When The Weather Channel wanted to upgrade the primary studio set at its Atlanta headquarters, it turned to Electrosonic to install a new video wall to replace the previous display the company had provided. The new system, comprised of 12 Christie® Entero™ LED-illuminated rear-projection display cubes, is now seen as a backdrop for on-air talent and is a vehicle for live video and map presentations.
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“In 2008, we supplied a rear-screen projection edge-blended system with Christie projectors, ” explains Electrosonic Systems Consultant Pete Rajcula. “We have an ongoing relationship with The Weather Channel, and when they were looking for a new alternative to the blended system, we suggested Christie’s LED-illuminated DLP cubes, which offer extremely long lamp life, rich color and easy maintenance.”
Rajcula notes that while the former system was state-of-the-art at the time, LED-illuminated cubes have now reached maturity in the market, allowing the Weather Channel to reap the benefits of the technology.
The Christie® Entero™ LED was the first high resolution LED-based display cube introduced for the control room market. Using solid state illumination, the Entero™ LED display cubes feature vivid, wide color gamut performance – with no lamps to replace, no moving parts, and no consumables.
The installation was challenged by the need to do the work on a fully functioning set. Electrosonic installed the wall’s pedestal and cubes, adjusted the geometry and color balanced the screens to match the studio lighting.
“We’re extremely happy with the video wall, ” reports The Weather Channel’s broadcast engineer Travis Warner.
The video wall is designed in a 2×6 configuration with dimensions measuring 26.9 feet wide by 6.8 feet high. A three-output Vista Spyder image processor drives a trio of 1-in/4-out distribution amps. Each of the DAs, in turn, drives one of three 2×2 sections of the wall. The video wall does its own processing of each 2×2 section, creating one large dynamic image across the display.
Andy Borum was Electrosonic’s project manager for the installation. “Everything went smoothly even though the studio was in use, ” he reports. “The Weather Channel was prepared for our arrival, so we were able to build the wall and make the initial tweaks without disrupting on-air production.”
About Electrosonic
Electrosonic is an international audio-visual company that creates tailored, state-of-the-art solutions for a wide range of markets including theme parks, museums, control rooms, and corporate meeting rooms. Since its founding in 1964, Electrosonic has built a strong reputation for working on complex projects, both large and small, and has developed lasting partnerships with customers and suppliers. Beyond complete integrated systems, Electrosonic provides a comprehensive scope of services including technical design, projector lamp sales, maintenance and operational support.