Are You Stealing?: Part 1 of 3

We Christians have a bad reputation out there when it comes to copyright violations. We have, for years, photocopied choral music and stolen corporate logos for our youth group T-shirts. I say its time to be “above reproach.”

Much, if not all, of the music we sing in church is copyright protected, and there are some legal and ethical issues you must adhere to. This is discussion 1 of 3:

You probably get that photocopying a copyrighted piece of music would violate the law, but did you know that displaying those same song lyrics on a screen for 285 people is the same as making that many copies?

The most common way churches are ethically and legally paying for the rights to display the lyrics to a copyrighted song is through CCLI (www.ccli.com) .  They sell an annual copyright license that, through statistical averaging, pays royalties to the songwriters on your behalf.  They cover over 300,000 worship songs and are the most complete service available. The fee is based on your average weekly attendance and, in my opinion, is more than reasonable.

DLP Debate

DLP Debate: Single Chip or 3 Chip?

Looking for a DLP Projector?  First of all, see last week's blog about DLP vs. LCD. Secondly, be sure you know the difference between single chip and 3 chip DLP units.

Single chip DLP models are the most common, usually because they are the lowest price. They are often priced like LCD units but can offer significantly higher contrast ratios and sometimes report a brighter ANSI lumen rating. Sounds pretty good, doesn’t it?  The problem is that single chip DLP models just don’t project the same color quality that you will get from a 3 chip DLP or 3 panel LCD projector. You don’t get the deep blues, rich reds, or brilliant greens with a single chip product.

3-chip DLP units look great and display beautiful colors. The catch is the price; today, 3-Chip DLP projectors start over $10k and can easily cost upwards of $75k.

DLP vs. LCD

There is a raging debate in our industry between LCD and DLP projectors. Get 10 tech guys in the same room, and you might quickly get 10 different opinions on the topic.  Here’s mine:

Assuming that:

1.      Most churches can't afford a 3 chip DLP model and are therefore considering a single chip DLP projector (stay tuned---next week we will blog about the differences between single chip and 3-chip) versus a 3 panel LCD projector.

2.      Most churches are using the projector predominantly to display computer-generated presentations.

3.     Most churches are projecting in a room with lights on or windows uncovered and need all the lumen punch they can get.

So, I will almost always recommend an LCD projector.  Here’s why:

1.     A 3 panel LCD projector will give much better color than a single chip DLP.

2.     Brightness is a big issue. DLP projectors can have a major discrepancy between color brightness and white brightness. Since most of what your projector is going to be in full color, the spec sheet lumen rating of a DLP projector may not be a fair “apples to apples” comparison. There is some great information here:  www.ColorLightOutput.com .

3.     I see no difference in life expectancy. Many DLP preference folks will point to LCD panel failure (the panels actually deteriorate and fail usually around a 5-7 year mark) as a big reason to consider a DLP projector over LCD. Historically, I'm not seeing it. So far, our DLP customers are not getting any longer life than our LCD customers.

DIY Projector Mounts

No, you can't build your own projector mount.

I know that guy in your church is willing and skilled to build a projector mount system for you.  He will donate his time and can buy all the materials for less than $50. I firmly believe he will construct it well and assume that he will promise that there is no way it will fall. He will demonstrate this fact by hanging from it and provide stacks of documentation proving the weight rating.

However, you can't (or at least shouldn’t) let him do it. Most liability insurance policies require that a projector hanging from the ceiling be mounted using a UL Rated and Manufacturer Approved mounting system (I personally like www.ChiefMFG.com products the best).

In addition to its being a “have to insurance requirement,” the professional mounts have a ton of great features that allow for roll, pitch, and yaw adjustments to make the installation easy and the image perfect.