There are Spyders to be found throughout the new James B. Hunt Jr. Library on the North Carolina State University Centennial Campus, and they're getting rave reviews. Vista Systems' Spyder X20s were selected by The Sextant Group, Inc. for a number of video processing tasks in the technology-rich library.
The Centennial Campus in Raleigh is home to the colleges of engineering, textiles and veterinary medicine. A 218,000-square foot James B. Hunt Library is being called the library of the future for its stunning architectural presence and use of technology. It will house, upon completion, the campus library, the Institute for Emerging Issues (IEI) and numerous technology-intensive environments for faculty, students and visitors.
The Sextant Group was charged with providing AV and IT design services for the new building. They chose Spyders to fill the video processing needs for many multimedia displays. "There are five Christie MicroTile 4K walls throughout the building, so we needed a processor that could handle them," says Scott Frey, CTS-D systems designer for The Sextant Group. "There are also two auditoriums with blended multi-window projection, and Spyders were needed there, too."
A Christie MicroTile curved wall displays faculty and student work in the iPearl Immersion Theater. Another MicroTile wall in the Game Lab can be used as a single panorama or divided into multiple sections; it supports the study of digital games and offers a place to play for fun.
But Spyder's reach extends even further. The Teaching and Visualization Lab boasts a 3D-capable 270º screen on three walls for a total of 80 linear feet of display surface, 10 projectors and a Spyder X20. In the Creativity Studio a white box-style theater/classroom features a large curved screen, two projectors, a Spyder and movable and writable walls. The Creativity Studio is "a flexible, collaborative space with multiple projection surfaces and limitless interactive opportunities for students - all with a single point source and control," Frey notes.
For every multimedia application in the new library "Spyder really fit our needs," he says. "It has great configurability and windowing and handles multiple formats. We can update and upgrade it, and it's one of the easiest to use of all the video processors on the market. Spyder has been looking and working great."
About Vista Systems
Vista Systems' switchers have become the industry standard for live multiple-destination video and data mixed signal switching with real-time windowing and composition. For more information on Vista Systems, visit their website at www.vistasystems.net.