House of Worship

New Tools for the Sanctuary and Beyond

New Sony projectors and field recorders broaden the possibilities for HOW A/V

Incorporating audio and video into the daily life of your ministry means much more than focusing a camera on the pulpit or miking a choir.

If you have a large sanctuary and want to show video, still images or even PowerPoint® presentations during a service, do you have the right system that's bright enough for your needs? If you're taking a production out into the field - for a community event such as a Christmas tree lighting, an outdoor service, or youth retreat - are you fully equipped to capture high-quality audio, quickly and easily?

With two new Sony products, both questions are answered: the PCM-D50 digital recorder and the VPL-FW300L and the VPL-FH300L "larger-venue" projectors.

Sony's new PCM-D50 digital recorder is the follow-up model to one of the company's most successful professional audio products. This easy-to-operate compact version of the PCM-D1 digital field recorder offers 96 kHz/24-bit recording, two-position electret condenser stereo microphones for extraordinary sound quality, PC/Macintosh® file transfer via high-speed USB interface, and numerous special features. Small, but rugged, the futuristically designed hand-held linear recorder weighs in at a third of the suggested list price of its big brother.

The new VPL-FW300L (7,000 lumens) and the VPL-FH300L (6,000 lumens) projector models are designed to deliver outstanding images while in the same room as the audience. This makes them ideal for sanctuaries and other large spaces throughout a ministry's complex such as youth centers, multi-purpose rooms, smaller auditoriums or large classrooms.

"Media ministers need a full set of production tools at their disposal," said Robin Richards, Sony Electronics' marketing manager for houses of worship. "Capture and content creation are important, but so are presentation and recording, and that's what these new products deliver."

Although the new projectors use 3LCD technology, they are a perfect complement to Sony's 4K large-venue projection systems, and fill an important niche in between current business projectors and the 4K large-venue systems.

The VPL-FW300L projector has a WXGA+ resolution of 1366 x 800, while the VPL-FH300L unit delivers resolution of 2048 x 1080. Both models are housed in the same chassis, and share the same type of lenses, lamps, and filters as well as the same connections and network functions.

The projectors feature Sony's BrightEra™ imaging technology, which is based on an inorganic substrate and alignment layer to produce a stronger bonding of molecules. This makes the panel more resistant to damage from UV energy while allowing for an increased aperture ratio. As a result, the brightness, resolution and panel reliability are all increased.

The projectors' innovative round design also includes large-diameter fans and high-flow cooling air ductwork that lets the projector run cool while fan noise is decreased. These characteristics are the key reasons that these models can be effectively placed in the room with the audience without distracting from the event.

Both models use dual 275W lamps to essentially eliminate the risk of a blackout in the event of lamp failure. Their opposing design configuration allows for projector tilting for mirror or other uses.

Users have a choice of five different standard lenses for excellent placement flexibility, and both models have a locking bayonet mount mechanism for easy lens changes.