView® media servers. Sixteen servers were used for visuals, while two ran a bespoke soundtrack including sponsors messages which were then broadcast to the public via a Delta Sound PA system.
Ross Ashton collaborated closely with Jack Morton’s Kate MacKay on the creation of the artwork.
The image files involved were massive, and the handling of this aspect alone required E/T/C London’s detailed expertise. BBH created the LG branding and a series of celebrity ‘talking heads’ with New Year greetings, featuring the Mayor of London Boris Johnson, Dame Helen Mirren and others.
Another challenge was the installation of a preview monitor system, set up to show the client detailed and accurate show visualizations during the set up and programming period. E/T/C’s Paul Highfield came up with a very cost-effective video wall solution for this, using Dexion racking and bit of ingenuity!
The get-in commenced on the 27th December, with E/T/C engineers Robin Darraux, Patrice Lefevre and Glenn Jenkins. Jack Morton’s project manager was Jim Donald.
Projections kicked off at 8p.m. on New Year’s Eve as up to 400,000 revellers gathered in central London to await the rollover moment into 2009. A cool countdown clock comprising a burning fuse that snaked around the building as the minute-to-midnight moment approached was visualized by Ashton and produced in After Effects by Porter.
Posted on November 5th, 2009 by Marcela.
Categories: new, Technology, more, Screens, 3 d, media, Home Theatre, Hometech Overview.
Futuresource predicts 3D TVs in 10% of households by 2012
PHYSICAL: Advanced 3D at-home usage, comparable in quality to today’s theatrical experience, will be realized gradually, with the first commercial 3D Blu-ray Disc releases expected no sooner than 2011, according to Futuresource Consulting.
A key obstacle to 3D at-home adoption is the current lack of technology standards ensuring that content will reliably play on all available 3D display devices. In the short-term, between 2009 and 2011, advanced 3D projects will be geared primarily for theatrical release.
Yet manufacturers will ramping for-home use as they extend their launch of 3D-ready TV sets. By 2012, about 10% of U.S. households will be equipped to view 3D programming on TVs, according to Futuresource. It’s likely that there will be a limited amount of 3D content delivered via video-on-demand to 3D sets.
“With over 200 million new TVs sold across the globe every year, the potential [for 3D] is huge, but the industry needs to overcome some serious obstacles in order to kick start and fully realize the revenue streams,” said Sarah Carroll, director of continuous services at Futuresource. “Most notably, technical and standards issues still need to be resolved. … And the current economic climate makes new investment in production and distribution a challenge.”
Yet Futuresource is optimistic that 3D at home is achievable and predicts 3D Blu-ray releases will start in 2011. The company projects that by 2015, U.S. 3D TV household penetration will jump to about 70%.
“Our probability modeling shows the permeation phase will kick in from 2011, where, among other initiatives, we’ll see new 3D movie releases on Blu-ray, remasters of classic blockbusters like Star Wars, The Matrix and The Lord of the Rings,” said Jim Bottoms, managing director of corporate development at Futuresource. “By 2012, more than 10% of U.S. and Japanese homes will be 3D-enabled, and Western Europe won’t be too far behind with 6% household penetration. Moving forward, a new generation of videogame consoles will begin to emerge, fully embracing 3D technologies.”
By Susanne Ault — Video Business
Posted on July 23rd, 2009 by Marcela.
Categories: new, Technology, l c d, useful technology, more, Screens, plasma flat panel, media, Home Theatre.
The project took place at the LED Skydome at Harmony Times Square in Suzhou Industrial Park near Shanghai, writes David Davies. Incorporating a remarkable 20 million ultra-bright LEDs, the Skydome makes use of a 3D-capable Renkus-Heinz ceiling loudspeaker system with Camco amplifiers.
Now said to be the largest LED screen in the world at 350,000sqm, the installation sits above a vast shopping complex that includes food, beverage, retail and entertainment outlets. The Skydome is illuminated by an array of Keyframe-programmed visual effects, including moving blue skies with clouds and a piano keyboard.
To satisfy the demand for an audio system that synchronises at street level with the images moving along the 500m-long screen, Beijing Zhongguang Radio & TV Engineering Installation Corporation installed a 106-channel surround system featuring 106 Renkus-Heinz STX-7/44AS-WR high-power weather-resistant loudspeakers. Some 38 DRS18-2BW dual 18in weather-resistant subwoofers act as the principal audio source.
Power comes from 160-plus Camco Tecton Series amplifiers, equipped with UCA-T-AN cards that enable the WINCAI (Camco Amplifier Interface) audio management system. These cards allow both complete system management and local signal processing adjustment via each amplifier’s UCA controller modules. Camco’s CISUS software provides remote operation of the CAI audio network management control software through each amplifier’s RJ-45 interface.
Equipment for the prestigious project was supplied by Foshan Tian Chuang Zhongdian Trading Co Ltd.
Speaking to II, Renkus-Heinz vice president of international sales, Karl Brunvoll, noted the contribution of its distributor for China, TICO/CAH Professional Sound, and said that the manufacturer was “very excited to be associated with a project this complex and unique. I have been working in China for many years, and it is great to see how [the installation] companies are developing and becoming real technological powerhouses.”
Brunvoll added that he expects to see “significant growth” in China for the ICONYX series of digitally controlled column loudspeakers.
For more information:
Posted on June 6th, 2009 by Marcela.
Categories: new, Technology, useful technology, more, media.
MIT unveils interactive bus shelter
The clever folks at MIT’s SENSEable City Lab have unveiled a design for a smart bus shelter that will allow travellers to stay connected as they wait for their bus to arrive. From the shelter, bus riders will be able to check email, share community information on a digital message board and even track the location of the bus they are waiting for. Dubbed Eyestop, the official prototype will be unveiled this October.
Eyestop’s ability to function as a highly interactive environment is the result of a smart skin that incorporates several types of digital technologies. “EyeStop could change the whole experience of urban travel,” said Carlo Ratti, Head of the SENSEable City Lab at MIT. “At the touch of a finger, passengers can get the shortest bus route to their destination or the position of all the buses in the city. The EyeStop will also glow at different levels of intensity to signal the distance of the approaching bus.”
A parametric design model determines a unique design for each stop. The prototype, which will launch in Florence, Italy, will be made of simple materials like steel, glass and grey stone (pietra serena) and have a minimalist design to blend into the fabric of the historic city.
Eyestop was developed at the SENSEable City Laboratroy by Giovanni de Niederhousern, Shaocong Zhou, Assaf Biderman and Carlo Ratti, in collaboration with the Province of Florence and the local public transportation authority ATAF.
Posted on June 5th, 2009 by Marcela.
Categories: new, l c d, Screens, plasma flat panel, media.
Philips and LED solutions
Philips is today’s undisputed leader in LED based lighting solutions. Recent acquisitions and enormous investments in research and development mean that Philips now has expertise at every stage of the LED value chain. From the basic semi-conductor die to packages to modules, through to the end-products offered as luminaires, and the provision of tailor-made solutions to changing lighting needs. This combined knowledge and dedication has resulted in LED based lighting solutions that are not only practical and beautiful, but also energy-efficient and sustainable.
For Philips, however, the challenge to unlock the potential of solid-state lighting is not just about technology. As a market-driven company, every innovation is driven by the needs of end-users. It is all about improving people’s lives with lighting – making them feel more comfortable, more able to adapt their surroundings using lighting. Philips LED solutions offer them to create “scene-setting” – using the quality of light to create spaces that delight, and help evoke moods and atmospheres that simply make life better. Simply at the touch of a button.
Philips also consults extensively with lighting designers, providing them with customised solutions to new challenges they face in lighting needs. And this in turn helps develop new products for other applications. Customer and market input and Philips expertise combine into solutions for everyday needs.
