Outdoor Install idea's help!

[DaForce]

Need some advice on this one

I need to do outdoor install for a local client (shopping centre)

They want an outdoor video projector, projecting onto shopping centre wall for all year round install for advertising and flash presentations

Building is three storey high with orangey/brown tiling wall, usual street lighting in carpark etc pretty bright place

Any idea's on size of projector and screen material?

Screen needs to look neat and blend in with surrondings etc

I will post a pic shortly


Cheers for any help!

[charlielangridge]

Ok, I can't really understand where ur comming from on this one, why are you working on a project that seems frankly well beyond your comprehension and experinece? If you can't answer the simplest of questions for an installer Any idea's on size of projector and screen material? then why have you put in for this gig. I really dont mean to sound so harsh, but there are professional companies that do installations like this - y not work in conjunction with one of them (look in your local yellow pages), rather than try and do something based on what seems (i could be wrong, so correct me if I am) a little beyond your usual scope.

[DaForce]

Thanks for your sharp reply

You don't really make people welcome here

Maybe I should submit a CV before posting online??

My background has been sound, lighting and club decor for the past 12 years and in the last three years have being installing projectors, video walls, plasma screens for clubs, conference centres and bars

I also have a keen interest in vjing outside of my business

Maybe I should have rephrased my question?

I have never done an outdoor install before, usually am working with projectors (3000 ansi lumens) and would like to know how bright projector would I need?

Its ironic that you spell experience wrong in your post

[sleepytom]

it depends...

do they want to be able to see the screen when the shops are open?

if so then you can forget projectors - they simply won't work in daylight sunshine.

i'd sugest a 2x2 plasmascreen wall or an led screen mounted in a waterproof perspex box

what kind of budget do they have for this install?

[DaForce]

Thanks for your reply

They want it only for night time projection and I have been asked to quote for the install

No budget has been set.

[charlielangridge]

Man, sorry if I got you wrong. Put up some pics and a floorplan if pos and i'll give u some advice.

[PilotX]

Can you budget to hire in some projectors to test them one night? If you can I think that would be the best route.. it might cost you a few hundred quid but at least you can be sure that the client will be happy with the end result (and you might find you only need 3k rather than 5 or 10k.

the only thing I will say is that a 10k barco projected onto a 24mx18m screen for a council fireworks display looked just about ok until the fireworks started going off and there was too much smoke.
You don't mention how big they want the projection though. any less lumens it would not have been enough even before the smoke from the fireworks.

[DaForce]

Thanks Charles

I will post a pic this afternoon when I get my laptop and specs of area

First to put up my hands and say that I have no experience with outdoor installs as most of mine over the years has been indoor

It will be an interesting challenge!

[ristuuk]

hi daforce,

Before worrying too much about screen size and projector lumens,

where are you going to site your projector?

Is there a building adjacent you can use....are you going to rear project from the inside?......

...weather proof...security...powersupply...would be you main worries

A years install is a long time..you dont want to be on the street everynight with a truck and a genny.

[sleepytom]

yeah security is the biggest issue with outdoor installs - closely followed by weatherproofness.

personally i wouldn't much fancy putting a 10k projector on top of a pole (even in a properly constructed and ventilated metal box) - its very likely to get stolen.

if you can project from a window in a building then its far more secure and less likely to be damaged by condensation.

(all of this so far is common sense - if you haven't thought of these problems for yourself then you are probably not in a position to do this install successfully)

to advise about a projector it is necessary to know the throw distance, the screen size and reflectivity (ie is it a screen or just a white wall?), the projection angle, as well as the ambient lighting conditions.

it would also be good to know what content they are planning on running - is it dvd / video or computer based - what resolution?

[visualove]

Some suggestions -
Take a light meter out and meter the incident light. The tech support people at your projector/wall supplier should have some rough guidelines on where to start on display power given the projection area. As you get closer to a design, demoing with the client sounds wise.

How important is non stop operation? Worth a dual bulb projector? If so that will narrow your options considerably.

The projection geometry may constrain you based on lens availability. I'm with Tom on indoor siting and heavy duty security.

Last time I checked, LED walls were over $60K US per square meter and 6 bit, but designed for outdoor use, even in daytime.

There are a bunch (well fewer every day) of video wall makers including clarityvisualsystems.com which make plasma video walls. The video wall maker can build into the price the outdoor engineering.

Talk to Sony about their selective gain high contrast screen, maybe they want to prototype it for outdoor use.

(Maybe the shopping center could recoup some of its cost throwing parties there every weekend ;) )

[mondo]

you are dealing with a big install here.
in a shopping centre
year round

there will be liason with owners, tenants, architects, engineers, clients

you will have to pproduce designs, engineer the correct lenses drawings, risk assessments and method statements b4 you even purchase a lamp!

then you will have problems of installing at high level of both teh screen and the beamer <which WILL break down>

you must broach maintenance, operations & access issues

this is no small job

this is a pro job even though it seems simple

how can you ask us what sizes required when you have no idea of scale yourself - have you visited site!!


this is a ?1000s job not a petty few quid.....AND are you insured to do such installs?? ie. public liability??

contact me should you need any further advice

yeah security is the biggest issue with outdoor installs - closely followed by weatherproofness.

tom says - "personally i wouldn't much fancy putting a 10k projector on top of a pole (even in a properly constructed and ventilated metal box) - its very likely to get stolen."

not true tom - if the box is timber and VERY well ventilated and fixed VERY securely above 9m - it will be out of the reach of any kid with a 3 step ladder.

its the cherrypicker bloke you need to watch out for.anyway - security is the shopping centres issue - all designers can do is point out the potential problems

[mondo]

ive just completed this external install fyi - similar problems

external install (http://www.vjforums.com/showthread.php?threadid=9803)

[devonmiles]

and dont forgett its winter now. where it is plain dark at 8 p.m. there will remain plenty of light in summer till 10 p.m.
I have seen a lot of outdoor installations during the luminale festival last spring and I suppose they had been designed in winter. everyone was very disappointed because you could hardly see something before 11. pm.
the best installations were build of leds or 3:4 grids of plasmas.

use as much ready made components. there are already lockable ventilated beamer boxes for outdoor use in different sizes and there are only a few screens for permanent outdoor installation or go for a titan barite paint with high gain factor. its a really small market and you should be able to find the required resources easily. for a start just ask at your local sony professional center.

[mondo]

mmmm

anyone got any links to those ventilated projector boxes elektro talks about please

i'm interested

[projectorhelp]

This is an old post I know but this market is certainly getting popular and is easier then ever.
The screen material would certainly depend on the environment
The projector would be determined the same way

as for protecting the projector you can use a projector enclosure, you can find them here http://www.projectorenclosure.com

This is actually easier then you might think and big business.