UK - Immedia Systems has designed and installed an audio-visual infrastructure for the new Iris Murdoch Centre at Stirling University. After extensive fund-raising to raise the necessary £2.3 million, followed by building work lasting more than a year, the ground-breaking Centre was opened early last year by Dame Judi Dench. Having been nominated for an Oscar and won a BAFTA in 2002 for her role as Dame Iris Murdoch in the film, Iris, Dame Judi is well-acquainted with the issues facing those suffering from dementia - and the new Centre sets out to provide information, training, consultancy, conferences and publications for those working in this area.

Immedia's Dave Pritchard specified a dnp 130" New Wide Angle High Contrast Screen, with a focal length of 3200mm, provided by UK distributors Paradigm Audio Visual. This was cut to 2495 x 1880mm and recessed into the back wall. An NEC MT-1050 projector, fitted with a wide angled 1.2:1 lens, is cradled in a Paradigm 'Easy Erect' mirrored rig, in order to maximize the space and ensure the rear-projection beam hits the media display at the optimum angle.

The uniqueness of the screen is its split facility capability, allowing it to be divided into three or run as a single full-screen image, in which configuration it is reinforced by a pair of 50" plasma displays, raised on hydraulic platforms (in view of the theatre's poor sightlines).

Using the mains floor socket, the University can also re-orientate the room, repositioning the plasma displays and matrix switching the source inputs via a Crestron ISIS TPS-6000 15" remote touch-panel, positioned at the lectern. This will also control the data and video inputs such as laptop, video conferencing and desktop - as well as the remote codec, which is located in another building.

(Lee Baldock)


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