NASA headquarters in Washington, D.C. has upgraded its main auditorium with a Vista Systems Spyder image processor installed by Whitlock, a global AV and unified communications solutions provider headquartered in Richmond, Virginia.
“NASA hosts a variety of events in their auditorium from project reviews and town halls to press conferences and tweet ups,” says Jim Stephens at Whitlock. “NASA needed to be able to see multiple images on one screen, which was already in place. So we suggested three Christie projectors, edge blended, and a Vista Spyder to achieve the required results.”
“The auditorium holds 200 people and is also used by NASA TV for broadcasts,” notes Gerald Gloster, branch chief for facilities and space planning at NASA HQ. “We have a one-piece glass screen, approximately 8×22 feet in size, with rear projection. We need to be able to handle a number of different inputs and different AV aspect ratios and put multiple images up on the screen.”
Whitlock chose Spyder after having many positive experiences with the system. “We’ve been using Spyder for several years on projects, and it has proved to be great, a solid workhorse,” says Stephens. “Spyder is at the top of its class – it’s really the best product for this kind of installation.”
Spyder gives the auditorium eight inputs so it can source from DVD players, Blu-ray players, NASA TV feeds and multiple laptops and display their images on the screen. “We can run something off the DVD player and show PowerPoint graphics on a split screen,” Gloster explains. “We can split the screen for up to eight different images.”
Gloster says, “Whitlock took us down the right path with Spyder. It’s been working great, and we’ve been very happy with it.”
Stephens finds that “Vista Systems is always good to work with. They’re helpful and smart guys. And when you ask for support they’ll jump through hoops to give it to you.”
About Vista Systems
Vista Systems’ switchers have become the industry standard for live multiple-destination video and data mixed signal switching with real-time windowing and composition. For more information on Vista Systems, visit their website at
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About Whitlock
Whitlock is a Global Audiovisual (AV) and Unified Communications (UC) Solutions Provider, specializing in collaborative technology design, integration and managed services. The company helps customers meet goals, drive action and improve efficiency by streamlining interactive technologies and standards. Areas of expertise include enterprise videoconferencing, unified communications, digital media, digital signage, video walls and projection technologies. Whitlock also offers follow-the-sun 24×7 service level agreements as well as onsite and remote AV/NOC support. Whitlock serves customers from 20 U.S. locations, plus a worldwide delivery partner network through the Global Presence Alliance.
