Enhancing the Message with State-of-the-Art Video Installation
Apr 6, 2007 8:00 AM
Founded in 1961, McLean Bible Church is a non-denominational church committed to impacting secular Washington D.C. with the message of Christ. Drawing close to 9,500 worshippers a weekend, McLean’s is making an impact in its services with Christie.
Twenty-three projectors, including the acclaimed Christie XP2000 projector, are now part of the worship services at McLean’s in the main church auditorium, the church lobby, and a smaller auditorium.
The main church, nearly 279,000 square feet, holds 2,400 people with a stage dominated by a 30ft. projection screen used with the Christie XP2000 and two 24ft.-wide screens on either side, illuminated by a pair of Christie Roadie S12s. Alternatively, two edge-blended Christie Roadster S9 projectors project onto a 32ft. screen for large-screen setups in lieu of the Christie XP2000. Additional screens at the midpoint of the auditorium feature Christie RoadRunner LX100s. The adjacent auditorium, the “Smith Center,” holds up to 1,200 people. It features a 19ft.-wide center screen and two 12ft.-wide side screens, each using Christie RoadRunner LX100s and Christie RoadRunner L6s. Wherever possible, native 16:9 HD sources are displayed.
Due to the broadcast-quality lighting requirements, it was necessary to have a projector that could punch through the high ambient light levels and produce a high-quality image on a brightly lit stage. In addition, McLean’s required high-definition projection. The 2048×1024 native resolution of the XP2000 was unmatched by any other projector in producing excellent picture quality.
“The congregation demands excellent picture quality. Most of them frequent local cinemas to watch movies in theaters that are less than a year old with 40ft. screens. We wanted their projection experience at church to be the same one they experience on Friday night at the movies. We wanted the projection to be completely transparent and captivating. The Christie XP2000 allows us to connect with the congregation in new and exciting ways,” explains Dave Schatzman, technical director for McLean Bible Church.
“We were using some Christie projectors for six months and finally upgraded all our remaining systems to Christie. Christie offers a greater diversity of products to meet our precise needs in terms of power, brightness, reliability, and versatility of use.” Schatzman adds.
The ChristieNET networking solution monitors and controls all the projectors, giving McLean total control, access, and security. Now, Schatzman never has to spend time anticipating projection lamp issues—he simply gets an email when it’s time to change light bulbs. Another important factor in the decision to standardize with Christie was the company’s exceptional service and support.
“One of our core values – everything we do for Christ must be done with excellence – also applies to how we deliver the teachings of Jesus,” Schatzman says. “Christie provides the level of quality and performance we need to help us communicate with the greatest impact.”
For more information, visit www.christiedigital.com.
