Leading Finnish AV company Suomen Videoviestintä upgrades to 4K projection

In Helsinki, people can now watch the sharpest video image in the world, thanks to the two Sony SXRD 4K projectors purchased by Suomen Videoviestintä, an AV company owned by Suomen Messut. This equipment, which is heavy-duty in every respect, is used for example in large general meetings. The recent Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) was a test that earned the company a lot of praise.

Videoviestintä wants to specialise in heavy-duty video projectors. Already during the era of its founder, Esko Pulkkanen, the company was a leading force in this field. Its arsenal now comprises ten or so projectors, the best of which prior to the Sony deal were 2K quality. The new projectors are in a whole different class – there is nothing available above 4K, and so far Sony is the only manufacturer of these projectors.

Plans to reality in six months
According to Wilenius, first discussions about acquiring the Sony 4K projectors began in early spring.

“Our decision was heavily influenced by the 4K projector's amazing image quality. HD is today, that's for sure. The Sony image is so sharp that even when viewed up-close, no raster can be detected. You have to experience it for yourself to be able to appreciate it,” Wilenius exclaims.

“There is a surprising amount of demand for these top quality projectors, despite the fact that the first day's rental costs 4000 euros. Having said that, our 2K projectors cost the same. Typical applications for our projectors are large general meetings. Our basic rental includes space, seating and lighting. Everything else is tailored according to the client's needs. Usually two screens are needed: one for a PowerPoint presentation and the other for live video of the speaker. 4K video projection is a great advantage for us in meeting any challenge.”

As an example Wilenius mentions the ISD conference scheduled for the end of the year.

“The organisers have specific riders, including brand names. It is a great advantage for international conference organisers that Suomen Messut is able to offer everything from AV technology to catering. All from one contact. This solution differs from most foreign expo service providers who have outsourced everything as far as possible. Experience has demonstrated that despite this our prices are competitive. For example, if a client orders AV equipment from a third party, the space rental has to be extended, which results in extra costs.”

Varied possibilities
The 4K projector has an image resolution of 4096 x 2160 pixels. Fully utilising this is still very hard, but this is not a problem since the device automatically scales any material to the panel resolution. Regular SD video is transformed into a beautiful film-like image. Naturally even better results can be achieved using an HD video camera.

Wilenius states that Suomen Video has never done so-called mud pit jobs, not even with their audio equipment.

“Our equipment is better suited for black tie events,” Wilenius chuckles, and finishes off by saying that the past year promises to be the best in the history of this 13-head strong company.