Industry Arts |
Region Norway |
Type of Solution High brightness, high resolution projector for theatre performances |
Installation Company Arendal Kulturhus |
arendalkulturhus.no/ |
Arendal Kulturhus is located in the heart of Arendal on the south east coast of Norway and stages more than 150 concerts and performances throughout the year. It is also a regular venue for courses and conferences. The ticket office is open Monday to Friday 11am – 4pm and an hour before each performance. |
Challenge
Arendal Kulturhus arts centre in Norway needed to replace its old and dim projector for its main 700 capacity auditorium.
The screen is large and equipment would be installed at the centre of the theatre (18m back), so the new projector needed to be especially bright.
The team wanted a straight swap using the existing fixings so the projector also needed to have good installation flexibility and a wide throw ratio to ensure it would be suitable to project from exactly the same position.
Solution
The theatre installed the 12,000 lumen dual-lamp Optoma WU1500 with a long throw lens.
Technical Manager at Arendal Kulturhus, Mr Finn Cato Andersen, said: “We looked at several options and chose the Optoma WU1500 due to its excellent performance, features and brightness for the price.”
The WUXGA projector has six lens options, with throw ratios from wide (0.84:1) to extra-long throw (7.2:1), which gave the theatre huge flexibility to use the existing screen and fittings. The lenses use LD (low dispersion) glass to ensure perfect focus and minimal drop in brightness, even over long throw distances. Motorised zoom and focus are provided across all of the lens options, even the short throw lens.
In addition to the standard installation, the WU1500 gives Arendal Kulturhus flexibility to project in different ways for future performances. For example, it can be installed at any angle over a full 360° range along its horizontal axis, enabling floor and ceiling projection. It can also operate in ‘portrait mode’. It has HDBaseT connectivity, allowing the transmission of high-definition video, audio and control signals over a single CAT6 cable and is equipped with a 3G-SDI terminal, enabling the display of uncompressed digital video.
The image processor includes picture-by-picture and picture-in-picture capabilities, allowing the simultaneous display of images from two separate sources. And for performances where total blackout is required, the WU1500 features a mechanical shutter. The projector is reliable and capable of continuous 24/7 operation. Both lamps can operate together to deliver maximum brightness, or the ‘lamp relay’ function can be used to alternate between individual lamps.
Results
The projector made its debut performance at the theatre in 2017 and has been used in several plays, events and dance performances.
Finn Cato said: “We are very happy. The image quality, uniformity and sharpness are excellent.”
Arendal Kulturhus
Sam Eydes plass 2
Arendal, Norway
Tel +47 37 00 60 64
http://arendalkulturhus.no/