Customised Multi-Screen "Wings" Highlights the One-of-a-Kind Event

KENNESAW, Ga. & MANCHESTER, UK, (February 23, 2004) – Digital Projection International (DPI), an Emmy® Award-winning manufacturer of high-performance projection systems, announced 32 of its LIGHTNING 3-chip DLP™ projectors were utilised by American Hi Definition, Inc. (AHD), a leader in premier entertainment staging, during the 46th Annual Grammy® Awards on February 8th at the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, CA.

Hosted by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences and broadcasted in high definition by CBS, the 2004 Grammy® programme featured a fleet of DPI's LIGHTNING 15 and 28sx projectors to display a wide array of screen effects through a mix of standard and high-definition serial digital video and graphics imagery.

The marquee set element was two 110-foot customised, multi-screen "bat wings" that used a total of 24 LIGHTNING projectors to display dynamic content as a backdrop to the performing artists. For AHD's on-site projection team, a challenge with these wings was carefully and precisely placing the LIGHTNING projectors on platforms in the high seating area of the STAPLES Center.

However, the wings' imposing physical challenge was hardest to overcome, said Ady Gil, co-owner of AHD and chief projection designer of the Awards show set. The team had to carry each LIGHTNING projector up many stairs, separate them into groups, then stack and tilt them using pieces of 2" x 4" wood.

"Projection was a major aspect of the set design, and we required the lightest projectors that also provided the power and performance capabilities to meet our exacting standards," said Gil. "The LIGHTNING projectors were the lightest, and they performed very well overall during the production. We're very happy with the results."

In addition to the wings backdrop, AHD utilised an additional six LIGHTNING systems on four HDTV screens, including two 13.5 x 24-foot screens that were hoisted up and down from well above the stage. Two LIGHTNING projector were also used on a 12 x 16-foot screen for the non-televised portion of the Awards show.

"We're very impressed with what American Hi Definition, the set designers and show producers created with the precise imaging power of our LIGHTNING projectors at the 2004 Grammy® Awards," said Mike Levi, president of Digital Projection, Inc. "What is most apparent and pleasing to us is to see premier event stagers push our large-venue projection technology to new creative thresholds."

DPI's high-performance LIGHTNING, THUNDER and HIGHlite displays have been used for every major televised broadcast Awards programme, including the Emmys®, Oscars®, Blockbuster® Music Awards and the American Music Awards. Projectors by DPI can be found in Hollywood studios, screening rooms, Fortune 5000, worship venues, broadcast sets, command & control facilities, scientific research and visualisation applications, retail outlets and prestigious home theatres.

™Digital Light Processing and DLP are registered trademarks of Texas Instruments.
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Grammy® is a registered trademark of National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.
Oscar® is a registered trademark of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.