- Mobberly Baptist Church, located in Longview, Texas, is dedicated to creating an environment in which its congregation can experience an ever-changing, ever-growing relationship with Jesus Christ. To this end, the organization incorporated extensive audio and video technologies into its worship services to heighten the sensory experience.
"I can train new volunteers to use the AMX system in a matter of minutes. And because it's so straight forward, we've experienced fewer technical glitches during our services, which I know our pastors and congregation both appreciate."
Uncomplicating the Complicated
- Mobberly's systems integrator for this project, as well as others on its campus, was MediaMerge, Inc. of Birmingham, Ala. According to Tim Ogletree, MediaMerge systems designer, Mobberly's primary goals for the AMX® system were two fold -- to control video routing to various displays, as well as playback devices.
- The key components of Mobberly's AMX system are an NI-3000 NetLinx® Integrated Controller, 15-inch Modero® Touch Panel and one keypad, which is installed in the control booth. The touch panel's graphical interface was customized to meet Mobberly's unique usage needs and is easy enough for church volunteers to operate – including those with little or no technology background.
- As Ben Watson, multimedia director, explains, "The touch panel is so easy to use, it's almost self explanatory. I can train new volunteers to use the AMX system in a matter of minutes. And because it's so straight forward, we've experienced fewer technical glitches during our services, which I know our pastors and congregation both appreciate," he added.
- The system enables preview, transport control and routing to occur via one device, the Modero Touch Panel. This capability not only streamlines a variety of processes for Watson and his volunteers, it also reduces the amount of display equipment required, which saves valuable space and money.
- In addition to control, the AMX system incorporates automation for even greater convenience. Rather than powering on each individual device, Watson can touch one button on the Modero to turn on all of the devices controlled by the system. This includes several DVDs, projectors and screens, along with a DVD recorder, VCR, and camera.
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"I can't emphasize enough how easy the AMX system is to use. I love the simplicity of the touch panel – that almost everything I need is accessible from a single screen, and I don't have to go through multiple menus to find things. The system is very efficient
very quick
very powerful
very flexible," commented Watson.
Maximizing Facilities
- Using the AMX system and a fiber optic link from the sanctuary to its youth building, Mobberly can stream live video from one building to the other. For example, if a larger-than-capacity crowd gathers for a worship service, church production or other special event, Mobberly can offer overflow seating in the youth building's large meeting room and stream live video from the sanctuary to both of the room's large display screens.
Enabling Flexibility
- "One of the nice things about the AMX system for a church like Mobberly is that we can augment the system as our needs change in the future," he explains. "We may not have the budget to purchase all of the technology we want at once, so it's nice to know that we have the flexibility to add individual items like an additional camera or new editing equipment as we go along."
