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Projector Repair

Apr 16
Love1
usic Festivals and their impact on Pro A/V Equipment

Coachella’s Effect On Your A/V Equipment

By Audio Repairs, Camera Repairs, Projector Repair

Challenging Conditions

A/V and Event Pros are no strangers to the world of music festivals, raves, and other multi-stage venues. But one of the main challenges associated with large venues are their obscure locations. Black Rock City for Burning Man, Las Vegas Speed Way for Electric Daisy Carnival, and Coachella Valley for Coachella – all of these cities are known for their dry and dusty conditions, which we know is hell on A/V equipment. Rumors have it that Coachella Week 1 saw winds in excess of 50 MPH kicking up a dust storm which can damage camera, projector, lighting, and audio equipment.

Protecting Your Equipment

When it comes to camera and imaging equipment, proactive approaches are always best when maintaining the health of your equipment. SLR cameras like the Canon 5D and C300 are some of the most sensitive to dust leaks despite their weather seals. We recommend using a rain guard like the Ruggard RC-P18 Rain Cover as a first line of defense against the elements. Pan Tilt and Zoom cameras such as Panasonic’s AW and AK series cameras should also have their mechanical sections shielded from harsh conditions. When users can’t afford the rugged AW-PH650, it is imperative that they use equipment to protect their PTZ systems. We frequently see damaged AW-PH405’s and AW-PH360N’s suffering from dust or humidity damage that affects the mechanical sections. Just like pan and tilt camera systems, lighting equipment like Elation’s Moving Head or Martin’s MAC Moving Head is susceptible to dust damage in the motor assembly.

Regular Maintenance

Dust can get inside camera assemblies, lens assemblies, and viewfinders, affecting the quality of your productions. By performing preventative maintenance and cleaning after every festival, you can ensure the health and longevity of your equipment. This also applies to audio equipment, where dust can affect speaker and amplifier connectors, causing shorts.

How Dust Affects Your High-Lumen Projectors

Dust is the number one enemy for projection equipment. It can clog cooling channels, leading to power supply and ballast failure. This in turn can cause damage to the optical block. Dust is also know to affect and discolor the polarizing plates. It is always better to spend a few hundred dollars on a cleaning, than to spend a few thousand dollars on a new optical block.

Specials on Preventative Maintenance

Digitron Electronics has been in the business of Pro A/V Repairs and Cleaning since 1992. We frequently repair Panasonic, Sony, and Canon camcorder equipment and we are experts with Panasonic, Sanyo, and other high-lumen projector repair. Mention this article and we will waive the estimate deposit on SLR and Lens Cleaning, Video Camcorder Cleaning, and Projector Cleaning.

Mar 18
Love1

Repair… or Repurchase?

By Audio Repairs, Camera Repairs, Projector Repair, Video Repairs

Is it more cost-effective to repurchase?

A/V Trends

The A/V industry has changed dramatically over the last 22 years that we have been in business. Build quality of A/V technology has dropped dramatically, while features and affordability have climbed dramatically. Some of the interesting demographic trends we have noticed, are that the older generation of users, will seek out repairs, while the newer generation heads straight for replacement. Here are our thoughts:

Efficiency is Key

If the cost of repair exceeds 50% of the cost of replacing your unit with the same, or newer model, it is usually a safe bet to upgrade. You will get all the new features, with the added safety of a new manufacturer’s warranty. If the total cost of your unit is less than $199, it’s a safe bet that replacement will always be more efficient than repair.

Consumer models of camcorder, projector, and audio equipment are really never worth repairing. A great example with projector repair: repairing the Optoma HD20’s commonly sold at Costco cost approximately $600 new. The parts alone for repairing image discoloration are approximately $200. As you can see, with any labor costs, the cost of repair is more than 50% the cost of replacement.

The Opposite is Also True

If you have a high-brightness projector like the Sanyo PLC-XF46N that is used for business presentations or entertainment productions, then the answer is a resilient YES! You should fix it. Capital investments in high quality microphones, projectors, and camcorders are certainly worth the cost of the repair.

Preventative Maintenance

With fewer analog parts, many A/V equipment owners have forgotten that their units require regular preventative maintenance. Projectors need to be cleaned to prevent power issues. Camcorders need to be realigned and calibrated to guarantee quality color reproduction, and mics need to be maintained to guarantee high quality sound reproduction. Reduce the cost of pro A/V equipment repair by creating a strict Preventative Maintenance Schedule

Extended Warranties

Consider reducing the cost of total ownership with extended warranties from providers like Banker’s Warranty Group and Mack Camera Warranty

About Digitron Electronics

We are a consolidated repair services firm specializing in the repair of Professional Audio Video Repair. We frequently work with production companies like Encore Productions, broadcasters, and integrators, to repair and maintain projector, camcorder, broadcast, and pro audio equipment. We are also a third party logistics company helping support brands like Panasonic Broadcast, Sony Professional, and Tascam in their QA, Repairs, and Tech Support needs.

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