High Precision Projection Mapping at the Air Canada Centre

Like something straight out of a 1980s sci-fi movie, high-lumen projectors are helping artists illustrate virtual reality.  The year might be 2015, the year that Marty McFly traveled to in Back to the Future, but the video below (make sure to switch on 1080p) looks like something straight out of Tron:

With the use of twelve 20K lumen Christie Digital projectors and their proprietary CANVAS media server, Immersive Design Studios helped the Maple Leafs put together this impressive on-ice show at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario.

What caught us off guard was the incredible pixel precision and alignment with the on-ice graphics, so we reached out to Immersive Design Studios to learn more. (Disclaimer: We were NOT paid by Immersive to write this article and we do NOT have any monetary interest in the success of their products).

The Set-Up

To learn more about the set-up, we spoke with Immersive’s co-founder, Thomas Soetens.  According to Thomas, the Air Canada Center was set up with two rigs of six 20K lumen Christie Digital Projectors, double stacked for luminosity, blending together 12 high resolution images.  While the resolution is impressive and allows for the image clarity seen in the video, what truly impressed us was the fact that all 12 projectors were driven by ONE media server.  Yes, a single media server driving 12 WUXGA (1920 x 1200) resolution projectors.  What kind of media server has that kind of power?  Turns out it’s a neat, compact proprietary design by Immersive Design Studios called the CANVAS.

CANVAS Media Server

The CANVAS Media Server is a technical powerhouse, with the ability to drive up to 16K of output resolution per unit without issue.  But what makes the unit so unique is Immersive’s projection mapping software, which allows for on-the-fly pixel calibration down to 1/10^th of a pixel.  It was also designed from the ground up for game-engine inputs, resulting in ultra-realistic, virtual reality experiences.

The difference between precision projection mapping with CANVAS and without.

On the Fly Projector Calibration

One of the challenges of large scale projection mapping is projector alignment and calibration:

“We hear these stories all the time: Temperature changes in the venue can affect the projector trusses and then there’s an alignment issue.  With our solution, we can make the repair then and there.”

Many large-venue projectors like Barco’s HDX series ship with onboard warping/alignment software, but with additional inputs from multiple media servers, one can imagine the complexity in aligning all of these projectors.  Immersive believes that with their software and media server, they have reduced dark time (the time to set up for a show) down to just minutes.

“For example – to redo the lines on the ice [rink], others would have to re-do the perspective mapping.  Re-doing the lines with our system would be done on the fly with vector mapping.”

Thomas wasn’t willing to share too many specifics on the calibration software due to trade secrets, but he assured me that the interface is ultra-simple.

“As an artistic design company, we understand the technical challenges artists face.  With our simplified media server, we take control away from hardware operators, and put it in the hands of content makers.”

And we think that’s a good thing.

Decreasing Points of Failure in Projection Mapping

More components means more points of failure; centralizing the media server and driving more outputs from one device leads to increased reliability.  By using only two of these media servers, the team can guarantee uptime by powering half of the double-stacked projectors with each device; if one goes down, the brightness only drops to half-luminosity without loss of image.

“Crunching 4k resolutions will be a massive increase in compute requirement, and having a single source to your projector is the most intelligent solution as it reduces latency, points of failure, and forward-compatibility.”

On these large venue projectors, one of the most expensive projector repair issues we find is a conflict from the ancillary onboard PCB’s related to Image Processing.  By offloading this functionality on to the media server which is lighter, easier to work on & ship, and cheaper to fix, we believe that large venues and rental houses can cut costs on projector repairs as they switch to PCB-light projectors.

Realtime Game Content Engine for Projection Mapped Virtual Reality

According to Thomas, the main difference between CANVAS and its competitors is that the CANVAS was designed from the ground up for game content with live inputs.

“We were never interested in building just a better playback server, CANVAS is the first server supporting game engine content and therefore opening the door to an entire new medium.”

How can Projectors Better Accommodate Projection Mapping?

Key challenges for large venue projectors are size, heat, and noise.  Rather than focusing on high tech features and software, Thomas believes that the projector manufacturers should leave that to the media server and focus on making brighter, lighter, smaller, and more reliable projectors.

The Future of Projection Mapping

Seeing this kind of projection mapping in a sports arena makes us wonder about other applications.  Immersive has already worked with two ice hockey rinks, as well as NBA teams like the Raptors.

But what about more immersive applications, like virtual reality games?  Turns out that’s already in the works.  The CANVAS media server has the ability to integrate live data into the projection mapped feed via a proprietary game engine.  We hope this means full-scale, virtual reality experiences in the near future.

Projection Mapping, Barco Projectors, and The Super Bowl Left Shark

Last Sunday, 161.3 Million Americans tuned in to watch the Super Bowl on NBC.  With the big game aside, many tuned in for the spectacular Half-Time performance by Katy Perry and her now sensational Left Shark.  Viewers were delighted by the visual representation of a tropical paradise, 3D fireworks, and a super realistic Chess Set projected on stage using a technique called Projection Mapping.

Projection Mapping At The Super Bowl Half Time Show – Photo Credit: projection-mapping.org

What is Projection Mapping?

We first saw Projection Mapping hit the mainstream at Coachella 2012 when performers resurrected Tupac for a surprise performance.  By using multiple high-brightness projectors, uneven surfaces, and intense pre-rendered or-on-the fly rendered graphics, artists are fooling the human brain into the illusion that the 2D projection is actually a 3D object with holographic tendencies.

Barco Projectors Dominate the Market

When it comes to live venue projection, especially in challenging or bright venues, Barco seems to dominate its competition.  In 2012, Barco FLM HD20s supported international events including Roger Waters’ The Wall, the Eurovision Song Contest, and the Bacardi Togetherness worldwide brand campaign.  It is rumored that for the 2015 Super Bowl, 80 Barco HDF-W26’s were chained to produce Katy Perry’s half-time show.  The projectors were set up redundantly in pairs to prevent blackouts in case of failure. The HDF-W26 is a 26,000 lumen DLP projector from Barco that is designed for Projection Mapping applications.  It is out of the box ready for projecting on to warped surfaces, connecting to multiple other projectors in a series, and is ruggedized and weather-sealed.

We Repair Barco Projectors

Who Runs the Show?

In order to understand more on projection mapping, we sat down with Eric from Imaginex to talk about the intricate details of Projection Mapping projects.  His company, Imaginex specializes in displays and shows on the East Coast including Virginia, Maryland, and New York.  According to Eric, Projection Mapping is a foreign concept to many entertainers, and entertainers often hire a firm that offers a Turn-Key solution.

“We offer an end to end solution.  Depending on what the client is looking for, we would provide the system control software, select the media servers and projectors, and set up the rigging.  We would even find animators if that was part of the project.”

Laying Out the Projection Mapping – Photo Credit Projection-Mapping.org

What are some of the challenges with Projection Mapping?

It seems that every show can be as simple or as complex as the plan calls for.  When working with 2, 50, even 100 projectors, you can imagine how complex the computing power can be.  Owning this type of equipment is prohibitively expensive, and so it is important to find a rental company with reliable equipment.  As we know at Digitron Electronics, poorly maintained projectors can suffer from power issues, blown lamps, and bad power supplies all the time.  We asked Eric from Imaginex about the biggest concerns:

“Things can always come up last minute – power issues, the 3D model doesn’t fit the stage perfectly, or there are issues with the hardware.  We’ve always got to be ready for last minute problems.”

Digitron Electronics is a repair center for high-lumen large venue projectors, and we frequently work with Barco, Christie, Digital Projection, Mitsubishi, Panasonic, and Sony Projectors.  We often work with rental companies that provide Projection Mappers with their equipment, and we work with projection mapping companies who own their equipment.  From our experience, large venue projectors like the Barco FLM-HD20 are in need of constant preventative maintenance, especially since their standard lamp life is less than 1,000 hours, and they rely on a complex liquid cooling system.

Bonus Left Shark:

Not a Projection Mapped Shark

**Disclaimer: The Left Shark is not projection mapped

Used A/V Sales

We often work with businesses across the US providing services like Reverse Logistics, Repairs, and Warranty Administration.  Sometimes we work with companies that excel in what they do, and Solaris Network is a great example.  Solaris procures high-end A/V assets like Moving Head lights, LED Panels, High Lumen Projectors, Speaker Systems, and Mixing Consoles.  Often times, users of Pro A/V gear can find high quality gear out of their price range.  New Barco LED Walls, Martin Lights, and Christie Digital Projectors can cost a fortune, making these things out of reach for Churches, Schools, and small production companies… Solaris helps bring down the total cost of ownership of these kinds of items.  Solaris goes above and beyond by shipping gear internationally and they sell hard to find items like projector lenses and vintage gear.

Reduce E-Waste

We strongly believe in reducing our e-waste footprint.  At Digitron Electronics, we encourage people to repair their broken pro A/V equipment like projectors, mixing consoles, and moving head lights.  Take it a step further and buy used if you can!

Used Professional Audio Visual Experts

The Superbowl is a national hallmark, it is a day that Americans celebrate, whether at a home, a local bar or restaurant, a Vegas casino, or even a football stadium.  Last year, The Nielsen Company showed that the broadcast of Super Bowl XLVIII on Fox had an average audience of 111.5 million viewers and was said to be the most-watched television program of all time. The game was viewed in roughly 53.7 million households.  Some watch for the Football, some watch for the commercials and the half time shows; either way, there’s no doubt that the Super Bowl is a big deal.

Whether you are hosting friends and family at your house, or a crowd of 500 at your restaurant, if you are hosting a Super Bowl Party this February, make sure that all of your equipment is in good shape to handle the big show.  Projectors, Amplifiers, and other equipment can malfunction at the worst possible time, leaving you empty handed (except for the 100 pounds of wings and disgruntled guests).  In honor of the Super Bowl, we are waiving diagnostic fees from now until February 1st.  Just mention Superbowl14 when shipping your equipment and we will waive the diagnostic fee so that you can rest easy knowing your equipment will be functional when you need it most.

In business since 1992, Digitron Electronics specializes in Projector Repair, Pro Audio Repair, and Broadcast Camcorder Repair

Fix your Projector just in time for the Super Bowl game

We are proud to announce that we are an authorized warranty service center for B-52 Professional Audio products including Prodigy DJ Workstations, US series amplifiers, Guitar amplifiers, and ACTPRO Active Systems.  B-52 Pro Audio systems are built in the US, here in Southern California, and are known for their excellent sound and competitive price points.  As always, we accept warranty service requests that do not fall under the abuse category with proper proof of purchase.

Standard Warranty

LIFETIME Warranty on Cabinet Construction
FIVE-YEAR Warranty on High Frequency devices
FIVE-YEAR Warranty on Loudpeakers
TWO-YEAR Warranty on Digital Amplifiers

This new warranty authorization brings our total count to 70 brands that we are authorized to repair including Soundcraft, JBL, and Panasonic.  Digitron Electronics has been in the business of Professional Audio repair, Professional Camcorder repair, and Projector repair since 1992.  We help event production companies, schools, churches, and other institutions simplify product maintenance by centralizing all warranty and out of warranty repairs in one location, with one purchase order.

Warranty Information: http://www.b-52pro.com/Service.html

B52-Pro: http://www.b52-pro.com

In Q3 2014, Digitron Electronics joined the NEC Display Self-Servicer network. Our partnership with NEC display means better pricing and quicker service for our customers who need NEC Projector Repairs and NEC Professional Monitor Repairs.

Digitron Electronics works with institutions like schools, hospitals, and event production companies to consolidate all audio visual repairs in one central location with one purchase order. We reduce administrative headaches, shipping mistakes, and increase convenience in times when broken equipment can seriously disrupt productivity.

Montebello, CA, 05/07/2014

Digitron Electronics is now an Authorized Service Center for Onkyo USA

As of May 2014, Digitron Electronics is proud to announce that we have become an Authorized Service Center (ASC) for Onkyo products. We are now able to perform both in warranty and out of warranty repairs on Onkyo amplifiers, receivers, speakers, high-end home entertainment systems, and more. This authorization compliments our ability to service Yamaha, Denon, and other high-end amplifier/receiver systems.

Digitron Electronics is proud to be Southern California’s primary destination for Professional Audio/Visual repairs. Whether it’s projector repair, speaker repair, or receiver repair, we always do our best to keep your equipment in top shape.

For more information on repairs or reverse logistics partnerships, please visit www.digitronelectronics.com, or contact us by phone at (323) 887-0777.