Ask Alfred
Video Versatility

Moving head lights are everywhere, right? From huge concert tours to TV shows, nightclubs to the most modest of mobile DJ setups. But that wasn’t always the case; back when they first came onto the scene in the late 70s and early 80s they were outside the budget of all but the biggest productions. However, advancements in technology and economies of scale meant that over the years they became more and more affordable. “What’s this got to do with video?” You may ask, well the same thing is happening with LED video screens.

LED video walls have significant benefits over other options, such as projectors or LCD screens, however until recently they have been cost prohibitive for all but the biggest venues, events and productions. That all changed last year with the introduction of the ADJ AV6, our new affordable modular LED video panel. Now LED video walls are within reach for average-sized clubs and churches as well as smaller production companies, concert tours, and even mobile DJs.

The beauty of LED video panels is that they are flexible, allowing for a wide variety of screen shapes and sizes. Our AV6 panel measures 22.75” x 22.75” and any number of them can be connected together in square, rectangular or even irregular shapes. The panels slot together easily, aligning the LEDs on neighboring units accurately to create a seamless display surface, and lock into place by using thumb-screws, which means that no tools are required.

This modular nature means that you could initially start with a relatively small screen, say 3 x 2 panels (approximately 5.5’ x 3.5’) and then add additional panels at a later date. Another six panels would allow you the option of two 3 x 2 screens or one larger 4 x 3 video wall (approximately 7.5’ x 5.5’), depending on the event.

In addition to affordability, flexibility and modularity, AV6 video wall has other advantages. It offers improved brightness and contrast over projected video, making it ideal for churches with a great deal of ambient light or productions where lots of stage and effect lighting is in use.

AV6 video walls can be permanently installed, but they are also designed for use on touring productions and for one-off events. The separately-sold AV6RB1 is a modular rigging bar that easily attaches to the top row of AV6 panels on any size of video wall and provides heavy duty hanging points for direct flying or rigging to a truss structure.

The AV6 panels are also relatively lightweight (23lbs. / 8.15kg each) and compact (3” / 75mm deep), making them easy to setup, transport and store. We’ve even created a dedicated road case that makes it even easier to move around, as well as protect, AV6 video walls. The AV6FC
is a heavy-duty wheeled flight case that has padded slots to snugly accommodate eight AV6 panels.

When I speak to people who are considering investing in our AV6 panels – for all kinds of applications – they are often worried that setting up an LED video wall system will be complicated. As I always tell them, it’s not something to worry about as we’ve made it as simple as possible. The only additional piece of hardware that you need is the MCTRL-300 video processor, which then communicates with each of your AV6 panels using standard RJ45 computer network cables.

By connecting the MCTRL-300 to a PC via USB it’s easy to configure the quantity – and layout – of the panels you’re using through a simple piece of software. Once this straight-forward process has been carried out, getting video onto the screen is simply a matter of plugging in to the standard DVI video input socket from the output of your computer, DVD player, vision mixer, media server or any other video source. The MCTRL-300 is capable of driving up 1.3 million pixels, which is well over 100 AV6 panels, so more than enough for even the biggest of productions.

Although we think the AV6 offers a very straight-forward LED video wall solution, to make life even easier we’ve put together a series of packages that include absolutely everything you need for various standard-sized screens. These packs include an MCTRL300 video processor along with the relevant number of AV6 panels, AV6RB1 rigging bars, AV6FC road cases, and all of the necessary power and data cables. It really couldn’t be easier to invest in an LED video wall system!

The applications of AV6 video screens are numerous. If you’re a mobile entertainer you could use one to enhance your set by playing music videos, or offer the added service of displaying photo slideshows for your clients, which is ideal for mitzvahs, birthdays and weddings. In churches they are ideal for boldly and clearly displaying song words and inspiring visuals, while they are also ideally suited for displaying presentations at large corporate events as well as live video feeds.

Just like moving heads before them, LED video walls are becoming more and more prevalent. Now, thanks to the ADJ AV6, they are available in a significantly lower price bracket making them accessible to those with much lower budgets. So, is it time you took the plunge into the world of LED video?

To learn more about the AV6 video panels, visit: http://www.adj.com/av6

Make sure to check out the Fatboy Slim & Basement Jaxx event that uses 140 AV6 panels:

- Alfred Gonzales is the National Sales Manger at ADJ USA  

For more information Contact ADJ:
U.S. Office - Tel: 800-322-6337/+1-323-582-2650 • Web: www.adj.com