Barco XLM H25 projectors take center stage at the Academy Awards
Mar 3, 2006 3:45 PM
SenovvA will provide three Barco XLM H25s at the prominent center stage position, the show’s 38-foot wide Best Picture screen, plus a pair of Barco XLM H25s for the stage’s 35-foot wide Cinemascope screen. The Best Picture screen is a front projection, while the Cinemascope screen is a rear projection — and both with show high-definition content at 720p.
Selected for their high brightness output at 28,000 center lumens and their native 2048 x 1080 pixel resolution, the XLMs are ideally suited for a wide-screen venue such as the Oscar night. Frank McMinn, SenovvA’s President, commented on the decision to select Barco projectors for the Academy Awards. “Because it’s a live three-hour show, flawless execution is required, and there’s no room for any real technical challenges. The XLMs give us the required brightness and resolution,” noted McMinn, “because we really need a big horsepower projector to illuminate the front screen, and punch through the stage lights. In addition, the projector’s firmware is perfectly compatible with the video truck’s high-definition cameras, the Thomson WorldCams.”
With 33 years of combined experience doing the Academy Awards, the SenovvA team places equipment reliability at the top. “We go out on a limb sometimes with the Oscars,” said McMinn, “and it’s nice to stick to things that you’re comfortable with. In a worldwide broadcast such as this, we depend heavily on the reliability of the equipment. And because we don’t get a second chance in a live broadcast, it comes down to reliability as the number one reason why we chose Barco.”
