DIOCESAN ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Helping to Care for our Churches

INSTALLATION OF PROJECTORS AND SCREENS

One of the major issues for PCCs today is the wish to improve the effectiveness of communication and to be positive about using within worship technology which is familiar to many in school and work contexts. Only the most modern of church buildings will have been designed to accommodate projectors, screens and audio-visual installations. In most cases and upon first consideration, the requirements of modern technology do not blend easily with the fabric of an historic building. The key to a successful installation is identifying exactly what the parish needs, what technology is available and how it can be accommodated within the church building.

The DAC does not comment on whether churches should employ digital projection in worship, for that is an issue for the PCC. The DAC can comment on the installation itself, including the way that screens and projectors might affect the fabric of the church and the impact on the aesthetics of worship. The DAC approaches the provision of digital projection in much the same way that it would a sound system.

1. Basic principles:

Any installation of this kind must be reversible. This is important both for the long-term condition of the fabric of the building and the medium term likelihood that as technology develops the PCC will want to update equipment.
The equipment should be as unobtrusive as possible, especially when not in use, and its installation should create the minimum of material change to the fabric of the building.
In principle, every screen should be moved out of view when not in use. In considering this, the PCC needs to take on board the fact that excessive movement can be the cause of damage to the building and the equipment and therefore a fixed position out of sight might be the best solution i.e. a retractable screen having a long drop, rather than one on a stand/bracket.
Not every service or activity in the building will use the equipment. It should be possible to walk into the building and be unaware of the installation except when it is in use. This is especially important given the increasing awareness of church buildings as places of pilgrimage for those in search of some peace and heritage tourism by people interested in architecture and the historical elements of our buildings.
The installation must be secure. These systems are a considerable investment on the part of any PCC. The equipment has a clear cash value and all efforts must be made to avoid theft of the kit itself and damage to the building by anyone trying to steal it. The location of the data projector needs particular care to ensure that it is not at risk.

2. General advice:

Prepare a statement of need which should begin to answer the following:

What is the point of the installation?
Who will be able to use it?
Who will be responsible for it?
How often is it needed now and what new opportunities for its use are expected to develop in the future?
What alternatives could be used?
Often the suggestion for the installation of these systems begins with an enthusiastic individual or small group; the statement of need is a good way of finding out the views of the PCC and wider congregation.
Use moveable equipment and try out options to establish the best position for visibility and to seek the views of your congregation/s, user-groups and PCC members.

Consult the following at an early stage:

Your church architect or surveyor
A competent audio-visual expert, if possible, and certainly members of other churches who have used similar equipment
Potential suppliers of audio-visual equipment
Members of the congregation. Remember these installations can arouse strong reactions and some will probably find the installation of such equipment difficult to accept. Allowing time and space to experiment as in point 2 above is helpful and gives an opportunity for people to see what a resource such equipment can be.
The DAC secretary and possibly the Archdeacon

3. Screens

The type of the screen depends upon:

The size of the chancel arch and the length and width of the nave. It is always valuable to try out screen sizes ‘in situ’ to make sure they work (a) within the space and aesthetics of the building and (b) give a sufficiently large image of text that is comfortably read from the back.
Most churches site the projector in the nave and project forward onto a screen in or near the chancel arch. It is the best value way, providing sharp bright images at a modest cost. A few churches choose to locate the projector at the far end of the chancel and ‘rear project’, shining back towards the rear of the screen in the chancel arch. If you wish to ‘rear project’ onto the screen, remember that there is significant light loss coming through the screen material. Therefore it is very important to try it out before committing to the purchase. (Please ask if you can try out a projector on approval, before a purchase is made. Uell Kennedy has good contacts for excellent projectors at discount prices. Contact him on 01535 650531).
If you choose to hang the screen from a side metal support, please make sure the design has adjustments built into it. Most metal supports gradually bend over time, and you will need the facility to straighten the screen sothe horizontal is horizontal.

When the screen is suspended in or near the chancel arch, please check: -

When the screen is not in use, it should be completely invisible.
When the screen is in use, how much of the East window is obscured.
How light which comes through the chancel windows and impacts on perception of image
Light on the face of the screen (e.g. from a south window) which will the intensity of the projected image.
Alignment with, and distance from the proposed projector position. The screen is sited first, and then the projector is sited to work with the screen. Projectors with horizontal keystone adjustment may be sited less conspicuously away from the centre line of church.
The screen floor-mounted or on a column or in a side aisle.
Screens can be mounted on columns and fixed permanently to the floor, with a single fixing to a column or pier.
Screens can be obtained that fold or swing out from behind a pillar.
Wherever possible, taking into consideration reversibility and wear to the fabric, consider fixings that are temporary like a collar, or a clamp onto roof timbers. All proposed fixings should be approved by your architect.
Visibility of the Screen
Most churches have ‘blind spots’ (eg. when the altar cannot be seen from the side aisle). Mounting the screen in the chancel arch is more accessible but think carefully about the people who cannot see the screen – what provision are you making for them. If the screen and not hymn books are used in worship, what options have you for those in the ‘blind spots’? Some churches use flat screen TV units in the side aisle or on the balcony to display the image.
When music groups or choirs in the chancel are singing they cannot see the large screen above the heads. Many churches provide small computer TFT monitors to display the same image which is on the screen.

4. Projectors

It is always better to try out projectors in the church before choosing one.
The normal advice is to get the most powerful projector you can afford. Prices have come down, so that high powered projectors are easier to afford (3500 lumens and above). Most services happen with daylight in the church, or other
ambient light and so the projector can never be too bright. A projector of 4000 lumens and above would work well in most churches when using an 8 ft x 6 ft screen.
There are two types of projector. LCD projectors are very good for PowerPoints, cartoons and for video. DLP projectors work by flicking between three colours very quickly and this gives a flickering rainbow effect which some people find a distraction, and once noticed it never goes away. You are advised to choose an LCD projector. If a DLP projector meets your specification, try it out before confirming purchase.
Low resolution projectors (VGA and SVGA) are cheaper to make but the image is grainy and not so crisp. XGA is the minimum resolution which works well on large screens. Please avoid WXGA projectors – for their widescreen display distorts PowerPoint and non-widescreen video clips and requires a different shaped screen, which is more likely to look ‘out-of-place’ in church. One day HD resolution projectors (available now) will be affordable, and they give the best quality images (comparable to the HD TVs).
Modern projectors have “Keystone” facilities, which allow some correction for projecting from a ‘off the centre line leading to the screen. It is advisable to choose a projector which has vertical and horizontal keystone correction for maximum flexibility.
Mount the projector high enough to give it some security but remember you will need to be able to reach it safely for maintenance and to change bulbs etc. Great distances from the screen require a high powered lamp and more expensive lens.
Usually the most efficient arrangement mounts the projector one third to half way down the church at the top of a nave pillar using horizontal key stone correction to fill a screen in the chancel arch. In large churches a ‘long throw’ lens is used.
When fixing the projector it is preferable to avoid direct fixing into the stonework or wall. A single bar clamped to a roof timber or similar often minimises interference to the fabric, but if this is not feasible a “collar” round a nave capital may be an option. The colour of the collar should be chosen to blend into the background.

5. Cables and Sound

Consider Health and Safety, security and how the cabling (wires) will run from the outset. The detail of the installation will be crucial in the DAC’s consideration of the scheme in general and at the faculty application stage.
Advancing technology may mean that a wireless system can be used for data transmission. At present this technology is not good enough to run video clips so cables are necessary. Complete integration of the equipment to be used, such as DVD, VCR, sound system and audio loop must be considered. There should not be a piecemeal approach but something that is capable of developing with more equipment in a neat and attractive way.
When the equipment is used in worship, please ensure that it can be controlled easily. If the preacher wishes to use the screen, please ensure there can be controls available in the pulpit. Infra-red controllers can be temperamental and require a direct ‘line of sight’ between the controller and the receiver; radio controllers are more reliable and flexible. Sometimes the preacher working direct from a lap-top or a mouse might be preferable – such issues will clearly have a major influence on the positioning of equipment.
This equipment usually requires a lot of wiring and the church architect or surveyor must be involved in the installation. Even “temporary” installations must be set up properly – it is as easy to trip over a temporary collection of cables as a permanently fixed one and a fixing into the fabric of the building will be there for ever, even if the item it is supporting is removed after a couple of weeks.
When showing a Video Clip you need clear sound in the whole of the building. This is achieved by feeding the signal into the church sound system. Trial and error will show you the sound levels your equipment can generate before distortion sets in. Most church systems are ‘reinforcement systems’ and will not give the deep and loud ‘cinema sound’; nevertheless, with adjustments, they can usually give both clarity and sufficient volume.

6. Information that will be required for a Faculty application

A statement of need, explaining why the PCC wishes to install this equipment, how often it would be used.
A detailed description of the system including the number and position of projector, screen(s), control equipment etc.
An explanation of the system, explaining the options the PCC has considered, why it has rejected some, why the submitted proposals seem to be the best match for the PCC’s identified needs. This should deal with the issues raised above.
A plan of the church, preferably to scale, showing the extent and location of the proposed works including all equipment.
Details of all wiring, including the route, colour, fixing and quality of the cables to be used. (It is usual for wiring to be coloured to match the surface to which it is attached, if this is not to be the case please explain the circumstances.)
Illustrations (e.g. catalogue photographs) of all equipment to be installed together with details of size, colour and method of fixing. Fixings should be into mortar and not into stonework and glue should not be used to attach cables to stonework.
Photographs of the proposed location of new fittings. Ideally these should be marked to superimpose the intended position.
If it is possible for the new fitting to be held in place or for a piece of card or paper of the same size as the fitting to be temporarily placed in the location this gives the Committee and Chancellor a really good idea of what the visual impact of the proposals will be.
The electrical supply should be as close as possible to the equipment to avoid cables trailing from sockets. Electrical work should be undertaken by an NICEIC or ECA enrolled electrician or inspected and certificated by such a person on completion.
Information about security and storage of equipment

7. Wider consultation

It is possible that English Heritage or other bodies will need to be consulted about proposals. If the DAC believes that this is the case the PCC will be advised early on in the consideration of the work. The DAC will do its best to help the PCC to achieve good communication with whatever bodies have to be involved. The consultation may only require correspondence but in some cases a site meeting will need to be convened. Occasionally the DAC will not advise consultation at the outset but the Chancellor will require it when the faculty application is made, however such cases are very rare.
The DAC requires that the church architect should be consulted about fixing and location of equipment, cable routes and design of fittings which might have a visual impact on the church. The PCC may find it helpful to do this at the outset rather than after the DAC has discussed the proposals.
This advice and information is given in good faith and is based on our understanding of the current law. The DAC cannot accept any responsibility whatsoever for any errors or omissions which may result in injury, loss or damage including consequential or further loss. It is the responsibility of the PCC to ensure that it complies with its statutory obligations.

DAC January 2009

DIOCESAN ADVISORY COMMITTEEHelping to Care for our Churches