NORTHFIELD METHODIST CHURCH GOES DIGITAL

The church was suitably impressed with the PA-500U. It was a vast improvement over what they had in the building at the time. However, they also wanted to add a second screen and projector. This was when the conversation turned to an in-depth discussion of analogue vs digital.

The outcome of the discussion helped them reach the conclusion that digital was the way to go. So Tom set out to design a "future-proof" digital solution involving Crestron Digital Media, NEC projectors and Kramer Electronics.

Projects in Houses of Worship often fall prey to too many "expert" opinions. Because of their financial situations many churches often also feel that they have to compromise on quality or sacrifice one item for another. This in turn leads to equipment being purchased from a viewpoint of getting away with the cheapest product to fill an immediate need. Getting the right solution for your venue can become a "minefield" of choices with the right answer hidden somewhere in it. No-one really knows ... yet everyone thinks his choice is the right one!

Northfield Methodist has been in existence for around 87 years and has a rich heritage. For Reverend Brian Smith, it was of utmost importance to get a cost-effective solution which would not need to be redone or replaced for a good number of years, and which would lend itself to easy expansion in the future.

One of Inta-Media's strengths is the fact that Tom can utilize many years in the industry to come up with an open-ended design which will save the church finances and headaches in the future, hence the term "future-proof". This is a passion for Tom, especially when it comes to churches. Tom has vast experience in the field of audio, lighting, video and IMAG, but also understands that none of the good solutions comes "cheap" either. In this industry, you literally get what you pay for! This is the solution Tom proposed:

The new Crestron DM system consisted of a MD-6x4 switcher and two DM-RMC-100-C HDBaseT receivers/controllers, one for each of the new NEC PA-500U projectors that were installed. A Crestron HD-EXT-2C HDMI Extender was installed from the stage to the FOH position for use with laptops and other devices from the stage. All DM interconnections are done using Belden Cat-5 FTP cable.

Other devices added to the system include a Kramer SDI to HDMI scaler to bring their Sony Video Camera into the system and a HDMI audio de-embedder to provide the audio feed to the house mixing console. The system runs flawlessly at 1080P, except for the camera, which runs at 1080i and the DVD Player that operates at normal PAL video resolution. Scaling is done using the projector's own built-in scalers.

List of equipment installed:

• 1 x Crestron DM-MD 6x4 Router
• 2 x Crestron DMC-RMC-100-C 8G+ Receiver/Controller
• 1 x Crestron HD-EXT-2C HDMI Extender
• 1 x Kramer FC-331 HD-SDI to HDMI Converter
• 1 x Kramer FC-46xl HDMI Audio De-Embedder
• 2 x NEC NP-PA500U Projectors with NP-13ZL Zoom Lenses
• 2 x Custom Fixed-frame 16:9 Projection screens

INTA-MEDIA – SEEING, HEARING AND KNOWING THE DIFFERENCE Inta-Media is a company geared to providing comprehensive turnkey solutions in the fields of Professional Audio, Sound Reinforcement, AV Presentation and Stage Lighting. Tom Crosswell, the owner of the Modderfontein-based company, is partnered by Mariann Crosswell and between them have 45 years of experience in the Pro AV Industry. Tom is the Solution Architect and Mariann is the Projects Manager: in other words he comes up with an idea and she makes it happen. Tom's philosophy is that everything starts with design responsibility. He implements best practices, draws on past experience and partners with the best in the industry to stay abreast of latest developments. He says "At Inta-Media we believe in providing system designs that provide both a cost-effective and quality solution to the end user". Tom regards providing turnkey solutions as Inta-Media's speciality and has done installations for Houses of Worship, Corporate Entities, Broadcast Facilities, Theatres, Sports Stadiums, the Hospitality Industry and Educational Institutions. They also offer the following IMS related services: Infra-structure design on new building projects, system assessment, upgrading existing systems, acoustic system performance modelling, strategic planning, on and off-site project management, and end-user training. Tom is a great believer in future-proofing: "This means providing my clients with a cost-effective system that will endure for a long time, but is also upgradeable should the need arise". Inta-Media's motto is "We go the extra mile ... you see, hear and know the difference". For more info on Inta-Media and the installations they have done check out their website: http://www.intamedia.co.za/

Inta-Media – Seeing, Hearing and Knowing the Difference

Inta-Media is a company geared to providing comprehensive turnkey solutions in the fields of Professional Audio, Sound Reinforcement, AV Presentation and Stage Lighting. Tom Crosswell, the owner of the Modderfontein-based company, is partnered by Mariann Crosswell and between them have 45 years of experience in the Pro AV Industry. Tom is the Solution Architect and Mariann is the Projects Manager: in other words he comes up with an idea and she makes it happen.

Tom’s philosophy is that everything starts with design responsibility. He implements best practices, draws on past experience and partners with the best in the industry to stay abreast of latest developments.

He says “At Inta-Media we believe in providing system designs that provide both a cost-effective and quality solution to the end user”.

Tom regards providing turnkey solutions as Inta-Media’s speciality and has done installations for Houses of Worship, Corporate Entities, Broadcast Facilities, Theatres, Sports Stadiums, the Hospitality Industry and Educational Institutions.

They also offer the following IMS related services: Infra-structure design on new building projects, system assessment, upgrading existing systems, acoustic system performance modelling, strategic planning, on and off-site project management, and end-user training.

Tom is a great believer in future-proofing: “This means providing my clients with a cost-effective system that will endure for a long time, but is also upgradeable should the need arise”.

Inta-Media’s motto is “We go the extra mile … you see, hear and know the difference”.

For more info on Inta-Media and the installations they have done check out their website: http://www.intamedia.co.za/