Scharff Weisberg Demos New Projection Applications

When Scharff Weisberg became one of the first companies to acquire Dataton WATCHOUT, a software application for formatting and running seamless, multi-projection presentations, it was because they recognized its high-resolution, ultra-widescreen capabilities represented the future of presentation.

Likewise, when the company became one of the first to take delivery of a Vista Systems Montage, they knew it would enable them to offer clients never-before imagined presentation potential. Now, with the introduction of WATCHOUT 2.1, Scharff Weisberg has expanded its ability to deal with increasingly complex presentation needs. To inform clients about the options WATCHOUT 2.1 affords, Scharff Weisberg held a series of demos at its new Long Island City location designed to demonstrate what the system can do and how it fits into the ever-growing presentation arena.

"WATCHOUT now becomes a new tool in our event arsenal," comments Peter Scharff, "and it offers a lot of exciting opportunities for producers and creative directors. But it, like many new products in this area, is not simple to understand. We want to make sure our clients are aware of what WATCHOUT can do, its advantages and disadvantages over other solutions and its ability to enhance their presentations and possibly save them money."

WATCHOUT software enables images to span or move among several video projectors with the system automatically applying soft-edge blending to overlapping projection areas for a seamless image. With Version 2.1, producers can add live video; include live computer display for integrating spreadsheets and Power Point presentations; and offer High Definition video via MPEG-2 and Windows Media 9. "This offers a huge benefit to clients," continues Scharff. "High Definition looks amazing on the system, and now producers can come in with a last-minute spreadsheet or Power Point presentation and immediately incorporate it into the system." The system also allows for separate, non-contiguous screens and imagery can be output in a horizontal or vertical orientation.

Scharff Weisberg has built a custom-rack configuration for WATCHOUT 2.1 designed to take advantage of the release’s new features. The company is writing a White Paper on the subject of widescreen presentation and the options available to presentation professionals. The White Paper will soon be available of the Scharff Weisberg’s website.

For more information, go to www.swinyc.com.