Recently, E/T/C London installed a large format projection system for the Sunderland Aquatic Center in Northeast England at the country’s first Olympic-sized swimming pool. The show producers Magnetic Events and soundscape producer Karen Monid created a storyboard for the projection that relates to water and swimming. For the projectors, they are using 6 PIGI 6kW projectors that are fitted with double rotating scrollers, and they are installed on a special platform that is constructed 541 feet away from the Aquatic Center.

[via Live Design Online]

Previously, the creators of the star ceiling who were creating their own home theater over at AnandTech decided to install the JVC DLA-RS2 Projector. Now they are back again, this time with power to their theater and treatment on their walls. The lighting in the room is controlled by a Lutron GRAFIK Eye 3000, which is a multi-zone dimmer that allows you to dim lights individually. In addition to this, the theater has doors which are “non-hollow Masonite Safe and Sound doors from Home Depot.” We will continue to stay updated on their progress.

[via AnandTech]

According to Chief Executive Jeffrey Katzenberg, “Things haven’t progressed as well as I had hoped…” he adds, “I feel as though things have dragged along, and it’s been pretty disappointing,” as he talks about the 3-D projection industry is not progressing as expected. The theaters in the industry are slow to change quite possibly due to market concerns, but Katzenberg’s commitment to this technology has led him to make all future films in 3-D, which costs around $15 million per film. The current situation in the cinema industry is that around 4,000 of 37,000 screens are digitally equipped, and out of those around 1,000 have the capabilities of 3-D technology. The reason for all of the current disagreement is because future analysis has shown that there will not be enough 3-D screens for the movies that are to be released in the coming years.

[via Reuters]

Recently, Arcstream installed an interactive floor that uses projection technology at The Science Museum. The “Living Image display” that is located in the “Science For Survival” exhibition is to be functional until November 2008. The projected image is a “pool” and uses an infra-red sensor system. Visitors can learn about safe drinking water and water shortages due to the theme. The image adjusts with interaction, for example if a visitor walks over it, the image will change. Electrosonic, assisted them in installation and uses a 6,500 Lumen projector which utilizes 1024 x 768 resolution. According to Stephen Foulger, “The interactivity of the technology was also a major factor. We were really impressed with the technology’s ability to engage people’s senses – sight, sound, and touch – which proved particularly popular with our younger visitors.” Arcstream AV offers service in audio/visual across corporate, media and advertising.

[via AV Interactive]

Launched recently, FogScreen introduced a new way to project images; onto fog. The patented technology uses a “laminar, non-turbulent airflow that remains thin, crisp and protected from turbulence.” In addition to this, the fog is made with ultrasonic waves and water, so no chemicals are necessary for its function. While the screen works great in daylight; there are better results for a darker room. For this screen, the company recommends a projector that utilizes at least 4,500 Lumens, and around 2 meters distance from the projector and screen. FogScreen has received numerous awards and was featured on many news agencies, including CNN, Reuters, New Scientist, NBC, and many others.

[via FogScreen]

Sony recently announced that it would bring four new low-cost projectors into the market; these projectors will be 0.6-inch BrightEra microdisplays that would utilize an inorganic film that reduces color loss “due to prolonged exposure to intense UV light. This “degradation” has usually been a problem for 3LCD manufacturers, but recently Sony has claimed to solve the problem by using the first HTPS (high-temperature poly silicon) chip that has an alignment layer which can make the molecular coupling stronger. If that wasn’t enough, in a comparison between SXRD and BrightEra, the benefits were, according to Sander Phipps, “We gained the use of smaller feature sizes to drive more light through the system (higher aperture ratio), improving the lumens/W efficiency by around 20%.” This technology is expected to open up other markets in projection technology as sales in the home entertainment industry increases.

[via Display Daily]

Recently, PSL, an event services company, completed a UK tour which supplied video projectors and screens for “national treasures Madness,” which provided for the O2 Arena in London, that seats 20,000 people. The company supplied four 20’ x 15’ screens and Christie Roadster S+20K DLP projectors. According to video director, Julian Hogg, “With the stage itself rotating, we had to have more cameras than usual to provide front coverage,” he adds, “This was an unusual show for Madness as it was set in-the-round. We were flying our screens nearly 50’ in the air, above the lighting grid and below the PA, sitting in between rather than having first choice of position.” Christie is a leader in visual technology solutions and manufactures products for both business and the entertainment industry.

[via AV International]

The Barco DML-1200, the first moving digital light source that is also a projector has been announced, which includes two modes; video mode and light mode. In video mode, the projector utilizes DLP technology with 1400 x 1050 SXGA+ resolution, that has around 10,000 Lumens, making this projector “twice as bright as other digital light products on the market today.” Even in light mode, it delivers 12,000 Lumens which is “four times as bright as any other digital light on the market today.” With all of this brightness as you would expect, the lamp would probably have a shorter life, but it has a warranty for around 750 actual running hours which is also an important part of this projector. This projector marks a revolutionary development in the dual use of the light source/projector.

[via The Light Sound Journal]

If you need to do a presentation but do not have a suitable projector, then you might be interested to learn about the projectors that are being used in Berlin primarily for this purpose. Because of the expensive technology involved in brightness levels for presentations, you cannot normally expect to spend less than 2,000 dollars. However, if you spend less than that, you may find yourself with a projector that needs a room that is completely dark for use. For these brightness terms, you should look at ANSI Lumens, which is a “physical unit of the light beam,” and according to Peter Knaak, the most important part of the projector is the lighting power. Also, noise level can be a disruption for a projector, this is due to the fan levels, and it consumers should test out the projector before a purchase to hear these levels. But in summary, there are many aspects of presentation projectors that you should take into account, but most the most important of them being brightness.

[via The Earth Times]

At first glance, the Pioneer KRF-9000FD Kuro Projector may look like your typical Pioneer projector with its sleek look and centered lens; however, the more you examine the device, it will become apparent that it includes many features that are not available on other models. With a hefty price tag that is around $12,000, you will find features such as 1,920 x 1,080 Full HD resolution, a native contrast ratio of 30,000:1, 600 Lumens, and Liquid Crystal on Silicon (LCoS) chip. For the price of this projector you would expect the best, and this is exactly what Pioneer has done, even the reviewer states, “you get what you pay for.”

[via Trusted Reviews]