Enhancing Services with Projection

The need for projectors at houses of worship has grown tremendously over the last few years. As a key piece of equipment for the congregation, projectors have greatly enhanced services for its members by enabling the entire congregation to view sermon images and crystal-clear hymm lyrics.

One such house of worship is the video ministry at Van Dyke United Methodist Church in Lutz, Florida . The ministry was less than a year old when they decided they needed a format that a visual presentation could display words and images to seamlessly communicate the message to the entire congregation, no matter where they were seated.

It was also important that they had the flexibility to accommodate a growing congregation.

The challenge was to install dynamic, low-maintenance imaging technology in a format to better engage the entire congregation and give them the feeling that they are in the middle of the action that is being presented at the pulpit.

The Panasonic PT-DW7000U-K, www.panasonic.com/projectors, was the ideal solution. It projects 6,000 lumens of brightness with a 4,000:1 contrast ratio in a wide 16:9 format. This means that people seated in the very back of a church experience total immersion in the experience.

The superior technology of the Dynamic Iris and Dynamic Gamma preserves brightness and helps maintain a wide dynamic range for razor-sharp images. The added feature of IMAG (Image Magnification) allows the flexibility of effortlessly integrating three different camera angles, making the viewer feel as though they are in the front pews.

Also of importance is the Liquid Cooling System, which increases reliability while minimizing noise output and allowing for a unique, compact design.

According to Erik Reece, director of video ministries at Van Dyke, "Panasonic projectors have been very low maintenance. And, they have performed beautifully. I've always been extremely happy with the resolution. We project a 720p image, and they have always rendered that flawlessly. I know they are capable of more; that's all were able to give them right now."

The 7000 series projectors have added an exciting dynamic to the ministry of Van Dyke United Methodist Church by capturing all of the action on stage and making it visible to the entire sanctuary in the 16:9 format.

"The value of the Panasonic projector to the pastor is that it is much easier to communicate our message to the congregation," Reece said. "Having the Panasonic projectors with these 16:9 screens allows everyone to see everything as if they're up front."

Instead of worrying about the projectors, Panasonic has allowed the congregation to focus on the message.

The need for cutting-edge projectors in houses of worship will only continue to grow, as the PT-DW7000U-K projector proves that it not only is a reliable projector, but it has truly enhanced the worship experience of its parishioners.