A myriad of advanced technologies all come together to create a projection-based solution for training, visualization and simulation. At Display Summit, some of these visual technologies will be discussed and explored.
For example, increasing resolution is always a key factor in immersiveness and image fidelity. To get there, one can add more projectors or increase the resolution of a fixed number of projectors. The first solution usually adds too much cost, so increasing resolution on the projector is preferred.
4K and even 8K native resolution projectors now exist along with a class of projectors that use image shifting optics. The merits or demerits of the image-shifting projection have caused much debate in the community.
Rod Sterling, JVC
At Display Summit, JVC will give a presentation that discusses their native 8K resolution projectors along with their image-shifting 8K projectors (based on a native 4K resolution chip set). Rod Sterling will discuss the trade-offs in image quality between the two along with issues associated with the distribution of such high resolution images in real world applications.
Barco’s Svein Arne Hansen will also discuss image-shifting projection focused more on the recent DLP solutions now in the market. Such image shifting techniques call into question the very definition of resolution. Should it be defined by the native elements on the imagers or by the ability to deliver light points on the screen with the full range of luminance and color values? Many will argue the latter is the more important definition as this is what the users sees. There is sure to be a lively discussion on this topic.
Svein Arne Hansen, Barco
Hansen and Sterling are also going to talk about the trade-offs between increasing resolution and increasing frame rate. Is a 3840×2160 resolution image at 60Hz better than a 2560 x1600 resolution image at 120Hz? The answer may depend on the application. For uses where there is enough movement that the image gets “soft” then going to the higher frame rate will be more beneficial, but at what impact to the rest of the solution? This is also likely to be a topic of some discussion at the event.
Image fidelity is also driven by contrast, color, and artifacts. While HDR with an increased color pallet and a wider range of luminance values is a hot topic in consumer and some professional markets, it seems less interesting a topic in the world of training and simulation. Certainly for low light level applications, color and contrast are not that important, but one would think daytime applications would benefit from HDR. Experts at the event will weigh in on this topic as well.
Any multi-projector installation needs to blend the images into one seamless image. One can use electronic blending solutions, which are generally acceptable for brighter scenes. Alternative, optical masks can be designed for the overlapped areas that are the preferred method for dark scenes as the overlap light levels with electronic blending are too high.
Geoff Blackham, GBVi
But each solution has trade-offs in terms of image performance, cost, flexibility, longevity and more. Geoff Blackham of GBVi will review the mainstream projection technologies and their respective pros & cons, particularly with regard to scene dynamic range and blend implications. This in turn leads to a detailed review of optical blending options, presenting their operating theories and application scope.
One must not forget the screen as well. One of the big concerns in screens with any curvature is contrast reduction due to light from one part of the screen degrading performance in another part of the screen. rpVisual Solutions will provide a nice overview of screen choice considerations including the benefits of ambient light rejection screens. These have become popular in home theaters and commercial AV installations, but less so in simulation and visualization applications, so it will be interesting to understand these dynamics a bit more.
Bernhard Lutzer, In-Vision
And just important as the projector and the screen is the projection lens. A great screen and high resolution projector with a poor lens will mean a poor image. According to Bernhard Lutzer of In-Vision, “Lens design is not only a technical skill, but is partially also an art, an art of its own.” At Display Summit, he will describe the special needs of the simulation industry and why proper lens design is so important.
Simulation has always been the realm of projectors, but LED video walls are now emerging with lower brightness levels and optimization for very low brightness operations like cinemas. Can this technology be suitable for simulation and training in the near future?
An entire session is devoted to this topic. SiliconCore and Nanolumens are both developing LED devices and LED video walls with performance suitable for cinemas. Can these activities be leveraged for simulation applications? Can they meet the performance, cost and durability requirements of this market? What are the best mounting solutions (rpVisual Solution will talk about this)? And, what is the market potential for these LED video walls (Yole Research will present on this)?
The full agenda is viewable at: http://www.displaysummit.com/2017_display_summit/agenda/
Registration ($1,095) is open now at: http://www.displaysummit.com/2017_display_summit/register/
Contact: Chris Chinnock, Insight Media, 1-203-434-0180, chris@insightmedia.info