large screen projection

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steffenmeister

Member
I have some questions about large screen projection with HVX-produced materiel:

If you're using a standard LCD projector, is it possible to get the HD quality that's in the original footage??

If so, what are some of ways or file types to use (obviously not a DVD since it's compressed)?

Lastly, I was considering the idea of combining 2 or 3 bedsheets at the front of the auditorium (sanctuary actually) to produce a modest theatrical-sized screen. Has anyone tried this?? Does this sound like it would work or produce a very disappointing, low res, washed out but large image?

Any thots are appreciated.
 
If the projector is an HD projector then you should have no problem displaying an HD signal. Laptop, like Dan mentioned, Blu-ray, or straight from the camera would work well. To be honest though a DVD played back through a good uprezzing player (the ps3 works wonders) looks damn close to blu-ray. There is a difference, but will your audience notice or care?

The bedsheet wont washout your image or make it blurry but you will have problems with wrinkles and reflectivity compared to a real screen. If you want to go cheap at least stretch the sheet tightly across some sort of frame. Or step up to blackout cloth (rubber impregnated cloth for backing drapery). The blackout cloth reflects a bit more light than a bedsheet will producing a brighter image.

What you need to watch for is stray light and a high lumen projector. The farther back/larger your screen the more lumens you need. The brighter it is in the theater, the more lumens you need. Best bet is to project in the pitch black with an appropriately sized projector for the size of your screen.
 
steffenmeister said:
I have some questions about large screen projection with HVX-produced materiel:

If you're using a standard LCD projector, is it possible to get the HD quality that's in the original footage??

If so, what are some of ways or file types to use (obviously not a DVD since it's compressed)?

Lastly, I was considering the idea of combining 2 or 3 bedsheets at the front of the auditorium (sanctuary actually) to produce a modest theatrical-sized screen. Has anyone tried this?? Does this sound like it would work or produce a very disappointing, low res, washed out but large image?

Any thots are appreciated.
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I would skip the bedsheet idea,
You can rent a screen for cheap, and will go far toward the professional presentation.

The bedsheet idea will never look professional.

Before HD was mainstream, we did many parties with projected images and films.
Most of it was shot on SD, and looked beautiful.

Actually there is a local film festival every month in our town and they project in SD, to an audience of around 200 persons and no one ever complains about quality of the projection.

Any HD would look as good or better if the projector can display it, if not, I don't think you would be disapointed either way.


The bedsheet idea....skip it.
 
I am usualy exporting my footage to P2 and then use the HVX as player. It's easy and the customers can enjoy the full HD quality - even if they finally publish a SD DVD. Green Hornet is right - forget about the bedsheets. Even a white wall is by far better.
 
Computer projectors are more widely available, brighter, and less expensive to rent than HD projectors.

You should be able to rent a 3000 lumen computer projector for about $75 a day.

16:9 screens are less common and more expensive than 4:3 tripod or 4:3 fast fold tensioned screens. rental cost for 6x8' size is $40-50.

Check with your church to see if they don't already own these items, or have a member who can loan them to the church for your showing.
 
Thanks.

OK. Question: how do you get the timeline from your NLE onto the P2 card if you're going to play it from the camera or what uncompressed file-type do you use that the P2 card accepts and plays back? How do you do that whole set up?? (I'm using Premiere Pro CS3 as my NLE, by the way)
 
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I don't know how to do it with CS3 but wit EDIUS its quite easy:
1. Connect the camera via USB
2. Export timeline using HD P2 Exporter Plug-in
 
I did a test of the three major cameras - HVX200a, EX1, and XH-A1 in a theater on high end projectors and there is a big difference between a 'computer' projector and a 'cinema' projector as far as color quality and possible tearing on the frame rate goes - make sure you test out your images befoe renting any old projector. As to the sheet, it can work if it is thick enough and you tie it tight but it will not compare to a real screen in brightness - the sheet is going to eat a lot of light and that will make the resolution look apparently blurry.
 
Thanks. (To any still reading this thread). I did find "export to Panasonic P2" option in CS3 so I'm sure that would allow for getting an HD signal to the projector. (Do you get the full signal with S-video out or do you need the Component video out??)

One other question. There is a commercial projection screen in front of the sanctuary that handles a 6' x 9' image (or maybe it's 8x10, I'm not totally positive). At any rate, I'm considering the option of increasing the size, extending it's width maybe another 6 feet using blackout cloth, as suggested. Would that cause a noticeable difference between the 2 types of materiel, blackout cloth and screen??
 
I've the HVX, HPX and panasonic AE-2000 1080p projector.

Best way is to send a cloned overlay (VMR) from your software of choice (EDIUS, P2player, MEDIAPLAYER etc) - via HDMI if possible. Or next best produce a high quality WMV-HD output for disc and play through PowerDVD via your laptop/desktop with HDMI. Output should match projectors display resolution - let the software do the scaling.

Component next best, but I personally don't think the component stage on a lot of the HC projectors is brilliant. P2 - component out of the camera is certainly the most reliable in terms of solid playback though.

You need to make sure the projector and room are optimised and your kit calibrated to get the best from all of this.
 
ROne said:
Best way is to send a cloned overlay (VMR) from your software of choice (EDIUS, P2player, MEDIAPLAYER etc) - via HDMI if possible.
Click to expand...

I guess that in your case using EDIUS 5 and a HD Spark card would even be better.
 
I tried to export the timeline via the "export to Panasonic P2" command in CS3 and selecting the camera "contents" folder and didn't have much luck on the first attempt. Thots?
 
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