AV Specialist - Africa Edition Vol 91 - (Page 21)

Warning : session_start : The session id contains invalid characters, valid characters are only a-z, A-Z and 0-9 in /mnt/data/www.nxtbook.com/fx/config_1.3/global.php on line 9 Warning : session_start : Cannot send session cache limiter - headers already sent output started at /mnt/data/www.nxtbook.com/fx/config_1.3/global.php:9 in /mnt/data/www.nxtbook.com/fx/config_1.3/global.php on line 9 Warning : Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by output started at /mnt/data/www.nxtbook.com/fx/config_1.3/global.php:9 in /mnt/data/www.nxtbook.com/fx/config_1.3/global.php on line 10 Is Jesus the next killer app? Broadcast and proAV vendors are helping churches spread the gospel as part of an effort to cash in on an exploding market known as ‘house of worship technology.’ n recent years, members of the clergy have begun competing with MTV, video games and the Internet by jazzing up sermons with large-screen video displays that are more often seen at pop concerts and sport stadiums. The trend has evolved, and churches are now Webcasting to distant parishioners with sophisticated multi-camera operations and pumping up the volume inside worship areas with state-of-the-art sound systems. It's like going to a rock concert, says Lee Thomson from Prosound, one of the growing number of sound-and-video suppliers who are targeting church business. It's a fact: Media helps make it easier for people to pay attention. An illustration of the market's growing clout came at both Infocomm and the NAB 2006 electronic media conference where both shows dedicated an exhibit area to electronics companies that are catering to churches. Information on the size of the market in Africa is hard to come by but there are more than 20 thousand churches, synagogues and mosques, in South Africa alone. While most can count only a few hundred members, a few churches can boast congregations that top 20 thousand, including the Dutch Reformed Church in Moreleta Park and the 32 thousand- I member Rhema Bible Church in Johannesburg. Both of these congregations have invested millions of Rand in professional audio and video equipment, with Rhema presenting a complete television channel which can be accessed via satellite by their members throughout the continent Major spending attracts disciples This kind of spending attracts disciples. There's not one major electronics manufacturer who isn't trying to target this space, said Gideon Taljaard, who operates Hattech, a company that An investment of less than R200 thousand will allow even small churches to establish a broadcast infrastucture that includes cameras, a video switcher and hard disc recorder. It allows them to record, edit and distribute the sermon via DVD, while the Internet allows them to reach out to congregants in remote locations. specializes in outfitting churches with the latest in audio and video technology. But for the tech and electronics industries, which haven't shied away from using sex to sell products, marketing takes a different tone with churches. To get started wiring a church, all a pastor or minister need do is call one of the growing number of technicians who specialize in worship technology. According to Eric Wiese, director of Macro Video in Pretoria, it’s possible to rig a sanctuary with three cameras, a video switcher a device that receives a video feed from multiple cameras and selects which images an audience sees and a DV disk recorder for under R200 thousand. “This kind of set up would let a church record, edit and distribute a sermon via DVDs, the Internet or TV within a couple of hours,” he says. “In the past it was too expensive for smaller churches to invest in broadcast equipment but over the last few years prices have dropped. This has allowed even small churches to go high tech.” So how does a church benefit from this kind of gear? “Sometimes special lighting and sound can turn a larger venue into an intimate setting,” said Prosounds’ Thomson. We live in a mediadriven world and this is how people, especially young people, are accustomed to hearing a message.” 21 Warning : Unknown : The session id contains invalid characters, valid characters are only a-z, A-Z and 0-9 in Unknown on line 0 Warning : Unknown : Failed to write session data files . Please verify that the current setting of session.save_path is correct /var/lib/php/session in Unknown on line 0

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AV Specialist - Africa Edition Vol 91

Table of Contents
Mobile TV set to challenge viewing habits
Planning for the multimedia church
Is Jesus the next killer app?
Will sports on mobile TV compete with the big screen?
IBC Awards for Innovation
SA doccie scoops Emmy

AV Specialist - Africa Edition Vol 91