Manchester Metropolitan University is one of the largest campus-based universities in the UK and one of the most extensive education centres in Europe. With a history dating back 150 years, the University combines both a traditional and contemporary setting, providing an inspirational environment to its student population of over 36,000. The University is committed to a strong future and has invested £350 million into its buildings and facilities.
The Challenge
The University has over 600 technology-equipped rooms of various sizes, including lecture theatres, IT labs, smaller classrooms and meeting rooms, and keeping the technology infrastructure up to date for an institution this size, is no easy task. As part of the large scale upgrade of the University’s facilities, they decided to install a state of the art projection solution into their largest lecture theatre which also serves as an exhibition hall.
This lecture theatre houses a variety of events, fashion shows and conferences, creating a very complex set of requirements for AV solutions.
The projectors in this specific location are positioned high up on the ceilings, and previous solutions required considerable downtime and effort for maintenance, lamp and filter changes. This is why a key priority for the University was finding an efficient projection solution that requires virtually zero maintenance. Aging lamp based projectors, which take a lot of time and energy to run smoothly, didn’t suit the needs and pressures of this modern-day educational institution.
Instead, Manchester Metropolitan required a solution which would deliver hours of maintenance-free use, and this is why the AV team turned to Sony’s laser projectors to deliver the reliable solution that would guarantee years of operation. The other key deciding factor in the implementation was the University’s requirement for impeccable picture quality that the Sony projectors deliver effortlessly.
The Sony solution
Sony has unrivalled expertise when it comes to AV technology solutions and understands how to create a state of the art solution that will fulfil every industry’s requirements, let it be creating an engaging learning environment through rich multimedia platforms or providing the most advanced technologies for corporate and exhibition spaces.
In conjunction with Manchester Metropolitan’s AV team and Roche AV (Integrator), Sony designed and implemented a solution that features six VPL-FHZ65 3LCD WUXGA laser projectors with a colour brightness of 6,000 lumens.
Four laser projectors were installed in the University’s exhibition hall. By stacking four (2×2) 6,000 lumens projectors front facing as well as back facing, they were able to create a stunning, approximately 10K lumens image to impress students as well as event attendees.
Two further projectors were installed in lecture theatres, creating an immersive, informative education environment that brings presentations up-to-date.
Results to date
The striking 10K images produced have engaged the students, academics and event visitors alike, enabling the University not only to provide an inspiring learning environment, but also to compete with the most modern corporate venues for high profile events and exhibitions.
Feedback on the picture quality has been very positive, living up to the expectations of delivering a reliable and solid image with exceptional colour rendition. The expected virtually maintenance free lifetime will increase the TCO of laser technology, allowing Manchester Metropolitan to capitalise on minimal downtime while safe in the knowledge that image quality will remain throughout the projector’s lifespan.
Why Sony was selected
The VPL-FHZ65 laser projectors cater perfectly to the University’s unique needs, as these projectors are ideal for a wide range of business, education and general presentation applications. The impeccable colour rendition was the main deciding factor for the AV team to choose laser technology. Sony’s powerful Z-Phosphor laser light source, teamed with advanced BrightEra 3LCD projection engine was chosen as it delivers extremely bright, crisp WUXGA resolution images with powerful 6,000 lumens maximum light output and rich, stable colours.
The projectors that were selected fit seamlessly into the environment, offering exceptional brightness, zoom and throw range, coupled with wide lens shift range, meaning they can perform where other projectors would struggle – even in high ambient light. The stunning 10K image produced, is seamlessly blended from the multiple projectors, creating a super-sized, beautiful picture.
But implementing a solution with virtually zero maintenance operation for up to 20,000 hours* without the worry of sudden lamp failure, was most important factor for the University. The automated filter system cuts the hassle of regular dust cleaning and the range of energy-saving features future proof Manchester Metropolitan’s investment, significantly driving down total lifetime ownership costs.
*Actual hours may vary depending on usage environment.
Neil Anderson, ITS Campus Technology at Manchester Metropolitan University, commented on the solution selected: “It was important for the University to find a solution that maintained a high performance, excellent image quality and compatibility with our existing technologies. We wanted projectors that were reliable while producing a solid image with good colour rendition. After seeing a demo of Sony’s projectors, we were convinced that laser technology was the right decision for our unique requirements and the solution has lived up to our high expectations. We are looking forward to further developing our campus technology in the years to come”.
