Analog Way

LCD Vision, a French based staging company, has been producing events for Airbus for 12 years. For a new customer event held in Germany for the new A350XWB program, LCD Vision was chosen to produce this major event.

Interview with Laurent Puget - Owner and Founder of LCD Vision.

What were your customers’ requirements in terms of audiovisual systems for this show?
Laurent Puget: “For basic presentations, we usually use 2 or 3 screens and video-projectors, with simple switches between sources. For the event that was held in Hamburg, we wanted to create something more elaborated and dynamic. We had to do an IMAG and display 2 PIPs. The first PIP was for the presentation, and the second one was displaying each speaker live. The other key element was the ability to broadcast a HD movie during the presentation.”

What products did you install for this show?
LP: “We used Christie Roadster S+16K video-projectors to project on a custom-built 8 x 4,50m (26’x13’) screen. For the sound system, we used 8 x L-Acoustics MTD115 speakers and 2 SB118 subs.
Given the innovative dimension of this presentation, we chose to use Analog Way’s Di-VentiX II. It was the ideal solution to manage this event. We were projecting a live IMAG, a PIP for the PowerPoint presentation and another PIP for the speakers’ desk. They were shot with a Sony HVR-Z1E camera.
Thanks to a Sony J-30/SDI Betacam Player, a HD movie was also broadcast every time the public was entering the room, 4 times a day. The monitor feedbacks came through a Di-VentiX. On the monitors, we were not displaying the entire projection but only the power point presentation. This is why we had to split the sources. The first flow was sent through the Di-VentiX II for the IMAG and PIPs, and the other flow was sent through the Di-VentiX for the stage feedbacks. On stage, there were 2 x 26” screens and a 20”screen in the speakers’ desk. Everything was wired in DVI. The connection between the Di-VentiX II and the projector was made via fiber optic.”

Which types of sources were used during the show?
LP: “There were many sources for this event. For the Di-VentiX II, we had 4 computers: a main PC in 4:3 for the presentation and a PC in 16:9 for live IMAG. We also had 2 other PCs for back-up. We worked closely with computer specialists at Airbus. Sometimes, they asked us to switch to the back-up PC to make changes on the main computer. This enabled us to make live modifications on the presentation, without the public even seeing it. The camera was plugged in YUV and the digital Betacam player in SDI. The last day of the show, we had another source coming from the stage. It was a PC dedicated to the debriefing of the event.”

What challenges did you face in preparing for this show?
LP: “We worked very closely with Airbus before the show. Their Graphic Design Manager supplied us with a background including a PIP, used as the first page of each presentation. The PIP should blend in with the background. This was a technical challenge in terms of image geometry and for the setup of colorimetry, contrast and brightness between the PIP and the background but we achieved it thanks to the Di-VentiX II.
The choice of this solution was approved by Airbus beforehand. A team from Airbus came to our showroom in order to test the solution we wanted to opt for. For the show, we had to make a 8 x 4,50m (26’ x 13’) projection, so we created a 4 x 2,25m (13’ x 6,5’) projection in our showroom to have the same ratio. Following this test, Airbus approved the solution with the Di-VentiX II. Since it was a new type of presentation, we strongly prepared the project. We only had to make small adjustments for the presentation on site.”

Are you satisfied with Analog Way products used for this event?
LP: “I had already used the Di-VentiX II for another 600 attendees Airbus symposium and the show ran smoothly. For the show in Hamburg, we had to remove the 2 PIPs from the live IMAG and then display in full screen an image coming from the Betacam player. The operating mode to manage these steps is simplified: I make my layers and when the script gives me the “Go” signal, I push the “Take” button and that’s it. I don’t need to go through multiple operations. The other good point of the Di-VentiX II is the real Preview function it offers. This function allows us to have a safe presentation.”

Was your customer satisfied? Did you meet his requirements?
LP: “We have been congratulated for the event. Our customer was very satisfied, even impressed. For future events for Airbus, we want to keep on producing the same kind of presentation.”

What advantages do you recognize in Analog Way products?
LP: “We are using Analog Way’s Octo range for our integration activity. For our staging activity, we have been using Analog Way’s scalers for more than 10 years. We also incorporated mixers to our range. In 2006, we were among the first companies who bought Di-VentiX.
Our customers are asking for more and more elaborated presentations, with IMAG among other things; that is why we recently opted for Di-VentiX II. This device offers a great value for the money. It allows us to answer almost all the demands from our customers. In a tense economic context, we are trying to distance ourselves from our competitors. The price positioning of the Di-VentiX II is very interesting. It is now easy to propose a solution including 2 or 3 PIPs and live IMAG to every customer. Before that, this type of presentation was more dedicated to key account customers. Furthermore, the return on investment for the machine was ultra-fast. I believe a lot in Di-VentiX II. Thanks to the last upgrades, the machine gained a lot. In a near future, we also think about renewing our switchers array with new Analog Way models.”