The blockbuster show, broadcast on German station RTL was the world TV premier for Color Stream. Color Stream uses LED technology in an encapsulated package to create subtle colour effects and linear sequences which have hitherto been unattainable in the lighting designer's pallet. The system consists of one metre long diffused tubes, which conceal the LEDs, and connect together seamlessly to make long lines of light that can be programmed to evolve in a series of synchronous events.
The Color Stream tubes contain dense arrays of red, green and blue LEDs arranged in individual pixels. Each pixel is controlled separately to produce both a range of colours and dynamic movement along the length of the tube, and onwards if tubes are placed end to end.
Olma is using 150 metres of Color Stream for the Pop Idol shows, "I first saw an early version of Color Stream last year and was very impressed," says Olma, "I stayed in contact with Pixeon and subsequently persuaded A&O Lighting to buy a load of Color Stream just on my say so. Pop Idol was my first opportunity to use it on a show and everyone agreed that it is a fantastic success."
"If neon had pixels this is what it would be like," says Claas Ernst, managing director of Pixeon, Germany, "For the first time we can offer designers lighting that speaks their language."
(Lee Baldock)
