HES will publicly debut the Catalyst DL1 at the PLASA Show in London (7-10 September). Preview showings in August include the Nissan Auto Dealer product launch in Mexico City and the Aerosmith world concert tour.
Catalyst DL1 is the second generation offering in the Catalyst family of products. HES started the move to digital-based lighting with the Catalyst moving mirror product two years ago: the original Catalyst combined a media server and moving mirror light with an off-the-shelf video projector. Catalyst DL1 significantly enhances the technology by housing a digital engine in a rugged package that has the look and feel of a moving light and the versatility of a moving projector. Users are able to take images from DVDs, videos and other types of media and display them onto a stage, wall, prop, screen or a set - with complete control over image size and shape. The Catalyst DL1 also provides the ability to project Digital Aerials and provide uniform colour and beam intensity. Unlike conventional moving lights where the beam field has peaks and valleys, digital lighting creates a flat, even field with a high contrast ratio.
"The industry has been demanding technology innovation," says HES CEO Frank Gordon. "We listen to our customers and they are clearly telling us that digital-based lighting can provide exactly what they are looking for."
To help bridge the video and traditional lighting worlds, Catalyst DL1 incorporates the communications standards of both: VGA, RGBHV and S Video inputs for incorporating movie, film or graphics content, and DMX programming - a lighting communications standard that allows the DL1 to be remotely pointed or focused from any DMX-based control unit. DMX will also enable the video input selection to be switched - a feature that will enable the lighting director to choose content from multiple input devices simultaneously. Through a DMX console, the user can control colour, brightness, contrast, focus, zoom and other video-related parameters of the DL1. An integrated fully closing iris even allows for a true blackout. DMX also allows bi-directional communication enabling electronic feedback on its temperature parameters, lamp life, filter quality and other details needed for maintenance purposes.
The Catalyst DL1 can be controlled from any DMX512 control console with imagery being provided by the Catalyst Media Server running Catalyst software or any other high quality video image source. To further complement DL1, HES has scheduled an October release of the updated Catalyst Media Server, based on Apple's new Power Mac G5 and Catalyst Version 3.0 software. This combination allows the Catalyst DL1 to take full advantage of the enhanced functionality of Apple OS X Version 10.2 (or later versions) and the latest developments in Open-GL based video cards.
The Catalyst DL1 is now shipping worldwide, and can be seen at PLASA on the HES stand, G119.
(Lee Baldock)
