Barcelona

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Barco company magazine • Volume 2 • Issue 2 zine m a g a z i n e magazine mag Barcelona City on display Digital cinema: the sequel Pay-off of a consistent pioneering spirit 3G Lightning-fast video transfer in events and media Projection mapping Breathing spectacular life into modern urban façades 1 red.efine_issue2_def_update_cover.indd 1 23/03/10 22:42 10 Barco goes to Barcelona 4 16 24 Projection mapping Frankfurt Motor Show Digital cinema: the sequel Spectacular, artistic and seizing the attention of weary audiences: is projection mapping the next hot thing in urban visualization? Many brands turned to Barco to add a touch of brilliance to their branding. Cars, lights and beautiful people from one of the world’s major car shows. A look back at Barco’s pioneering history in digital cinema, and a look forward into what’s coming up next. 2 red.efine_issue2.indd 2 redefine | Table of contents 29/01/10 09:15 Welcome Dear reader Welcome to this first 2010 issue of redefine. As we look ahead into the coming decade we can identify several technologies that are likely to shape our future. Allow me to share some views with you on a few of them. First of all there is without any doubt a rapidly growing Clearly, these days, airports cannot afford safety to be just an afterthought. ” concern about our environment. We at Barco want to contribute to this eco-awareness both in terms of offering energy efficient as well as environmentally friendly solutions. To that extent we are proud to announce our new three-chip DLP projector that consumes 33% less power than its direct competitors and furthermore, is about 10 times less noisy. Second, there continues to be an ever growing demand for sharper and better image quality which in turn drives demand for increased bandwidth. Real time HD imaging has become the norm in markets such as security and entertainment. With the recent release of the movie ‘Avatar’ we have decisively entered the era of 3D imaging, and in the medical markets demand for very high resolution monitors is unprecedented. Third, there is an undeniable move towards LED solutions which are more energy efficient and more durable sources of light. LED, as you know, is at the heart of our technical thrusts in control rooms. As always, Barco is taking on a pioneering role in many 28 3G - it’s not about cellphones The new 3 Gigabit per second data transfer is set to revolutionize media and broadcast worlds - the parallels with HD are obvious. technologies. This was the main driver for us to acquire Italian-based medical display company FIMI. The two companies do indeed complement each other which in turn will allow us to continue to offer superior solutions to our medical segment customers on a global basis. You can read more about all this in this issue of your magazine. Enjoy! Eric Van Zele, President and CEO Table of contents | redefine red.efine_issue2.indd 3 3 29/01/10 09:15 A map to spectacle Imagine you’re walking home after a night out. As you walk through familiar streets and past the buildings you know so well, you suddenly notice something strange – that tall building over there seems to have changed colors. What’s more, its colors keep changing, and on closer inspection, vivid figures are crawling across the façade. Anything can be a screen Art for the sake of art? While most projectors in various types of settings use a screen to optimize the image quality, projection in itself doesn’t need a screen. A canvas is enough. Old slide projectors often projected on walls because families saw no point in investing in a screen they would only use a few times a year. Anything you can throw light onto, can be a screen. Projection mapping turns this challenge into a new art form. A façade’s relief creates interesting opportunities for video artists to showcase their talents, but it can also offer opportunities for story-telling. For example, a building’s ledges can be used by digital characters to walk, dance and perform acrobatics. Fantasy characters can be projected onto the windows, or the building can slowly be covered in flowers and vines. The façade can even be transformed in a way that the building looks like a completely different structure. And you know that the building doesn’t have an electronic billboard – not the last time you looked. If you see something like this, chances are you’re looking at a new trend in urban events: projection mapping. 4 red.efine_issue2.indd 4 redefine | Technology 29/01/10 09:15 From left to right: A paint job without permanent consequences - Bringing Medieval statues to life in France (2x) - What would a building dream about? - The hidden dynamism behind a solid canvas There are also commercial applications for this technology. Corporations can promote new products through a spectacular light and video show, or opt to have a static image with a powerful message overlaid completely on their building’s front at night. “Provided you have a solid surface to project on, you can basically do projection mapping everywhere. Because it isn’t located where people expect commercial messages, they don’t tune it out as easily and will be more compelled to look,” says Scott Justis, Director of Marketing and Advertising for sound, light and video company LD Systems. Advantages A huge advantage of projection mapping is that it doesn’t require permanent modification of buildings as opposed to installing billboards or giant displays. This is especially important in cases where the general public is averse to see historical buildings modified with visibly 21st century technology. “In addition,” says Mr. Justis, “costs associated with installation and engineering will be considerably lower, and because of projection mapping’s temporary nature, service costs will be minimal.” Projection mapping also offers greater freedom for designers to have the imagery interact with their canvas. They don’t need to create a stage from scratch because everything is already there. “It definitely looks more artistic than digital signage,” adds Mr. Justis, “which is an important factor if you want people to notice you.” Getting it right However, there are also challenges. In terms of graphics, projection mapping is no easy task. The animation’s mapping needs to be proportioned in exactly the same way as the building’s front. On the other hand, the greater creative space offered – both in a figurative and literal sense – could offset the mathematical challenges. The type of façade may also come with challenges - such as curved and non-linear walls. However, there is a lot of hardware on the market that allows projectors to map their projection onto these surfaces, including projectors that have these capabilities built in. This technology is called geometry correction or warping, and has been used by applications such as planetariums, simulation domes or immersive 3D setups for many years. Buildings offer a unique type of canvas that even render relatively simple images very conspicuous Shown here: Lyon’s 2008 Festival of Light Technology || redefine redefine Technology red.efine_issue2.indd 5 5 29/01/10 09:15 Projection mapping with Barco technology at Lyon’s 2008 Festival of Light Bright in the night Projecting into the future Projection mapping is nigh impossible in daylight conditions. But even in night circumstances, sufficient brightness is a must to avoid washed-out or faint colors compared to the ubiquitous street lights and lights from cars. “Typically, for this type of setup, 20,000 lumens is the basic starting point. This means heavy-duty, three-chip DLP projectors, sometimes stacked to increase brightness. In that class, Barco is our default choice. In fact, it wasn’t even a question that we wouldn’t be using Barco,” adds AJ Freysteinson, LD Systems staff Lighting Designer. “Because LD Systems is the first company doing things like this in the US, we get a lot of inquiries from potential customers that look at projection mapping as a very interesting, alternative tool to realize their vision. It’s a little too early to make predictions about where this market is heading, but our experiences will definitely help streamline mapping processes and make it possible to do these setups with ever greater precision,” concludes Mr. Justis. www.barco.com/projectionmapping See to believe Words can only tell so much. As projection mapping is a spectacle that needs to be seen to convey its full power, it’s worthwhile to hit up a few video websites and check out some examples. The dreaming house: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3h3D6dCLAeo “Fensterlichter”-project: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPPkjQw80B0 New Year’s Eve: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpPDS-7AAJQ Do you have more examples? Let us know on http://www.barco.com/redefine or on our Facebook page. 6 red.efine_issue2.indd 6 redefine | Technology 29/01/10 09:15 As the film world is gripped by two parallel revolutions – a massive transition to digital projection on the one hand, and the increasing popularity of 3D on the other hand, cinemas have several options to choose from. Cinema West, owner of the Palladio 16 Cinemas in Folsom, California, chose Barco. Nate Alchesky, General Manager for the Palladio 16 Cinemas, commented on the selection of Barco projectors: “It was the quality and the ease of use. Once we saw the pictures on screen, we realized that this was the best way to go. The picture quality is amazing, and the installation couldn’t have been simpler. They were almost plug and play.” Six of the cinema screens at Palladio 16 Cinemas are 3D-equipped, using 3D technology from RealD - making the Palladio 16 the largest single-site 3D installation in California, if not the West Coast. With a current chain of 12 theater locations throughout northern and central California, Cinema West has a long history of innovation. Each theater in the complex features sports stadium seating and wall-to-wall screens, with individual capacities ranging from 140 to 300 seats. www.barco.com/digitalcinema Cover story | redefine red.efine_issue2.indd 7 7 29/01/10 09:15 The three for one projector On 16 December, Barco released the RLM-W6 projector. It offers the crisp color quality and brightness of three-chip DLP technology at the price of single-chip DLP, effectively giving customers “three for one”. But there are other interesting things going on under the hood of the RLM-W6, too. We talked with Product Manager Sharon Dagan. Three-chip DLP has been around for a while. What makes the RLM-W6 stand out? Sharon Dagan: With its price, it is firmly in traditional single-chip DLP territory. Until now, price was the only advantage single-chip DLP projectors still held over their three-chip cousins. Other than that, single-chip DLP has a number of issues that three-chip doesn’t have. Because single-chip projectors use a color wheel to generate color, colors are produced sequentially. This results in slightly faded colors as well as the infamous ‘rainbow effect’ – when you wave something in front of the screen, as can happen during a presentation, you can actually see the sequence of colors. Not to mention that the color wheel is a consumable. 8 red.efine_issue2.indd 8 Aren’t three-chip DLP projectors pretty loud and energy-consuming? Dagan: The days when three-chip DLP projectors looked and sounded like cars are long gone. Compared to technically similar three-chip DLP projectors of the latest generation, the RLM-W6 is ten times as silent. In a meeting room, its sound is nothing more than a whisper. This isn’t just marketing talk. Customers and partners who saw demo units of the system almost couldn’t believe how silent it was. It makes for a much more ergonomic work environment in a meeting room. Another aspect we looked for in the RLM-W6 was energy consumption. Because of its slim, upto-date design, it consumes 33% less power than its nearest competitors. redefine | Product focus 29/01/10 09:15 How does the RLM-W6 address user comfort? What should I use the RLM-W6 for? There are lots of projectors on the market. Dagan: Its silence is a strong attribute in meeting rooms. But another advantage is its WUXGA resolution. WUXGA offers 1920 by 1200 pixels, which is 15% more than HD and 60% more than SXGA+. Moreover, WUXGA can contain full HD images and leave room for task bars or news tickers. This can be important during video conferences, but it’s also interesting for lobbies and halls. Because the RLM-W6 has a 6,000 lumens light output, you can easily use it in auditoriums, too. Is it just for fixed installation? Dagan: No. We offer a ceiling mount and stacking frame as options. With the stacking frame, you can double the brightness, which can be important for some event types. Dagan: Users control the projector through a very intuitive web interface, which we named the RLM Commander. Customers that have additional Barco projectors can also use our free Projector Toolset software to control the projector, and there is full compatibility with traditional Crestron or AMX controllers. You can even control the RLM-W6 with an iPod Touch or an iPhone. www.themostsilentprojector.com Product focus | redefine red.efine_issue2.indd 9 9 29/01/10 09:15 city on display Barcelona is one of Europe’s largest metropolitan areas. Founded in the times of the Roman Empire and now Spain’s second-largest city, its strategic location as an excellent harbor has made it one of the region’s most important cities throughout the history of the Mediterranean. It is a popular destination for many tourists, in no small part because of its rich cultural heritage, thriving night life and pleasant climate. Arri ving 10 red.efine_issue2.indd 10 by pl an redefine | Cover story 29/01/10 09:16 e Ba Convening in style Style is important to Barcelona. Especially for a major tourist magnet, it is sometimes easy to overlook this unique aspect. This sense of style is obvious with the Fira de Barcelona, a fast-growing convention center and congress hall. Like many such halls across the world, it’s used for numerous high-profile trade shows and exhibitions. Recently, for the Gran Via exhibition, the Fira employed a 360° LED display in its lobby. 2,000 vertical Barco LED strips sat side by side at 50mm, drawing attention to the information and advertising presented. In the modern halls of the Fira de Barcelona, it really looks as fitting as a glove. Going shopping Safe landing at the airport Arriving by plane in Barcelona immediately opens up a beautiful vista of the city’s coast line and parks. The plane is guided safely to the tarmac from the air traffic control center, which is equipped with Barco graphics controllers and radar scan converters. It reminds me that most accidents with airplanes happen during take off or landing, so this task must by no means be an easy one. Its clean, modern architecture and open spaces belie the level of activity that goes on behind closed doors. The airport’s control centers each use 70” Barco video walls, while the central monitoring room houses four video walls that together display well over 120 sources. Clearly, these days, airports cannot afford safety to be just an afterthought. El Prat airport itself is a busy nerve center of comers and goers, and is the biggest on the Mediterranean seaboard. Portal de l’Angel g by plan Culture critics sometimes bemoan that nearly every main shopping street in European cities is starting to look the same. While it is true that many familiar brands can be found all across the continent, the store layout and the buildings offer a fresh perspective each time. This is certainly true of the Portal de l’Angel, Barcelona’s undisputed shopaholics’ Walhalla. Its H&M store in particular is located in a 19th century building designed by the celebrated architect Domènech Estapà. M H& The building is large and impressive, but it doesn’t look very inviting – after all, it is a former office with small, functional windows. However, my attention is drawn to the entrance hall. It features transparent Barco LED displays that show a variety of moving images. e Ba rce lona na celo Fira red.efine_issue2.indd 11 Bar de Cover story | redefine 11 29/01/10 09:16 Their dynamism and lightness contrast starkly with the imposing weight of the rest of the building. It maintains a tenuous balance between young and old, hip and traditional, and I realize that while it looks light and inviting, it was probably not easy to achieve. Torre de Collserola Temple of football – and music Anyone remotely interested in football – soccer for our American friends – will know this city is synonymous with FC Barcelona. The team has won numerous Spanish and European titles, and has featured world-famous football players such as Johan Cruijff, Diego Maradona, Gary Lineker, Luís Figo and Thierry Henry. The club’s home base, Camp Nou, is a five-star rated stadium and the largest in Europe. Barça merchandise in and around the stadium is everywhere. If some catastrophe would wipe out human civilization, future archaeologists might well think that Camp Nou was a giant temple complex to mankind’s demigods. Apart from football, Camp Nou also offers music concerts. It boasts an impressive list of pop stars that have played at the stadium, including Michael Jackson, Madonna and Frank Sinatra. A more recent example was U2, who kicked off their 360° Tour at Camp Nou in 2009. The show premiered Barco’s flexible LED system in a full 360° setup – hence the Tour’s name. Standing inside, I can imagine roaring crowds of spectators. Any performer, whether in sports or art, must at once feel intimidated and elated at the prospect of having the attention of 100,000 people. na celo ar FC B ’s evil D dge Bri U2 @ Camp Nou in 2009 Hosp 12 red.efine_issue2.indd 12 redefine | Cover story 29/01/10 09:16 U2 @ FC Barcelona, H&M store and a Barcelona airport control center Broadcasting memories Climbing the Tibidabo, I’m reminded of one of my childhood memories – the Summer Olympics of 1992 in Barcelona. The top of the mountain is dominated by the Torre de Collserola, which was built to broadcast the Olympics. Antenna included, the futuristic tower stands an impressive 288 meters tall and has thirteen floors. As I look over the city from the tower’s 10th floor, I think of the fact that the live transmissions from the Olympics I saw as a child came from this very tower. It is still used as a broadcasting hub, and next to offering a spectacular view over Barcelona, it also houses a 5x2 Barco video wall and display management. dge Healthcare at a world heritage site Hospitals usually evoke images of rectangular, distinctly sterile structures where functionality was the architect’s main concern. Not so with the Hospital de Sant Pau. Built in the early 20th century, it’s a prime example of the “modernisme català”, the Catalan variant of Jugendstil, with remarkable galleries and 27 pavilions that are connected to the main building. It’s not hard to see why it’s on the UNESCO world heritage list. On the inside, the hospital is home to over 40 Barco medical displays for radiology as well as surgery. Spanish elegance with German perfectionism Another famous export product of Spain is the SEAT car brand. SEAT, now a subsidiary of the German Volkswagen Group, has headquarters in Martorell, just outside Barcelona. Martorell is also famous for its ‘Devil’s Bridge’, a two-arched bridge from the 13th century, based on Roman Hosp ital de S ant Pau red.efine_issue2.indd 13 foundations. The middle of the bridge is marked by a chapel. Only pedestrians can use it these days, which is perhaps for the best. n o T Le SEA Despite its history, it is clear that Martorell is SEAT through and through. More than half of the cars in and around the town bear the stylized S-shaped plaque. For almost a decade, like many other automotive companies, SEAT has been using virtual reality to design and test its new cars. While offering designers the luxury to toy around without investing in expensive construction, I believe it also helped resulting in a more daring design, a trend that inspired many car manufacturers in the ‘90s and the early noughties to move away from the austere, block-like cars of the ‘80s. www.barco.com/barcelona Cover story | redefine 13 29/01/10 09:16 All China Games, To help bring the opening ceremony of the National Games to life, Barco was selected as a visualization provider. The selection was based on the company’s ability to provide advanced products and solutions whose signature is superior visual effects that widely outperform other industry brands. The National Games are China’s most significant sporting event. 2009’s Games took place from 16 to 28 October. It featured 33 sports and 360 disciplines, with the majority of competition taking place in 17 cities across the coastal province of Shandong. For the Games’ opening ceremony, one large cylindrical display screen in the center of the Olympic Sports Center Stadium was the biggest highlight. The screen measured 50 meters in diameter with a total height of 26 meters, and initially appeared as an illuminated bowl. During the ceremony, glowing peace doves descended into the stadium and lifted the bowl into the air. It was at this point that the bowl was revealed to be a massive circular projection screen. Barco solutions deployed during the opening ceremony included 48 three-chip DLP, 30,000 lumens projectors and an additional 8 digital moving luminaires for dynamic projection. “More and more, creative direction and conceptual ideas tend to exceed the limitations of traditional lighting solutions, and lighting engineers find themselves challenged to realize clients’ grand visions,” says Zhao Gang, Executive General Director of the Opening Ceremony of the 11th National Games. “Barco remains on the cutting edge of new technologies, continually surpassing the limitations of traditional lighting sources. What they’ve helped us achieve in the China Games’ opening ceremony is nothing short of breathtaking.” www.barco.com/events 14 red.efine_issue2.indd 14 redefine | Case study 29/01/10 09:16 Collaboration in design Electrolux is a world-leading manufacturer in household appliances as well as professional equipment. For its Southern European headquarters in Italy, it realized that with the aid of 3D stereo and ultra-high resolution display technology, it could trim down design costs and improve collaboration. “We were familiar with Barco’s high standard in image quality,” explains Thomas Johansson, Design Director for Major Appliances Europe at Electrolux, “but what they offered went beyond these expectations.” Electrolux and integrator Cadland settled on two Barco systems. The first display wall offers a 5m wide collaboration canvas with a native 1080p HD resolution, and is driven by one high-brightness, active 3D stereo Barco projector. On the wall, several 2D and 3D product design sources can be displayed and analyzed at the same time. With Barco’s XDS Control Center software, “our collaborative team work gets a huge boost. Because the software is integrated into a Windows desktop, our engineers don’t have to waste time learning how to operate the system, and can move and resize sources on the fly with mouse and keyboard,” adds Mr. Johansson. The second display wall, which boasts a 3.4m screen width, is piloted by Barco’s native 10 megapixel projector. We were familiar with Barco’s high standard in image quality, but what they offered went beyond these expectations. “Thanks to Barco’s display technology and collaboration software, we’re able to kill two birds with one stone,” says Mr. Johansson, “On the one hand, they offer the sense of realism needed to accurately predict the look and feel of our products – in 3D as well as 2D. On the other hand, their XDS software makes it extremely easy for our teams to improve their collaboration and speed up decision-making.” ” www.barco.com/simulation Case study | redefine red.efine_issue2.indd 15 15 29/01/10 09:16 2 1 8 7 12 13 18 21 16 red.efine_issue2.indd 16 9 14 3 6 5 4 10 11 16 15 19 22 23 24 25 17 20 1. Renault 2. Volkswagen 3. Seat 4. Alfa Romeo 5. Lexus 6. Opel 7. Ford 8. Volvo 9. Seat 10. Fiat 11. BMW 12. Range Rover 13. Volkswagen 14. Smart 15. Alfa Romeo 16. Audi 17. Lamborghini 18. Smart 19. Toyota 20. Mazda 21. Mazda 22. Ferrari 23. Peugeot 24. BMW 25. Toyota redefine | Case study 29/01/10 09:17 seat ade fair for t important tr os m ’s ld or w is the tors urt car show ember. Exhibi The IAA Frankf 17 until 27 Sept om fr e ac pl cars to an ’s edition took mobility. 2009 ost innovating m d an t es w their ne with tries showed g their booths in pp from 30 coun ui eq em h many of th audience, wit international D solutions. and indoor LE ve ti ea cr ’s co ar B IAA 2009 wide rental h Barco’s world ug ro th d te en repres guar, Saab, solutions were Ferrari, Ford, Ja y d la de sp di clu D in LE n o tio nies with The Barc o visualiza tomotive compa that used Barc au r ds he an ot br g r on Ca s. e. partner t and Toyota. Am and Bridgeston , BMW, Peugeo as Better Place ch su es ni Rolls Royce, Fiat pa m co chnology were Barco display te ow frankfurtmotorsh www.barco.com/ Case study | redefine red.efine_issue2.indd 17 17 29/01/10 09:17 image quality at Tokyo Women’s Medical University In 1900, Yayoi Yoshioka, an ambitious female doctor who was determined to improve the social position of women, laid the foundation of Tokyo Women’s Medical University (TWMU). Today, TWMU is a renowned, state-of-the-art hospital with 1,423 beds and more than ten affiliated institutions, constantly striving to become a leading ‘world medical center’. Advanced equipment plays a key role in achieving that mission. So when one of TWMU’s medical centers needed a PACS display solution, it turned to Barco. Confidence and precision Clarity, uniformity and accuracy Outstanding services and diagnostic confidence During a visit to the Asian Oceanian Congress of Radiology (AOCR) in Seoul, Dr. Ueno, Professor and Chairwoman of TWMU’s Radiology Department, visited the Barco booth, where the Coronis Fusion 6MP DL immediately caught her eye. Once home, she invited Toyo Corporation, Barco’s distributor in Japan, to get a full introduction and demo of all Barco’s medical display solutions. Dr. Ueno: “Barco’s solutions have an impeccable reputation for confidence and precision in the radiology community and the demo convinced me that that claim was justified. I was very impressed by the displays’ excellent image qualities.” To address its wide-ranging imaging needs, the hospital installed a mixture of Coronis 5MP grayscale and Coronis Fusion 6MP DL multimodality display systems, along with industry-standard Nio Color 3MP display systems. All displays are combined with Barco’s MediCal QAWeb solution for Quality Assurance – a unique, online system that includes smart features for intervention-free calibration, QA and display asset management throughout the entire hospital enterprise. Radiologists have been working with the Barco displays since May 2009. Dr. Ueno and her team are well satisfied, both with the products and the support lent. “The Coronis Fusion’s capability to display both color and grayscale studies with ultimate detail make it the perfect fit for our very diverse visualization requirements. It presents radiologists with an exceptional level of diagnostic confidence, just like every other Barco display,” Dr. Ueno concluded. www.barco.com/medical Barco’s solutions have an impeccable reputation for confidence and precision in the radiology community and the demo convinced me that that claim was justified. 18 red.efine_issue2.indd 18 redefine | Case study 29/01/10 09:17 Networked visualization at SKY Italia SKY Italia is a pay-TV channel launched in 2003. After only six years of broadcasting, it already boasts 4,800,000 subscribers with more than 180 thematic and pay per view channels. “As we wish to work with the most advanced systems available, we have been using Barco solutions to monitor broadcasting for many years now,” explained Massimo Bertolotti, SKY Italia’s Processing and Transmission Manager. “Those solutions did a good job, and when our technical infrastructure moved to the new site in Milan, an update to more advanced technology seemed logical.” SKY Italia did not hesitate and contracted Barco again. Since August 2008, the Milan-based Operations Center has featured Barco’s IP-centric visualization suite (NBMS). It currently handles 522 sources. Barco’s solution enables the use of widespread Ethernet networking technology as the backbone for distributing real-time content both within and beyond the monitoring room. “We wanted to configure the system and the display configuration manually as well as automatically,” said Bertolotti, “and manage the large variety of sources at the different sites of our transmission center. NBMS allows high-quality and low-latency distribution of video sources and metadata on any display.” “Barco has been a partner for many years now. More than lending technical assistance, they listen to our questions and comments and use our feedback to further optimize their solutions,” Bertolotti concluded. With Barco’s high-tech products and partnership, SKY Italia is equipped to continue down its growth path. www.barco.com/broadcasting Case study | redefine red.efine_issue2.indd 19 19 29/01/10 09:17 Barco acquires Italian-based display provider F For more than twenty years, Barco has been a market leader in the medical market, based on its unique mix of high-grade products and in-depth clinical know-how. The recent acquisition of FIMI, a fully owned subsidiary of Royal Philips Electronics’ Healthcare business, marks a new step in this leadership strategy. It will present customers with a more complete display portfolio, including dedicated modality displays, patient monitors and mobile point of care devices. The acquisition of FiMi fits well within the overall growth strategy of our medical imaging division. 20 red.efine_issue2.indd 20 redefine | Feature 29/01/10 09:17 Cardiovascular displays Mobile point of care device Patient monitoring displays ovider FIMI Medical Display Solutions In today’s hospitals and other healthcare facilities, physicians increasingly depend on state-of-the-art imaging technology to make life-critical decisions and define treatment paths for their patients. The complimentary portfolio of Barco and FIMI display products will offer an ideal answer to these wide-ranging visualization requirements. “FIMI has a solid reputation in the industry with its dedicated modality monitors, patient monitoring and mobile point of care devices. Barco, on the other hand, is renowned for its diagnostic, surgical and mammography display products,” explains Piet Candeel, President of Barco’s Medical Imaging Division. “By bringing all this expertise under one roof, we will be able to widen our scope and enter new market segments, such as mobile point of care devices.” “The medical imaging division has been performing strongly in recent years both sales and profit-wise. The acquisition of FIMI fits well within the overall growth strategy of the division as it further strengthens our existing product portfolio and opens opportunities in new segments of medical imaging,” comments Eric Van Zele, Barco’s President and CEO. www.barco.com/medical FiMi fact sheet • Founded in 1929 • Headquartered in Saronno, Northern Italy • Acronym for “Fabbrica Italiana Materiali Isolanti” • First activity: production of insulating materials • Later: manufacturer of radios (1930s) and TV sets (1950s) • Bought by Philips in 1969 • 1988: first steps in the medical imaging market • Current product line: patient monitoring displays, PACS monitors, surgical displays, mobile point of care devices • Approx. 80 employees • Website: www.fimi.philips.com Feature | redefine red.efine_issue2.indd 21 21 29/01/10 09:17 Power PowerStream is the second largest electricity distribution company in Canada, serving more than 315,000 residential and business customers. Barco’s visualization solution met these challenges, at a feasible cost. “At first, the team was quite sceptical about shifting from a static display system to the Barco wall. But once they’d grasped its ease-of-use, they really embraced it,” McClean said. “What I particularly like is that it allows anyone to take over the display and manipulate its layout smoothly from their workstation: they can zoom in, customize the layout or use imageprocessing tools to highlight events.” www.barco.com/utilities PowerStream’s new head office in Vaughan received a LEED gold certification for its environmentally efficient design. A 6x2 80” Barco video wall with accompanying controller and software in its control room contributed to this. A power grid system requires constant review, management and control, 24/7. So only the best possible technology would do for PowerStream. “The electric power grid is displayed as a vast array of horizontal and vertical lines. An interruption in these lines would provide a wrong image,” says John McClean, currently Director of Operations. 22 red.efine_issue2.indd 22 redefine | Case study 29/01/10 09:17 In rapid transit HOCHBAHN, located in Hamburg, is the second largest public transport operator in Germany. It manages three U-Bahn (underground railway) lines and well over 100 bus routes from a state-of-the-art new control center. Barco’s proposal best met HOCHBAHN’s high quality and functionality demands. Indeed, the video wall presents a uniform image over time and across the entire screen, and offers many possibilities for easily managing large amounts of data and sources. A further major argument for choosing Barco was its market leadership. “We chose to work with five different walls, with three operators viewing the data per wall,” Rainer Schwentke, project manager for HOCHBAHN, recalled. “The objective of consolidating our U-Bahn, bus and security services was to improve communications between the different teams and, as a consequence, make better, faster decisions. The objective of consolidating our U-Bahn, bus and security services was to improve communications between the different teams and, as a consequence, make better, faster decisions. The Barco video walls support us in this process, as they provide a crystalclear overview of the U-Bahn and bus situations. The moment a line breaks down or another incident occurs, operators can spot the problem, identify it and decide with their colleagues what action to take. This prompt decisionmaking helps our people to inform the passengers faster, to coordinate more efficiently with technical, medical or security support services and to quickly take any other step needed to ensure the comfort and safety of our customers.” www.barco.com/traffic The video wall provides an easy, single overview at a glance. Case study | redefine red.efine_issue2.indd 23 23 29/01/10 09:17 2010 promises to be a very ex- Barco will be the first manufacturer to have a nextgeneration ‘Series 2’ DLP Cinema® projector installed in the field. ” citing year for the cinema community. Not only can we expect plenty of mouth-watering movie premières – including sure-fire block-busters such as ‘Alice in Wonderland’, ‘Shrek forever after’ and ‘Toy Story 3’ – the new year will also mark the dawn of the highly anticipated ‘Series 2’ DLP Next-generation Barco ‘Series 2’ projectors rea technology. Continuing the Avatar breaks new ground Ready for the next generation In the run-up to 2010, James Cameron’s ‘Avatar’ monopolized the industry’s attention by offering a ground-breaking 3D experience, resulting in an overwhelming worldwide box office success – the movie generated more than $500 million receipts in its first 10 days. But what can we expect from the technology front this year? We looked ahead with Raf Rentmeesters, Product Manager Digital Cinema at Barco. “2010 will see the introduction of the next-generation Barco digital cinema projectors, featuring a new, integrated media block,” he announces. “The ‘Series 2’ DLP projector family will further raise the digital cinema bar by delivering more brightness, stunning 3D performance, full DCI compliance and lowest through-life cost. At the ‘Avatar’ world première last December in the Empire Leicester Square Theater in London, Barco once more underpinned its long-standing expertise in 3D cinema. For the occasion, Barco and Dolby Laboratories, Inc. combined a Dolby 3D large-screen system with four DP-3000 digital cinema projectors. All together, more than 1300 VIP guests witnessed the larger-than-life 3D adventure with supreme brightness, image sharpness, and color accuracy, exactly as director James Cameron intended. 24 red.efine_issue2.indd 24 A long history The introduction of these next-generation cinema projectors marks a new high point in a long history of breakthrough innovations, which started off in 1999, with the launch of Barco’s DLP Cinema® projector. redefine | Technology 29/01/10 09:17 Barco innovations in digital cinema tors ready to hit the market 1999 Release of Barco’s first DLP Cinema© projector 2002 The first digital cinema projector with a sealed engine, improved image quality and longer system lifetime. 2003 The first truly modular cinema projector, with enhanced ease of use and optimum reliability. 2005 Introduction of the first projector with lamp power redundancy, resulting in an increased reliability. 2007 Release of the world’s first 30,000 lumens projector. Launch of the first digital cinema projector based on the 0.98 inch DLP Cinema© chip from Texas Instruments, resulting in a more compact footprint. “Barco has been leading innovation and setting digital cinema milestones for more than a decade,” said Wim Buyens, Vice-President Digital Cinema at Barco. “Our projectors were the first to introduce several breakthrough innovations, including a sealed engine, a truly modular concept, full-panel triple flash technology and many things more.” Release of the first single-lens projector solution, increasing flexibility and ease of use. Presentation of the first full-panel triple flash projector for a premium 3D experience. Creation of the brightest 0.98” cinema projector on the planet, apt for screens up to 20 meter, thanks to Barco’s patented cooling technology. Future-proof solution “Today, we’re thrilled to take another huge step forward, as we will be the first manufacturer to have a next generation, fully DCI compliant DLP Cinema® projector installed in the field. As such, we can offer our customers the most future-proof digital projection solution in the industry,” Buyens concludes. 2009 Announcement of the ‘Series 2’ projector family, presenting theater owners with a future-proof projector solution. 2010 First field installations of the ‘Series 2’ DLP Cinema© projectors www.barco.com/dc2010 Technology | redefine red.efine_issue2.indd 25 25 29/01/10 09:17 Better collaboration for everyone In improving collaboration to yield better and faster decision making, using visualization is a time-proven method. For some years, Barco has been offering not just the visualization hardware, but also the software that makes better collaboration possible. Its XDS suite lets users control multiple sources simultaneously in a familiar, large-screen Windows desktop. XDS also allows one-click videoconferencing, data streaming to the display system, and remote display management. 2010 will see an expansion of this range. From that point on, thanks to a new set of XDS hardware products, multi-windowing collaboration will be available for any system. Whether an HD flat panel or a complex multi-projector setup, customers can enjoy the advantages of XDS’s Windows-based operation even when they use display equipment not manufactured by Barco. This expanded XDS availability will not only be an asset in meeting rooms of any kind, but can also aid in collaborative design efforts or university-wide learning where quick, centralized exchange of information is crucial. Seeing infrared Traditionally, projectors absorb infrared light and are designed to specifically not absorb visible light wavelengths. This poses an unexpected challenge for projection in simulation that has to be compatible with stimulated night vision goggle (NVG) equipment. To get a realistic image, a pilot with NVGs depends on subtle infrared radiation to create halo and blooming effects in their visor. Barco’s SIM 7 projector, which already offered the right contrast and black levels for accurate night scenes, now also features an increased infrared spectrum, so that pilots get to prepare for night missions with images as close to reality as possible. 26 red.efine_issue2.indd 26 redefine | Product focus 29/01/10 09:17 In a galaxy, very, very close by In the world of virtual reality, Barco’s three-chip DLP Galaxy projector family has long found itself at the heart of various 3D systems. The Galaxy NW-7 is the latest addition to this family. Two main applications stand to benefit from the Galaxy NW-7. On the one hand, its active 3D capabilities easily lend it to systems for geophysical data analysis, car design, scientific research or product review. On the other hand, the Galaxy NW-7 also features smearing reduction – for fast-moving images, such as in flight simulation, this is pivotal in rendering the pilot’s view as close to real life as possible. The Galaxy NW-7 comes with a standard WUXGA (1920x1200) resolution and boasts a light output of 7,000 lumens. It was designed specifically to meet the demands of systems where multiple projectors are used to create one image. Its optimizations include technologies that smoothen out overlap zones between projections, equalize brightness or color differences, and allow geometrically correct projection on curved surfaces. The speed of light Barco recently released the Cyberlight 2.0., successor to the highly successful Cyberlight, which was sold over 20,000 times in its career of 15 years. Like its namesake, the Cyberlight 2.0. is a highpowered mirror fixture. Apart from a stronger lamp, a 150% increase in brightness and improved colors, it also offers better controls. The Cyberlight 2.0. is the brightest product in its category, with a light output of over 30,000 lumens. Its mirror architecture means that stage and show designers can move lights across the stage very fast to create dazzling show effects. “The response from our customers has been very positive,” states Brad Schiller, Product Manager for the Cyberlight 2.0. “They’re very excited we’re continuing the Cyberlight’s success story with new features and greater output, and they’re especially impressed with the speed of the system. Some customers have already started using them. For example, LD John McGuire is using Cyberlight 2.0’s for the rock band Weezer on their latest tour.” Product focus | redefine red.efine_issue2.indd 27 27 29/01/10 09:17 Forget cell phone In the consumer market, ‘3G’ is associated with the ‘third generation’ cell phones. But it is also something else. It’s a term for lightning-fast, 3 Gigabit per second video processing, and is set to realize the true potential of the 1080p HD image standard. ‘3G’ is short for a three Gigabit per second serial data interface for video transfer. As defined by the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers’ (SMPTE) 424M standard, 3G makes it possible to transmit twice as much data as current high definition video standards. Currently, video processing is limited to 1.5 Gigabits, known simply as 1.5G. 28 red.efine_issue2.indd 28 Today, media and broadcasting companies use both progressive and interlaced video. By design, 3G is poised to definitively eliminate the interlaced video transmission. Interlaced video never displays a full picture in a single scan because it quickly alternates between one field with the uneven and another field with the even lines – hence the term “interlaced”. Human perception makes it look like a complete picture. The interlaced standard was invented to reduce flicker, but puts serious constraints on the data rate, not to mention the interlacing- and de-interlacing equipment users need to invest in. Progressive video creates complete images with each scan, which results in a smoother, more detailed image. However, it requires faster pipelines, especially in the case of full HD and higher resolutions. This isn’t just about cabling and a display – the pipeline infrastructure also entails switchers and routers. For example, HD images from a projector are transmitted through DVI, which is expensive and in some cases involves complex long-distance cabling. 3G, however, is a serial interface that only uses a single co-ax. redefine | Technology 29/01/10 09:17 phones, here’s the real deal Ready for 3G HD is now Beyond the horizon ‘Ready for 3G’ could be seen everywhere at 2009’s National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) exhibition in Las Vegas. It included routing switchers with 3G backplanes and cameras with 3G interfaces, among others. HD has become the new standard in video, both in the professional and the consumer domain. A side effect of this is that the public is growing used to the razor-sharp detail of full HD, and will accept nothing less. Chris Prosio went on record for Rental & Staging magazine, saying that video 3G is the future of HD. He says: “The current terrestrial broadcast chain only supports 1.5 Gbps transmissions. Currently, the only way to obtain true progressive 1080p signals is through a local source, such as a video server, and the cost to broadcast 3G signals may in fact keep them out of traditional broadcast channels for a while. However, the concept of local video servers downloading content via the net may accelerate 3G’s entry into the market.” Even people who haven’t got the remotest interest in visualization technology, are starting to see clunky, 4:3 CRT monitors as ancient, similar to how people born after 1975 will think of grayscale televisions. To accommodate the demands of the audience, the broadcast industry needs to stand ready to update their infrastructure. Only this way, they can be sure that they provide their viewers with the best image quality, without hiccups. Another obvious advantage of 3G is that it prepares broadcasters and event companies for what lies in wait beyond HD. Visualization isn’t going to come to a standstill once HD is adopted completely by the general public. For example, a private-public partnership in Japan is already well underway to develop so-called UHD (7680x4320), which is sixteen times as detailed as current HD (1920x1080). format scan type active H pixels active V lines max data rate While not excellent, 1.5GBps may be sufficient to process HD video, but it certainly won’t be once the next big leap in resolution and realism arrives. As Chris Prosio states in Rental & Staging: “The new wave of 3G video products is on the leading edge of video technology, and they merit a closer look. main application 1.5G formats 1080i 60Hz interlaced 1920 1080 1.485 Gbps US broadcast 1080p 29.94 Hz progressive 1920 1080 1.485 Gbps US broadcast 1080p 25 Hz progressive 1920 1080 1.485 Gbps Euro broadcast 720p 60Hz progressive 1280 720 1.485 Gbps US broadcast 720p 59.94Hz progressive 1280 720 1.485 Gbps US broadcast 1035i 60Hz interlaced 1920 1035 1.485 Gbps Japanese TV 3G formats 1080p 60Hz progressive 1920 1080 2.970 Gbps HD for film 1080p 59.64Hz progressive 1920 1080 2.970 Gbps HD for film 1080p 50Hz progressive 1920 1080 2.970 Gbps HD for film Technology | redefine red.efine_issue2.indd 29 29 29/01/10 09:17 Even though they’re far ahead of the curve, they promise high quality and longevity through the next wave of ‘higher definition’ HD. 30 red.efine_issue2.indd 30 The availability of ‘3G-ready’ video products will ensure that investments will endure for the next wave of HD essentially, as the industry evolves, a 3G product is a ‘future-proof’ product.” redefine | Technology 29/01/10 09:17 HD and 3G – separated twins? While HD is now an obvious reality, it had been around for quite a while before gaining mainstream acceptance. As early as the ‘80s, it was recognized for its outstanding image quality, but there was no complementary technology to support it in an event or broadcasting network. Slowly, support and demand for HD grew, not in the least in routing and cabling technologies. This support came from the movie industry, governments as well as technology manufacturers who saw it as a big selling point in DVD and, later, Blu-Ray equipment. A very concrete example is the BBC, which has plans to start up 3G transmissions by 2012. While the technical kinks still need to be hammered out in the coming years, it is almost certain that BBC will simply lead the way in how other broadcasting companies will respond to the emerging technology. Mt. Zion Church already uses Barco’s FSN The BBC is pioneering 3G broadcast networks Barco’s 3G-ready FSN switcher in action It is very likely that 3G, as a technology with only upsides, will follow the same direction. In an article for PLSN magazine, Paul Berliner says: “[A] key driving force is the semiconductor manufacturers, who are now producing a variety of 3G chips that make 1080p @ 59/60 possible — and that in turn drives the video manufacturers to turn out more gear.” Barco’s FSN switcher Premiered at NAB 2009, Barco’s high-resolution production switcher, the FSN, is 3G ready. it features great input and output flexibility, can store up to 100 still frames and is compatible with other Barco presentation system equipment. At NAB, from a competitive field of hundreds of new products, Barco’s FSN switcher received a prestigious Mario Award from TV Technology Magazine. Technology | redefine red.efine_issue2.indd 31 31 29/01/10 09:17 Colofon Come and see us! Editors: Leslie Ghekiere, Kristof Maddelein, Koen Vromant In the coming months, you can find Barco at the following events: Show Where Managing editor: Jeroen Meuleman Integrated Systems Europe Amsterdam, the Netherlands Singapore Air Show Singapore Editor in chief: Lieven Bertier Heli Expo Houston, TX, United States 21-23 Feb European Congress of Radiology Vienna, Austria 5-8 March Publisher: J.P. Tanghe VP Corp. Comm. & Investor Relations Barco nv Pres. Kennedypark 35 B-8500 Kortrijk ATC Global Amsterdam, the Netherlands 9-11 March Showest Las Vegas, NV, United States 15-18 March CCBN Beijing, China 23-25 March Distributech Tampa, FL, United States 23-25 March NAB Las Vegas, NV, United States For more info: [email protected] Art, design and production: Hans De Cock, Nathalie Reynaert Picture credits: Gabriel Albornoz p2, p11 iStockphoto p1, p8-11 All other images: copyright Barco Printed in Belgium. Reproduction of articles in whole or in part requires the permission of the editorial office. This also applies to storage in electronic databases or on the internet. Date 2-4 Feb 2-7 Feb 12-15 April JPR São Paulo, Brazil Sea Air Space National Harbor, MD, United States 29 April-02 May 3-5 May Screen Media Expo London, United Kingdom 5-6 May IFSEC Birmingham, United Kingdom 10-13 May Deutsches Röntgenkongress Berlin, Germany 12-15 May Seram Coruña, Spain 28-31 May Society for Imaging Informatics in Medicine Minneapolis, MN, United States 03-06 June InfoComm Las Vegas, NV, United States 09-11 June www.barco.com/upcomingevents Did you like this issue? We sure hope you did. If you’re hungry for more news, you can subscribe to our newsletters. For each of our markets, we have regular newsletters that bring you the latest in technology breakthroughs, event participations and case studies – briefly, and to the point. Go to http://www.barco.com, and then click “Press” at the top selection menu. At the left, there’s a link to “Newsletters”. If you subscribe, you can select newsletters according to your interests and preferences, and stay up to date with the most recent news from Barco. B5911003 M70002-R01-0210-CM www.barco.com red.efine_issue2.indd 32 29/01/10 09:17