Bridging the Gap
One of Elation’s latest products, the EPV762 MH Video Panel Moving Head, bridges that gap. At first glance, you would get the impression that it is a big flat wash light on a moving yoke. On closer inspection, you will begin to see it is more than that. The EPV762 MH is actually an LED video panel! It just happens to be mounted to a moving yoke, just like a moving light.
The moving yoke functions of the EPV762 MH are relatively basic. It takes a total of 6 DMX channels to operate the moving functions of the fixture. You have 8- or 16-bit control of the Pan and Tilt of the fixture, from 540° pan to 265° tilt. There is an option of an additional 90° of pan for a total of 630°. The last two channels operate the pan/tilt speed and fixture reset. Pretty simple operation, when you think about it.
On one side of the fixture’s base, there is the 5-pin DMX in and out, 3-pin DMX in and out, a PowerCon power input and two Ethernet ports for video in and video out. On the opposite side, there is an LCD display with a menu of functions including ways to address the fixture, change its operating mode and other standard menu functions for a moving head.
The fixture’s video panel has 17222 dot/m2 pixel density at 7.62mm pixel pitch. At a close viewing angle, it seems like the picture is a bit pixelated. As with any LED panel, the further away you are, the clearer the image becomes. At just 15 feet away, the video content on the panel was easily readable — if a bit blinding, due to content choice, being so close and the output level of the LEDs. The viewing angle of the video panel is 110° vertical and 135° horizontal.
The real power and light output of the fixture comes from the video side. Think of the LED panel as another monitor to output anything you want. The EPV762 MH can accept almost any source of video, with the help of two other products from Elation, the EPV Image VSC and the EPV VSC. Both of these products are designed to take any video content you like into the unit and then send the video content through an Ethernet cable into the EPC762 MH. The difference between the EPV Image and the EPV VSC is that the first one allows for image scaling, multiple inputs and source switching at the unit.
Aiming and Moving Effects
The output of the fixture depends on what video source you send to the fixture. You can send almost any content you want from a media server to a DVI source. The sky is the limit on the content side. The fixture could be used as a wash light in certain applications — again, the color and intensity would be controlled by a video controller, and not at the fixture itself.
When using a media server, I was able to get some interesting textures washing a wall with the fixture using some basic motion graphics provided by the media server. I could simulate shimmering water on a wall and then control the colors via the media server to get an interesting effect. Again, all of this is controlled by the media server. The movement of the fixture via a separate DMX controller then provided me with the ability to move the shimmer effect up, down and across the wall.
While testing the fixture, I found that side-yoking allowed for more visible movement of the panel. Imagine this: You have a static piece of content running to the video panel. To add some dynamic movement to the content, rather then editing the video to rotate it back and forth, mounting the fixture sideways, you can simply pan the fixture side to side to spice up the content. Think of it also as a moving sign, with the ability to rotate graphics in the round.
The EPV762 MH is a beast of a fixture in size, at just over 2.5 feet high and 2 feet wide, and weighing in at 53 lbs. The video panel itself is 19 inches square. The pixels on the panel are laid out in a 64 x 64 square pattern with a total of 4,096 pixels of RGB.
The fixture was not the fastest in pan and tilt due to its size, but it still offered smooth operation and simple setup. The EPV762 MH can be used for a wide variety of applications that might benefit from video graphics in motion — including installations, touring and other live events.
Elation EPV762 MH
Pros: Simple setup, dense pixel placement, super bright output
Cons: Needs separate video processor
How Much: $6,999.95 (MSRP)
PLSN Light Lab: Elation EPV762MH
Justin Lang shows Elation’s EPV762 MH in action on PLSN.tv. For a direct link, go to: http://plsn.me/tJymnt
