The specification created by Lascaut required the installation and blending of eight EH503 Optoma 1080p projectors to create a seamless image that would wrap around the four walls of the building.
This bright 5,200-lumen 1080p projector produces vivid colours and pin-sharp imagery. It has powerful image blending tools with a 3-axis colour matching system and 10x lamp-power steps making it ideal for edge blending projects like this.
This projector was chosen due to its combination of zoom, lens shift and choice of five lenses including an off-axis short throw that could meet the exact requirements of the 360 degree projection.
With full support for Crestron, Extron, AMX, PJ-Link and Telnet LAN commands, the projector can be controlled and monitored remotely over a LAN.
A quad surround system complements the images and completes the immersive experience. Dataton’s Watchout software manages the content and allows for live inputs from Power Point presentations, DVD players and Apple TV.
On surveying the space it was clear to Pure AV’s design team that micro-adjustment of the projectors’ position would be crucial in delivering a seamless image and therefore a bespoke Unicol bracket was selected.
A rack containing the Video Servers, Line Drivers, Control System and Audio Processing equipment to drive the system was built and configured by the Pure AV team off-site and delivered ready to go.
Martin King from Chester Zoo said: “The experience Pure AV brought to the project was instrumental in bringing together the vision with the reality of the building’s environment.”
Tony Crossley from Pure AV said: “Some adjustments to the original specification were made. For example, the original long DVI cables were replaced with HDBaseT twisted pair interfaces to ensure that there was no signal drop out, leading to a more reliable system.”
HDBaseT not only allows data to be sent over a much greater distance than HDMI but can also carry HD video, audio, ethernet, power and control on a single cable. This significantly cuts down the number of cables needed for a typical installation.
The screen displays authentic 360° video content commissioned by the Zoo and captured in Sumatra, but at the press of a button can display independent presentation content on each of the individual wall spaces.