Application news Dive, dive, dive!


If, like me, you are amazed / baffled, by the boom in “escape rooms”, it probably won’t come as much of a surprise that AV is being installed in this type of environment to create ‘hard to replicate’ customer expe- riences. In this instance, the challenge was to recreate the claustro- phobic environment of a diving submarine.


Bringing under water gaming to life was the biggest challenge for experience creators Gear Prod. They wanted to create innovative underwater


entertainment. For


this project, two surfaced sub- marines were to feel submerged deep within the ocean, giving the gamer a real-life experience and feeling of driving a submarine marauding through the deep, dark ocean. So, the installation required a projection solution able to create an atmospheric and immersive experience to gaming enthusiasts.


The first challenge was to en- sure an immersive and believ-


Adrien Vert, Creative Director at Gear Prod stated: "We wanted to create a game that combined demanding teamplay and maxi- mum immersion, while maintain- ing a good dose of fun." To create the illusion that the gamers were submerged within the real under water Scylla gam- ing experience, Gear Prod made a first attempt using conven- tional TV screens. However, the end result was far from realistic and there were many issues with reflection. A large image was re- quired with true to life detail and fantastic colours that wouldn’t create any shadow effects.


ery. The projector’s versatility, unlike a TV screen meant they could be installed in the hull of the submarine under each win- dow projecting upwards. They are integrated into the set and are not visible to the players. Adrien Vert had an Optoma vid- eo projector before this installa- tion and found it thoroughly en- joyable and reliable, he stated: "When I saw that Optoma were making ultra-short-throw projec- tors, I instantly thought it was the best solution. We did our re- search and found that it was also the best value for money on the market.”


The results


Echo Squad is said to be the very first underwater adventure where gamers can be truly im-


Home cinema reunites families


The use of technology amongst youngsters is rising and this is hav- ing a knock-on impact on the time adults and children are spending together as a family unit. According to new research from Epson, con- ducted with UK parents, nearly two-thirds (63%) of parents believe that a cinematic viewing experience – whether it’s watching films or TV – could help bring families closer together.


A 2018 report from Ofcom showed that 42% of 5 to 7-year olds now own a tablet, up 7% from the previous year. And yet, 82% of parents that said they spend most of their family lei- sure time watching films or TV with their children at home! TV is, or at least should be central to time spent sharing a commu- nal entertainment experience between families.


Add+ to this, nearly three-quar- ters (74%) of parents believe that their living room is central to the time spent together as a family, and it is clear that the household television – as well as the living room – is key to keeping families connected.


The survey also revealed that more than half (55%) of par- ents agree that separate screen time on devices often interferes with family time. Additionally, more than a quarter (26%) of parents say they are frequently aware that one or more of their family members are isolating themselves, prioritising spend- ing time on electronic devices (including a smartphone, tablet or laptop), over time spent with their families.


Alice Ramsden de Gómez, Product Manager for Consumer Products at Epson UK, says: “Family members – of all ages – now regularly isolate them- selves with separate screens.


World events... IFA


6 - 11 September 2019 Messe Berlin Germany


See page 15 IBC


13 to 17 September 2019 RAI Amsterdam Netherlands


Echo Squad is said to be the very first underwater adventure where gamers can be truly immersed in the environment of all the action.


able experience was conveyed to the end users through bold, clear vivid imagery. The second aspect was to ensure there was access for multiple player modes to encourage interaction between players during the adventure.


Building the environment


Three portholes were to be cre- ated, giving players visibility to what would seem like the real world of Scylla. In Greek my- thology, Scylla was a legendary monster that lived on one side of a channel of water. Develop- ers Echo Squad wanted to create an experience for gamers where they truly felt immersed in the game itself. The biggest chal- lenge was making the experience feel as true to life as possible meaning, bright, reliable and co- lourful projectors with loud, clear audio was essential to making the overall experience a success.


The solution


Six Optoma Full HD ultra-short throw EH330UST projectors were selected to resolve the issues fronted by convention- al TV screens. The Optoma EH330UST projectors boast high brightness 3,600 lumens, providing the visibility which is necessary for the players. Addi- tionally, the projectors needed to be capable of filling three projection screens which were over four metres wide and two metres high. The ultra-short throw EH330UST successfully stepped up to the challenge and created amazing images from less than a metre away. In


addition, the EH330UST projectors feature 24/7 opera- tion meaning gamers can enjoy the fun for as long as they wish as well as superior contrast with brighter whites and ultra-rich blacks for more in-depth imag-


mersed in the environment of all the action. Adrien Vert stated: "The result is very impressive; it certainly gives off the feeling that you are in the cabin of a moving submarine.”


“Our goal with Echo Squad was to create a totally new gaming experience, to go beyond all the immersive experiences available on the market,” continued Vert. “Today we are convinced that we have succeeded with what we have created with Echo Squad and Optoma. We have created a game that offers maximum im- mersion within the constraints of budget, accessibility to the gen- eral public and available tech- nologies. The recognition of this product opens doors to lots of new possibilities such as space cruisers, control rooms and even cockpits of giant robots.”


VR Dayz Europe 2019 13 to 15 November 2019 Amsterdam Netherlands


VR Days is a 3-day confer- ence and exhibition on Vir- tual, Augmented and Mixed Reality content, creativity and innovation. Expect a compelling range of key- notes, expert sessions, work- shops and seminars with 140+ expert speakers from the worlds of health, tech, business and the arts.


BETT


22-25 January 2020 ExCeL London UK


Bett is the first industry show of the year in the ed- ucation technology land- scape, bringing together


800+ leading companies, 103 exciting new edtech start-ups and over 34,000 attendees from the global education community. They come together to celebrate, find inspiration and discuss the future of education, as well as the role technolo- gy and innovation plays in enabling all educators and learners to thrive.


AV News Awards


11 February 2020 ISE 2020


RAI Amsterdam Netherlands


The AV News Awards have a special place within Eu- rope’s audio-visual indus- try, being focused on the people and community that make the business work. The Awards recognise the contribution made by the individuals in the labs and R&D centres, the sales and marketing teams and those involved


in training and


support for the technologies and services that comprise AV solutions.


ISE 2020


11-14 February 2020 RAI Amsterdam Netherlands


Integrated Systems Europe is the world’s largest exhibi- tion for AV and systems in- tegration. The 2019 edition ran from 5 to 8 February at the RAI Amsterdam and was the largest to date in terms of both exhibition space and attendee registrations. Highlights of ISE 2019 in- cluded: the world premiere of Sviatovid, a 360-degree projection sculpture by Bart Kresa, who also gave the Opening Address; a Clos- ing


Keynote by Creative


Director Tupac Martir; ten conferences, including five in ISE’s new Hotel Okura venue; and a full profession- al development programme supported by the show’s as- sociation co-owners AVIXA and CEDIA.


And with nearly three-quarters (74%) of UK parents agreeing that the living /family room is integral to time spent togeth- er as a family, it is clear that screens are essential to the home – which is where projec- tors can add real value. That’s because size matters when it comes to creating an enhanced family viewing experience.”


AWARDS 2020


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16