Nothing captures a congregations' attention more than a rich production filled with videos and imagery. As more and more church productions layer their message with multimedia elements, they must rely on multiple video sources to achieve the desired result. Add to that the presence of high definition (HD) video, and the right video switcher becomes an important component to provide seamless images, crisp video, and the correct output for broadcast or recording.
“When purchasing a switcher, a church has to consider its current A/V production needs, as well as its future growth,” says Brandi Gil, segment marketing manager for Sony Electronics. “One of the most important criteria when making a switcher purchase is the system's flexibility. Strong consideration must be given to specifica- tions like support for both standard- and high-definition formats, as well as the maxi- mum number of inputs and outputs that the switcher can support. A good system will support a majority, if not all, of the cur- rent video formats, while also providing the end user with enough headroom to grow as their system needs evolve.”
More often than not, a video switcher purchase is based on current—rather than future—needs. But with video formats constantly evolving, it is important to decide on a feature set that meets tomorrow's needs as well. “This is a difficult situation because church budgets are not based on the forward march of technology,” explains John Stapsy, managing director at Data- video. “Churches are expected to maximize the life of their investment and stay current with technology. Whether it is SD to HD migration or HD1080i to HD1080p migration, new hardware is involved.”
Video switchers for churches are challenging because of the many moving parts of a production, including the various inputs from video cameras, computers, and other video equipment. “In church production there are often video components with dissimilar formats so inputs must all be converted to a common format; that is where delays can quickly add up,” says Nigel Spratling, production switcher business development manager for Ross Video. “There are a lot of switchers in churches that have far too much processing delay for the application, which was only discovered once the product was purchased and installed.”
Key features to consider
That processing delay, also known as latency, can have a jarring effect on an otherwise smooth production. “The biggest challenge churches face when buying into switching systems is getting a system that is right for the live market. While many switchers have great specs on paper, with every feature known to man, they may have a very large amount of latency,” says Erik Iverson, product applications manager of image processing at Barco.
Seth Teates, mid-Atlantic sales manager at Analog Way, agrees, “Low latency in the processor is probably the most important. If the pastor on the screen doesn't match the real pastor or the audio feed, you are better off without any video screens at all.”
Another key feature to consider is image scalability. “With multiple sources, multiple signal types, multiple resolutions and fixed resolution displays, good scaling is an essential part of any switching system in house of worship applications,” says Clint Hoffman, vice president of marketing for Kramer Electronics. Proper scaling means a higher quality image that looks great on the screen.
Dan Williams, system design engineer at Extron, says that seamless switching, the ability to show multiple simultaneous images, and image quality should remain top of mind. “Extron's ISS 506 is a six- input seamless switcher that combines truly seamless, glitch-free switching with advanced scaling technologies to meet the requirements of high quality, high resolution church environments,” he adds.
Multiple feeds on one monitor is important—both for production staff and for the congregation. Ken Swanton, president of Broadcast Pix, says that the company's built-in Fluent Multi-View allows the technical director to keep track of all video sources on one monitor. “Churches are usually very excited to learn about our Fluent workflow tools like built-in clip store,
Ease of use is another key feature since so many churches rely on volunteer staff to run the A/V systems. Many would agree that if it takes longer than a few minutes to understand basic functions, then the equipment is too complicated for volunteers to operate during a live production. As a result, most video switcher manufacturers design their products so they can be operated with minimal experience.
“Don't get caught up in other features until you have confirmed the basics. Try the switcher out in your environment—checking the full signal path, image quality and ease of use for volunteers. If you are not sure, do a shoot-out between switchers with an A/B comparison,” advises John Broadhead, vice president of technology and communications for Roland Systems Group. “After con- firming the basics, users can then compare other features that take a switcher from just being a selector of sources to being the center of a creative visual environment.”
Other considerations
In addition to latency, scalability, and ease of use, there exists another layer of product features to consider. Gefen recently launched its Fast Switching Technology on all its new HDMI switchers to improve switching time between sources—an issue when dealing with high-bandwidth digital content protection (HDCP) on consumer devices like Blu-Ray players. “Most churches should also be aware of the method of control. Most products come with IR, RS-232 and now IP-based options. Those are going to become more and more important as automation systems take hold in worship environments,” adds Hagai Gefen, president and CEO.
Dan Williams, system design engineer at Extron, says that seamless switching, the ability to show multiple simultaneous images, and image quality should remain top of mind. “Extron's ISS 506 is a six- input seamless switcher that combines truly seamless, glitch-free switching with advanced scaling technologies to meet the requirements of high quality, high resolution church environments,” he adds.
Multiple feeds on one monitor is important—both for production staff and for the congregation. Ken Swanton, president of Broadcast Pix, says that the company's built-in Fluent Multi-View allows the technical director to keep track of all video sources on one monitor. “Churches are usually very excited to learn about our Fluent workflow tools like built-in clip store, animation store, Harris Inscriber CG, and file-based macros,” he says. Teates adds that dual picture-in-picture (PIP) has been very well-received in the worship market. “You can show an IMAG of the pastor next to his Pow- erPoint notes on the same screen,” he says. “Another great feature is the ability to Chroma Key lower thirds on the screen. Analog Way's Pulse is an excellent mid-sized Hi-Resolution Mixer [that] does all of the above features for a very competitive price.”
For needs assessment, Hiro Tanoue, president and CEO of For-A America, thinks that the more outputs avail- able, the better. “Churches can often do without a router if there are plenty of outputs to send signals in vari- ous directions. FOR-A's HVS-350HS switcher has eight aux outputs enabling churches to route different signals to multiple projectors. The HVS-350 also has an integrated IMAG for four sources,” he notes.
The ability to accommodate and switch between all video formats is important. Tony McAhren, product and market- ing manager for TV One, explains that its C2-8000 series units address this concern by adding DVI-U universal I/Os for CV, Y/C, YPbPr, YUV, RGsB, RGBs, RGBHV, DVI-A, DVI-D, and HDMI on one connector. He adds, “The video switcher is the heart and soul of a system, and knowing what you need not only today but in the near future is important to maximize budget dollars.”
But with the rush to HD, there is also still a place for standard definition (SD) video feeds. “A down-conversion feature enables SD output of HD programming for Web streaming and recording to DVD,” says John Rhodes, product line manager of system cameras and switchers for Panasonic Solutions Co. “Also consider an auxiliary bus to en- able separate, distinct output feeds for webcasting, projector, overflow area, recording, or engineering.”
Does 3D have a place in the church?
One of the hottest video technologies in recent years is 3D, which has made traction in movie theaters and in home theaters. But is there a place for 3D in the worship environment? Many video switcher manufacturers say no.
“When it comes to 3D, many churches are taking a wait-and-see approach,” says Deon LeCointe, product manager, professional audio and video, Sony Electronics. “The technology has proven to be successful in movie theaters, and 3D is now gaining strength in live events and in the home. As with any new technology, the house-of-worship market needs pioneers who can identify effective and creative applications for 3D in this market. Then, its popularity and use within churches will most likely grow.”
Iverson isn't seeing much 3D in churches, but anticipates seeing more due to the commercial success of the technology. “It can be a useful tool for creating an engaging environment to deliver your message,” he says. “As stereoscopic 3D (S3D) production equipment costs come down, the market will adopt it as a solution. I would not purchase a switcher these days that does not support a path to S3D.”
Spratling says that cost, technical complexity and the need for 3D glasses seems to outweigh any potential benefit for the congregation. “At this time I am not sure that 3D makes sense in a worship environment. Certainly a well-produced 3D image can be entertaining and we can provide 3D capable switchers, [but] only time will tell if there is a place for it in worship,” he says.
