From Conferences
to Disco Dancing

The large ballroom at the children’s health center in Luga City, Russia, served as a simple meeting room with tables, chairs, and portable audio/video equipment. But with the addition of a multimedia system, it became a versatile facility for residents and employees. The ballroom is now a multi-functional area that hosts high-tech presentations, conferences, disco dance parties, and movie viewing for various age groups – and it all happens with the click of a computer mouse. Local integrator A Screen used Kramer products to create a simple, seamless solution. A trio of Kramer matrix switchers and specially developed software are at the heart of the system. The Kramer VS-1616V 16 x 16 switcher is used for composite video and S-video, as well as audio switching. The Kramer VP-88 8 x 8 switcher provides component video switching and the VP-66 6 x 6 switcher is used for RGB video. Three Kramer VP-719DS scalers provide conversion of various video formats in RGBHV for preview monitors. Kramer distribution amplifiers and a transcoder are also included in the system.

To activate the system, users select their preferred ballroom “mode” from the computer program. Click on “Movie Viewing,” and the system activates a multi-channel audio system, DVD player, and video projector. A 6 x 4 m screen is lowered from the ceiling. Click on “Dance Party,” and a dynamic light is added to the theatrics, while the projector displays various lighting effects that keep time with the music. Adaptor-hatches on the 23 x 38-foot stage are connected to microphones whose signals are fed to a mixing console for heart-pounding, enveloping music. Click on “Presentation,” and a full suite of audio and video equipment becomes available, along with a separate computer and preview monitor at an operator’s workstation. A 200-inch screen (measured diagonally), replaces the larger one and the projector’s lens is automatically set for a shorter projection distance. The system switches to the rear speakers, turning off the center channel and subwoofers. Presenters have access to two video cameras, two S-VHS VCRs with a TV aerial antenna, a satellite tuner, a CD/DVD player with karaoke, a DVD player, a DVD recorder, and an MD recorder. A computer is incorporated as a video server for real-time digital recording of events. The stage and presidium table are equipped with the local network, video, telephone, and microphone connectors. Six 15-inch monitors display the main presentation screen, a separate video program, or information from a document camera, as determined by the presentation operator. The Kramer products are located in a separate control room along with the audio and video sources. The versatile line has turned the children’s health center ballroom into a versatile solution, meeting various needs.