Knowledge is Power!

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Digital media is evolving. Designers and architects are looking beyond traditional uses like way finding and advertising. Using digital media in place of traditional print artwork to create a living space or configuring displays in a free-standing sculpture are just a few of the innovative and remarkable ways to move beyond the big black box. Even with mainstream media wall installations, you can transform a space or achieve business objectives in new and dynamic ways.

Planar (Runco's parent company) can help get you started in digital media design by offering an opportunity to learn the basics of designing media walls through our free online training course: Designing Media Walls: Imagery, video, and information on digital canvases. The one-hour course provides a primer on media wall technology, reviewing key specification items, components, a list of design considerations, case studies and a review of media wall trends. Upon course completion you are eligible to earn AIA (American Institute of Architects) and state credit and qualify for HSW. Register today!

Calibrate Good Times

Monday, June 20, 2011

My uncle is a cabinet maker by trade – he’s an artist with woodworking. He’s said to me, “With every project you stick to the plans exactly... until after you’ve made the first cut.” What he means is that plans are a fantastic tool that must be in place, but getting into the project starts changing the plans almost immediately. From the beginning on it’s about varying the plans to fit the reality of the situation. The same could be said for any creative, artistic endeavor. Reality demands flexibility.

No matter how good we make Runco displays and projectors (and they are the best in the world), just the fact that you take it into your home changes everything. The ambient light, the color of your walls, the size of your room and so many other variables affect the artistry of displaying beautiful images in your home theater. All of the plans that were so helpful at the beginning, now need to be adjusted to match with the reality of your set-up.

Calibration allows each Runco display and projector to be finely tuned to its new home so that you will see the absolute best image quality. The Imaging Science Foundation has developed standards for calibration that require intensive training and expensive equipment, and the reality is that you won’t get a better viewing experience from your display than with a professional calibration. Your local Runco authorized dealer can provide you with top-notch, in-home calibration tailored to your exact situation. If you have a home theater room with controlled lighting for a consistent environment you won’t find a better solution than fine-tuned, professional calibration services.

But you’re not always in a home theater with the windows blacked out and the lights turned down. Sometimes you want to watch TV in your living room, but that means the light from windows and lamps is constantly changing. Not to worry, Runco has you covered with the LightStyle™ Series DLP projectors. They’re designed to give beautiful high-definition performance in a variety of lighting situations.

To start off, they keep the blacks black using SuperOnyx™ technology with ConstantContrast™. So, instead of seeing washed-out grey during the day and squint-inducing darkness at night, the image is consistently adjusted for the right level of contrast for the lighting conditions. Next, Runco has integrated ISF calibration right into the projector, so you can calibrate the projector yourself. More than that, there are memory settings for both day and night-time ISF calibrations so no matter what the ambient light is like, you’ll still get amazing video quality. We meet the reality of your life with the flexibility of on-board calibration. The artistry of video projection receives its finishing touches in your home.

The Chuck Norris of Numbers

Saturday, May 21, 2011

I often get asked why we named the D-73d the D-73d. Why not the D-42d or the D-89d? What is so special about 73? Rest assured we had good reasons, that are logical and are consistent with our naming conventions, but my favorite explanation is from one of my favorite TV shows, The Big Bang Theory. According to Sheldon, 73 is the best number. See why in this clip.