As we move into the all-important fall ministry season, it's always a good idea to set aside time to make sure technical systems are running their best. While there's nothing wrong with having a well-developed upgrade path for your gear, it's simply good stewardship to make sure to squeeze every bit of quality out of existing gear. Spending just a few hours of time troubleshooting and tweaking can often produce massive returns on investment.
One system often overlooked in the week-in, week-out hustle of ministry is the video projection system. Maybe you've started to notice that the image quality just isn't what it ought to be, or maybe that quality is somewhat inconsistent. The graphics don't pop they way the should. Videos look far better on your computer than they do on the projection screens. Maybe people who aren't even a part of your tech team have started to comment on it.
While a handful of churches are fortunate enough to have professional video specialist as a part of the team, many of us are on our own to figure out how to diagnose and address problems in our system and flow. We really do want our video systems to have that “wow” factor, but we're not sure where to get started. So let's dive in together and see if we can pinpoint the problems and find some solutions that don't break the bank.
To start off, it's important to look at the basic components of a video projection system in order to see if we can identify any immediate weak links that need to be addressed.
Let’s start at the beginning:
1. Computer
It’s important to have a computer powerful enough to feed a minimum of two monitor outputs, play HD videos dependably, and run your selected presentation software. It’s the heart of your system, and if there are problems here, everything else is going to suffer.
2. Presentation Software
ProPresenter, MediaShout and EasyWorship are three of the most popular solutions on the market, but there are additional options out there. Fortunately, the companies that create these suites are motivated to help you get great results, so they almost always provide minimum hardware specs for your presentation computer. Make sure to give these specs the attention they deserve, especially before deciding to upgrade to new software versions.
3. Projector
This is the piece of gear that often gets the most consideration when purchasing a video projection system, but proper setup and signal flow is crucial to get your money’s worth out of them. It’s also crucial to change the lamp within your projector at least once or twice a year, depending on how much you use your system. If you’re not already in the habit of changing your lamp, you’re in for a very pleasant surprise the next time you make a replacement.
[Computers are] the heart of your system, and if there are problems here, everything else is going to suffer.
4. Cabling and Signal Amplification
Easily the most overlooked component of the system, it’s important to take an honest, hard look at the kind of cabling you’re utilizing in your system. As a rule, the less converters you need the better for your signal flow and quality. (None is best.) It’s also important to remember that video signal can only travel so far before the quality degrades. Make sure you’re incorporating a video signal amplifier if you’re running a long distance to your projector.
5. Projection Screen & Mount
While the screen seems like the most basic component of the system, it can nonetheless have a significant impact on image quality. One quick way to immediately improve your presentation is to be completely honest about how things look when they hit the screen. Does the image completely fill the screen? Are you throwing a 16:9 image onto a 4:3 screen? Some strategically placed black cloth can go a long way towards making your current system look professional and intentional.
6. Sound System
When addressing video projection system quality, one of the areas we’re too quick to [overlook] is how our audio quality affects the video presentation. Are the video and audio systems in sync from a timing perspective? Is the audio level of the video way softer than the levels of the music or the message? These are issues that can be addressed and fixed—the difficult step is just recognizing that there’s a problem.
Locking in on A Resolution
Once you have your essential components in place, the next step is to make sure they’re all on the same page when it comes to native resolution. All too often great media content comes out looking muddy because the components are set to different resolutions. The good news, however, is that this issue is one of the easiest to fix quickly.
First, start of by picking a resolution that works across your media content. If you’re unsure on which resolution to go with, I’d recommend 1280x720 progressive (720p). This resolution will work well with your HD videos and graphics created in 16x9, which will likely be most of them. Next, set your computer output resolution to 720p within your operating system settings. Then, turn on your projector and make sure it’s recognizing and utilizing this same resolution.
Once that’s done, open your presentation software and make sure it’s set to that same resolution for its output. The presentation software and operation system can sometimes be at odds, which can lead to a lot of frustration if overlooked. If you’re running through a video switcher, the final step in the process will be making sure that your video switcher is set to this same resolution for input and output. You should now have a system set up to get as close to a 1-to-1 pixel representation as possible, which will maximize the sharpness and overall quality of the image.
One quick note: once you’ve completed this process be sure to take a look at the lyric and message slides for your upcoming shows. Some presentation software will try to stay with the original resolution those presentations where created in, and will require a quick manual updating.
Factor in Your Environment
Another cost-effective way to dramatically increase the quality of your projection system is to take a look at how your worship environment itself is affecting the image. An easy way to do this is to turn on the lights you’d normally run during a service. Now, take a look at the screens themselves before the projectors are turned on. Whatever color or shade your seeing, that is the black level you’re building up from. Is it anywhere near black?
Remember, the richness of your image is a function of its dynamic range. If your screens are being bombarded by lots of stray light, your screen will always have a “milky” look because anything approaching black is missing. No matter how great your lighting show is, the congregation still needs to be able to read the lyrics.
One easy way to address this issue is to take into consideration where your screens are placed relative to the stage. Do everything you can to create some space between the people you are lighting onstage and the screens themselves. If possible, flying your screens vertically is almost always better than pushing them out to the sides, but do whatever it takes to create some separation.
Next, take the time to adjust your lighting to minimize the illumination hitting the screens themselves. There are a number of very cost-effective ways to control stray light coming off lighting instruments. I recommend looking at Rosco Black Cinefoil for churches using low- to mid-range lighting fixtures. It’s a fast, cheap and easy way to create quick flags and barn doors for your lights. Also, don’t forget that the best way to control stray stage lights hitting the screens is to turn them off when what’s happening onstage doesn’t need to be seen at all.
Dialing it All in
Now that you have your systems set up and your environment under control, it’s time to dial in your projectors to look their best. (This is a great two-person project that can provide a way to build a relationship with a developing leader on your team.) Start by jumping into your projector’s menu and really dialing in the focus, contrast and color balance to get as sharp and colorful an image as possible. Depending on your projector, you may need to adjust the focus manually at the lens itself.
If you’re running multiple projectors make sure to take the time to compare how the two images look together. Is one more colorful than the other? Play with the saturation level to make sure they match. Does one look greener than the other? Look for the color balance function. More than anything, it’s important to make sure skin tones really match up, so spend sometime looking at images and video of humans when balancing your color.
Once you have them balanced and looking good make sure to save a preset on the projector if they have that functionality. Better yet, see if your projectors have a way to back up your presets to an external source like a USB drive or networked drive. If all else fails, at least take notes on the settings themselves. You’ll be glad you did the next time an electrical storm decides to roll in and wreak havoc on your system.
Moving Forward
When it comes to maximizing the quality and effectiveness of your projection system, the most difficult step is to admit there’s a problem to begin with. The easiest next step will be to invite some of your other tech team leaders and volunteers into the conversation and begin developing an approach. Tackle the low-hanging fruit first, and then create a longer-term upgrade plan to replace the gear or systems that need replacing. Church leadership will often be far more open to conversations about capital improvements if we’re willing to show we’ve done everything in our power to maximize the gear we already have.
At the end of the day, it’s important to remember that first-time guests will immediately see the things we’ve gone blind to over time. We owe it to our mission as a church to make sure we do everything we can to create a seamless and compelling presentation of the Gospel, week in and week out.
