Tech Tools for Worship

Have you wondered what it would take for your church to show music lyrics, electronic banners, mission and other video clips (e.g. VBS activities), and sermon points before, during, and after the worship service?(View Dwight Stinnett's PowerPoint "Where Do We Plugin?" to see examples of what you can do with projection AND how to go about starting to use this tool in your ministries.)

There are three components that are necessary: projector, computer, and software. This column discusses the projector and computer components. You may be surprised.

As I write this, prices for video projectors are finding their way under $1,000. Most of these are more powerful and have more versatility than their larger predecessors. Consumer electronic stores such as Best Buy and Circuit City are carrying various models from major manufacturers priced from $900 to $2,100 (compact model).

"O.K." You say, but when you add the price of a laptop for composing the video presentation and then for connecting this to the projector it still adds up to expense.

I agree. Laptops are great, but they are not absolutely necessary. But, even laptops have come down in price to well below $1,000.

Here are 3 alternatives that you can use with a new projector while you wait on the purchase of a computer (desktop or laptop) to use with it.

1. Use the office "tower" computer or another non-laptop. This may not be as convenient as using a laptop, but it is less expensive. You can even purchase another "tower" for at least half of what a laptop would be. They are not as light as today's laptops, but they are lighter than the "luggables" which the computer industry offered as their first "portables."

2. Don't connect a computer to the projector at all; rather, connect a dvd player. You will need to use a computer to compose and "burn" this dvd. Several low cost (under $100) dvd players are available that will play pictures in jpeg format. Compose your presentation on your desktop computer, burn a cd with the "slides" of each step of the presentation as jpeg photos, play this in your dvd player that is connected to your projector. (If you do not have a cd writer (aka, "burner") these are available for less than $100, often less than $50. Lately one of the office supply stores offered it free (after rebate).

3. Don't connect a computer to the projector at all; rather, connect a "pack-n-go" device. These are portable units that connect to your computer with a usb or parallel cable. They come with software that helps you convert your presentation into a slide show. You would store these on a flash memory card that the device, when hooked up to your projector, would "play" through the projector. These are more expensive than the dvd player alternative, but give you more versatility.

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