As the fear of traveling subsides and Covid becomes a fading memory for most, trade shows are returning, and with them, a massive wave of new professional AV products that were held back from introduction during the pandemic shut down.
With mask mandates lifted and international travel restrictions declining, InfoComm 2022 actually felt “normal,” despite the fact that official attendance figures show it had about half the attendance (just under 20,000) of the 2019 show, which had approximately 44,000 in attendance.
As might be expected, manufacturers at the event, held at the Las Vegas Convention Center, June 8-10, 2022, put enormous energy into professional AV solutions designed to help with the wave of remote conferencing and work-from-home solutions – some of which might be appropriate for churches. For example, Bose introduced the Videobar VB-S conferencing device that combines a camera (yes, a Bose representative confirms that Bose designed the camera – which might be a first), a microphone array for directional pick up, and a loudspeaker system that resembles what you might see in a Bose Wave Radio. The design is intended to improve the experience for those on both ends of long remote conference calls that often rely on cheap webcams, tinny, easily overloaded microphones, and harsh, poorly designed computer speakers.
While conferencing solutions are not entirely, inappropriate for churches, the Church Production team was at InfoComm looking for innovative new products for church gatherings. Having witnessed a massive onslaught of video capture and streaming product introductions at the recent NAB Show, the focus this time was on technology for a church’s live events.
What follows is “Church Production’s Top 5 Products for Churches from InfoComm 2022” in alphabetical order.
Epson 3LCD Large Venue Laser Projectors with 4K enhancement
Just a few years ago, a 20,000-lumen projector was the size of a small car. With the introduction of Epson’s new high-output 3-chip, 3LCD solution, you can now get 20,000 lumens in a package that’s about the size of a carry-on bag. At InfoComm 2022, Epson showed its commitment to large-venue, live events with a range of new projectors, including the EB-PU2220B and EB-PU2120W, offering 10,000, 13,000, 16,000, and 20,000 lumens that are 60% smaller and 50% lighter than the company’s previous large-venue projectors.
For smaller venues, Epson displayed ultra-wide aspect ratio projectors starting at 3,600 lumens, plus a range of lenses including ultra-short-throw, short-throw, and standard lenses.
JVC KY-PZ510 Series PTZ Cameras
With a blistering set of innovative features, JVC’s new KY-PZ510 Series of PTZ cameras should be on any church’s short list. Capable of 4K 60p performance for high-quality shots with lots of movement, these cameras are putting to shame the PTZ cameras of just a few years ago that were often referred to as just “glorified security cameras.” Besides just pure image and resolution quality, these new JVC cameras offer some truly innovative, cutting-edge capabilities like multi-slice encoding technology that’s intended to reduce latency and boost image quality with lower bit rates. Plus, they’re designed to work with remote production. Yes, switching your services remotely --- from home, or sub-contracted out in another state --- is now more realistic for a larger swath of the church market.
Other features include NDI, SRT, and RTMPS connectivity, super-wide, 80-degree field of view, and auto-tracking that will follow a presenter across the stage automatically.
Obsidian Onyx NX1 Lighting Control Console
Available for about one quarter the cost of lighting desks used at some larger churches, the Onyx NX1 from Obsidian Control Systems is a compact, easy-to-learn lighting controller that offers nearly all the features needed to light just about any contemporary worship service. With 10 motorized faders, four DMX ports, and eight universes, the console offers the flexibility of four user-assignable buttons, plus a Master Go section for volunteers to operate after the console has been programmed by a lighting designer or tech director. A 10.1-inch touch screen monitor and NDI video input connectivity round out the already robust feature site.
The NX P is a motorized fader wing that can be added to the NX1, greatly expanding the hands-on capabilities (busking) and the NX K is a smaller, USB-power control surface that offers the keypad and command section of larger consoles
Panasonic 3-Chip DLP 4K Solid Shine Laser Projector
Upon entering the Panasonic booth at InfoComm 2022, one couldn’t help but notice the huge, strikingly vibrant video screen to one side. Resembling a 16x9 image tilted vertically on its side, I immediately wondered if Panasonic had entered the LED wall market. I was quickly told otherwise. The super-bright image was coming from Panasonic’s new 20,000-lumen PT-RQ25K 3-Chip DLP 4K Solid Shine Laser Projector. While not practical for every church, this new projector caught our attention --- not just for the brilliant image, but for the forward-thinking features designed to make an investment of this magnitude as future-proof as possible. Those features include 4K (3840 x 2400) resolution and Intel’s Smart Display Module that expands the projector’s compatibility with a wide range of third-party, and optional proprietary connection boards, including 12G-SDI Digital Link. Of course, edge blending and image masking are standard features.
Trust me, the image was breathtaking, but what it offers is a glimpse of the future when ultra-high brightness and ultra-high definition will be features we take for granted.
Sony SRG-X40UH 4K PTZ Camera
Sony camera sensors are world-renowned for producing deep, sharp, life-like images. That’s why they’re found in many cameras from other brands. Sony’s new SRG-X40UH could be considered a mid-market PTZ camera, but you’d never know it by looking at the Sony imaging. It offers 4K 30p resolution via HDMI or 4K 60p resolution via UVC connectivity, and 40x zoom at full HD and 30x zoom at 4K. Optical zoom capability is 20x. The announcement from Sony says it’s an affordable camera that offers simple functionality and interface connections. Simple, affordable, and high quality. Sounds like it’s built with the bulk of the church market in mind.
