In Northern Ireland, The Lounge@Cellar Bar in Lurgan, Co. Armagh, has installed a Hippotizer system to provide visuals to a video projector and to plasma displays throughout the bar. The Hippotizer complements the lighting and sound in the bar, and is kept fresh by the club's owner, who creates his own images and uploads them to the Hippotizer through its easy-to-use Media Manager.
The Lounge's system was installed by RG Design, who also installed a Hippotizer system in Holborn St - a live venue and club spread over three floors in Sligo, Eire. At the venue's centre is a stage used by bands and DJs; the stage is backed by a 12ft screen which now features visuals from the Hippotizer. The Hippotizer also feeds plasma screens both in the live venue and in the bar next door; a high-resolution camera allows visuals of the crowd to be fed to the Hippotizer and integrated with the other video material.
Hippotizers have also been specified by three further clubs in Ireland, as well as at the Storm nightclub in Southend-on-Sea. This installation, carried out by Essex Sound & Light, sees the Hippotizer driving plasma screens around the dancefloor and bar area, and at the Centrepoint club in Glasgow. All of the Hippotizer's users at their club are delighted with the system's functionality and performance.
The Hippotizer is a versatile and cost-effective digital media server for the entertainment industry, with four versions covering the full spectrum of show styles and control requirements for video playback and image and effects processing. The Hippotizer Lite and Hippotizer Pro are aimed at venues and clubs where video playback is to be either largely automated or controlled on-the-fly through the Hippotizer Pro's full-colour touchscreen. The Hippotizer DMX Club and Hippotizer DMX Stage are intended for shows where video playback is integrated with lighting; the DMX Club simulates a moving light for simple control of video and effects playback, while the DMX Stage offers full control of every aspect of the image from a lighting console. All four versions of the Hippotizer share the same compact, rugged, rack-mount case and the same comprehensive range of outputs; all also come pre-loaded with digital content from Scene Change.
(Lee Baldock)
