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Visitors to the new Pittsburgh
Convention Center will have trouble missing the stunning
new visual arcade, installed to generate excitement
about the city and highlight local sponsor Dollar Bank.
Few will realize that the entire presentation is
technically possible only through an elaborately-designed
control system with Medialon at its core.
Dollar Bank unveiled its state-of-the-art, multi-media
Regional Showcase at Pittsburgh’s new David L. Lawrence
Convention Center. Using high-resolution projection
equipment found nowhere else in the country, Dollar
Bank’s Regional Showcase provides a dramatic first
impression of southwestern Pennsylvania displayed on
huge glass screens throughout the center. Visitors
entering the convention center are greeted by the film,
“Region In Motion”. Projected onto two 17-foot long
suspended glass screens and visible from both main
entrances, the quick-moving film blends images of the
economic vitality of the region. Upstairs on the third
floor of the center, visitors enter a unique Regional
Gallery where changing images are projected onto two 28-
by-14-foot facing walls. A mix of motion-enhanced
photography engulfs visitors as they feel they are
traveling throughout southwestern Pennsylvania. The most
dynamic exhibit is a third venue; a film entitled “A New
Day” displayed in the reception area of the Grand
Ballroom. Projected on a 40-foot section of a 120-foot
wide glass wall, the exhibit uses still and moving
pictures to dramatically display the region’s
accomplishments in technology.
Verona, PA-based RPC Video, Inc. was the system
integrator for the project. “The Dollar Bank Regional
showcase is a technology wonder” commented RPC’s Thomas
Bills. “There are 17 computers using six miles of cable
to control more than 18 projectors scattered across
three different venues in the giant Convention center”.
Hidden away in a climate stabilized, secure control
room, playback computers serve digital video to
individual and grouped projectors distributed throughout
the Convention Center. Dataton Watchout software is used
for seamless blending of multiple images across a huge
continuous screen surface. The retinue of playback
computers, projectors and other components is controlled
by Medialon Manager software acting as a 24/7 program
scheduler for the three separate venues throughout the
center.
The specific Medialon Manager features
include:
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Control of five simultaneous display groups,
independently scheduled up to a week in advance.
- All control functions, including live monitoring, can
be done anywhere in the world via the Internet.
- Content providers can install new shows without
changes to the supervisory program, via user-friendly
touch panels written with Manager’s visual toolbox.
- One Medialon computer controlling all projectors and
15 Dataton Watchout display computers
- A touch panel allows inset viewing of live video,
monitoring all displays via cameras, not the feed.
- Medialon monitors virtually all components of the
network and the projectors for health and sends email
upon failure detection.
- Medialon will send a reminder email to technicians
when projector lamps near end of life.
- A password-protected maintenance screen allows
technicians easy access to frequently-used projector
controls for ease of routine maintenance and
adjustments.
Projectors are powered up and
down, and player computers will be started and stopped,
according a user-changeable schedule implemented and
accessed via touch screen.
“I don't think I could have programmed this show using
any system other than Medialon,” commented Gene James
who was commissioned by RPC to program all three areas.
“It’s impressive what this system can do and how
intuitive it is to program. And the people at Medialon
have been great. They have been especially helpful and
responsive to our technical support needs.” |
