For audio/video integrators across the country, the trend of houses of worship using technology as a powerful communications tool has created tremendous opportunities for business in recent years. Indeed, the worship market has grown significantly over the past decade, as churches of all sizes are investing considerable percentages of their budgets to staying on the cutting edge of technological sophistication.

To that end, the evolution of video projection technology has had a profound impact on the house of worship market. Although advances in the technology itself may not be apparent to the casual observer, they have served to flatten the learning curve so that high-end video can be controlled and managed by virtually anyone. At the moment, this trend is continuing, as networking technology has become the latest “must-have” feature for projectors in all applications, from which houses of worship are not exempt.

“The house of worship market has been a tremendous growth area for manufacturers in all aspects of audio/video communications,” said John Glad, product manager for Hitachi America, Ltd., Ubiquitous Platform Systems Division, Business Group. “The projector business is no different--the increased quality of the technology and the variety of options in terms of size and power means that virtually every church in the country can benefit from having one or many projectors.”

Driving the popularity of projection technology in houses of worship is the flexibility of the technology itself. Smaller congregations benefit from having large single or dual images as an enhancement of the service, most typically in the display of hymn lyrics or verses from scripture. Whereas there has often existed a fear that technology would divide congregations, large images on a wall or screen have instead served to unite churchgoers, with all eyes focused on a common message. In larger houses of worship, the number of projectors simply multiplies, with individual projectors dedicated to respective segments of the congregation. Images can be expanded and reduced depending on the number viewers, an option not available with standard flat-panel displays.

Tremendous developments in networking technology have recently emerged, significantly reducing the overall cost of ownership of projectors in worship environments.

“The benefits of networking in projectors point to the convenience of the user, who is often a volunteer audio/video technician,” Glad said. “We anticipate networking technology will have a profound impact on the management, maintenance and operation of projectors in houses of worship. It’s difficult to imagine that it won’t soon become a common demand of all projectors, because of how greatly the advantages of networking increase the value of a church’s investment.”

These advantages are apparent in a variety of forms. For one, networking technology allows for the sharing of information among projectors. Using a LAN (local area network), connected via Ethernet cable, multiple projectors can exist on the same network. The benefits of this feature in the house of worship market are obvious, as multiple projectors in churches are often displaying the same content simultaneously.

Additionally, networking technology allows for remote management of the projectors, giving the user the ability to access, monitor and control each of the projectors from a single location. Issues such as remaining lamp life and filter status are addressed via networking software. This is particularly beneficial to larger houses of worship, where considerable time and effort is often dedicated to ensuring that all projectors are performing to expectations. Furthermore, advances in networking mean that problems are not only spotted remotely, but can often be rectified from a remote location as well.

“For an audio/video technician in a large church, tracking the status of each projector can be a time and labor-consuming task,” Glad said. “Remote management allows that user to operate multiple projectors faster and to notice potential problems much sooner. Not only is the user happier, but significant wear and tear on the projectors themselves can be avoided.”

Even in houses of worship, security can be an issue. Because they are becoming increasingly compact and lightweight, projectors are often easy targets for theft. Historically, theft prevention has meant little more than locking a projector in a closet when not in use. However, in houses of worship where numerous projectors are in operation on a full-time basis, this is not a practical option. With networking technology, however, the user can be alerted via e-mail when a projector has been disconnected or even simply moved from its original location.

“Projectors are becoming more and more affordable, but they are still a significant investment for any church,” Glad noted. “That said, an upfront investment in projectors with networking technology can mean huge savings down the road by not having to order replacements. That’s true not only from a security standpoint, but from a maintenance standpoint as well.”

Additionally, remote operation translates to automated operation.

“Networking not only provides the user with information on each projector, but it also allows the user to control each projector to a certain degree,” Glad said. “Certain functions can be automated, so a single keystroke can turn the power on and off at a set time each day, image settings can be adjusted according to the needs of a particular service, and the default settings of a variety of features can be preset--all without touching a single projector.”

In house-of-worship applications where multiple rooms exist (Sunday school classrooms, for example), the memory functions of networking technology can be extremely beneficial. Built-in memory allows for the storing of information on a single network, allowing for the saving and recall of files, such as presentations or illustrations, without the need for an accompanying computer. Again, this serves to reduce the amount of hardware necessary for video display, adding to the convenience of the users and in turn the overall cost of ownership.

As networking becomes adopted on a widespread basis in houses of worship, what is the next step in projector features?

“Wireless,” Glad said. “The prospect of being able to operate projectors without worrying about cable connections is very exciting, and it will happen very soon.”