PR Live Invests In d3

Live event and technical solutions specialist PR Live continues to expand its video division with an investment in d3 server technology.

With a large amount of LED screen and high powered projection already in the rental inventory, the capacity for doing widescreen, HD, large-format projections and mapped projects required a powerful control solution to handle super high resolution quality video, and d3 was chosen as the best, most flexible and stable option.

PR Live MD Ian Coull comments, “This is part of our planned expansion which will focus on key areas of innovation and building up state-of-the-art technology and expertise so we can deliver imaginative solutions in addition to the more ‘standard’ conventional options for video packages.

This also follows the recent appointment of Dave Gillett as Head of Technical at the south London based company. Dave has a penchant for lateral thinking, is known for taking an inventive approach to video and lighting system design and has extensive knowledge of projection and pixel mapping as well as huge enthusiasm for creative video and lighting scenarios. He often works on projects where these two mediums converge.

As an experienced media-server programmer and user, he will head up the implementation of PR Live’s ongoing commitment to video and visuals.

d3 was chosen as a feature-packed premium product with a great reputation for robust and reliable hardware, software and operation. Much of this is due to the fact that shows can only be run on proprietary hardware designed specifically for d3.

There is also the renowned support and backup from d3 Technologies should it be needed.

The d3 platform is also well known for its visualisation capabilities. These are possible because it uses a 3D representation of the real-world video set up and detailed pre-vis of the video playback, including a camera fly-through view enabling clients to be shown exactly how any proposed content might look in situ at their event.

“This can be a real deal-maker in getting sign offs on more creative proposals,” comments Dave.

PR’s new d3 immediately went out on an event for a famous global tech brand where Dave used it to control 24 x 3 metre strips of LED tape that were attached to RSJs and the steelwork superstructure of the industrial space in which the event was staged.

He was able to send video content to all 2160 individual LEDs, and then 3D modelled the structure to which the LED tape was applied, imported it into d3 Designer and recorded a camera fly-through showing how the content would look on the mapped LEDs. This gave the client a clear understanding of how their specific low resolution LED video content effects would look … which impressed everyone!

The d3 server joins PR Live’s rental stock of large format Christie projectors, Absen A3 Pro LED screens, Analog Way Ascender 32 multi-display switchers and will help produce a wider range of original and imaginative visual solutions for the benefit of all clients and projects.

Photo shows PR Live’s Head of Technical Dave Gillett working with the d3 system