Lightware’s Taurus TPX transmitters and receivers are at the heart of a recent upgrade to Amsterdam’s Eye Filmmuseum, the leading film museum in the Netherlands. The Lightware signal infrastructure supports new 4K projectors from Christie in the four auditoriums.
The previous system had been added to over the years and had grown in complexity. The upgrade project represented an opportunity to design a modern system from scratch and to standardise and streamline behind-the-scenes operations. The key objectives were to bring 4K60 ultra-HD video support across all auditoriums, create a coherent, modular AV infrastructure in all projection rooms, unify signal management for both old analogue and new digital content and implement a new future-proof system that could be scaled as required.
With the transition to 4K UHD content and new Christie projectors, the Eye team needed a solution that could handle high-bandwidth video, legacy formats and complex signal routing across multiple auditoriums. The full upgrade took place under the leadership of Toon Bouman, head of operations and Yorrick de Nooijer, a freelance video engineer who had installed the previous system back in 2011.
The central component of the new system is Lightware’s Taurus TPX transmitters and receivers (UCX-2x1-TPX-TX20 and UCX-3×3-TPX-RX20), which manage video distribution between source devices and projectors across all four auditoriums. In larger or more demanding show configurations, the UCX-4×3-TPX-TX20 provides additional input/output capacity and enhanced flexibility for managing speaker content, return video feeds and technician monitors.
For more flexible signal extension, Lightware’s HDMI-TPX-TX106 point-to-point extenders and HDMI-TPX-RX107A-SR scaling receivers are also in use. The company says this versatility is essential as the scaling receivers ensure compatibility across a variety of input resolutions and legacy devices. The Taurus TPX 2×1 units located on stage allow presenters to connect a single cable that delivers audio, video, network, and power to their devices.
Nooijer said: “The existing AV system had reached the end of its life, having been installed almost 15 years ago. Eye invested in all new 4K projectors from Christie for the four auditoriums and therefore required a modern signal infrastructure to support the latest technologies with ultra-HD compatibility.”
Bouman explained: “Lightware supports multiple control interfaces; hardware buttons via GPIO, playlist-based automation and a customisable web interface. With this choice, our projectionists can respond quickly and ensure transitions between events are as smooth as possible. We’ve also found that the new system reduces operator training time.”
All four auditoriums now have a uniform technology standard, with the capability to handle live events, screening of old analogue films or speaking engagements with flexibility. The new infrastructure can adapt to future needs without a total redesign, whilst the support for scaling and conversion of video signals supports all content types, from black and white movies to the latest ultra-HD visuals.
“We do a lot of different things here at Eye Filmmuseum,” continued de Nooijer. “For example, we’ll often do dual projection, projecting digital subtitles on top of analogue film, or switch from a Blu-ray to a presenter’s slide show on the fly. This was a bespoke integration, designed and implemented in collaboration with systems integrator, BeamSystems. The flexibility we found in Lightware products allowed us to self-develop something truly unique.”
