Delivering a stellar experience
First opened in 1926 and in operation ever since, the projection hall of the Zeiss-Planetarium in Jena, Germany, has an inner diameter of 23m and a seating capacity of 261. As it enters a new era, the planetarium has committed to supplement its installations to allow it to remain current and present new content that will educate, entertain and mesmerize audiences on the over 800m2-dome. As part of this upgrade, the planetarium has just had five Barco F70-4K6 laser-phosphor projectors installed, with a sixth projector installed in the middle of the projection hall. These Barco F70 projectors were chosen for their overall image quality, their high level of detail and brightness, and for their ability to present existing content and possible future content. This is because the superior presentation, changing expectations and different interests have opened the door to innovation and experimentation in the full-dome shows produced by the planetarium.

An ever-changing role
The laser-phosphor illumination of the Barco F70 offers superior reliability, stability and performance over time. This was a major consideration for the Zeiss-Planetarium Jena; the role of the planetarium has evolved and today, the planetarium needs to address a growing market by hosting events, conferences and corporate meetings, concerts, dinners, and even visits from astronauts. The excellent up-time of the projector, combined with the total cost of ownership, helped in determining the Barco F70 projector’s win over other contending makes and models. The pre-sales service and support offered by VISIO GmbH, who provided the equipment, and VST, the company that performed the integration work, as well as Barco themselves, has helped to assure the Zeiss Planetarium that they made the right choice.
“We are very impressed with the performance of the products, and the level of technical support and customer support that we have received.” , explained Stefan Harnisch, Procurator from the Zeiss-Planetarium Jena.

The first show with the new installation took place on 13 September.