Like all churches moving to the streaming age, Saint Barnabas Lutheran Church in Cary, Illinois, had growing pains. Its original setup consisted of no more than an iPhone that enabled the church to stream video during the pandemic. When the church received a donation to fund an upgrade, they turned to integrator Jon Ogden, founder of Just Add Software, to create a video distribution system that would allow St. Barnabas to expand their reach and communicate their repertoire of classes and events more easily using digital signage technology.
Ogden designed a video system comprised of three cameras, two BrightSign digital signage players, a main program feed from the Blackmagic Design ATEM Mini Extreme video mixer, Apple TV, and a computer input. These sources needed to be fed to a variety of endpoints, including the video mixer, Resi.io streaming platform, as well as a variety of existing endpoints — the Optoma sanctuary projector, a Samsung LCD in the lobby, an Epson smart board in the conference room, a plasma TV in the youth room, and a InFocus projector in church’s Family Life Center, where events are held.
When it came to selecting a video distribution system, there were many challenges. One was how to get the video signal of the PTZ cameras, which were mounted high up on the walls of the sanctuary, back to the new production booth. While the cameras have HDMI outputs, the distance was too long for HDMI cables to work effectively. Another option was to switch the cameras to SDI cameras — a popular coax-based format for digital video and commercial installations that can handle much greater cable lengths. However, not only were SDI cameras more expensive, but also prohibitive due to the nature of how the worship facility had been added onto since it was built in the 1960s.
Ogden knew the AV-over-IP product suite from Just Add Power would be the perfect video distribution solution to overcome all these challenges. Just Add Power offers a range of transmitters and receivers to fit a variety of budgets, resolutions, and protocols. For Saint Barnabas’ budget, Ogden selected the 2GΩ Series VBS-HDIP-705POE transmitters and VBS-HDIP505POE receivers. The 705POE transmitter encodes a 1080p or lower-resolution source device into an IP signal and sends it over the network via a Cat-5 cable.
For control, the church is using the Just Add Software MediaSwitcher software. MediaSwitcher allows full control of the Just Add Power video matrix from a Macintosh, Windows, or Linux computer. In addition, it provides an instant overview of the entire video matrix, allowing the church to see what video sources are on specific screens, push any source to any screen, and to control the Apple TV and cameras.
The new Just Add Power AV-over-IP system has brought new life to Saint Barnabas Lutheran Church, enabling them to distribute a live video feed not only to their streaming platform but also to the legacy displays and projectors around the facility.
