Case Studies Top
 |
240-inch high definition system employing the TH-DW7000
| |
The final chapters in The Tale of Genji are set in Uji. The
Tale of Genji Museum, located here in Uji, has completed
a renovation of the contents of its exhibits. Crisp, full high-definition
images play a key role in the museum's new
look. Panasonic DLP™ projectors are used to present the
world of The Tale of Genji in its full glory.
Of the 54 chapters in The Tale of Genji, penned by Murasaki
Shikibu, the final 10 are set in the city of Uji. Opened to the public in Uji
in 1998, The Tale of Genji Museum is the only museum in the world
devoted to the world of The Tale of Genji and Heian culture, presented
through recreations and projected images. Since its foundation, the
museum has been guided by the concept of immersing visitors in the
noble world of Heian aesthetic scrolls, and has made video projections
a cornerstone of this mission. After 10 years, however, the museum
saw the need to update both the content of its exhibitions and its
methods of presentation. A major part of their efforts was devoted to
introducing large-scale, high-definition projections to the museum, and
these projections became a centerpiece of its renovation.
| |
When visitors enter the museum, the first exhibition they
encounter is the Heian Room, which is based on the themes of the
first half of The Tale of Genji, namely the capital of Heian-kyo and
the protagonist Hikaru Genji himself. This room contains a 240-inch
high-definition system employing the Panasonic TH-DW7000
DLP™ projector. "In the past, we used a multiple projection system
with two rows of sixteen 40-inch projection units each, for a total of
thirty-two units. When we undertook the renovation, being able to
display images with maximum impact was a top priority for us, and
that is why we introduced this large-screen system," says Mr.
Kishimoto. Considering the depth of the room, the previous system
was quite wide from right to left, so much so that "it actually made it
hard to see," explains Mr. Kishimoto. In addition, the passage of
time had led to subtle differences in the colors of the individual
screens, a problem that gave the museum staff no end of trouble.
Thanks to the renovation, the charm of The Tale of Genji and the outline of its story are presented to the public in beautiful high-definition images. These images are delivered using a Blu-ray Disc system with automatic playback. "We had prepared four preset patterns that would play the film at varying intervals depending on the number of visitors, but we've had more visitors than we predicted, so we've been using the pattern intended for the most crowded times all day, every day," says the director with a laugh.
Thanks to the renovation, the charm of The Tale of Genji and the outline of its story are presented to the public in beautiful high-definition images. These images are delivered using a Blu-ray Disc system with automatic playback. "We had prepared four preset patterns that would play the film at varying intervals depending on the number of visitors, but we've had more visitors than we predicted, so we've been using the pattern intended for the most crowded times all day, every day," says the director with a laugh.
| |
| The TH-DW7000 is contained in a box near the ceiling of the Heian Room | Blu-ray Disc player |
| |
One of the high points of the museum is the Movie Room, where an
original video presentation can be viewed. This facility existed prior to
the renovation and employed projectors made by another
manufacturer, but museum director
Kishimoto says he felt that "it was vital to
have full high-definition projection
equipment in order to show our original
high-definition film on the ten Uji
Chapters, entitled 'Hashi-Hime [The
Princess at the Bridge]: The Depth of
Women's Love.' " The Panasonic TH-DW10000 was brought in for this
purpose. It boasts a level of brightness far above that of the previously
used projectors; there was even concern that it maybe too bright for
rear projection, but in the end its powerful, large-size projections were
ideal for the room's needs. Image delivery is handled by the P2 studio
recorder, capable of baseband high-definition projection.
| The Movie Room functions as a high-definition theater featuring 200-inch projection using the TH-DW10000 |
| |
The Tale of Genji Museum is open every day from 9:00 AM to
5:00 PM, except for Mondays and the New Year's holiday at the
beginning and end of each year. The projectors operate all day,
from a test run at 8:30 AM until the museum's closing time. The
need for reliable performance under such a demanding schedule
was one of the things that led the museum to choose Panasonic
DLP™ projectors. Both models in use employ a multiple-lamp
system, so the image will not disappear even if a lamp happens to
burn out. Mr. Kishimoto recalls, "With our previous projectors, there
were times when the image suddenly disappeared, leaving us with
only sound, and we had to apologize profusely to our visitors." With
the new projectors, there's no need to worry about such incidents.
The recent renovation has received rave reviews, and the number of visitors has been growing by leaps and bounds. "We wanted to give people a chance to get familiar with The Tale of Genji, and we thought the best way to achieve this was to focus on the use of video imagery that was accessible and could be viewed repeatedly," says Mr. Kishimoto. "Video is the lifeblood of this museum." He is pleased to note that, since the renovation, the facility has become a more popular destination for school trips, the staff has gained a more optimistic outlook, and positive results have been obtained among both visitors and staff members. The Tale of Genji Museum is on track to increase its popularity even further, becoming a new must-see stop on the Kyoto tourist trail.
The recent renovation has received rave reviews, and the number of visitors has been growing by leaps and bounds. "We wanted to give people a chance to get familiar with The Tale of Genji, and we thought the best way to achieve this was to focus on the use of video imagery that was accessible and could be viewed repeatedly," says Mr. Kishimoto. "Video is the lifeblood of this museum." He is pleased to note that, since the renovation, the facility has become a more popular destination for school trips, the staff has gained a more optimistic outlook, and positive results have been obtained among both visitors and staff members. The Tale of Genji Museum is on track to increase its popularity even further, becoming a new must-see stop on the Kyoto tourist trail.
