That’s still true today in many ways, but there’s an increasing demand for projectors that display excellent video quality and manufacturers are responding with native video-resolution projectors, such as Barco’s FLM HD18 ($105,000, without lens). And, whether it means displaying a live video camera feed of a pastor or a pre-recorded video message, houses of worship are one of the sectors demanding better quality moving images.
Lots of companies, including Barco, have offered other high-resolution, high-brightness projectors for several years, but those models have generally had computer-centric resolutions such as 1,400×1,050, 1,600×1,200, or even 2,048×1,080. And while there have been other, smaller 1920p projectors, the FLM HD18 is one of the fi rst native 1920p, three-chip DLP projectors. It’s that combination of the three imaging devices and the inherent brightness of the DLP reflective technology that gives the FLM HD18 both the excellent color reproduction and a high lumen output (18,000 lumens according to Barco’s specifications) to address the needs of large venues.
“Big” is an unavoidable word when describing the FLM HD18. It weighs roughly 220 pounds (100 kilos), without the lens, can be ceiling-mounted with optional rigging clamps or easily stacked (interlocking socket feet don’t require extra parts or tools) for nearly doubling the brightness, and it produces big, bright pictures. Yet big and bright are just the calling cards for the FLM HD18. It’s also big on features, with a highly configurable projector that can be tailored to suit your specifi c needs. With seven different lenses to choose from, customizable slots for input cards, and Ethernet network support for status and control, the FLM HD18 is both fl exible and versatile.
Upon Close Examination
The unit I tested was essentially a standard confi guration, with a 1.6 to 2.0 throw lens ($8,775) and populated with three input cards: a 5xBNC RGBHV card, an HD/SD SDI input card, and a DVI data input card. A fourth input card slot that could be used for any other type of input (a second component video input, for example) was unpopulated. Lens installation and configuration could not be easier. The lens slides into its socket, with all electronic connections integrated into the lens’ hardware bracket, and a single lever locks it tightly into place. Electronic horizontal and vertical lens shift and power zoom and focus all make set up quite straightforward. Below the input slots on the left side of the projector is a communications interface that includes two Ethernet ports and serial RS232/422 in and out for external control and administration, as well as a PC Card slot for adding a wireless network interface card. There’s both IR wireless and XLR wired remote ports and a diagnostic code panel that lists troubleshooting codes. (The onscreen menus also include error logging and diagnostics of temperature, fan speeds, voltages, and more.) And there’s a full manual keypad for all menu operations and navigation that’s almost as complete as the handheld remote that comes with the projector, including dedicated buttons for Picturein- Picture, test pattern, lens shift, and quite a bit more. In addition to that Picture-in-Picture function that allows for full size and position control of a second image inset inside the primary source, the FLM HD18 offers input seamless switching, meaning you can switch between sources without any flicker or delay and without an external switching device. The transition options are admittedly minimal, just a straight cut or a cross fade, although you can set the length of the transition. Still, that’s more than enough for most needs. More interestingly for larger venues that probably already have switchers in place, Barco also has built-in edge blending support for displaying one source across multiple FLM HD18 projectors. “ScenergiX” uses Barco’s extensive timing and phase controls capabilities to overlap images from multiple projectors both horizontally and/or vertically to produce extra-wide or just extra-large onscreen images. In addition to the native 16:9, the FLM HD18 supports a variety of aspect ratios beyond just 4:3 (2.35:1, 1.88:1, 1.78:1, 5:4, and a custom setting), affording great source input and display flexibility.
Shining Brightly
Obviously, for a premium projector like the FLM HD18, you would expect a high level of performance. I tested all three of the input slots and was quite pleased with the results, particularly with HD and SD SDI and analog component video. Visual image quality on a variety of scene material and test patterns from an Extron VTG-400 was excellent, particularly with native 1920×1080 content, even in very fi ne single-pixel details. The same was true of 720p content and standard- defi nition material, particularly with Barco’s noise reduction function enabled. When I moved to non-video resolutions, essentially forcing the FLM HD18 to adjust for fractions of pixels, I did notice some increased softness in sharp text, although there is very little that the average viewer, particularly looking at typical data content, would notice.
Color reproduction and grayscale tracking were quite good. In my tests using Datacolor’s ColorFacts, the FLM HD18 did an excellent job reproducing both the primary (RGB) and secondary (cyan, magenta, and yellow) colors on the standard CIE 1931 chart. Saturated green, red, and even blue exceeded the RGB color gamut, although all primaries and secondary colors were quite accurate. Grayscale tracking was also quite good from 7.5 IRE all the way up to full on, yielding good detail in both shadows and bright scenes. Color temperature was a rock across that entire range regardless of configuration settings. Barco claims a brightness of 18,000, which is a center brightness number. And while there are many factors that can influence output brightness including projector settings and lens type. My measurements, testing in nine locations across the entire image, yielded just shy of 13,000 ANSI lumens with an excellent brightness uniformity of greater than 91%. I measured contrast at 1867:1, and that is actually slightly more than Barco’s average “Normal Mode” 1800:1 (2400:1 when the projector is set to high contrast mode). Yet, those numbers are really secondary to the FLM HD18’s excellent video quality. Images are sharp, particularly, if not surprisingly, from an HD SDI that matches the native 1920×1080 resolution. Yet, even unconverted images from 720p and 480p/i looked sharp and rich and, even with those lower-resolution sources, I found little advantage from Barco’s built-in, adjustable noise reduction feature. (That might be different with something like an S-Video signal, but that was not tested.) “1080p” has certainly become something of a buzzword in the display industry over the past couple of years, particularly with the increasing awareness of HDTV in the consumer electronics sector, although it’s not always the case that higher numbers automatically produce better results. It takes a combination of native high resolution, clean image processing, and attention to detail in color management like that in the FLM HD18 to deliver a true, high-quality HD picture and to show the real large-screen value of HD.
Brightness: 16,000 ANSI lumens
18,000 Center lumens
Contrast: Normal Mode: 1,800:1
High-Contrast Mode: 2,400:1
Native resolution: 1,920×1,080
Configuration: 3xDMD DLP
Light source: 3.5-kW Xenon lamp
Lens options: TLD 0.8
TLD 1.2
TLD 1.2+
TLD 1.6-2.0
TLD 2.0-2.8
TLD 2.8-5.0
TLD 5.0-8.0
TLD7.5-11.5
Lens shift: -110 to +110% vertical –52 to +52% horizontal
Zoom, focus: Powered zoom, powered focus, powered lens shift
Dimensions (WxHxD): 27.8 x 21.5 x 40.3”
Weight: 220 lbs.
Warranty: Two years parts & laborJeff Sauer has covered the professional A/V industry for a dozen years and is an independent video producer and consultant in Massachusetts.