Datapath Fx4 blends power and performance at stunning 360’ experience

Using the power and flexibility of Datapath’s award-winning Fx4 controllers coupled with a Screenberry media server, Berlin’s ‘Oceanic Refractions’ set new standards for immersive sensorial experiences.

Housed within the historic dome room of the Silent Green event venue in Berlin, this multimedia installation immersed audiences in the urgent issue of climate change and its impact on the Oceania community. ‘Oceanic Refractions’ wove together a moving narrative through testimonies from Oceania natives, accompanied by the sounds of their natural environments—from the bustling life of coral reefs to the serene rustle of mangroves. The auditory journey was further enhanced by 360-degree videography, kinetic seating that mimicked the ocean’s movement, and olfactory effects that transported visitors to the shorelines of Fiji, Kiribati, and the Duke of York Islands in Papua New Guinea.

FrameWorks, a multimedia system designer and integrator from Ireland, used the latest trusted technologies to create this unparalleled 360-degree multi-sensory environment. Olan Clarke (FrameWorks) specified 16 Panasonic projectors, aligned and driven by a single Screenberry media server, to create a seamless video display across two 360-degree cylindrical screens and an octagon-shaped dome. A quartet of Datapath Fx4 units split the signal from the media server to 16 WUXGA outputs.

The combination of the single server and Datapath video wall controllers used to manage playback across all three screens simplified the setup and ensured a seamless extension of the immersive environment from floor to ceiling. Increased cost and energy efficiency were additional bonuses.

Andy Lee, Senior International Sales Manager at Datapath, said: “We’ve worked closely with Front Pictures, the developers of the Screenberry media server, for many years on groundbreaking and inspiring projects. This latest solution shows how multimedia installations can be simpler and more reliable through the use of Screenberry and Datapath products.”

“Due to its versatility, the ever-popular Fx4 processor is probably our best-selling product, and it is always amazing to see how our customers continuously innovate spectacular new uses of Datapath technology. With ‘Oceanic Refractions’, visitors to the Silent Green venue in Berlin get immersed in an incredible, realistic 360 experience, while learning highly valuable information on how to preserve and maintain the world’s oceanic ecosystem.”

To output visuals onto two circular panoramas, each 10 meters in diameter and 3 meters high, Screenberry aligned 8 x Panasonic PT-RZ970 projectors utilizing a combination of automatic and manual calibration. To map the 10-meter domed ceiling, the media server auto-calibrated an array of 8 x Panasonic PT-DZ780 projectors.

Previous generations of multi-projector systems were built around the “one computer per projector” paradigm. However, this approach has significant drawbacks, including a relatively large budget for the computer hardware, more possible points of failure, difficulties in implementing proper failover solutions, and higher electricity consumption. Another downside of cluster systems is the discrepancy in video playback speed across different computers, which can result in rough, jerky playback.

An alternative to the multi-server system is a single-server approach. Screenberry’s highly efficient video engine uses every bit of power from the media-server hardware to process extremely high-resolution media in real time. As a result, it can handle many more displays per single machine than most other solutions available.

Yuri Kostenko, Front Pictures CEO, said: “We are happy to provide our clients with powerful, reliable, and at the same time cost-effective tools. Datapath video wall controllers help us build Screenberry-driven setups with maximum efficiency and flexibility. ‘Oceanic Refractions’ is the perfect example of how a project can benefit from this approach.”