Living Hope sees the difference with Panasonic
Published: WORSHIP
US: Living Hope Baptist Church in Bowling Green, Kentucky has recently undertaken a significant overhaul of its video system. The church now has a full HD presentation and recording system centred on Panasonic cameras, switchers, and projectors.
‘Although we had always been happy to embrace new audio and video technologies over the years, the fact that we had fallen behind crept up on us slowly,’ said the church’s creative arts pastor, Jon Farmer. Requests from older members of the church, many of whom have mobility issues, spurred Living Hope to recognise that it wasn’t keeping pace with available technology. ‘During the week, the deacons visit church members who can’t attend service. They had been bringing a recording of the service made from a single camera at the back of the worship centre. It was really about as engaging as watching a tiny stickman walking back and forth against a huge backdrop. The quality of that experience left them feeling more isolated.’
At the same time, the church recognised that upgrading its video presentation technology would also allow it to deliver compelling podcasts, an ability that resonated with its larger mission.
‘Many churches are beginning to recognise the technological gulf between their services and the sort of multimedia experience that church members are enjoying in their own living rooms,’ said Ron Stanford from dB Audio and Video, the company behind the new system. ‘Expectations are changing and the bar has been raised. But in the right hands, churches can take solace in the fact that the price tag associated with a high-quality video system has fallen significantly in recent years.”
In the early stages of the project, Mr Stanford observed that improvements to the video system would require lighting upgrades in order to be appreciated, and pointed the church to lighting firm, TPS. Although Living Hope’s audio system met the required standards, dB Audio and Video improved intelligibility with the addition of acoustic panelling that blended with the worship centre’s aesthetic.
Living Hope’s new video system is composed almost entirely of Panasonic components. Two manually operated Panasonic AG-HPX370 studio-configured cameras are joined by two robotic Panasonic AW-HE100N cameras affixed to the balcony. A Panasonic AV-HS450N switcher with 16 inputs and four auxiliary busses completes the front end. All of the cameras share a common chip set, reportedly making cuts between them ‘visually seamless’.
Three 9,600 lumen, high-definition Panasonic PT-DW8300U projectors shine onto three Da-Lite Series 300 Lace & Grommet fixed frame screens, each 5.4m wide. An AJA KI-PRO-R0 video recorder captures each service or event so that it can be stored on DVD or used for a podcast.
‘The response to the upgrade has been wonderful,’ said Mr Farmer. ‘Even in the worship centre many of our members have stated they feel more connected to Pastor Pettus’ message because they can see the excitement and emotion on his face. It’s really a much more compelling worship experience. And working with the people at dB Audio and Video has been a blessing. There were so many pieces to the puzzle, so many possibilities, and yet they guided us through competently and respectfully. With the system installed, we’re always able to reach them when little questions pop up. Even their recommendation of TPS for the lighting was spot on.’