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Church and H.O.W. – Forums for HOW Sound and AV - Your Displayed Name Must Be Your Real Full Name To Post In The Church and HOW Forums => H.O.W. AV Archive => Topic started by: mark ahlenius on April 25, 2010, 01:07:33 PM

Title: LCD confidence monitors for worship team (singers)
Post by: mark ahlenius on April 25, 2010, 01:07:33 PM
Hi,

This is really more of a video question than anything else.  

Brief intro:
We are looking into replacing our current rear projector which is used to display the song words for the singers on our worship team.  We currently use a computer and Media Shout for displaying the song lyrics.  We have one feed for the congregation projectors (front screens) and another for the rear screen for the worship team.  The problem with the rear screen projector is ambient light from the skylight and the viewing angle.

The trend seems to be to start using LCD confidence monitors near the front of the stage aimed up at the right angle so the singers can glance at them and read the words.  We'd put two ~40"  monitors down in the front row (stealing out 2 seats each) and then wire them back to our video system + AC power.

The problem comes in with cabling.  I am wondering if there is a cost effective way of using WiFi to send the video to the projectors - if we chose a channel which is not shared by other computers in our buildings.  Then all we'd have to worry about is getting AC power to the units.

Ideas?  Anyone done this?

thanks

'mark
Title: Re: LCD confidence monitors for worship team (singers)
Post by: Keith Shannon on April 28, 2010, 05:16:18 PM
mark ahlenius wrote on Sun, 25 April 2010 13:07


The problem comes in with cabling.  I am wondering if there is a cost effective way of using WiFi to send the video to the projectors - if we chose a channel which is not shared by other computers in our buildings.  Then all we'd have to worry about is getting AC power to the units.

Ideas?  Anyone done this?

thanks

'mark


Never done it, but there are several products that should do what you want. The Terk Leapfrog A/V extender is reasonably-priced but SD only (RCA coaxial); you can buy extra receivers for each monitor and go totally wireless for only a few hundred dollars, IF your TVs support video from one yellow plug (very few do anymore). For decent DVI/HDMI stuff, you're looking at about $800 per unit (transmitter and each receiver).

I think you're best off trying to find a wired solution. If you simply must go wireless from the A/V desk to the stage, you can get one transmitter and receiver, then do a wired split among the monitors on stage. The Dtrovision PureLink DD-150 looks like a good wired splitter for up to 5 screens, while the Avocent MPX1550 system should get you from desk to stage. Like I said, about $800-850 per box, making your total cost for the distro about $2500 plus incidental hardware (stage and desk cabling, mounting hardware etc). If you can keep it wired, you're only out the cost of the splitter and any repeaters you may need, minimum $800. Whather that's reasonable is your call.

Just in general about prompters down at floor level; your performers will be looking down at them. That is not terribly conducive to good vocal technique or to confidence; the whole idea of rear-wall projection is for your talent to look out over the congregation and see the words. That's still preferable IMO.

You may end up spending less money trading up your rear projector to a higher-lumen model, or possibly putting an awning over the screen to help shade it from the skylight. I don't know the model or lumens of your current projector, but there are 6k lumen models available for about what you'd spend just on the wireless distro, never mind the cost of 2 or 3 42" LCD screens. You can go up to 7,000 lumens in an XGA projector (1024x768, OK for computer images) for about $7k, which I'm guessing to be comparable to the cost of all the screens and the wireless distro, but upping the lumens or resolution much further makes the cost goes up exponentially. Either upping the projector brightness or shading the screen, it keeps your talent standing proud, confidently looking out at the congregation, like any good presenter or performer.
Title: Re: LCD confidence monitors for worship team (singers)
Post by: Kevin Willis on May 01, 2010, 05:30:36 PM
I would look at using VGA over CAT5 because it is cheaper and the signal quality would be better, not to mention more stable. However, Gefen makes a wireless set (http://www.gefen.com/kvm/dproduct.jsp?prod_id=8534) that works pretty well.